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November 23,
2004
Hi, Alison -
I joined the Granfondo tour in June of this year. Tobias and
his wife are friendly and sincere people, and they do a great job of putting together a great cycling
vacation. I really don't even know where to begin, because there was so much to the tour. To be
honest, I chose their tour simply because they were going where I wanted to go (the Alps and the
Dolomites), and they offered the best price. I wouldn't have cared if they were rude and I had to
stay in the Italian version of a cheap motel, as long as my bike and I were in the Alps!
I was pleasantly surprised to find that Tobias and his Italian
guides were extremely likable, knowledgeable, and determined to show all the riders the best of
Italian cycling and a good time. The lodging ranged from good to outstanding. The food was very
tasty, although I don't think that my customary low-fat, hippie granola diet is very popular there,
so I had to make some dietary adjustments. Italians love pasta, though, so we got along just fine.
Also, if you like wine . . . hey--it's Italy!!! As an aside, I should also mention that Italians
love cyclists, and you'll never cycle anywhere in the U.S. where you'll be treated as courteously as
you will be in Italy. Several large-scale opinion polls have found that about three-quarters of
Italians like Americans pretty well. That is about as friendly as it gets anywhere out there these
days, and considerably higher than some other great cycling destinations. So, if you're halfway
courteous, you won't have any trouble. I kept my mouth shut about politics, and everybody treated
me like a long-lost relative. I only mention this because of the current political climate.
Skill level: The other clients were just regular cyclists
like me, and there was a broad range of ability. I absolutely love to climb, because, like Tobias,
I am a crossover from mountaineering. However, I am relatively new to cycling, and I had only been
cycling for a year when I went on the tour. I did some specific preparation for climbing because
it's flat where I live, and had a very challenging, but good time on the climbs. I rarely race, but
the local group's 18-25 mph, 70 mile rides are a pretty hard workout for me. I can't quite break the
five-hour mark when I do centuries (I ride them solo), but it's close. In sum: I'm a regular joe.
Tobias and his team were able to accommodate everybody's
abilities. I should also mention that their cycling tour favors -gasp!- cycling. I was surprised
that many of the other tours I considered were pretty casual about the cycling and heavy on the
recreation. With Tobias, Carrie, et al., you'll do some sightseeing and have plenty of R&R time,
but the trip is intended to be a cycling tour. While the other clients and I were just regular
cyclists, everybody was serious enough about cycling that nobody on the tour would have dreamed of
spending all their time lounging around. Nor would anyone have done this trip on a rental bike.
These are pro-level Giro climbs with breathtaking descents, and you will want and need to be on your
bike. Everybody wanted to spend as much time in the saddle as possible, and you don't want to do
all this on a strange bike.
I don't know how to convey to you what it's like to climb the
passes on this tour. These are some of the most legendary climbs in cycling, and for good reason--they
're very tough (but attainable) and stunningly beautiful. It's been five months since I was there,
but I don't go two days without daydreaming a little about those climbs--they're that good. Like I
told one of my cycling buddies: if you love cycling, climbing, and the mountains, your life will not
be complete until you've cycled the Italian Alps.
I've just kind of rambled on about the trip, so I doubt if
I've answered all of your questions. If you have any specific questions, I'd be happy to answer
them. Be sure to check out the photos from this year's trip. They just scratch the surface of what
you'll see, but they're worth browsing.
I hope you don't mind, but I should also send this response
to Tobias, because I'm embarrassed to say that I don't think I ever properly thanked him and his
team for all their hard work. I'd like for him to know how I thought his tour stacked up.
I hope you get to go on the tour. I think you'll be amazed.
Best regards,
John
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