Yesterday we left Nyon through the “secret” passage that takes you from near Place St Martin to the lakeside. We had to take this route because of the défilé des enfants. Roads were blocked so some drivers might have been trapped for an hour or two. On a bike I was blocked from going one way so I went another way, and then I walked to the meeting point.
Tête de Course is a group that meets on Wednesday mornings, at 06:30, Thursday at 18:00 and on Saturdays it depends, in so far as I can see.
Recently I joined a cycling group and they require us to provide In Case of Emergency Information so that if we have an accident our phone provides people with names and numbers to call. At first I thought “Why would I want this, I have no In Case of Emergency person” due to being single and living alone.
Now I believe that this is a useful idea. Nothing bad has happened that affected my point of view.
I think that tomorrow I will wake between 05:00-05:30 to be ready at the meeting point to go for a bike ride that starts at 06:30. The start is early because it is meant to be a “ride before work” for this group.
The pace is tempo. On the flat I expect to be okay. It’s on the climbs that I expect to be left behind, between Tartegnin and the turn where if you go right you go to Signal de Bougy and if you go left you go through cement roads.
Two days ago I was cycling with a group and someone commented that the relaxed rides are no longer relaxed and that got me to thinking about organising a real relaxed ride, where the aim is to cycle at 20 on the flat. If I had had this option then I could have tried group rides much sooner. In fact the group rides that I tried last year would have been more comfortable.
The most beautiful sight I saw on today’s ride was a murder of crows sitting at a water fountain. They were there because it offered water. When I cycled by it forced them to take off and scatter. With them were a few birds of prey. If you have watched The Birds by Hitchcock then the experience would have been bad. For me it was the highlight of my solo ride.
Yesterday evening I went for a group ride but rather than riding for an hour or so to get to Geneva I rode to the centre of Nyon. I rode to the old garage that was transformed into a café called Tête de Course. This is where the TDC group meet before starting their Thursday evening bike ride. Social Rides
Three Groups The group split into three groups. Group 1 was the fastest, and then group 2, and finally group 3.
This morning I woke at six with the intention of going for a group ride but I felt myself coughing and feeling low energy. When I checked Garmin Connect it said that I had a bad night of sleep and yet still recommended a 28 minute run or a half hour bike ride. I chose to go for a low intensity run and was done by eight in the morning.
Cycling around the Léman is a challenge that I could try with a group on Sunday. It would begin and end in Geneva. My maximum range so far is 180 kilometres, and a fast ride, for me, is twenty five kilometres per hour. The group set a goal of 27 kilometres per hour.
Recently I have cycled with people at up to thirty kilometres per hour. That was on shorter rides.
My definition of Mobilité Douce and the Swiss definition are quite different. For me Mobilité Douce is walking, hiking, cycling and other sports that require a certain dedication and desire to cover long distances. In contrast Switzerland seems to see Mobilité Douce as going from home to the shops, while leaving the car at home. The journeys seem to be short, and at a slower pace.
When I walk and cycle into Nyon, almost every day, I am struck by the sight of people waiting to catch a bus to travel 400 meters or less.
This weekend I cycled 160 kilometres with the Bike Club Switzerland Group via Meetup.com. In the process I find that I appreciate the community more and more. I appreciate that the groups are small, but also that people are like-minded. By like-minded I mean that people are sporty.
Today we went for a Moderate recovery ride and it took some effort to keep up. I was at the limit of my comfort zone, but not out of it.