One of my favorite rides in recent memory, and possibly ever was a loop from Bellagio, up the Madonna del Ghisallo, then the Colma di Sormano, and back along the shores of Lake Como to my base at Il Perlo Panorama.Like most Top Rides, a few factors converged between the roughly three hours it took us to ride the 52.1km loop, gain almost 1900 meters of elevation, and lose around 800m of it in one scenic but nailbiting descent to the lake: a new route – discovering new terrain is always a good way to spend time on the bike gorgeous terrain with the right amount of challenge a good crew – riding with people I’ve never met means the chance to make some new friendsI was staying once again at my favorite place on Lake Como – the Albergho Il Perlo. I’ve written about this excellent family-run 2 star hotel many times since my first chance stay here in 2004, and part of this trip in October 2014 was to meet Carlo Sancassano in person. As the hotel’s owner and resident Basil Fawlty (although with a completely opposite demeanor to the John Cleese character), Carlo and I had gotten to know each other on Skype over the past few years while working to tell PEZ Readers about the hotel’s evolution as a bike hotel.Il Perlo is very well positioned for watching the Giro di Lombardia – the race goes right by it.The inn has been in Carlo’s family since...
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