Riding In The Rain

Monday we woke to a persistent rain. We lingered in bed longer than usual. We dilly-dallied over breakfast. We took our time getting the bikes loaded and by eleven o'clock the rain still hadn't let up. So we bit the bullet and rode in the rain 100 meters to the bicycle museum. We learned a lot about the evolution of the bicycle. Here is a picture of an early system of shifting gears. We shift the gears from the front handlebars now, but they had to shift just above the rear cog.



Some of you may be interested to know that the early racers did use half-step gearing. We did eventually set out for real and it was still raining. Leaving the Passo Ghisallo the road dropped as steeply as any we have ridden (it reminded us of the descent to the Cookie Lady's house in Afton, Virginia). In the rain the brakes weren't as responsive as we would have liked and by the time we leveled out somewhat our forearms were weak from gripping the brake levers.
We had lunch in Bellagio and then headed down the road to Como. we stopped once under the eaves of a warehouse during a downpour, but the rest of the ride was without rain. We saw this nice cabin by the lake.


This waterfall is the combined flow of three watercourses off of the mountain.


We got to Como and our legs told us it was time for a rest day after riding 10 days. We found a nice hotel and unloaded. We checked out the facade of the cathedral before dinner.


And on our way back to the hotel, we had a different view of the back.



Tuesday we will do some chores, laundry, patching inner tubes, and shopping. Then it will be sightseeing in Como.