On Friday I cycled in to Geneva to drop off my bike for a quick check after I noticed that when I shifted gears in one direction it seemed to block. I could have hung around for three or four hours waiting for the bike to be ready but chose to leave it overnight, to be picked up at the same time as the group ride.

Walking with cycling clothes is not comfortable, especially over two kilometres. That’s why I exceptionally chose to take the bus. I arrived early, thinking that it was at 5 past, and 33 past. I then saw that the 5 past bus is only on week days, not weekends. As a result I had to wait fourty minutes for the bus.

I saw a woman arrive with several teenage girls. She looked at her phone and said “The bus is cancelled, we need to find another way to Nyon. My solution was simple. “I’ll run” so I did. I packed both water bottles into my bag. I tightened the straps, and then I began to run. I ran for 1.3 kilometres before finally I saw a bus. It indicated, it slowed. I sprinted to catch it. I had plenty of energy left.

I was running with vapour glove 6 shoes. They’re so minimal they’re glorified socks, rather than shoes. They felt fine for this little spontaneous run. I would have looked eccentric with a bike pump and other cycling gear in my cycling “jersey”. Running is surprisingly comfortable in cycling gear.

In the process of this run I learned that the run from home to the train station is short. I could easily run this distance.

I trusted her, without double checking. I had seen the bus on its way up to La Rippe so I knew there was a high probability that it would head back down. I blindly took her word that the bus was cancelled.

It’s because I had to catch a train that I trusted her blindly, instead of checking. I didn’t want to be late for a group ride. I also had to get my bike back from the service, change shoes, and then begin the ride.

I also noticed that my right cleat was loose so I had to tighten it quickly.

I was early, as always. It’s good that I could run that distance with ease, and sprint for the bus, and then go for the ride, and then ride home.

Although slightly off topic the ride home, on the bike saw me get hot. Luckily I had a bottle filled with cold water, fresh from a fountain. I poured it on my head and immediately felt better.

Now my inclination to use buses is even lower than it was. In my eyes buses should be every 15 minutes, not once an hour on weekend. If you need to check the schedule, and if you need to wait an hour, either to go out, or come home, then buses are not convenient.

Nyon wants to slow down traffic on more streets. If it was up to me they would improve cycle routes, and bus frequency. If cycling is safe, and if buses are regular, then adults, and children use buses out of convenience. 4.60 for the day, with a bus, is cheaper than 6 CHF for two hours with a car.

And Finally

I don’t trust buses to be punctual and I feel that taking a bus for two kilometres is lazy. In an ideal situation buses would be regular when I get back from a day of hiking. That’s when having a bus to transport me the two kilometres home would be welcome. That is the bus I would regularly use.