L'eroica 2012

Am finally getting close to having the Mercian & Gazelle finished, now got to worry about clothing.. have no vintage Jersey, or shoes... Eek !

I'm booked on the 132 km ride, but since I have a new baby and my wife is recovering from an apendectomy, I have only managed one ride a week for the past 6 weeks, and that has usually been a 2 hour ride up Monte Bondone and back (about 20km up and 1450m climbing). Am fairly fit, but worried that the 132km will be too long and hilly for someone with essentially no training. Also, it's raining today, so the mountains are a no go, so I will probably only get a 2 hour flat ride later today :-( Should I do the shorter distance, or suffer the 132? Any advice???

HTFU and go for the 205.......
You wouldn't want it easy, would you?

Okay, I'll start the 132 and see if there are enough companions to talk me into 205 when the routes divide. Will you push me home when my legs fail?

Chianti and bread..... The food of gods, so I hear! :0)

Hey Steadlocks I am fliying to Bologna on friday arriving early afternoon are flying BA. i am with my husband and a 6 year old that looks like mowgli say hi if you see us my number o79844653--two-two

i am goin to be around epping tomorrow.

No worries tika, I'll look out.....mowgli! Ha!

I'm going BA too.....it worked out cheaper than anything else....

forecast looks better now:)

in Lucca now, sadly the weather is very un-Tuscan... tomorrow's better the forecasters say.

hoping to get in a ride or two before the event as I've been ill and have not ridden my bike for over two weeks!

I'll be near Gaiole from Thusday on, wearing my lfgss cap when I'm out every day ;-) my number is + 3 one 6 three 8 seven 2 seven 9 five 8

keep your chin up Peter, and have a good ride!

Hope you feel better Peter.....I'm sure the bread and wine must help!
Have a scout around for a suitable place to pitch my small tent for me please :0)

Get well soon Peter!

cheers guys, feeling much better already :) and surely I'll get rid of all the excess fluid in my head tomorrow as I'll be riding with a seasoned veteran around Lucca ;) he's an ex colleague of mine and total cycling nut, spends every winter in Lucca and has clocked over 10.000km so far this year

saarf mate, sorry you can't make it! be sure to put the Moergestel retro tour on may 20th next year in your diary though

aye, will sign up, Ride Strong mate,
good luck to all as well

Hope you feel better Peter.....I'm sure the bread and wine must help!
Have a scout around for a suitable place to pitch my small tent for me please :0)

There is an area behind the registration building where some campers pitched up. Im sure you'll be fine there.

Thanks JD......sounds perfect!
How near to the area can I get my hire car? It's a panda with Italian plates, so I hope I can get quit near?

Thanks JD......sounds perfect!
How near to the area can I get my hire car? It's a panda with Italian plates, so I hope I can get quit near?

If you cant park in the area where the camper vans are then when you walk out of the registration area there is a tiny road opposite which is only short and we parked on the main road at the end of it no problem the other year.
Or do as most of the Italians and sleep in the car. Lock the bike to the car to give you more room.

I'm all set - final test ride today with the cleaned chain and with the white leather gloves went well. Leather toe clip straps a pain in the arse at traffic lights but figuring i'll only need to put my foot down at proper stops.

So, now i am officially tapering down... ;-)

Weather also looking better now, although perhaps arm warmers needed for the first couple of hours.

Can't really work properly as i want to check stuff and do stuff and just generally take the piss while thinking about tuscany. Also planning post Eroica so as to not get depressed upon return - booked a slot on Muddy Hell which will need some bike tinkering - rear brake fitted, Fixed to SS conversion, new tyres, etc....

Oh, and hydration begins....NOW!!

Oh, and hydration begins....NOW!!

So your having a glass of Chianti then? Or a pint of Morreti?

I'm a rustic man - 600ml bottle of (proper) Peroni (not renamed Nastro Azzuro). Proper headache giving crap....but the workers' beer so you need to make some sacrifices.

But yeah, i find on long rides if i spend the week before drinking 3 or 4 litres or so per day leading up to it then i don't need to drink as much during the ride itself - handy as i'm keeping the bike proper 1 cage vintage - although fountains are abundant in Italy. Also it should keep any colds or anything a bit further away from me. That's actually my biggest fear now - getting sick.

^ I'm doing the same - keeping it real with a single bottle cage....
My brother did it last year and said there were plenty of places to refill en route so you get away with it. I've also taken an extra precaution; The only vintage bottle I could find was a 250ml thermos so at lunch today I stopped at Sports Direct and bought a runners bottle (300ml with pull out cap) this will be in my back pocket - if it proves to be an annoyance I can jettison it, but it's reasonably flat and should fit comfortably. I also picked up a cheap LED headtorch for the early start.

I've heard somewhere (and can't find where now, so this just about counts for nothing) that on the Saturday sign on they're selling the padded sausage helmets and aluminium drink bottles - can anyone from previous years confirm?

Dead right
"At the time of registration, it will be possible to reserve an aluminum bottle at a cost of €10 and/or a vintage helmet (leather skin) at a cost of €25, to be added
to the overall cost."

(source: pg. 4 of http://www.eroica-ciclismo.it/documents/regolamento_eng.pdf)

if anyone wants a ticket, gimme a bell. I've gone a purchased a new set of wheels for riding in NZ instead :)

excellent. I'll just take a standard camelback podium just in case they run out or something.

I do love the English they use. It's not wrong, by any means...it's just not quite right.