Quiet Roads on a Sunday Bike Ride

Byrichard

Yesterday I went for a bike ride. By my norms it was a relatively cool day, just 27 or so degrees, compared to the 30-37°c I have ridden in, in the past. I was comfortable on the bike, with a cool breeze to cool me down.


The Marine Iguanas at Nyon Plage
The Marine Iguanas at Nyon Plage


I went by the lake and I think other people were heat struck. They were lethargic and inattentive getting off buses. They were all by the lake side, sunbathing like marine iguanas. As I road by the lake it was sometimes frustrating to see that the bike lane was used by pedestrians, with no thought to cyclists. The same pedestrians who had driven to the lake side in a car.


Relaxing at the Broken Chair


Place des Nations with the Broken Chair and Palace of Nations
Place des Nations with the Broken Chair and Palace of Nations


As part of the bike ride I went towards Geneva. Initially I wanted a short bike ride because I wasn’t keen to cycle. I eventually chose to ride to the broken chair. I stopped, but this time didn’t take a shower in the fountains, like last time. Instead I relaxed, and watched tourists taking self-portraits and group photos. I watched a parent get surprised by a jet of water as it increased in intensity and wet his shoes.


For some reason I felt relaxed, so I just stood, and watched. I wasn’t in a rush to continue. I wasn’t so warm that I wanted a shower. I was comfortable.


I then cycled towards the ICRC before going by the ILO, WHO, UNICED and other organisations. I then cycled by the airport where I stopped again. I watched a Qatar airways flight take off for Doha and a flight from the Aeggean come in to land, before an Air Algérie and British Airways aircraft landed. I was reminded of how much I love the sound of aviation. If I had the sound of aviation rather than music festivals I would be very happy. The sound of planes still excites me to this day.


Watching planes take off and land
Watching planes take off and land


Very Quiet Ride through Versoix and Beyond


What struck me once I felt Geneva behind was how quiet the roads were. I hardly crossed any walkers, any cyclists, any families with children. I hardly even crossed dog walkers. When I realised this I thought “This is a fantastic time of year to cycle. It’s so nice to have the landscape to myself. Not to worry about dogs, not to be frustrated by normal people, being normal. I think that I would quite happily emigrate to somewhere less densely populated, especially now, during a pandemic with no end date.


An old tree among young trees
An old tree among young trees


The Cycling Paradox


For me, cycling has a paradox. The paradox is that for as long as you are cycling at 20 km/h or faster you have a nice breeze to keep you cool. The moment you stop, you feel a wall of heat envelope you. I felt cool, and comfortable but I drank three water bottles of water. I drank one on the way to Geneva, then refilled one at the water fountain near the Parc Ariana, before heading to the ICRC. I then drank two more water bottles of water before I got home.


I was warm, and I was thirsty, but I was always comfortable. I was right to have two bottles of water with me, and I was even more rational, by re-filling my primary water bottle when I had the chance. I probably would have suffered if I had not.


The Mistake of Others


Other people make the mistake of sitting in the sun, by the lake, getting dehydrated and cooked by the sun, like Marine iguanas. I appear crazy, for walking and cycling in the heat but I’m not the one drinking alcohol and exposing me to the full strength of the sun. I don’t need to get into a metal box, either a car, or a bus, at the end of my activity. I just take the lift, with my bike, and get back to my apartment. It usually feels cool, compared to being in direct sunlight.


My skin felt cool, when I got home, evidence that I was not suffering from the heat, unlike other people.


At Ease On The Bike


Activities: 33


Distance: 1,014.9 km


Elev Gain: 7,433 m


Time: 44h 27m


I have spent fourty four and a half hours on the bike, covering a thousand kilometres in that time. If I feel more comfortable, that’s why. Cycling is a good sport when the conditions are good. It’s also a way of being active, without the use of the car. As convenient as cars are, I think they’re horrible to deal with. Society would gain a lot by reducing its reliance on cars. I think cargo bikes and electric bikes are a better alternative.


And Finally


For the next week I don’t think I will cycle. I have already been crashed into by a car driver whilst riding my scooter during one music festival. I don’t want to be run over by a Paléo person during this festival week. I will also be sleep deprived due to being unable to sleep as a result of noise pollution, as the sound engineers they hire at music festivals are not the brightest of the profession. If they were bright music festivals would be seen, not heard.


Cycling With Different Levels of Fitness
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Cycling With Different Levels of Fitness

Byrichard

Originally I wanted to write about following route 50 from one village to Romainmôtier. I changed my mind as I created the title for this post.


An old pickup truck and bike
An old pickup truck and bike


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.


View of one of the porticos
View of one of the porticos


Calories Burned


It’s when I looked at calories burned that I realised that what felt like an easy ride to me, was actually a huge effort. It didn’t feel that way to me, because it is normal for me to make such an effort, and I usually push myself when I ride alone.


Three Times More Calories


By riding with people with electric bikes I felt that I was having a relatively easy day. I burned three times more calories than them. It shows to what extent being fit affects how we perceive effort, but also how much energy electric bikes save.


Perfectly Within My Comfort Zone


A window seat and table, from the days before planes and trains
A window seat and table, from the days before planes and trains


I was surprised by the huge difference in calories burned because I felt comfortable. I didn’t feel that I was struggling to keep pace with the bikes, or struggling on hills whilst they glided with ease. That’s the beauty of cycling a lot. Effort becomes ordinary, and fitness makes electric bikes harder to justify. Why get an electric bike when you can cycle with people with electric bikes and keep up?


Cyclists and Non Cyclists Riding Together


There are two types of people. Those that invests hundreds of hours over several years to boost their cycling fitness, and those that use electric bikes, to keep up with those with experience. I would argue that the strength of the electric bike is two-fold. The first is that it encourages non cyclists to cycle and experience the pleasure of getting from A to B under their own steam, but the second is that electric bikes allow non cyclists to ride with cyclists, and get a taste of what we enjoy.


Visiting Romainmôtier by bike


Romainmôtier is a nice destination to cycle to. The road takes you through a nice quiet road in the forest. The woods are the Bois De Ferreyres. The route that I took was undulating, with some climbing and some descending, but these ondulations are not extreme like cycling up to La Dôle or up to La Rippe, so manageable.


Cycling Destination


Quite a few people cycled to Romainmôtier and I noticed that a few went into the grounds of the Abbaye and rested their bikes against the wall, before having a drink. By taking the bike parking is simplified, but as well as parking being simplified, you get to experience the landscape first hand. You’re faster than a hiker, but still get to experience the winding roads, the ups, the downs, and the freedom to stop with the bike, more conveniently than with a car.


An old fireplace
An old fireplace


Recommendation


If you are not a confident cyclist, and don’t want to spend hundreds of hours getting fit, then electric bikes are a fantastic short cut because they give you the freedom to explore, without the dread of having to get back, despite being knackered. Electric bikes are more forgiving than cycling without a motor. With an electric bike you just ask for more assistance and you’re comfortable.


Heatwave Cycling and Place Des Nations
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Heatwave Cycling and Place Des Nations

Byrichard

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.


The Place Des Nations ‘Shower’


This time I did something unique. When I got to Place Des Nations I took a shower, on my bike, under one of the water jets. What struck me is that the water that trickled down my face after that spontaneous shower tasted as if I had just been swimming or diving in the sea. I actually took two showers. The first was with the bike. The second was just in my clothes.


Not only did I not feel cold, but my clothes were so saturated in water that I thought I might actually feel cold. That fear didn’t last long. For the ride back to Nyon I was wearing wet clothes, that as they dried, cooled me off.


Avoiding Heat stroke


I did this to avoid heat stroke. When I was cycling I felt fine, but at some point I stopped and that’s when I could feel the heat radiating towards me. I’m glad I had two 620ml water bottles. They lasted for almost the entire ride.


Children noticed me stand under the water jet. I probably looked like a strange adult cyclist to them. Usually cyclists empty water bottles on their heads. I took it a step further. It makes sense, during a heatwave, to break with social norms.


The Dogs of the Voie Verte


I cycled through the Bois De Versoix before turning and heading from Sauverny to Grilly, and from Grilly I took the voie verte. I saw two runners but everyone else was walking dogs. The advantage is that it’s flat, and it’s in the shade, so dogs don’t overheat despite the heat.


And Finally


Yesterday, right from the start I noticed that the wind I was creating by cycling was warm, rather than cooling. That’s when you know that the days are getting warm. When the breeze heats, rather than cools. Now is the time when having enough water is essential, and where knowing where water fountains are, is also of use. We are into the summer cycling season now.

Linear Bike Rides

Linear Bike Rides

Byrichard

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. 


With today’s linear bike ride I passed by a seaplane event. If I had had more time I would have stopped and watched them take off and land. It’s rare to see seaplanes, despite the Léman being such a great lake for them. It’s a large, often, especially in summer, calm body of water. Ideal for float planes. 


Float plane on the Léman
Float plane on the Léman


Aside from enjoying the pleasure of linear cycling I also cycled with two bags. I had a frame bag for the bike spares, and I had the Columbus saddle bag as well. I needed to have spare shoes and a change of clothes because I thought I might end up in a restaurant. I didn’t, but it’s good. 


I bring this up because riding with a saddle bag, rather than a backpack frees up the back from a certain amount of weight, as well as humidity. I cycled the entire bike ride without that bag ever bothering me, and that’s great. It’s nice to be able to carry more than fits into your back pockets, without worrying about weight distribution, sweat and more. It’s also nice because it didn’t wobble, or affect my balance. I focused on cycling, and my back was unencumbered. 


Now that I know that it feels comfortable I could consider cycling further, and trying to do something that is more adventurous, than cycling in loops. 

Cycling From Haute-Morges To Nyon Along the Top

Cycling From Haute-Morges To Nyon Along the Top

Byrichard

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
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. 



My expectation was to cycle uphill for a little bit, and then to cycle downhill for the rest of the journey home. In reality that wasn’t the case. In reality I did a lot of climbing. I had to climb over 450 metres. 


Although it felt flat when I was cycling from Nyon, towards these places, when you’re cycling the other way you get to encounter all the climbs. Despite wanting to go down the hill, if you follow the Jura, you end up on a roller coaster. If I had been knackered I could have just followed the road signs that would take me to the lake road, but I didn’t. 


Avoiding Rush Hour


I was cycling from 1500 onwards so I was cycling when parents, and people who work short days were commuting. If I had gone down to the valley of the Lac Léman I would have been pestered with cars and annoyed drivers. By staying at the top I burned a lot of energy, and it depleted my “battery” as Garmin calls it, but I had a pleasant ride. 


Armour and Books



During this ride I was amused to see the armours in the windows of one shop. I always stop to look at them. I find it interesting to look at them. I also passed by several book lending libraries. One was sheltered with a fountain, the second was in an old phone box. The third was the library of Le Vaud but I didn’t enter. It’s nice that on such a ride we can look for books, should we desire to do so, 


Some of the books I saw
Some of the books I saw


Books in an old phone booth
Books in an old phone booth


And Finally


The route is nice but I am not sure that I would ride it again. If I had gone up and around the Vallée de Joux I would have had a harder climb initially but then it would have been quite flat until St Cergue and then it would have been an easy downhill. If I had headed down, from Haute Morges, rather than up I would have had an easy ride to the lake, and then it would have undulated a little, but nothing like the Alpine route. I made it, within two hours, as expected, but it was more energetic than planned. 

Cycling from Nyon To Geneva and Back
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Cycling from Nyon To Geneva and Back

Byrichard

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
Place Des Nations with the broken chair, and the fountains


The loop from Nyon to Geneva is about 20-30 kilometres. This is a very easy distance to cycle once you get to the right level of fitness. I have cycled to Geneva and back multiple times recently because I want to habituate myself to the journey but also because I want to prove to myself that I don’t need trains and other forms of public transport. 


I often caught the train to Geneva and back when I was working for three or more employers. I got used to the journey but eventually I learned that the journey took about two and a half hours a day. Around an hour one way, and one and a half hours the other. Cycling to Geneva takes 40-50 minutes but at least I’m working out while I’m commuting. If I catch the train then my workout is a 20 minute walk, and then I wait for a train, fiddle with the phone, and then feel frustrated that Swiss commuters walk so slowly. 


In the reverse direction I hated waiting 15-20 minutes for a train to take me to where I wanted to go. That’s where the bike comes in. 


If I have somewhere safe to store the bike, and if I can shower and change clothes, then commuting by bike would become a pleasure, rather than a chore. Cycling is enjoyable. Commuting by train, and by car is a chore. 


We need more people to see cycling as an option, rather than buses and trains. Buses and trains are as much of a problem as cars, because they encourage people to be lazy. The other flaw of buses and trains is that they are inflexible. 


If I was unlucky commuting home then I would miss the bus, have to wait an hour, and the bus journey would take 50 minutes. I’d waste two hours, for a one hour walk. It was as fast to walk, as to take a bus. That’s why I hate buses. Between the time you wait, and the time the bus takes it is very often just as fast to walk, especially for small hops. 


We need cycling to become a serious and viable option. Cars, buses and trains are keeping us prisoner. If we move around by bike then we gain our freedom. Bikes are fast, have minimal carbon footprint, and open up the world. 

The Energetic Bike Ride

The Energetic Bike Ride

Byrichard

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. 


A Worn Through Tyre

A Worn Through Tyre

Byrichard

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. 


Tyre fibres showing through as the rubber has been torn away
Tyre fibres showing through as the rubber has been torn away


Frequent Changes When I Used Zwift


Swapping tyres, once you know how to do it takes a minute or two, with the right tools and right level of experience. It took me 15 minutes. It took that long because I haven’t replaced a rear tyre in three or four years so the right habits had to resurface. When they did the process was quick, and painless. 


In the past when I changed tyres I pinched my fingers, or hurt myself in other ways. This time I didn’t even draw blood. That’s a smooth and efficient tyre change. 


Wait Until Punctures?


I intended to wear it through until the first puncture. The tyre damage was clear. I swapped it. It’s better to swap the tyre at home, rather than have to swap and inflate the tyre on a bike ride with a tiny pump rather than the proper home bike pump. 


What’s Next?


The tyres that I have on my bike have been discontinued so I have to choose which tyres to replace them, several thousand kilometres from now. The rear tyre is brand new, and the front tyre looks fine. Indoor trainers ruin tyres because they wear them out unevenly. The bottom is flattened but the sides are fine. The front tyre is fine. 


Good For Another Two Years


if I ride like I have been riding then I’m good for another two or three years before I need to swap the tyres. I’m using continental Grand Prix 4000 S II tyres and they last for three or four thousand kilometres before needing a swap. 


And Finally


I’m tempted to shop for new tyres but it isn’t urgent, as tyres can last for years, or thousands of kilometres before being swapped. By the time I need new tyres new technology will have come out. I can also buy new tyres when the price goes down. At the moment they’re 10-20 CHF more than at their low point. 

Barefoot Shoes and Cycling

Barefoot Shoes and Cycling

Byrichard

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. 


The Issue with Barefoot Shoes


The problem with barefooot shoes  is that they’re soft. I found after fifty or so kilometres that I wished I had harder soles. I wanted to have soles where I put the foot on the pedal, and pedalled. With soft shoes you need to think about which part of the foot is on the pedal. Too far forward and the toes do a lot of work. Too far back and it feels a little better. 


I also drew a little blood. Normally when you cycle you’re wearing solid shoes, and you’re wearing socks. Both of these protect your feet and your ankles to some degree. With barefoot shoes your feet are vulnerable to ground strikes and more. I also felt debris fly into the shoes but didn’t stop to remove it. 


The Pedals


The pedals are large, especially compared to clip-less pedals. That’s great, plenty of surface for the shoes to rest on. The sensation of cycling without having to worry about clipping in or out is nice although two or three times I either felt that I wanted the pedal to come up, rather than for my foot to lift or I felt my feet slide forwards or backwards rather than staying put. 


Feeling Informal


Barefoot shoes feel nice, when cycling, because it feels as though you are heading to the swimming pool or the lake/seaside rather than going on a proper bike ride. Initially I had considered keeping the barefoot shoes for in case of a chain break or puncture. I never intended to try a 75km bike ride with them. 


Conclusion


Cycling with normal pedals and barefoot shoes is feasible but you may end up doing more work than with clip-less pedals. On the way home I felt that I had to consciously think about what my feet were doing, to keep them balanced correctly on the pedals. With normal shoes I would not have had that problem. I felt fatigued by the end of the bike ride and I believe that it is because I used the wrong shoes for cycling. With normal shoes I might have been fine. 

To the Rhone and Back

To the Rhone and Back

Byrichard

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.