velotel
10-19-2011, 12:40 PM
Headed up away from Grenoble, up to the Trieve. Supposed to be clear and sunny. Fog instead. Not thick, just slightly annoying since I knew the sun was just lurking behind it. Too much for pictures but fine for riding anyway. Left the car near the train station for Clelles, headed up the RN for the Col de Croix Haute. Sunday morning, middle of October, traffic should be light, maybe none. Not the season to be heading south to Provence. Only slightly wrong, more traffic than I imagined, but not too much.
Rode easy, spinning mostly on the big ring. Huge, sweeping views out across the Trieve with the Alps behind, all hidden. Quick stop in a bakery. Gotta love France's security system for cyclists: bakeries, cafes, restaurants in almost every village. Power bars! No way, a glass of white wine maybe, a hard coffee to stand up to, a croissant or two. Onward.
The road starts to pitch up, curls through a series of round, tight bends, lots of fun coming down, going up just going up. Fog thins, shoulders start getting caressed by the sun filtering through. Stop, strip a layer to two. The col, blue sky, and a full sun all arrive at the same time. Beautiful valley pouring off into south France, a different world.
Biggest gear, rolling smooth, hugging the outside line, cars rushing by, heading to Provence. Two ks or so, we break right onto the road to the Col de Grimone. No one follows. They're all going south. We're going up. Gently, at least most of the time. Views begging to he looked at. I stop. Frequently, maybe too frequently. Can't help it, the views are too gorgeous. Arched railroad bridge down in the valley below spanning a small river, or large creek rather. Designed by someone who liked roman bridges. Understandably.
The col, nothing special, a soft contour in the ridge. Road starts off gently. I've ridden up it a few times, not often I get to arrive on a col on my big ring. Good fun. Going down it is even more fun. The road pitches down, curls left, right, long lazy turns, lots of time to enjoy the lean. Hard hairpin to the left coming up with a rider exiting heading to the col. Bonjour lost in the wind. Gravity pulling me harder. Another hairpin to the right. No traffic, swing way outside coming in, dive in late, exit fast hugging the inside line. Sweet. And on it goes. Dive through a village, no, not a village, a hamlet. Houses and barns squeezed by the road coming through.
I'm in the sun and freezing. Stop, add a layer. Off again. On the road goes. Round bends, carving arcs, forests of color, paradise once again. Plunge into a narrow gorge through a series of short tunnels, across a one-lane bridge. Have to stop, my camera is screaming at me from my pack. Okay, okay, we'll shoot. My bike moans, not again! No choice, too gorgeous. Off again, but not for long. Around a hairpin left and there are climbers clinging to the rock on the other side of the creek. Stop, watch, wonder where they're going. Then off again. Then stop again, add another layer, I'm wearing everything I wore in the fog! Like diving into a well of ice. Stroke by a wall of rock where a pocket of warm air washes over me. Yea, that felt good! Back into the cold.
The lower valley now, big gear spinning in the sun, heading to the junction with the valley to the Col de Menee.
Part II to come, the best downhill I've ever ridden, and I've ridden a lot of very sweet downhills.
If you want to see a video of the ride go here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9CRTZstwNM
Shot by Max who I was riding with. Good rider, good company.
Enjoy the photos.
Rode easy, spinning mostly on the big ring. Huge, sweeping views out across the Trieve with the Alps behind, all hidden. Quick stop in a bakery. Gotta love France's security system for cyclists: bakeries, cafes, restaurants in almost every village. Power bars! No way, a glass of white wine maybe, a hard coffee to stand up to, a croissant or two. Onward.
The road starts to pitch up, curls through a series of round, tight bends, lots of fun coming down, going up just going up. Fog thins, shoulders start getting caressed by the sun filtering through. Stop, strip a layer to two. The col, blue sky, and a full sun all arrive at the same time. Beautiful valley pouring off into south France, a different world.
Biggest gear, rolling smooth, hugging the outside line, cars rushing by, heading to Provence. Two ks or so, we break right onto the road to the Col de Grimone. No one follows. They're all going south. We're going up. Gently, at least most of the time. Views begging to he looked at. I stop. Frequently, maybe too frequently. Can't help it, the views are too gorgeous. Arched railroad bridge down in the valley below spanning a small river, or large creek rather. Designed by someone who liked roman bridges. Understandably.
The col, nothing special, a soft contour in the ridge. Road starts off gently. I've ridden up it a few times, not often I get to arrive on a col on my big ring. Good fun. Going down it is even more fun. The road pitches down, curls left, right, long lazy turns, lots of time to enjoy the lean. Hard hairpin to the left coming up with a rider exiting heading to the col. Bonjour lost in the wind. Gravity pulling me harder. Another hairpin to the right. No traffic, swing way outside coming in, dive in late, exit fast hugging the inside line. Sweet. And on it goes. Dive through a village, no, not a village, a hamlet. Houses and barns squeezed by the road coming through.
I'm in the sun and freezing. Stop, add a layer. Off again. On the road goes. Round bends, carving arcs, forests of color, paradise once again. Plunge into a narrow gorge through a series of short tunnels, across a one-lane bridge. Have to stop, my camera is screaming at me from my pack. Okay, okay, we'll shoot. My bike moans, not again! No choice, too gorgeous. Off again, but not for long. Around a hairpin left and there are climbers clinging to the rock on the other side of the creek. Stop, watch, wonder where they're going. Then off again. Then stop again, add another layer, I'm wearing everything I wore in the fog! Like diving into a well of ice. Stroke by a wall of rock where a pocket of warm air washes over me. Yea, that felt good! Back into the cold.
The lower valley now, big gear spinning in the sun, heading to the junction with the valley to the Col de Menee.
Part II to come, the best downhill I've ever ridden, and I've ridden a lot of very sweet downhills.
If you want to see a video of the ride go here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9CRTZstwNM
Shot by Max who I was riding with. Good rider, good company.
Enjoy the photos.