Contents THE RIDE pg 3
TRAVELERS pg 11
THE TRIP pg 19
TRUTH pg 23
THE OPEN ROA
AD AHEAD YOUR RIDE
On your bike you are free to go where you want. The decisions that you make should not be based on your equipment but how far your legs can take you.
THE R
RIDE
CALIFORNIA C
KILOMETER 876: I remember: Beautiful hubs that roll so smooth you will forget that you are working.
CLIFFS BIG SUR
There are no urban areas, although three small clusters of gas stations, restaurants, and motels are often marked on maps as towns. It is not the towns that make Big Sur memorable, but the land that surrounds those towns instead.
FRENCH ALPS
Kilometer 1626: I remember: Anyway I can save weight on the bike will make climbing easier
S COL DU TOURMALET
The most famous of the mountain climbs on the Tour de France. It has been included more times than any other mountain pass, starting in 1910, when the Pyrenees were introduced. This pass is responsible for turning gods of cycling into mere mortals.
ITALIAN VINEYA
KILOMETER 1253: I Remember: Well crafted hubs make any road feel as smooth as newly paved asphalt.
YARDS
TUSCANY
This region of Italy is known for its wines and the rolling vineyards of the Tuscan countryside that these vineyards inhabit. These rolling backroads are what makes the trip to Italy essential stop for any cyclist.
TRAVE e ove r id r o t ia n r o d C a l if g h t h e c e n t r a l le e v a r t e v a D hrou t o g d n a s e b r idg v a ll e y .
ELERS to e c n a r F o t ed N i c k t r aev efla m o u s m o u n t a i n s o f c l i m b t hr d e F r a n c e . th e To u
Y O U tr a v e l
e d to . . .
...it’s an exhilar experience to c 260 feet above Pacific...
rating cycle the D
e co h t p u p i a ve’s t r
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Big Sur Highway one or shoreline road provided a very scenic northbound ride on the coast. There was no shoulder but the constant rollers, and twists and turns, make it almost impossible for any car to speed by disrupting the ride. My route on this day was fairly level but packed with sights and scenery of the amazing coast of Big Sur. For half the day, I rolled gradually downhill on Highway One and the rest was on a private road and a wonderful paved bike path closed to motorized vehicles. The first 12 miles led past Andrew Molera State Park to the historic Bixby Bridge, this remarkable bridge is 714 feet long, 24 feet wide and has a main span of 320 feet that suspends the bridge 260 feet over the Bixby Creek it’s an exhilarating experience to cycle 260 feet above the Pacific. The bridge was built in 1933 by unemployed young men during the Depression. As Highway One wound along the coast, I glimpsed several whale spouts. And a local cyclist I met said she often saw playful sea otters gambolling among beds of floating seaweed. Upon reaching Rio Road, I turned left and soon glimpsed the Moorish belltower of Carmel Mission. What lies ahead is an extremely horrifying four mile climb on a very narrow road on the way up to Pebble Beach I pedaled up into Carmel, an elegant and charm-filled village full of art galleries and boutiques and a bastion of nonconformity and individualism. Cycling around Carmel’s arty houses that make up the town took me to the Scenic 17 mile Drive. The last four miles were like something out of a nightmare and a dream put together, past the world famous and very fashionable Pebble Beach golf course, was the town of Pebble Beach with all the schwankiest stores.
France punishe cyclists with cit at the top of th steepest hills th can find
es ties he hey
e Alp h t o t p i r N I C K ’s t
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The Col du Tourmalet We started from Arrens with the Col des Borderes alt 1156 m which we climbed in thick humid air, and light clouds not too far above us. This climb was a warm up before the main attraction of the day, the Col du Tourmalet, the climb took us above 2000m. The Tour de France first climbed the Tourmalet 1910. This climb with its 7,5% average the tour peloton has reached the summit more than 70 times. It is one of the most famous climbs of the Tour de France. A book about famous cols gave a name for the Tourmalet: “Father of the cols.” The Tourmalet is a dream of the cyclists, so when the weather is perfect it is very much like heaven for cyclists. From Luz St Saveur initially we were pounding the pedals in an unexciting valley. The Pyrenees reviled its beauty above 1400m; there — at a crossing of a stream — there was a botanical garden waiting for the tourists. In front of us laid the mountains behind me, the valley and the lower part of the mountains, sometimes sheep can be seen along the road. Every five minutes I meet other cyclists. The sun was so bright because of the total lack of foliage. For the last 2 kilometers up to the top of the col the road was twisting and steep; I could see the Pic du Midi observatory. Not much after that we reached the col (2109 m) the French punish cyclists with cities at the top of the steepest hills they can find. The panoramic view, the Giant cyclist sculpture, the tourist house, buffet and with other cyclists. Reaching the top of the The Tourmalet was a fantastic feeling. Our decent swept us down to St Marie de Campan.
I really didn’t an shouldn’t try to exclusively on t back roads.
nd o stay the Italian Countryside I was fortunate to find a “in square” celebration on for some holiday, so I stopped to regroup, rest a bit, and get some gelati. I will continue to be envious of how rich in cycling and the choice of using bikes for transportation that Italy is. Family after family were in the square with their bikes, or with their bikes nearby. I also learned that the really GOOD gelati can be found where they post a sign “arte di gelati” – which basically means that it is made their by hand (which is not the case for many gelaterias). The Italian roads are in MUCH better shape than in PA, and mountain descents can only be compared to my experiences with boarder cross racing fast with banked turns, and for me, unable to be done without a huge smile across my face. After arriving in Ravenna, I found what I thought a city Italy should be old architecture, old cobblestone streets, lots of people walking around, bikes everywhere, statues, piazzas, museums, gardens, etc. There are also many narrow and interesting ways to get from one side of the center to another. I took my time and “tooled around” the city. It is by far my favorite thing to do when in Italia — to tour the city on bike, slowly and without being in a hurry — to really get a feel for the personality of the city. I really didn’t and shouldn’t try to stay exclusively on the back roads and since there are already so many bikes, I don’t stand out as “unusual” or an annoyance. This accordion player and his son were just one of the many nice encounters while doing my little “giro di citta’”.
THE TR
RIP
FRANCE
The cyclist Mecca this is where cyclists come to breath the same air as their heroes. Ride the same roads as the legends did before them, and fulfil their childhood dreams.
CALIFORNIA
America’s home of great cycling the roads punish you and reward your efforts with each breathtaking vista. Each experience is unique and your own.
Eve r y c e n t u r y s b e s id e m e a n d c o m e o n e w it h a s e t p u ll s brothe rhood o f om m e nts o n the m the t h e a n g r y b e e s .”
TRUTH
For ce n t h e m e a ntsu rtyh a n d t o u r in g r id e r s w it e s e a re y o u r h h u bs.
H
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Our hubs see a lot.
Colophon Copyright © 2008 by Joe Bromley Published in 2008 for the Academy of Art University Instructor: Arvi Raquel-Santos Class: Elements of Typography All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without permission of the copyright holder. Written and Designed: by Joe Bromley Photography by: Flickr, Joe Bromley Typefaces: Helvetica Neue, handwriting Printed on: Moab Kayenta Printed on: Epson 3800
See you on the road.