8th Edition - Ciclolonga Piccolo Bar

I had mentioned that, while I have recently been remiss in my blogging, I had continued to ride regularly over the past couple of months. One of the most pleasant rides I participated in was an informal 'cicloraduno' which is akin to a non-competitive benefit ride. The Albano Runner Bike

It is an 80km ride, which starts and ends in the hill town of Albano south of Rome, escorted by the road police to keep things safe and ensure that people don't start racing one another... a common problem with cyclists!

To make things more interesting, I decided to ride to the starting point from my home in Rome, so at the end of the day I ended up riding 145 km. The longest I have ridden in a number of years.

So, how was it? A lot of fun. Hanging out with a couple of hundred of other lycra-clad weirdos who share my passion is always pleasant... helps me overcome that feeling that I am beyond strange for loving cycling and my willingness to spend inordinate amounts of money and time riding!

I have embedded the video made by the organisers which helps give an idea of the number of riders and what 'regular Roman' guys look and act like on a bike.

All in all a great day on the bike, 145 km of riding on a gorgeous October day with friends. This is what makes riding so much fun.

And a big thank you to the Albano team for having organised the ride, which included a rest stop with mineral water and bananas, as well as a final porchetta sandwich and wine lunch (we are Italian, after all)...

You guys are all invited to participate next year!