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It seriously went beyond the 'grin and bear it' level. Still, plenty of weird masochistic pride once you finish as you know yourself !

Do you have a photo of your retro stell gravel bike ? Sounds interesting !

Hi Neil, Happy New Year to you too, and thanks indeed for your message. I'm sure that we don't need to beat ourselves up for the odd lapse in regime standards, but just keep things ticking over in a 'positive' and consistent manner. Compliments on your own channel which I find to be extremely informative and helpful. I'll certainly watch through more content and have subscribed for updates. ATB for now !

@@lifecycleproject thanks Angus. Appreciate the support and I’ll return it. Glad you’ve found it helpful. Keep up the content too! Nice work!

And a very Happy New Year to you too !!! Who knows if we'll actually get to ride together this year ?

@@lifecycleproject I will visit Italy for a bikepacking event this year. We will be doing the Veneto Gravel event in April. Who knows….

@@MaartenOverweg I like the sound of a Veneto Gravel event... tell me more !

Venetogravel.it 19/20 April ?

@@lifecycleproject yes, that’s the one. Me and my cycling buddy will do the full distance 720km at a very slow pace. Very much looking forward to it 🥳

Ciao Marco & Lucia ! Grazie per il commento, e tanti auguri per Natale ed un ottimo 2024 !

Grazie ! Thanks for your kind words and I'm glad you enjoyed it !

It was such a great three days riding together. Tough going hence the lack of really decent 'on the road' footage, but very rewarding. I'm so lucky that I have 2 sons. It means I can now plan another adventure also with Gregory, the other one !

The 'smashed cyclist' was really in a bad way just past the point where I filmed the helicopter dropping off the paramedics. A lot of blood on the road, a totalled road bike, and the rider like a broken doll at the foot of the cliffs. I calculated one full hour from the ambulance that came past us in the direction we were riding towards, Schwyz, to that same ambulance returning towards the hospital. It must have been a hell of a job to get the cyclist off the road. Hope that guy survived...

@@lifecycleproject Just aweful, always think it'll never happen to me.

@@randelscyclevlogperthwa7342 I hope it never does (to any of us). Wouldn't want what we saw to happen to anybody. That road is bad for cyclists - narrow with a cliff on one side and a sheer drop on the other. Drivers often distracted too by the great view of the lake. It only takes a moment of distraction...

Yep, Got a close pass today on a narrow bridge, wont go that way again.

@@randelscyclevlogperthwa7342 Yikes.... a gravel bike is the answer. Stay off the tarmac as far as you can !

Hello in Sri Lanka & thanks for your comment !

Thank you! Cheers!

😉I fell myself, but luckily only pride was damaged. Had to ride into that 'refreshments' field caked in mud ! Still a great experience this year. None of us will ever forget that mud (or 'fango' as the Italians call it) !!!

Hey Mario !!! Come stai ? Quanti anni ???? Sono sempre nella stessa casa, stessa moglie ... qualche anno in più ma sempre molto contento ;-)

Hi Silvia. Thank you for your kind comments, and I also remember our quick chat in Volterra - what a spectacular view ! I'm afraid the video is very limited because I didn't think through the battery charging situation when camping. I was using my iphone to record film, so had to stop and conserve battery power. Will sort that out for next year ! Where are you writing from Silvia ?

@@lifecycleproject I am currently in Torino for vacation but I live in Vancouver 😁 Your video is a great memory of this fantastic event! Thank you!

Hi Eric, thanks for your question. I pitched a small one-man tent at a campsite in Volterra (1st night) with other riders on a 5-a-side football pitch (2nd night) and in a field with 2 other riders I just met along the route on the third night. I made sure I kept enough water for a 'bottle wash' before hitting the sack. I'll do a video about the kit I took very soon. (what worked and what didn't). Thanks & Best , Angus.

Hi Roger ! Good to meet you, and thanks for your comment. I do believe that the organisers put in a lot of work during the year to secure the route, send out messages (mostly product promo it has to be said) and do all the behind the scenes stuff we don't see. Even more of a shame that the final impression we get is a bit of an anticlimax. Even a DJ would cost next to nothing and give a sense of occasion. Well done for completing the ride and best regards to Flanders ! 👋

Hey Maarten ! Thanks for your message. The mud added extra 'interest' as did camping and waking up with everything soaked though (humidity) each morning. Nothing that a good plate of 'picci al ragù' and a glass or two of chianti can't fix ! We'll have to find a way to ride together some day !

@@lifecycleproject You're a champ for finishing! My hat off, good sir! Yes, would love to ride together some day!

Hey Maarten ! Are you coming to Tuscany this year ? (By the way, this camping idea began with your comment on my TT 2022 video ;-)

@@lifecycleproject unfortunately not, mate. Can't make it. Yeah, I know. I was just bragging about it to a mate of mine who is riding the TT for the first time this year. You might meet him. I told him about your video and said he should subscribe to your channel 😃

Hi Steffen ! Thanks for writing I hope I can give you some answers that help if you are planning to ride the Tuscany Trail next year. With regards the technical aspect of the course, there were parts of the ride which were very steep and rocky. Some uphill, some down. Bits which I think only the most experienced MTB riders could manage, with very high gear ratios, especially some of the climbs. That said, plenty of people do get off and push their bikes uphill, so no shame there. I would say there were probably 3 or four of these sections in 5 days so nothing to worry about. There are also a couple of very long, very steep and slidey gravel decents to watch out for. The gravel bike managed very well for pretty much everything, but I think an MTB would probably give you more stability overall. I rode on Giant Crosscut tyres, 38mm which were not much good to be honest. Not enough traction on the back end to get up several of the steeper gravel climbs. I have just swapped those out for some Pirelli Cinturato, 42mm, with more grip. Now testing. Very happy to offer any more advice you'd like. Happy riding !

Thanks for your message Andrzej. I see that you were also in Tuscany this year; great adventure and really enjoyed your video !

Hi Sander. Thanks for your message, your very kind words, and sorry not to have answered so quickly. In terms of where to leave your bike-case, I think that the only realistic option is to find a hotel or B&B which might look after it for you. I have read that in 2023, Tuscany Trail will start and end in the same place, which makes it much easier. We stayed at Agriturismo Il Pelago in Castagneto Carducci the night before we set off. They have a lot of space and might be worth calling to ask. I hope you find a solution. It's really worth while !

Ciao Marco ! Grazie per il tuo commento, e per la precisazione, che in realtà mi sono accorto dopo poco tempo che il video era fuori, ma aveva già accolto likes e reazioni, quindi non l'ho sostituito. My Bad però... uno che vive in Italia da 30 anni e ama la Toscana in particolare, non dovrebbe fare un errore cosi clamoroso 😞. Spero che San Gimignano mi perdona, e che mi accoglierà di nuovo nel 2023 !

@@lifecycleproject Ma certamente e ancora bravi.

Thanks for your kind comments and I fully agree; a fantastic experience from so many points of view !

Grazie Paolo. La preparazione è sicuramente un avventura in se. Costanza e determinazione sono basilare. Vale la pena però, per fare il Trail, ma anche in generale. In bocca al lupo per la 5 Eroica !

Thanks ! The first time you do it, I think you are just trying to make sure you get to the end. Lots to enjoy but you do spend quite a bit of time gritting your teeth and just trying to get to the top of the next hill. Worth it all 1000 times over !

Thank you - it was indeed. Tough but very rewarding !

Agree...everything seems so flat !

Gotta say you could have a point there Maarten. Either way, great achievement to finish !