Originally I wanted to write about following route 50 from one village to Romainmôtier. I changed my mind as I createdd thetitle for this post. Yesterday I cycled with two people on electric bikes on my normal bike. I didn’t feel that I was making that great an effort, especially since I was cycling at a relatively slow speed compared to usual. I actually felt that I was taking it easy.
Cycling is one of the best sports to do during a heatwave because you have a 25 km/h breeze blowing over you, until you stop. If you flee the oven like cities, and head for the woods by a stream, you will feel the coolness provided by nature, rather than air conditioning.
Yesterday I cycled along the lake from Nyon to Geneva. Most people headed to the lake to go for a swim but I don’t. I like to avoid crowds, and cycling is one way to do that. As I cycled I felt that I was thirsty and I did drink one water bottle heading to Geneva, and other when riding back.
Almost all of my bike rides are loops. The reason for this is that I am a single person, so I usually need to end where I start, either to get home, or to get to the car. This means that if I do a 30km loop it has to return to where it started eventually.
Over the last two bike rides that I did they were linear. From Haute Morges to Nyon a few days ago, and vice versa today. The beauty of linear rides is that you make the effort unti you’re tired, and then you stop. With circular loops you cycle until you’re tired, and then you need to struggle to find the energy to make it home. With linear walks you don’t need to.
Yesterday I cycled from Haute-Morges to Nyon along the top. I did this because I was curious to see what route the GPS would recommend. The natural thing to do would be to cycle downhill towards Rolle and the lake.
Trees and a meadow in a road bend
The Route
Instead I cycled upwards towards Montricher. From there I cycled west vila Mollens to Bière, and from there, down and across towards Saurraz, Marchissy, Le Vaud before Bassins, Le Muid and then finally down from Genolier towards Trelex and from Trelex down through Grens before heading down towards Nyon.
Catching the train to Geneva and back to Nyon costs about 14CHF per day, depending on whether you have paid 180 CHF for the half fare or not. In contrast two Continent GP 5000 tires cost about 110CHF and you can go to Geneva and back a few hundred times.
Place Des Nations with the broken chair, and the fountains
Yesterday my intention was to cycle along the Voie Verte from Crassier to Grilly and then back down towards, the lake, along the lake and end up back in Nyon. I didn’t follow this plan through. I was thinking “I don’t want to do the steep Mies climb so I’ll go to Nyon, but on the way to Nyon I thought of going to Prangins. In Prangins I then decided to head to Aubonne. In the end I did ride to Aubonne.
There was a time when I would change the rear tyre regularly. I was changing from an indoor trainer tyre to a road tyre and back regularly. I developed my skill at this art and then the pandemic occured and I stopped changing tyres as regularly. Recently I went for a 74km bike ride and when I checked the tyre a day or two later I noticed that the rubber was gone and the fibres were showing. I went for one last bike ride, and then I swapped the old tyre for a new one.
Recently I swapped the clip-less pedals for flat pedals and yesterday I decided to try the pedals on a bike ride. I went for a 74.91km ride with pedals I had never used and shoes I had never worn for cycling. I cycled for almost 75 kilometres with Merrel Vapor Glove 6. These are soft, flimsy shoes that you can roll up and put into a pocket. They’re more like socks, or gloves, than shoes. The fact that this was a 75km bike ride shoes that the shoes and the pedals work fine together although I did find that I felt more fatigue.
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.
By some fluke I have now gone for two bike rides in the rain. The first time I rode in the rain my hands got cold and I had to warm myself up again. Yestrday I went for. a bike ride again, expecting the weather to stay good. It drizzled almost non-stop. As a result my socks got soaked and I was once again covered in splatters of muddy water. I didn’t even ride through mud. I was covered in mud despite riding on tarmac.