The Baked Beans Tour 2022 - A Hello From the Buddy!

 Last year when Hobbes and I visited Mica, we met up in a town on my way to his house, Mica had arranged a riding day with some friends from the office. 

The riding was great and we had a super fun day, obviously, as Mica had planned it so well. 

As I had planned a European motorcycle trip also this year, I started to marinate the idea that we, Mica and I, should go for a short ride together. 

Mica, as the good sport he is, thought it could be fun and planned a superb four-day-three-night trip to Italy, with the objective to do passes, eat well and have a dip in the Med, I.E. The Baked Beans Tour! 

For those of you who don’t know Mica, there are a couple of things you should know. He’s the best friend you possibly could ask for. Mica IS bikes! He knows everything there’s to know. If you need the molecular structure of a part in the engine, I’m sure he could tell you that. 

This also shows in his driving. Mica’s been on bikes for ages, I got my license in October 2019 and I’m still a newbie, so if you compare the two of us, you’d see the difference between a guy who’s tightly forged with the bike (Mica) and someone who’s sitting on the bike, clinging on to it (me). 

Having said this, Mica paced himself perfectly to me, he drove fast and hard enough to keep me on my toes and made me challenge myself, and once, I got into a serious flow and took us down a pass in a not too shabby mode. If you’re not used to driving on serpentine mountain roads, it’s a bit like going down a black ski slope, just take it easy, don’t overdo it, and you’ll be fine.  

At the end of the day’s ride, when we arrived at our destination with baked beans, we fueled up, checked in at the hotel and parked the bikes. Mica had chosen hotels which had secure parking and that feel good, look for “bike friendly” when you book hotels.  

And let me tell you, after a day on the bike in the baking heat, it was wonderful to get out of the riding gear, take a shower, put on the civvies and explore the town where we were, enjoy a delicious dinner and have a cup of tea. Life is good. 

The Baked Beans Tour 2022 - Day 4 Val-Cenis to Gingins

 Today was the final day of our tour, and we would be heading back to my home again. So far we had experienced some pretty intense riding, but I was confident that the planned route still had some surprises in store for us.

After a refreshing night, we were the first for the breakfast buffet. The Hotel l'Outa really offered an excellent selection of bread, croissants, and cereals as well as a cool machine where you could boil your eggs to your own liking. However they had no Kalle's Kaviar, so I decided to pass on the egg. My buddy was impressed by the cups and saucers as they were presented in Swedish colours. I did mention it might also be Ukrainian, but let's accept it was Swedish on our honour...

The plan for today was to start off with the famous Col de l'Iseran, and then head to Val d'Isere for a coffee break and a decision on which way to take after that. In the end, the ride looked like this:

It was actually quite cool at the beginning of the ride, and as we made our way up a narrow valley before the sun reached it, I actually felt a bit cold. It certainly felt good as a change from the previous days, but I knew that the temperatures would soon begin to rise.

At first the climb is steep, the road narrow and no guardrails to secure you from the drop. I can imagine it being quite scary for some, and I certainly would not want to be driving up this with a big car and meeting some other traffic. On our bikes, it was just good fun!

When this first climb is done, we arrived in the most scenic and beautiful valley. It was quite breathtaking, and we were both riding slowly just taking in the view. Unfortunately there was no good place to stop for a photo, but here is one I found that gives you an idea:

The views on the ride up here were simply stunning, with the beautiful morning light making it even more amazing. It was almost challenging to ride as we kept taking in the scenery around us!

After that we tackled the last bit up to the top of the Col de l'Iseran, the highest mountain pass in the French Alps at 2770 metres. Here we had to stop for a breather and a chance to get some pictures of this stunning place.

It was a good thing that we got here as early as we did because it was a Sunday, and on our way down to Val d'Isere we were already meeting quite some traffic. I can imagine the place being very crowded a few hours later, which would have made it a bit troublesome. As it was, we just got the best experience.

In Val d'Isere we stopped for some coffee and discussed the rest of the road. Our initial plan was to head down into the valley and follow the quickest route past Albertville and then bypass Annecy by going through Thones. 

However, by the time we got to Bourg St. Maurice, a slight mishap with the GPS had us heading back up the mountain again and it became clear that we were on the better option. The road by Albertville may be a bit faster, but it is also longer and so very boring. Instead, we found ourselves on some amazing roads and arrived later in Thones right on schedule.

First up after Bourg St. Maurice was the wonderful Cormet de Roselend. This is a mountain pass culminating at 1'968 metres and the road up was amazing. At times it was so narrow it would have been difficult for two cars to meet, but for us, it was not an issue. 

From there we first pass the Lac de Roselend, over the Col de Meraillet and then head down the valley to Beaufort before again heading up on the other side through some really narrow roads again, always being amazed by the wonderful surroundings. Finally, we are back in the valley at Ugines, and when we pass Saint Ferreol it is time for our final climb of the day on our way towards Thones.

We are by now really hot, a bit tired and very hungry. So we find a nice restaurant that has a shaded terrace and relax for a while with a huge salad for lunch. It is nice to be able to stretch your legs, especially knowing that now we do not have much further to go before reaching our home in Gingins.

The rest of the ride is quite uneventful, although we meet a surprising amount of traffic on the small sideroads between Geneva and Gingins, and we find out later that this was the result of the highway being shut down due to an accident. So, even though it was a bit annoying to take these roads there, it turned out to be a good thing as we would have had other issues on the highway.

Once home we race to get out of our riding clothes and jump in the pool. It is with a satisfying feeling of accomplishment that we later indulge in a barbeque and (for me) some nice wine. It has been four amazing days of riding, and our heads are full of beautiful images that will linger for some time.

Some statistics for the day:

Total 261 km

City pointers

• Val-Cenis
• Val d'Isere
• Bourg St. Maurice
• Beufort
• Ugines
• Saint Ferreol
• Thones
• Gingins

Mountain passes

• Col de l'Iseran 2770m
• Cormet de Roselend 1968m
• Col de Meraillet 1605m

The Baked Beans Tour 2022 - Day 3 Ceriale to Val-Cenis

 The night was a bit challenging with the heat and the uncomfortable bed. As a result, we were awake early and went for breakfast at the hotel as soon as possible, with the hope that we could then be on the road while it was still somewhat cool. The breakfast was really nice, but it is certain that if I find myself back in Ceriale someday I will choose a different hotel. Nevertheless, all the staff at the Residence Oliveto were all nice, and we left there feeling good.

We had decided the night before that we would head first along the waterfront until Finale Ligure so as to see a bit more of the Mediterranean, and then head up a different road up the hills from what we had arrived the day before. Given that this was to be our longest ride of the trip, we needed to get a bit of a move on!

Our destination today was Val-Cenis in France, and although we would have to cross the boring plain below Turin, there were still some wonderful mountain roads making up more than half of the day's ride.

The waterfront ride was a bit less interesting than we expected, but the road right after that became very interesting. Small and twisty, and sometimes with the tarmac a bit iffy! We even had a decent cloud cover with the morning mist from the sea covering the hills, which made it nice and fresh. Once this climb was completed, we found ourselves in the area of Piedmonte where the famous Barolo wine is made. Here the roads were better, with fast sweeping curves over the pleasantly undulating landscape.

We stopped for a coffee break in a little village right next to your typical Italian church, on what was quite a bustling outdoor café. We were feeling great, but having rested up a bit it was time to keep moving.

The next part is boring as it takes you across the flat plain south of Turin. There are not too many villages to go through, but the road is mostly straight through numerous fields. By now it was getting really hot, and I eventually saw a roadside temperature sign reading 38°. It was a good thing it was not raining though, as the road takes you through multiple round-a-bouts where it was clear that a lot of diesel fuel had been spilled over the years. Rain on that makes it as slippery as soap!

Progress was good, and we realized that Italians do not really respect speed limits. Granted, in many places, you find yourself on a straight and wide open stretch of road, and it is limited to 50 kmh. As a result, we began adapting a similar speed to the cars that were passing us, and soon we had the Sacra di San Michele in our sights.

My riding buddy had pointed out before the trip that this stunning religious complex was the inspiration for the book The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco. The equally famous film had been made at a different location, but we felt that this was certainly worth a stop. We parked our bikes and had a brief discussion about visiting the place. Given the incredible heat and the fact that we were dressed in full riding gear, this was simply not an option. Instead we got some sandwiches and cold ice tea for lunch at a restaurant there, and then began making our final climb of the day.

After passing by the village of Susa, the road heads up first by Bar Cenisio in Italy, and then in to France and over the Col du Mont Cenis. As we were riding up, it suddenly started raining. At first a couple of drops, but then it suddenly came down quite hard. This can be very tricky since when it has been dry for a long time when the first rain falls the road becomes slippery. We pulled over, and the rain stopped as quickly as it had started. As we began riding again, the road was completely dry within two corners, and we could continue at our normal rhythm.

Just before reaching the actual mountain pass peak, we passed an incredibly impressive dam built out of gravel. It is an unusual structure, and very impressive to see. We had a stop next to the lake behind it for some scenery shots.

From here we did not have much further to go, which was a good thing as by now the road had become quite crowded. We passed over the Col du Mont-Cenis at 2'083 m, and then began descending to our destination for the day in Val Cenis at the Hotel l'Outa.

The hotel was really nice, with a great room and friendly staff. It was clear that it was being run by a team of quite young people, and they did their best to make our stay a good one. 

Although we went for a walk around the village to try and find a good restaurant for dinner, we really didn't find anything and ended up having a nice rabbit for dinner back at the hotel later.

For a future trip if in the area, it would be more interesting to find a hotel in the village before called Lanslebourg, as this clearly was a more active place. This village also has a gas station where we filled up our bikes as we passed through so as to be all set for the next day.

Later it was simply wonderful to fall asleep on a comfortable bed, and the windows open letting the cool mountain air in! What a change from the night before...

Some statistics for the day:

Total 280 km

City pointers

• Ceriale
• Finale Ligure
• Ceva
• Sacra di San Michele
• Bar Cenisio
• Val-Cenis

Mountain passes

• Col du Mont Cenis 2083 m

The Baked Beans Tour 2022 - Day 2 Briançon to Ceriale

After a good night's sleep, we got up early so as to get on the road before it became too hot. Today we would be heading into Italy with the destination being Ceriale and the Mediterranean! The breakfast at the Hotel de Paris was just perfect, and with the bikes soon packed we were ready.

As soon as we left Briançon we started climbing on the D902 towards our first mountain pass of the day, the Col d'Izoard. Like the Galibier from the previous day, this is another Tour de France classic, and this was clearly visible from the graffiti on the road as we climbed up. 

The road up to the Col d'Izoard was perfect, with hardly any traffic. It culminates at 2362 meters, and you are treated to a stunning view again. 

On the south side of the pass, the landscape looks like something from the moon. It is a very spectacular formation, with rock pillars jutting out from a sandy ground.

 The ride down from here was beautifully twisty, and it was at this point we were passed by the Swiss racing team (or so it seemed). A group of riders from Vaud came flying past us at incredible speeds, but we preferred to continue more calmly so as to really benefit from the views.

The valley then flattens out for a bit before heading up to the next pass. Although the road was very narrow, it continued to be in good condition and there was absolutely no traffic to bother us. At one point, through a particularly scenic part, the going was so smooth that my buddy was able to take some pictures of me riding in front of him!

The road then climbed up to the Col Agnel and the passage to Italy. At at height of 2744 it was to be the second highest mountain pass we would cross, and the road down on the Italian side was just incredible!!

Making our way down rapidly, we could feel the temperature rising all the time. Before fully getting down to the plain we decided to stop for a drink and a rest, which ended up becoming our lunch stop too with the wonderful panini we were served to go with the drinks. We were simply ecstatic, with this morning's ride having been just so good.

Once in the plain things got a bit boring, passing through some Italian villages with the heat becoming almost unbearable. No matter, we trudged on until we got to the final piece of amazing road leading down to the coats and our destination of Ceriale. The hills here on the border between Piedmont and Liguria are very lush with forest, and the roads are incredibly twisty. My buddy at this point was leading the way since my GPS had overheated since some time, and he did an outstanding job to get us down with huge smiles on our faces.

Arriving in Ceriale it was hot and humid! We stopped by the hotel, and the time it took to get the garage opened, we were completely drenched under our hot riding suits. It really was a struggle to get the check-in done so that we could finally take off the suits, and hop in to a cool shower!

The hotel, Residence Oliveto, was not the best. As the name implies, it is more of a residence than a hotel, and so the rooms are equipped with sofa beds instead of proper beds. With no air conditioning, and no fans, I feared the night would be a bit challenging. Still, they had a pool, and we figured we would go and relax there a bit. Unfortunately the water was just too warm for it to be pleasant, and so instead we soon set off for a walk around town.

Just a couple of minutes from the hotel you find the beach. Most of it is private, but there are some spots that remain public beaches, and we decided that we would go for a swim after dinner when it would not be so hot. Our goal, for now, was to find a restaurant that would serve spaghetti Frutti di mare, and with that accomplished, we had our proper Italian dinner.

We did indeed go for a swim in the sea later, and it was amazing that even here the temperature was at least 30°!! Later, back in the hotel room, we struggled to get some sleep, but in the end we were successful.

Some statistics for the day:

Total 243 km

City pointers

• Briançon
• Fort Queyras
• Molines-en-Queyras
• Sampeyre
• Fossano
• San Bernardino
• Garessio
• Ceriale

Mountain passes

• Col d'Izoard 2362 m
• Col Agnel 2744 m

The Baked Beans Tour 2022 - Day 1 Gingins to Briançon

Thursday morning on July 21st, the sun was up and the temperature was already well over 20°. Our bikes were packed and we took off from Gingins a bit past 9 AM. In order to avoid buying a highway vignette for CHF 40.- just to do 20km, I had planned a route taking some backroads to get to France and the direction of Annecy. Although a bit annoying and time-consuming, it was not a big deal, and soon we found ourselves in France and well on our way to adventure!! This is what the trip for the day was going to be:

I don't have a GPS on my bike, so I was using Google Maps on my smartphone that I had placed in the transparent pouch of my tank bag. This was a bit of a quick workaround, and although initially, it worked okay I was soon to discover some problems with this setup. First of all, it means I have to look straight down taking my eyes off the road to see the phone, but as long as the screen is bright it was not a big issue. The problem was that the sun was very bright, with temperatures running quickly over 30° by now, and the phone began overheating. This at first makes the screen go dim, and eventually completely shutting off! Over the next days, I was able to use my phone like this for the first few hours in the morning, but then my buddy had to take over the navigation part using his phone. In the future, I will have to find a better solution...

The road to Annecy takes us past a famous landmark called le Pont de la Caille. It is well known around here, and before the new highway from Geneva to Annecy was completed all traffic to Annecy basically went past it. Not so now, and we are happy to discover so far that traffic is very light.

Unfortunately, as we reached Annecy the traffic situation changed. Total traffic jam all through, and with the temperature really starting to soar, it was all becoming quite uncomfortable. We did make a note that going by Annecy should probably be avoided in the future. When we finally did manage to get through, we really needed to stop for a breather and a cold drink, and we found a lovely place called O Poisson Rouge right on the edge of the Lac d'Annecy. Very nice place with a great outside area in the shade. It was way too early to eat anything though, and so it was soon time to get on the road again.

After the break, the fun stuff was about to begin! The first climb was about to begin, and it was just so refreshing to be able to ride at a reasonable pace finally. The best was that there was really no traffic and we really did not have to try and overtake any cars. With this first pass completed, we again found ourselves in the valley which was really heating up by now. Seeing as we were getting hungry, we made a quick stop at a supermarket and bought some sandwiches and gazpacho that we had together with a big bottle of fresh water sitting in the shade.

As we got back on the road, we were about to reach the first proper mountain passes. The two major ones are both classics from the Tour de France, and as we gathered altitude we were greeted with the names of bike riders on the road, and other images on the side of the road. First was the Col du Télégraphe, which culminates at 1'566 meters. The road up was in really good condition, and it was just great to keep riding.

The next mountain pass was the Col du Galibier. This one is one of the really serious ones, and here the road conditions were a little bit bumpier near the top. Even if there were quite some people there, it really was never crowded and the ride up was nice and easy for us. The view was absolutely stunning!!! It was difficult to keep your eyes on the road with the spectacle all around us, and we simply had to stop at the top to take some photos. The height at the top is 2'642 meters, and although you might expect it to be a bit cooler all the way up there, this time it was close to 30°!

After this, it was not that much further to our destination of the day, Briançon. We enjoyed the ride down from the mountain pass and stopped for gas just before arriving so that we would start the next day with full tanks.

I had booked us at the very reasonable Hotel de Paris in Briançon (https://www.hoteldeparisbriancon.com/home). The room was basic but it had what we needed: two beds and a shower!! Also, they provided a locked garage to store our bikes in for the evening. That was one particular thing I had been checking for all our bookings just to be on the safe side.

Having cooled down and replaced our riding gear with shorts and a t-shirt, we set out to explore the city a little bit. Briançon is famous for its fort, and indeed the old town is up on a hill with a very serious wall all around it. Inside the walled city, we found a charming old town, littered with little shops and restaurants. After a drink on a terrace overlooking the valley, we settled in a local restaurant for a lovely trout for dinner.

Even if the beds then were not the most comfortable, we were happy to then get some sleep in preparation for the next day.

Some statistics for the day:

Total 247 km

City pointers

• Gingins
• Geneve
• Annecy
• Faverges
• Samua
• La Charmette
• Briançon

Mountain passes

• Col de Tamié 907 m
• Col du Télégraphe 1566 m
• Col du Galibier 2642 m

The Baked Beans Tour 2022 - The Bikes

 

Doing a tour like this requires the proper bike. Sure, many riders will tell you that you can do it with anything, and although this may be true it is certainly more enjoyable with a well-adapted machine. 

For my buddy the choice was obvious. He rides a Triumph Tiger 800 XC nicknamed Hobbes. He bought that bike a couple of years ago with the purpose of touring with it, and that is what he has done! Last year he did a 1 month tour around Europe as his first big ride, and with the bike properly set up for such a long trip with all the necessary panniers and a comfort seat, he was well used to it for this year. It is a perfect touring bike as it is nimble and has just the right amount of power. 

As for me, I had the choice between my trusty Honda CB 1100 or my Triumph Scrambler 1200 XC that I bought last year. It was a pretty simple choice given the roads I was expecting to ride. The Scrambler is ideal for these conditions with the large wheels and superb Öhlins suspension. Add to that the fact that I'm not getting any younger, and it would be a lot easier on my knees. For packing, I had a magnetic tank bag to hold my essentials, and my buddy had made some space in one of his panniers for some more stuff. As it turned out, it was even better than expected!

The Baked Beans Tour 2022

 It has been far too long since I contributed something here on Anger Management, and don't believe for a second the rumours that this is because I have not been angry for a while. It's basically down to your run-of-the-mill laziness. Well that, and I have not really come across anything I felt like writing about... until now!

This summer a very good friend of mine from Sweden was doing a motorcycle tour across Europe and on his stop over to see us we had agreed that we would do a mini motorcycle tour together. The idea was to try and plan a nice ride over four days, and I set myself some pretty strict objectives for the route planning. In a nutshell, these were:

1. No highways and avoid other major roads to the extent possible
2. Ensure that the distance each day was around 250 km and that riding time would be about 6 hour
3. Include some legendary mountain passes in the Alps
4. Visit the Mediterranean for a swim

It took me a while for the planning, but in the end, I came up with something that I think really was able to meet the requirements, and allowed us to have an outstanding time.

The map for the four days looks like this:

Now you may wonder about the name of the tour. My buddy suggested it, and given the intense heat we experienced over the four days of riding, it really did seem appropriate!