travel

Tornante, tornante, tornante

Riva Del Garda, Trentino-Alto Adige, Italy
Friday, July 13, 2012

JH's Trip number 47.
WINNER!!

What an excellent ride - everything exactly as John describes it.
An obscure little backroad through the mountain suburbs and up higher into the forest and then blasting out onto a meadow of wildflowers. Perfect surface, wonderful hairpins and no traffic at all except a bunch of cyclists.

Continuing on to Mt Baldo and Paso San Valentino on the most perfect roads ever. Seriously perfect roads - wide with good vision and smooth as silk. The weather was iffy so that may have put some lesser motorcyclists off, but a few clouds just added to the dramatic effect. I rode up and down about 4 different passes so I just kept climbing into and out of clouds all day. One minute you have a view and the next it's gone again. The only other bikes at the pitstop were two maxi scooters.

I just cruised all day... well almost all day.
After Prada, the road turned to crap. And after the amazing roads all day I actually thought I had missed a turn and lost the "main" road. But no, the main road was a one lane goat track and then horror of horrors - a 20% incline (or is that decline) for 20 hairpins.
That's steep - really bloody steep!

About hairpin 12, Henry lost his back brakes. I was on such a slope I could not even get off safely and put him on the stand. I had to "walk" him down the hill on front brakes only and figured if the front brakes went too, I would just run him into the wall at walking pace. Luckily the front brakes held till the next hairpin where I could pull over safely and scratch my head. That's about the full extent of my mechanical knowledge.

I contemplated ringing the AA Breakdown service. "Yeah, I'm on turn 12 of a one lane goat track... no I don't think you'll get a truck up here"

Nothing for it... I had to freewheel (engine off) down each stretch at 10km/h resting at every hairpin to make sure front brakes aren't overheating. About turn 18 the back brakes started responding again so I'm guessing it has something to do with temperature of brake fluid. Must ask my guru.

Anyway - no further incidents after that. Back brakes came back online completely and made it the 25km home along the lake shore without more drama.


Tornante = Hairpin
Tornante = Hairpin
The view from Mt Velo
The view from Mt Velo
Henry resting after a hard climb
Henry resting after a hard climb
Looking at the road ahead
Looking at the road ahead
lovely roads
lovely roads
There's a mountain behind there somewhere
There's a mountain behind there somewhere
Looking back at Mori
Looking back at Mori
Lovely painted houses everywhere
Lovely painted houses everywhere
with matching flowers
with matching flowers
and other decorations
and other decorations
and fountains
and fountains
Riding in the clouds
Riding in the clouds
A tunnel
A tunnel
Light at the end of the tunnel
Light at the end of the tunnel
leads to another tunnel
leads to another tunnel
Stunning roads
Stunning roads
Newly tarred roads
Newly tarred roads
Biker's Welcome
Biker's Welcome
This is the view I should have
This is the view I should have
This is the view I got
This is the view I got
Can you see the Alps
Can you see the Alps
Roadhouse
Roadhouse
The view from the roadhouse
The view from the roadhouse
The only other bikes at the roadhouse
The only other bikes at the roadhouse
Pete - we need a CWC sticker
Pete - we need a CWC sticker
The road behind
The road behind
The road ahead
The road ahead
Total white out
Total white out
And then it all went to crap
And then it all went to crap
You want me to ride where?
You want me to ride where?
Blind corners everywhere
Blind corners everywhere
I'm not exactly sure what this sign means
I'm not exactly sure what this sign means
Comments:
The sign says that scooters/mopeds, cars with auto transmission, camping cars and trucks are not allowed on this road.! Good job the Caribinieri were away for lunch! From John Whyman, on Jul 14, 2012 at 06:53AM
But honestly officer, I didn't see no sign... From Jacqui Kennedy, on Jul 15, 2012 at 07:41PM
Henry admiring the ummm view
Henry admiring the ummm view
The first of twenty hairpins at 20% incline
The first of twenty hairpins at 20% incline
It was actually much steeper than the photos
It was actually much steeper than the photos
They were really really steep
They were really really steep
Just about here where Henry lost his back brakes
Just about here where Henry lost his back brakes
Eight more of these on front brakes only
Eight more of these on front brakes only
and they just got worse
and they just got worse
The end - phew
The end - phew
Ooo I can see mountains
Ooo I can see mountains
An Ape
An Ape
My route
My route
The offending hairpins
The offending hairpins
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