non-fixie 

Every time mrs non-fixie and I visit L'Eroica in Gaiole, Italy, we conclude that "it's really nice, but it's a long drive and quite expensive, we were there, got the T-shirt etc, so this was the last time". And yet, every time, two years later, we're back in Tuscany. Because it's so damn nice.

So after 2013, 2015 and 2017, it's 2019 and we're back.

Because it is quite a trip, we like to combine it with a week of touring the Tuscan countryside, and since my car has ample space we took four bikes along: the DeVos - now fitted with mudguards - and the Austro-Daimler for touring, and the Méral and my trusted Jacques Anquetil for the event.



Tuscany, and more precise the Crete Senesi, is a wonderful area for a week of touring. Impressive scenery:



Typical roads:



Beautiful towns, like Montepulciano:



We often rode parts of the long L'Eroica route (which is open all year), and the Italians make sure the strade bianchi are prepared for the event:



The Crete Senesi is also white truffle country:

non-fixie 

On Friday we arrived in Gaiole. The town was gearing up for the event, and the market was already in full swing. Nice bikes, of course. Luckily nothing in my size.

I liked this Torpado:



And this Bianchi:



There was a concours d'elegance, with a couple of entrants I liked. Like this Cinelli track tandem:



And this Kirk Precision:



We saw some strange stuff as well:



An NOS Peugeot, still wrapped in plastic and proudly displaying its state-of-the-art Helicomatic technology:



Later that day we met up with @MiloFrance and friends, which was a pleasure, as always.

On Saturday we strolled around a bit more and ran into another acquaintance, Alex Wauters from Belgium. He is a real hardcore vintage cyclist, and rides a 1913 Van Hauwaert (he would do 209km the next day and be back before dark ). He joined us for a beer but I didn't get a chance to take a decent pic, as everybody who walked by wanted to picture him and his bike:

non-fixie 

On Sunday, the usual line-up for the start in the Via Roma:



The participants are getting younger every year (or maybe it's just me getting older):



Our bikes, pictured just before the final climb to Brolio castle. I rode the same Anquetil as in 2017, but this time with a Simplex transmission, which replaced the Campagnolo NR ensemble that I'd used for the previous edition. I liked the Simplex better, to be honest.



The climb to Brolio was also the litmus test for me and the 38T inner chainring on the Stronglight cranks I'd gotten from @jonwvara. I managed to ride all the way up, so thanks, Jon!

I happened to arrive at the top at Brolio castle together with Giancarlo Brocci, and we ran into some sort of procession. They recognized him. High five!



The weather was great - a comfy 25 degrees C - and the scenery was beautiful as always.



A little training pays off



Of course, there are always faster people. Some of their bikes make strange whirring noises, though ....

non-fixie 

For mrs non-fixie's Méral this was more or less its maiden trip. The frame is light and stiff, the SunTour Vx's shifting action got high praise but the brake lever reach was a bit too much (but manageable after I'd loosened the cable tension somewhat). All in all she was happy, especially since I'd found her a proper Méral shirt at the jumble sale on Saturday:



Another participant showed up on this bike. A hero in my book:



The lunch stop was nice and busy:



The usual snacks: cheese, sausage, bread with olive oil and salt, bananas and sweets, complemented with water or - of course - chianti wine:



L'Eroica weekends invariably start and end with a glass of wine at the Jolly Caffe in Gaiole:



Here we ran into our French friend Jean-Philippe, who always seems to be at the same events we are, and - a nice surprise - Marianne Vos. She told us she'd done only 80k, since it was a vacation trip. JP doesn't waste an opportunity like this.



Marianne's vintage bike, a mid eighties Giant Peloton, that she's very happy with. She said she couldn't imagine riding the strade bianchi on her carbon bike.



All in all, we had a great time. And like the three times before, we said that this was the last time we would do this. So don't be surprised if we're back in '21 ...

Choke 

Nice write up and pics....thanks.

iab

CMAW 

Marianne Vos, how amazing! A slender pinkie in a big collection of sore thumbs . She deserves a nicer bike though, could use some advice from N-F...

P!N20

Great stuff! I hope one day I get over there for it.

hokiefyd 

I just watched featuring it this year. I didn't know it was pronounced "le-ROY-kuh". I thought it was more like "le-RO-eh-kuh".

Thank you for posting, as always. I enjoy seeing your pictures from the event. It looks like a great experience.

non-fixie 

What? Don't you think she's fast enough on this one?

To be honest, I like that Giant Peloton: no nonsense, good quality. Much in the same vein as its rider ...

Lemond1985

Ha ha, she's like the one girl who shows up at the sci fi convention, and is instantly surrounded by legions of fawning nerds. She looks fit as a fiddle, and the camera loves her, nice pic.

gugie 

Great pic of all the riders!

Wildwood 

A most excellent report and pics.

Good weather makes a great event so pleasurable for the rest of us - as everyone smiles and lots of pics are taken. Thanks.

non-fixie 

Thanks! It is a great experience. Since mrs non-fixie joined me we do the short route, and the advantage of this is - I found - that it leaves you with more time and energy to enjoy the other aspects of being in Italy and among 52 different nationalities. WRT the pronunciation: I won't comment on that, but suggest you watch (and listen to) some of the Italian content on the subject on YouTube.

I watched the bit in the GCN video about L'Eroica , and while I really enjoy watching and listening to those guys, I don't necessarily agree with them on all counts:

• I've tried modern cycling shorts, but I found I actually prefer the feel of the thin goatskin chamois to those modern diaper-filled shorts. Both for riding and walking
• I've tried modern saddles as well, but at the end of the day a well broken-in Brooks Professional gets my vote on longer rides

I liked their mentioning Roxanne Knetemann and her lending her dad's 1978 World Championship jersey to Pauline Ferrand-Prevot. Her dad had to beat Francesco Moser to earn that:



On a side note: I just noticed that Gerrie Knetemann is wearing goatskin gloves in this picture (branded with his nickname "Kneet" ). I bought a pair of those in Gaiole in '17, and like them so much that I bought two more pairs this time 'round.

non-fixie 

Spot on.

northbend 

Thanks for posting this N-F.

merziac

So cool, Tx for your as always excellent commentary and pics.