Good Nice - Rome route?

On 1 Oct 2004 12:48:47 -0700, bikerider7 wrote:


I do agree that biking into Genoa is not fun. On the other hand, Genoa
itself is an interesting city, and the Cinque Terre region south of Genoa
is really nice and better than anything in Umbria

Perhaps, but the Cinque Terre is hardly good touring country, is it?
You've constantly got to go down to the coast and then back up 1000ft or
so. Perhaps I'm missing something. Which places did you visit?

--
Michael MacClancy
Random putdown -
www.macclancy.demon.co.uk
www.macclancy.co.uk

Michael MacClancy wrote in message .. .
On 1 Oct 2004 12:48:47 -0700, bikerider7 wrote:

Perhaps, but the Cinque Terre is hardly good touring country, is it?
You've constantly got to go down to the coast and then back up 1000ft or
so.

That pretty much describes some of the best rides out where
I live in California -- maybe it's just nuts, but cyclists around
here live for that sort of thing.

In any case, I managed to bike through Cinque Terre just fine on a
fully loaded touring bike, and I saw others doing the same. Yes, the
riding was slow going at times, but 1000' rollers is a bit of an
exageration.

Which places did you visit?

It's been a few years, but looking at mapquest, I think all
I did was take the main coast highway out of Genova, and then took
the secondary road that goes through Levanto. Once you get to
the Cinque Terre region, you can reach the other villages by foot
(in fact, I think that is the only way they can be reached). Unfortunately,
I really didn't have enough time to explore so I'll be back hopefully
someday. Anyway, from there I continued on to La Spezia and Pisa.

Michael MacClancy wrote in message .. .
On 1 Oct 2004 12:48:47 -0700, bikerider7 wrote:

Perhaps, but the Cinque Terre is hardly good touring country, is it?
You've constantly got to go down to the coast and then back up 1000ft or
so.

That pretty much describes some of the best rides out where
I live in California -- maybe it's just nuts, but cyclists around
here live for that sort of thing.

In any case, I managed to bike through Cinque Terre just fine on a
fully loaded touring bike, and I saw others doing the same. Yes, the
riding was slow going at times, but 1000' rollers is a bit of an
exageration.

Which places did you visit?

It's been a few years, but looking at mapquest, I think all
I did was take the main coast highway out of Genova, and then took
the secondary road that goes through Levanto. Once you get to
the Cinque Terre region, you can reach the other villages by foot
(in fact, I think that is the only way they can be reached). Unfortunately,
I really didn't have enough time to explore so I'll be back hopefully
someday. Anyway, from there I continued on to La Spezia and Pisa.

On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 15:17:34 GMT, "Steve Juniper"
wrote:

I'm taking the wideopenroad.co.uk Rome-Sardinia-Corsica-Nice 15 day trip
June 4th and am thinking of flying RT San Francisco-Nice. Am considering
biking from Nice to Rome instead of taking the train. Are there any
pleasant, recommended routes? Can't tell much from my map of Italy, and I've
never been there before.
Thanks!

First, a reading suggestion before the island tour: read "The Lead
Goat Veered Off' by Neil Anderson. It is about a couple who are cycle
touring the world, and specifically covers their time in Sardinia with
a bit about getting there from Nice through Corsica.

If it were me, I would jump on a train and either go to
Tuscany/Umbria, or to the Dolomites. Both areas are fantastic, quite
different, love them both. The other alternative I would make would
be the Alps, but you will be pushing it that early in the year; might
be good, but you might find roads closed, snow storms, etc. (we had to
hold off crossing Stelvio on June 20th this year as it was snowing
above about 6000'; had a few minor flurries when we did cross on the
21st). Of course if the Alps are open you can head up into them out
of Nice and loop around down into the lake country and start your way
south either riding or by train.

The one thing you never mention is how long you want to give to this
venture, and how much baggage you are willing to carry. Less baggage
means you can travel faster, but then there are trade-offs to
travelling light.

- rick

On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 15:17:34 GMT, "Steve Juniper"
wrote:

I'm taking the wideopenroad.co.uk Rome-Sardinia-Corsica-Nice 15 day trip
June 4th and am thinking of flying RT San Francisco-Nice. Am considering
biking from Nice to Rome instead of taking the train. Are there any
pleasant, recommended routes? Can't tell much from my map of Italy, and I've
never been there before.
Thanks!

First, a reading suggestion before the island tour: read "The Lead
Goat Veered Off' by Neil Anderson. It is about a couple who are cycle
touring the world, and specifically covers their time in Sardinia with
a bit about getting there from Nice through Corsica.

If it were me, I would jump on a train and either go to
Tuscany/Umbria, or to the Dolomites. Both areas are fantastic, quite
different, love them both. The other alternative I would make would
be the Alps, but you will be pushing it that early in the year; might
be good, but you might find roads closed, snow storms, etc. (we had to
hold off crossing Stelvio on June 20th this year as it was snowing
above about 6000'; had a few minor flurries when we did cross on the
21st). Of course if the Alps are open you can head up into them out
of Nice and loop around down into the lake country and start your way
south either riding or by train.

The one thing you never mention is how long you want to give to this
venture, and how much baggage you are willing to carry. Less baggage
means you can travel faster, but then there are trade-offs to
travelling light.

- rick

Thanks for the tips.

www.wideopenroad.co.uk is a new British tour group run by a young couple,
camping and supported, so I don't have to carry anything. I took their
Bordeaux - Alp d'Huez and Pyrenees tours already. Will pick up the book.
Tour is 15 days. I have 10 extra days after arrival Nice and 5 more at the
end of the tour. Sounds like Tuscany/Umbria before tour, then maybe shorter
trips out of Nice at the end would make the most sense (assuming I'm going
to set a precedent by being sensible).

Just bought good (US$519 + taxes & fees) RT San Francisco-Nice ticket via
Delta (not as good a deal if Delta goes belly-up before May 24th) so am
committed.

Thanks again,

Steve

Rick Warner" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 15:17:34 GMT, "Steve Juniper"
wrote:

I'm taking the wideopenroad.co.uk Rome-Sardinia-Corsica-Nice 15 day
trip
June 4th and am thinking of flying RT San Francisco-Nice. Am considering
biking from Nice to Rome instead of taking the train. Are there any
pleasant, recommended routes? Can't tell much from my map of Italy, and
I've
never been there before.
Thanks!

First, a reading suggestion before the island tour: read "The Lead
Goat Veered Off' by Neil Anderson. It is about a couple who are cycle
touring the world, and specifically covers their time in Sardinia with
a bit about getting there from Nice through Corsica.

If it were me, I would jump on a train and either go to
Tuscany/Umbria, or to the Dolomites. Both areas are fantastic, quite
different, love them both. The other alternative I would make would
be the Alps, but you will be pushing it that early in the year; might
be good, but you might find roads closed, snow storms, etc. (we had to
hold off crossing Stelvio on June 20th this year as it was snowing
above about 6000'; had a few minor flurries when we did cross on the
21st). Of course if the Alps are open you can head up into them out
of Nice and loop around down into the lake country and start your way
south either riding or by train.

The one thing you never mention is how long you want to give to this
venture, and how much baggage you are willing to carry. Less baggage
means you can travel faster, but then there are trade-offs to
travelling light.

- rick

Thanks for the tips.

www.wideopenroad.co.uk is a new British tour group run by a young couple,
camping and supported, so I don't have to carry anything. I took their
Bordeaux - Alp d'Huez and Pyrenees tours already. Will pick up the book.
Tour is 15 days. I have 10 extra days after arrival Nice and 5 more at the
end of the tour. Sounds like Tuscany/Umbria before tour, then maybe shorter
trips out of Nice at the end would make the most sense (assuming I'm going
to set a precedent by being sensible).

Just bought good (US$519 + taxes & fees) RT San Francisco-Nice ticket via
Delta (not as good a deal if Delta goes belly-up before May 24th) so am
committed.

Thanks again,

Steve

Rick Warner" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 15:17:34 GMT, "Steve Juniper"
wrote:

I'm taking the wideopenroad.co.uk Rome-Sardinia-Corsica-Nice 15 day
trip
June 4th and am thinking of flying RT San Francisco-Nice. Am considering
biking from Nice to Rome instead of taking the train. Are there any
pleasant, recommended routes? Can't tell much from my map of Italy, and
I've
never been there before.
Thanks!

First, a reading suggestion before the island tour: read "The Lead
Goat Veered Off' by Neil Anderson. It is about a couple who are cycle
touring the world, and specifically covers their time in Sardinia with
a bit about getting there from Nice through Corsica.

If it were me, I would jump on a train and either go to
Tuscany/Umbria, or to the Dolomites. Both areas are fantastic, quite
different, love them both. The other alternative I would make would
be the Alps, but you will be pushing it that early in the year; might
be good, but you might find roads closed, snow storms, etc. (we had to
hold off crossing Stelvio on June 20th this year as it was snowing
above about 6000'; had a few minor flurries when we did cross on the
21st). Of course if the Alps are open you can head up into them out
of Nice and loop around down into the lake country and start your way
south either riding or by train.

The one thing you never mention is how long you want to give to this
venture, and how much baggage you are willing to carry. Less baggage
means you can travel faster, but then there are trade-offs to
travelling light.

- rick

On Sat, 02 Oct 2004 15:22:09 GMT, "Steve Juniper"
wrote:

Thanks for the tips.

www.wideopenroad.co.uk is a new British tour group run by a young couple,
camping and supported, so I don't have to carry anything. I took their
Bordeaux - Alp d'Huez and Pyrenees tours already. Will pick up the book.
Tour is 15 days. I have 10 extra days after arrival Nice and 5 more at the
end of the tour. Sounds like Tuscany/Umbria before tour, then maybe shorter
trips out of Nice at the end would make the most sense (assuming I'm going
to set a precedent by being sensible).

Steve,

Tuscany and Umbria are great. Late May/Early June will be starting to
get on the warm side. My favorite towns in that region a

Assisi (hey, you're going from the SF area, why not visit the
home town of the guy SF and the woman Santa Clara are named after)
Cortona
Orvieto
Siena
San Gimignano
Volterra
Vinci
Certaldo
Lucca (might run into Mario Cippolini doing his training rides)

Quite a few towns between those to visit. Lots more. Towns I still
need to spend more time in include:

Todi
Montepulciano
San Quirico

You will feel right at home with all those hills; the towns, at least
the old, original sections, are built on the top of hills :-)

Out of Nice, by late June, you should be able to get up into some of
the passes of the Alps.

Enjoy!

- rick

On Sat, 02 Oct 2004 15:22:09 GMT, "Steve Juniper"
wrote:

Thanks for the tips.

www.wideopenroad.co.uk is a new British tour group run by a young couple,
camping and supported, so I don't have to carry anything. I took their
Bordeaux - Alp d'Huez and Pyrenees tours already. Will pick up the book.
Tour is 15 days. I have 10 extra days after arrival Nice and 5 more at the
end of the tour. Sounds like Tuscany/Umbria before tour, then maybe shorter
trips out of Nice at the end would make the most sense (assuming I'm going
to set a precedent by being sensible).

Steve,

Tuscany and Umbria are great. Late May/Early June will be starting to
get on the warm side. My favorite towns in that region a

Assisi (hey, you're going from the SF area, why not visit the
home town of the guy SF and the woman Santa Clara are named after)
Cortona
Orvieto
Siena
San Gimignano
Volterra
Vinci
Certaldo
Lucca (might run into Mario Cippolini doing his training rides)

Quite a few towns between those to visit. Lots more. Towns I still
need to spend more time in include:

Todi
Montepulciano
San Quirico

You will feel right at home with all those hills; the towns, at least
the old, original sections, are built on the top of hills :-)

Out of Nice, by late June, you should be able to get up into some of
the passes of the Alps.

Enjoy!

- rick

On Sat, 02 Oct 2004 15:22:09 GMT, "Steve Juniper"
wrote:

Thanks for the tips.

www.wideopenroad.co.uk is a new British tour group run by a young couple,
camping and supported, so I don't have to carry anything. I took their
Bordeaux - Alp d'Huez and Pyrenees tours already. Will pick up the book.
Tour is 15 days. I have 10 extra days after arrival Nice and 5 more at the
end of the tour. Sounds like Tuscany/Umbria before tour, then maybe shorter
trips out of Nice at the end would make the most sense (assuming I'm going
to set a precedent by being sensible).

Steve,

Tuscany and Umbria are great. Late May/Early June will be starting to
get on the warm side. My favorite towns in that region a

Assisi (hey, you're going from the SF area, why not visit the
home town of the guy SF and the woman Santa Clara are named after)
Cortona
Orvieto
Siena
San Gimignano
Volterra
Vinci
Certaldo
Lucca (might run into Mario Cippolini doing his training rides)

Quite a few towns between those to visit. Lots more. Towns I still
need to spend more time in include:

Todi
Montepulciano
San Quirico

You will feel right at home with all those hills; the towns, at least
the old, original sections, are built on the top of hills :-)

Out of Nice, by late June, you should be able to get up into some of
the passes of the Alps.

Enjoy!

- rick