Rapha Brevet Collection?

Randonneuring, Audax, Brevets.

These words bring to mind activity that historically has been near the low end of the cycling style spectrum.

I can remember the first time I saw a group of randonneurs on a brevet in Japan. I had just climbed up the South side of Yamanakako on Route 138 and was on the early part of the descent toward Gotemba on a very long hill. I saw a ragged line of cyclists grinding up the hill on the other side of the road, stretched out in small groups and singles. Their bikes were covered with odd stuff - large seat bags, congested cockpits full of lights, oversized GPS units, etc. Not the clean lines of a stylish road bike.  And no Rapha clothing, nor Assos.  Odd shaped bikes - some road, some mountain, some folding, all looking a bit grimy.

From a road cyclist's perspective (not to mention a non-cyclist's perspective), a randonneur is a bit of an odd duck. Someone who rides in the dark, in the wet, and on a heavier, slower bike. The mental image is of an eccentric Brit (imagine an old Monty Python skit) standing at a crossing in the middle of some fields, fumbling with a compass, cue sheet and light in the dark.

This is all changing, gradually.

Of course, there are plenty of beautiful bikes on Audax events, though a beautiful Audax bike is likely to have a Brooks leather saddle and gorgeous steel frame rather than being a light carbon speed machine.  Even a few beautiful people (?).  And yes, there is Rapha clothing, and some Assos, Q36.5, and other stylish gear.  The mythology of Audax -- the ultra long distances under sometime extreme conditions -- has found a broader fanbase in recent years. with Rapha features on PBP etc showing that it is an acceptable part of the Rapha mood video-defined, "genuine" hard man cyclist lifestyle. And if the comparison is Audax touring vs. "fully loaded" touring vs. mountain bike touring, then Audax is fast, sleek and stylish!

The latest proof?  This Rapha advertisement that was linked to an email in my inbox this morning.

No, as the accompanying mood-setting video shows, these folks are not actually riding an Audax event.  Just riding trails and roughing it in the South Tyrol / Dolomites to explore the area around the Messmer Mountains Museum, where we stayed on the pavement during the Giro delle Dolomiti last year.

I want to go back.

Giro d'Italia enters the Dolomites!

I have been getting Beardy McBeard's daily glorious photo updates on the Giro d'Italia.  It was fun to see the photos of the individual time trial go down a road in Tuscany that I traveled many times during a week there last summer.  And it is even more fun now to see Saturday's Stage 14 as the Giro entered the high Dolomites, with 4700 meters of elevation gain while going over Passo Pordoi, Passo Sella and Passo Gardena ... as we did last summer on Stage 4 of the amateur Giro delle Dolomiti.

I want to go back!

*The pros add Passo Giau and Passo Valparolo on at the end to get to 4700 meters elevation gain.  We had maybe 3250 (?) meters if memory servers.

Giro Delle Dolomiti Days 4 (Stelvio) and 5 (Val d'Ultimo)

Stage 4 was a climb of the Stelvio Pass -- not much explanation needed there; plenty of reference material is available -- even on this blog from 2009 and 2011.  A few pictures were posted previously.  A few more are here.

We climb on the right hand side looking out at the glaciers.

Apparently Angela Merkel was in Sulden on vacation the same week as we were at Stelvio.

Descending the front side again - back was closed after MOB went through due to a (bicycle) crash.

I think Silvia took this one!

I wish I had remembered to get my photo here -- the "customary" spot for Stelvio-top selfies

Imposing to look up at as you climb!

And a few more.

A perfect lunch spot at the base!

"Igor" the Russian at the start.

A quick stop in the town square area at Naturns for some Transalp memories and Apfel Strudel!

Day 5, the "Val d'Ultimo" - valley of Ultimo I think (Ultimo being the name of a town we passed on the route of the valley).  A beautiful valley, and not an easy climb by any means to the lake at its head. But not quite as dramatic as the Stelvio.

The men of the PE/Bremen team

My last day so I asked for a commemorative photo with the ladies.
I wanted a "podium shot" with kisses on both cheeks, but it was declined politely.
(Something about the smell of my jersey after 5 hours of cycling on a warm day)

The peleton climbs out of the Bolzano - Merano valley and into the mouth of Val d'Ultimo!

Jochen takes in the view on our return/descent.

Thanks for a great week, MOB.  No, no, thank YOU David.  No MOB, you handled everything.  No, no David ...

Giro Delle Dolomiti Days 1 through 3

I had not realized when I agreed with MOB that I would join the Giro Delle Dolomiti, but it is essentially a series of day-long rides, tours almost, with timed hill climb races tacked on near the end -- each day on the last long steep climb.  This is a good format since it avoids most crashes, and allows some social element, but when it is over and done with, we all were exhausted from the effort. Nobody was complaining about not riding enough!  It also is a good format because it permits a single "base" for the week.

I just wish that I had realized it was a "hill climb" event, instead of a race that included climbs, before I showed up in Bolzano!  Still, even if was not competitive on the actual climbs, they were excellent training for the rollers and short climbs I would find on PBP a few weeks later. Thanks Giro delle Dolomiti!

Anyway, the scenery was spectacular everyday, as was the riding.  I am way too late to give a blow-by-blow summary that would have any interest or meaning, but wanted to post a few photos.

Team breakfast

MOB poses

The Swiss women's team and Thomas

The "touring" part of the event

Typical rest stop!

Heading up the valley.

It's a Dolomite!

How tall are those rocks?

Day 2 rest area

More Day 2 rest area

Day 1 - well-deserved reward for a 1200 meter elevation hill climb race.  Apfel Strudel

This puts the "Giro" in Giro delle Dolomiti

Visit to Q 36.5 HQ to meet Luigi Bergamo

On our rest day at the Giro Delle Dolomiti, we visited Bolzano entrepreneur Luigi Bergamo, the man behind the Q36.5 cycling clothes imported into Japan by David Marx's RGT Enterprises in Nagoya.

The company's office and studio are located in the ground floor a very nice, stylish residential building on the NW side of Bolzano.  (For Q36.5, of course, a stylish building is only to be expected!)

MOB approaches the Q36.5 HQ (ground floor of building on the left).
As you can see, Bolzano is surrounded by rather high, steep slopes.

Espresso served for the guests!  Mmmm.

Luigi explains to MOB, complete with customary Italian hand gestures

Single piece garment, for the time trialist?

Jerseys.  "Vacca Boia" is apparently an Emiglia Romagna regional expression
of frustration ... when one does something stupid.  "Dammit!" or equivalent.

Q cap ... with socks behind it.

I love my Q thin wool early-winter socks.  These are even nicer, with the Italian colors.

Q's philosophy.  Not for everyone, but for those willing to push the edge just a bit!

These clothes are so pretty ... they make a great poster.

Luigi and his assistant

Inner layers on display

We had a wonderful chat about his inspiration for the brand, looked at lots of great clothes, and some of us returned home with new bib shorts, and a jersey.  All four of us were given a pair of socks and a water bottle -- the former being my favorite socks, and the latter nice cycling "swag".  Thank you Luigi for being such a gracious host!

As Luigi explained it, he wants the brand to represent the future of cycling clothes.  True, he has added some more "democratic" items that stick closer to the present and what we are all accustomed to, but his goal is to be creative and to push the envelope to something better -- clothes that help competitive cyclists achieve their best performances.  This is his dream and his inspiration.

Luigi's beautiful, Eroica-qualified F. Moser racing bike, from his early riding days.
Imagine doing climbs in the Dolomites in that gearing!

The Q36.5 items I have -- the bib shorts, hybrid Q, long thin winter tights, and now gloves and some other items -- are among my favorites and the best I have ever seen.  The jerseys, would make me look better if I lost a bit of weight!

Thank you, Luigi and Q.

Browsing

Another photo of those great socks

This is how great ultralight socks are designed ...

Silvia tries the hybrid Que -- one of my favorites

GIro Delle Dolomiti Days -1 to 0

We arrived in Bolzano, got settled in and set up our bikes, toured the city, ate a lot, and on "day 0" we completed registration, the usual pre-race stuff -- RFID chips for our bikes, blood samples for the doping controls, you know the drill.   We headed down the valley by van, then got out the bikes to explore Stage 1.  Indeed, we managed to pre-ride almost the entire stage, except, that is, for the part that counts -- the timed climb!  The only challenge on the pre-ride was intense summer afternoon heat as we climbed up into Kaltern -- brought back memories of Transalp 2011.

MOB, Silvia and Sora all consider Piadina choices under grape vines in Bolzano courtyard

The musicians of Bolzano greet guests from Bremen ?  Something is not right here.

Indeed, Giro Delle Dolomiti is structured as a long ride, then a race on one, and only one, climb of the day.  Stage one amounted to almost a parade or process of 500+ cyclists down the valley past Kaltern, then a loop and back up the next valley almost back to Bolzano ... then suddenly a 14 km, 1200 meter elevation gain climb, with apple strudel at the top.  All-in-all, much easier to complete than Transalp, PBP or other events I like, but very hard to do well at, since it attracts younger, thinner, stronger climber-types.  I consistently placed in the bottom 20%.  MOB consistently did better.  Thomas did even better, and Jochen won something for his age group on the last day.

Lake Kaltern -- This is heavenly country