A Ride to Morges and Back to See Tulips

Yesterday morning someone suggested cycling to meet a friend in Morges so I agreed, despite having been for a 7.5km run with another group from 07:00 to 08:00 the same morning. I had enough time to have lunch, and then to sprint to Gland from Nyon. I sprinted because I didn’t know how long the trip would take.

We then cycled to Morges, in part along the fields, and keeping lower, rather than the vineyards. This was to conserve energy. I’m used to riding into the vineyards but some climbs are steep, and it’s not that you climb once, and then it’s flat. You climb, and then you climb again, and then again.

In theory taking the lake road to and from Morges is easier but the road is much, much busier. If you ride along the agricultural roads that run paralel you get to ride side by side and talk, rather than ride solo, with someone else, being passed too fast or at the least, too close.

It is well known that many car drivers see the megical paint, delimiting a cycle lane as a magical wall that, despite being 20 centimetres wide, I think, magically becomes 1.5 meters wide for those driving cars. The road is wide but due to traffic density cars can’t deflect to obey the European rule of giving 1.5m of safe space between a car and a cyclist.

That’s why the agricultural roads make sense on the way to Morges. You’re safe, and you can converse. On the way back, you need to decide between “Am I too tired to ride back up to the safe roads?” and “I’m too tired, I accept to be more at risk.”

The Tulips

Apparently the Tulips flowered a month ago so some of them have been dead-headed. Those that are left are therefore the more resilient flowers. That’s useful if you want to plant bulbs that last for longer next year.

Cycling ‘Locally’

Much like with Geneva and Rolle, I usually don’t go into Morges, first because of traffic, but second because of parking. If you go by car you can often get trapped in traffic, and parking costs money. I prefer to remain rural, where parking is free.

Having said this, through the use of the bike Morges does become accessible. The distance is far, for people that have less experience on a bike, but for others it is a two hour trip per direction, so pleansant in an afternoon, or as a day long activity.

By not using the train, or car, you have the freedom to set off, and return when you like, rather than when it is scheduled. As I write this Suunto says that I have not recovered yet.

Walking, Running and Cycling

It’s not just that I cycled to Morges and back yesterday. It’s that I walked to Nyon, to go for a group run that lasted 7.5km before then walking home, having lunch, and then heading for the bike ride. I cycled 70km but I also ‘walked’ twenty thousand steps. My legs worked really hard yesterday. It was a car free, yet mobile day. I’m living the pinnacle Mobilité Douce kind of day.