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Happy New Year!
This could be you in 2011 if you join us for our Vineyards to the Sea tour. But never fear: ALL the scenery is great on the routes we choose for your CycleItalia vacation. We wouldn't have it any other way. Join us and see for yourself.
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CycleItalia Guided Tours 2011
Here's the lineup for our 13th season of "pedala forte, mangia bene!"
Guided tour dates include flight day and are limited to TEN guests. Reservations taken on a first come-first served basis. |
Recipe: Risotto al Barolo
Winter is the best time to break out the hearty red wines of Piedmont. Only in Piedmont would someone actually use Barolo wine for this dish but any Nebbiolo or hearty Piedmont wine will do nicely for this risotto recipe, featured in our very first issue of La Gazzetta dello CycleItalia way back in 1999.
3.5 C homemade chicken broth 5 T butter (unsalted is best) 2 small onions, minced 2 C Carnaroli rice (Arborio is OK) 2.5 C Barolo wine 1 C Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated Salt to taste
Heat broth in medium saucepan and keep warm. Melt 4 T butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook 3-4 minutes, than add rice and stir until well-coated. Add 1 C wine and cook, stirring constantly until wine is almost totally absorbed. As remaining wine, cook until absorbed, then add broth to cover, cook until absorbed. Continue cooking, stirring and adding broth until rice is tender but still "al dente" (usually around 15 minutes) Season to taste with salt, add remaining butter and 1/3 C of the cheese, mix well and service right away on warmed plates with additional cheese sprinkled on top. |
Featured Tour:
Taste of Piedmont
We're revising what's been our flagship tour, Paradise in Piedmont with a plan to bring it back for 2012. But we just CAN'T skip this region entirely in 2011. So we'll join you for a guided Taste of Piedmont in response to requests for a guided version of this popular self-guided itinerary. Now you can choose - enjoy it on your own or join us for the same great riding with van support and some special treats added, including ALL the dinners! Taste of Piedmont ~ June 18-24, 2011 ~ $2595
We've lost count of the times that guests, after sampling the cycling and gastronomic opportunities at this peaceful wine country hotel, have asked, "Why can't we just stay HERE for the entire time?" Now you can. Spend five wonderful nights at Hotel Ariotto in the Monferrato hills. Relax by the panoramic pool, ride a variety of scenic loops with CycleItalia's unsurpassed support or combine both for a truly relaxing and enchanting sample of the Piemontese lifestyle. All dinners (including local wines) are included in this vacation package.
June 18 - Overnight flight to Milan.
June 19 - Benvenuto! We'll meet you at the Malpensa airport. After a short transfer, arrive at Ariotto, assemble and fine-tune your bike (or be fitted with one of ours) and take a test ride through rolling countryside. Enjoy piemontese specialties tonight at our festive welcome dinner.
June 20 - Castello San Giorgio gazes down from its perch as you tackle the short but steep climb to a ridge above the Po river. Choose from 35, 60 or 75 mile loops on quiet country roads linking historic villages. Stop for pranzo in Cocconato, the home of Bava wines, then relax at Ariotto's pool debating where to go for dinner. Perhaps an authentic osteria in the tiny town of Terruggia? Read more...
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Don't miss out!
If our Campania's Cilento Coast or Umbria & Le Marche tours interest you for 2011, get 4 or 5 friends together and reserve your places now. Otherwise you may have to wait until next year. |
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Mechanic's Corner
Myth Busters
Periodically we'll poke holes in some of cycling's mechanical/technical myths.
We'll start with tire pressure. where the myth's been "the higher the better" for many years. We remember one tire maker claiming their tires were so supple they should be inflated to a suggested 140 psi regardless of rider weight or tire size. This was a dumb idea then and it's a dumb idea now. Click here for a more detailed explanation. We generally use less pressure than these recommendations on both our personal bikes and our rental fleet in Italy. The "more pressure = lower rolling resistance" idea is simply incorrect. If you're using 23-25 mm clincher tires and are of a reasonable weight, try riding with 90 psi or 80 in front and 100 in the rear. We bet you'll find this results in a smoother, more comfortable ride with no noticeable increase in pedaling effort. Even better, when you take a sweeping bend, you'll find your bike corners better as the lower pressure allows the tire to provide better and more consistent grip. TRY IT!
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No connection to or endorsement by Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport is expressed or implied. All rights reserved CycleItalia LLC
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