Nope, not yet. Compacted snow and slicks don't mix.

Needed a bit of bike energy after a bout of norovirus or something though, so now the good bike is set up for spring. That means 25mm of extra spacers up front to start a new year of adaptations to a creaky old body.

Can someone switch the heat on again?

#cycling

Sutri - Formello - Rome. Last leg of my tour, and Lazio showed its best side today. A wobderful 75kms/900alt.m. ride through wonderful terrain concludes my journey for now.

A bit sore after the fall yesterday, but the legs are ok. I'll take it easy for a couple of days, and then we will see.

#cycling #gravel #viafrancigena

Ponte Milvio, a spot that gathers conflict

Cicero intercepted messages from Catilina here, uncovering the Catiline attempt at an coup d'etat. This was around the same time Marius and Julius was around. Catilines other claim to fame is boinking/raping a vestal virgin. Take care of your epitaph...

This bridge is also where Constantine asked his soldiers to paint a cross on their shields, pitching the western world into christianity.

Today it is known as a spot where football hooligans make trouble.

What is it about this bridge...

#cycling #viafrancigena

Viterbo - Vetralla - Sutri. Not really happy with the first half of todays ride - too much singletrack and broken surfaces for my gravel bike. Also ended up falling off the bike on a downhill where some water had dug put an inopportune hole.

The landscape is full of tuff stone, which has been used to create extra storage space.

Detour to Ferentum today. Couldn't get back to the via Francigena afterwards because of a solar panel farm that was in the middle of the old farm road i planned to use, but never mind. I got a good gawk at old roman ruins together with the local cats, who were really ready for a good cuddle.

#cycling #viafrancigena

Radicofani - Bolsena. Wonderful ride today. Started early in freezing remperatures, ended at 30 degrees. Fun ride because I rode from gravel, through clay hills, then volcanic tufa, then ended at Lago Bolsena, a volcanic crater. Something went boom here in a major way sometime in the past.

I am now longer in Tuscany. Crossed the border to Lazio, and Rome is getting closer.

Frustrating ride because I also ended up with a flat because of a thorn. L'Angolo del Biker in Bolsena refilled my tube allowance and also gave me a gear tuneup on the go. Awesome guy!

Now I am going to pig out on fish because inland Tuscany is all meat, and I have cravings.

#cycling #gravel #viafrancigena

Montepulciano - San Quirico d'Orcia - Radicofani. Did the last bit of the Val d'Orcia today, started climbing towards the border of Lazio.

The landscape has changed from a valley to a beautiful set of foothills. Most of the climbing was towards the end of the day.

Stumbled over an old fort in the middle of the valley that had been converted to an Agroturismo. The swimming pool had a strong attraction, I have to admit.

Radicodani is a beautiful, tiny village. I like these kinds of places more, I think. I also love how I am now able to catch the changing dialects as I am riding through snall towns.