Bike Ride

Today I cycled for three hours. I cycled to the Rhone and back along cycling lanes. Initially I had planned on a little 20km loop but because of dog walkers walking with their dogs, off of leash, I decided to ride along the road for a bit, before joining the voie verde again at the lac De Divonne. 

I lost the Voie Verte for a bit, but then I rejoined it and this time I followed it not just to the village where I planned to turn back into Switzerland but further. I cycled towards Ferney Voltaire before going towards Meyrin, and from Meyrin I cycled around the back of Geneva, along bike routes. I was exploring the roads that I usually do not cycle along. 

My usual loop is around 30 kilometres but for the last two bike rides I have extended them, to reach 50-60 kilometres respectively.  I cover this distance in about two, to two and a half, hours. Cycling is good at the moment because plenty of people are on holidays so the roads feel safer as there are fewer commuters on the roads. 

View of the Jura and fields

For one hundred and fifty six days I walked 10 thousand steps or more, before I broke my streak by going for two bike rides. The first one was a twenty five kilometre loop. The second was a more ambitious 51km loop. I ended up in Geneva, by the Palais Des Nations. This had not been my goal. I just felt good so I kept going. 

In 2015, I was exploring on a mountain bike when I found a road above La Rippe that was closed to traffic, so I decided to explore it. I managed to cycle a certain distance before I met a rockfall blocking the road, so I had to turn back. I then tried again in 2018 and I got quite close to the top but decided to give up and turn around. Within the last three weeks or so I have attempted the ride again, and this time I have made it up not once, but twice.

Today I had a ride towards storm clouds. I was cycling in the sun but as I looked towards Geneva I could see that it was dark and grey. I questioned whether to turn around or whether to keep going. It started to rain but I was reaching the half way point.

I didn’t turn around. I continued going and I passed families or groups on their bikes going slower than me. I flew by them and then I headed down towards the lake before turning right and going through a forest road. On this forest road, I saw children and parents on the road so I had to slow down as I passed them.

When the Pandemic was just starting I thought that this would be perfect for a daily bike ride and I was tempted to go to the mountains and to do other things. I didn’t though, because emergency services said “Don’t monopolise our resources getting injured because we may be required to help with the COVID-19 situation. Within three or four weeks they changed their statement to “if you need help we’re still here, our emergency services are still working as normal.