Hey SED,
Thanks for all the nice photos!
How about elaborating on that trip you're showing on the map?
I shoulda put captions in there...
The trip is Passo San Marco that was recommended by PaulDaytona in this thread:
http://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=90782.0 I did the loop counter clockwise. The pass is about 2 oclock on the map.
The V7III was not available to rent the day I had planned to ride so there was only 1/2 day to ride. Agostini's opens at 8:30 and was out of there by 9. Jill took pictures of me in front of Agostini's and the factory.
I left Mandello and almost immediately got lost in the big city of Lecco that is just south of Mandello. Found my way through the city and climbed up to Ballabio, where an old guy was riding an old Guzzi single toward the big city. Continued up through Moggio and stopped for the view above the valley.
Continued up to Vedeseta where the most direct route was closed due to a rockfall.
So detoured toward Brembilla:
A rockfall had also blocked the road to Brembilla, so a temporary bridge was put across the stream cutting off a hairpin:
Continued through San Pellegrino Terme where all the water comes from. Acres and acres of bottles:
The cities got smaller and the terrain got steeper and I took a break at a little stream. There was even a fly fisherman in a stream I passed. There was a sign depicting all the cycling routes and there were lots of cyclists (the Tour de France had started about a week earlier). The amazing thing is that the roads are so steep - Google maps shows a 15% grade - and narrow.
The hairpins are often very steep and sharp and take some practice. I had been offered a V9 Bobber to rent but that giant front tire scared me off. And Stefano at Agostini's said they only get about 180-200km/tank so another reason to wait for the V7. This view shows 3 switchbacks of the main road.
At the summit there was another group of motorcyclists that I'd followed earlier. Their sweeper was riding a giant Goldwing and doing a great job, but he really had to swing wide on the turns. Also in their group was an old guy on a new Honda Shadow, but it didn't look anything like what I've seen here - more of a bobber. You could also see the Alps along the Swiss border in the distance. (see photos in my first post - unfortunately not all in order...).
Just below the summit was a restaurant and below that a dairy farm that was so steep it seemed like the cows would tumble. They all had bells that rang with different tones so quite musical.
San Marco Pass (6500') had been used as a trading route and had the remains of an old Roman road.
There was also a food truck to feed the cyclists:
easy photo uploadHeading down the other side were more tight turns and steep grades. This is looking down from one switchback to the one below and the one below that, and out to the town that seems to be hanging from 45* slopes. Amazingly there was a full size soccer field below the road in this town (surrounded by a high fence so the ball wouldn't be lost down valley).
View up the glacially carved valley dropping into Morbegno.
hosting gifI completed the loop to Mandello on the Statale Strada. A great loop that took about 4.5 hours even stopping for pictures and getting lost and taking a couple wrong turns.
