As I have said on the Bamboo Trailer blog and in Facebook posts and to the exhaustion of my wife and family and friends, I plan to ride L’Eroica this year. I made my application on the first day available, 1 February. Only 500 non-Italians will be admitted this year and presumably on a first-come, first-serve basis. Applicants will know on 1 March whether they have made it.
For those unfamiliar with L’Eroica, go to their website. For English speakers, there is an English translation button, but I think one is better exploring the site in Italian. Not that I can do that, yet.
In a nutshell, the ride, like most group rides, is meant to either raise money or awareness, in this case the latter. The one-day event is meant to draw attention to the strade bianche, or white roads, the traditional unpaved roads in Tuscany. They are white because of the stone, I presume limestone or chalk. In keeping with the “old” roads, the ride requires a bicycle of an older vintage and with external brake cables, downtube shifters and traditional pedals. Some ride truly vintage bikes from decades ago. My next post will introduce you to the bicycle I plan to take.
More to come. Time to continue my L’Eroica dreams and get the 1981 Moseman on the repair stand for a little de-modernizing. Stay tuned.
L'Eroica Dreams 
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