Bella Italia

It's worth traveling to Italy for the coffee alone. It still amazes me how a crappy service station on the Austostrada serves a better espresso than every cafe in Salzburg.

But in addition to kick-ass coffee, the country has some great roads for cycling especially the Chianti region of Tuscany where I enjoyed a few days of riding with my friend Mark in between baby duties, eating amazing food and lying by the pool.






Without wishing to gush to much, the cycling was some of the most pleasant I have ever experienced. Smooth roads, winding hills with steady gradients and plenty of views made the rides extremely memorable.

Feeling inspired by stage seven of this year's Giro d'Italia when the peloton blasted across filthy dirt tracks - known locally as Strade Bianche - we included some of these back roads in our routes. To be honest, they weren't that bad. A bit rutted in places it was tricky going up steeper hills when the back wheel occasionally slipped, and dodgy on the descents where skinny tyres offer minimal grip.


And obviously the coffee stops were perfect - you just can't beat an Italian 1€ espresso.



Here are the routes we took: