Author: richard
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Cycling to the Airport and Ice Skating
Reading Time: 3 minutesA week ago I proposed a bicycle ride to Mies, before stopping at the Port de Crans for coffee. Quite a few people joined the chat but no one committed to turning up. I woke up in the morning and said "I’m thinking of setting off early, since no one had confirmed.…
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The Altered Routine of Cycling in Autumn
Reading Time: 2 minutesRoutine is extremely important. With routine the question is not "whether you can be bothered" but "I will do this." You go from asking "if" to automatically assuming that on Wednesday morning you will ride, and sunday morning you will ride. If a ride is cancelled for A or B then you’re…
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On Rain and Using it as an Excuse Not To Cycle or Walk
Reading Time: 3 minutesBike rides have been cancelled because of rain, rather than wind or other factors. When it rains cyclists don’t want to ride because it gets their bike dirty and they have to clean it, lubricate it and more. With hikers rain is also an excuse to be lazy, within some groups. With…
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On Cycling and Walking Infrastructure
Reading Time: 4 minutesWhen I hear that new cycling lanes will be created on a new segment of road I feel excitement, at the prospect of cycling being a pleasant, streamlined experience. Often though, in Switzerland, especially in the French speaking part they will spend months digging up a road, and then putting the road…
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Of Apple, Casio, Garmin and Suunto Wearing
Reading Time: 4 minutesThere was a time, for decades, if not centuries, when a watch provided us with the time. We would wear it in a pocket, attached to a chain, we would stare up at a clock tower and we would see the time. We might even hear church bells to indicate every quarter,…
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Autumn Weather and Flexibility
Reading Time: 2 minutesWith Autumn comes a change in weather. The days get shorter and the temperatures drop. Clouds come more often, and stick around. The result is that events that are scheduled are cancelled. Today the weather was good, but the event is scheduled for tomorrow. In a situation such as this I would…
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A Cycling Stroll With a Group
Reading Time: 2 minutesThere is a subconscious desire for a lot of cyclists, especially on group rides, to speed up and challenge each other. There is the urge to go as fast as possible on every ride, to leave people in the dust. There is the urge to light up Strava with personal records. For…
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Autumn Colours and an Autumn Ride
Reading Time: 2 minutesWhen it is overcast colours are washed out and harder to distinguish. For several days clouds have covered the sun so it has been darker, and with this darkness so the Autumnal colours have been harder to distinguish. This morning, during the morning ride we started in the grey light of an…
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The Nocturnal Run
Reading Time: 2 minutesLast night, as I finished dinner I noticed that others were out so I joined them within twenty minutes or so. That wasn’t fast enough. They had decided to call it a night. As this impacted my mental health I decided to go for a run. Often you see people are out,…
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The Strava IPO and My Desire To Quit the App
Reading Time: 2 minutesThis morning I woke at 0530 and thought "I can’t be bothered to go for a ride so early." Within a few minutes I was up getting ready. I put on my Autumnal cyclist stuff and pumped the tyres to 80 bar. I then road to the meeting point. I arrived 15…