One for the enthusiasts

When we were stopping by Lake Como I noticed an advert in a shop
window advertising something to do with racing and a certain Circuito
Del Lario. My knowledge of Italian is somewhere below poor so it had
to wait until I got home (and remembered) to have a look at where the
circuit was and what it consisted of.

http://www.circuitodellario.org/circuito.htm

22.7 miles, 300 bends including 50 hairpins and a height variation of
1,805'

I think it needs to be visited on a bike at some point in the future
because we all know that Italian plod are the most understanding when
it comes to misbehaving on public roads.

You can even visit the Guzzi factory on the same visit if the urge
takes you because it's about 30 miles away on the eastern shore of
Lake Como.

 

part of it's on google streetview - this should be the bit SW of Onno
http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=&q...anoid=Lb76rNYOmJ3mzSA-pKJBIQ&cbp=12,2.55,,0,5
or http://snipurl.com/1a381h

looks very built up along a large part of the route: the roads inside the
circuit look more interesting. WTF is this Italian weirdness?
http://snipurl.com/1a3a4m

If you can tie up getting there when it's actually open.

 

I'd be up for that.

 

Looks scenic enough on google maps. Just hope it's not full of
coaches, like the road that runs alongside como was on last year's
trip.

 

I thought you said you'd never get involved with one of my ideas
again?

You'll regret it when you find out what time of the year I was
thinking of going. It's a shame I have to be devious to trap victims
but such is life.

 

Mid-fuckin'-winter?

 

Did I forget to mention that in my earlier post?

 

So would I, I enjoyed that part of Italy.

--
Lozzo
Versys 650 Tourer, CBR600F-W racebike in the making, TS250C, RD400F
(somewhere)
BMW E46 318iSE (it's a car, not one of those 2-wheeled pieces of shite
they churn out)

 

Marina and I did that circuit in a car some years ago. It was really
good, I remarked at the time that it would be excellent on a bike. Id
be up for that...

 

Riding to Lake Como is sort of on my ToDo list for next year. Looks
like another reason for going.

 

Of the 3 bigger lakes, Garda is my favourite. To be more precise, the
northern end of Garda is my favourite. Draw a line across the lake from
Limone to Malcesine and stay north of it. Fantastic scenery, smaller, less
crowded resorts and really good roads nearby.

The southern end of the lake is more open, flat terrain alongside and looks
a bit like the Costa Brava in places.

 

Or go even further north to Lago di Caldonazzo. Very low key. Excursions
possible in to Südtirol to practice German but without Germa plod.

--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

I think I'd better clarify things regarding when I'll be going:

Not in the winter. I've got things lined up for the next two winters
and the decent passes would be shut anyway.

Not next summer. There are two plans already on the table for next
summer and I can only make one so an additional one is a non-starter.

Probably summer 2012. This seems possible but by then you lot will
probably have already sorted something and gone anyway. It just looked
such a stunning circuit and the whole region is full of brilliant
roads I thought I'd see what others thought.

 

I've got the same problem next year.

No Glastonbury in 2012 though, so I'll have a whole extra week to play
with. So long as I don't go and do something stupid in a desert in
Winter.

 

That's an area that I want to explore some time. The roads just south of
the lake have been recommended.

I've been to Lago di Molveno to the north of Riva del Garda. That is
very good. From Riva you approach the Lago from the top of a pass. The
view into the valley below is spectacular. It's at the eastern end of
the Brenta Dolomites, which don't get the same attention as the ones
around Corvara & Cortina.

I took the lad and we hired a car from Verona. We took a goat track from
Riva to Molveno via Ballino. The road was cut from rock in one short
section, and was only just wide enough for the Clio hire car.
Fortunately we didn't meet anything. The boy was a bit anxious as there
was a very large drop on his side of the car. We returned back to Riva
down the western side of the Brentas, via Madonna di Campiglio. That was
over 1500m and whilst we stopped for a meal the one rear brake seized. I
assume the lower atmospheric pressure caused some sort of vapour lock.
Running the engine and pumping the brakes soon sorted it.

 

Is there a list for these? If so, I seem to be absent from it/them.

Although, I've got a tentative plan to go with some other "friends off the
internet" to Dijon, next July.

I'd certainly be up for 2012. I might even have a job & disposable income
by then.

As you will see from a reply to Pete in another thread, there are loads of
places in Italy worth visiting, just to the north of the Milan-Verona
autostrada. Perhaps combine Como with a visit to Klaus' sister hotel in the
Dolomites, as used by Col & Pat last year?

 

I'm pretty sure we did a day trip to there whilst camping by Caldanazzo
in , um, err, 91 IIRC.

We had driven down via Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany and Austria in
SWMBO's 1.2 Nova. Spent a week in Laces which was a good base for Merano
and Bolzano (epic ice cream sundaes).

Which reminds me of trying to get back to Montgenevre from Susa (I had
been in serach of Gilera parts) the 'interesting way' by the Colle delle
Finestre in 94 in my Nova 1.5Tdi SX. The road got narrower and narrower
and then became a forest track. I was all for pushing on but SWMBO
wasn't happy so we had to go back and do it via Ouix.
--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Voxan Roadster Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Ah, Ta.

 

One's the TT and the other is just a hangover from last years trip.

I don't think lists exist for either option because the only list that
I'm on that's 'active' is the one for this winter.

 

ah, I forgot about the TT. That's too early in the year as I'm not
finished with tha MA until July, and not my bag anyway.

A late summer/autumn trip to SW France/Spain could be a goer though. It
will be interesting to see what the expeditionary force to Jen's place
thinks of that area...