Roll into Sram HQ on Wednesday morning first thing, park-up in the marcom workshop and set about reorganising/restocking the van.  In the end I spend 3 days in Schweinfurt, pulling out on Friday evening to head back to Italy.  Swinging over between Munich and Strasburg for the night when I started feeling tired.

Great backdrop for bike fettling 

View back down the valley easing my pain on climb back to campsite

As I need to be in Pisa for Wednesday to pick-up Helen I will find a campsite for a few days but where?  Consulting my ACSI (camping guide & discount) I plump for Laghi di Lamar, Monte Terlago as it’s an area I’ve never ridden, plus I will be doing a race, then media launch in a couple of weeks here.  Arriving just after 10:00, check-in and get my spot which is within free wifi range of the bar.  Am I happy or what?  Then I send the rest of the day changing components on my bike, bringing it bang up to date before a shakedown ride as I need some fresh fruit and veg. So many small towns and all below me I decide on Vezzano where I find a small coop.  The 5 miles to get here took about 10 mins but the ride back took a little longer!

Up early on Sunday as Luca, the local race organiser is coming to guide me around the trails.  He brings a couple of friends, Max and ? (I’m terrible with names) so at 09:00 we head for the hills.  The riding is fantastic, not too extreme but fast flowing trails that throw up a few challenges.  Stopping for coffee in Cadine before taking on a few more stages.  By the end of the ride we have ridden stages 2, 3 & 5 and done a total of 16 miles whilst climbing almost 1000 m.  If you’re interested the ride details are here http://connect.garmin.com/activity/479107516.  The afternoon is spent reworking my suspension as I have a new fast black body and DebonAir air can for my rear shock before pizza and beer in the campsite bar.

So for Monday the plan is to do the same loop to test my new set-up.  It doesn’t quite go to plan as some days you have the legs and the next you don’t.  So not wanting to push myself too hard and having established my initial impressions of my revised rear shock (impressed), I cut out at Cadine, have a coffee, then do a little shopping before the long climb back to the campsite.  After a little rice cake action for lunch I do my washing and catch-up on this blog.