The Lavaux Walk from Puidoux to Vevey

The Lavaux Walk from Puidoux to Vevey

Byrichard

Today I met with a meetup group to walk through the Lavaux vineyards from Puidoux to Vevey and the experience was good. The logistics of buying a train ticket confused me but other than this the experience was good.

I was able to catch a train from Nyon to Morges, change in Morges for the train to Puidoux before then getting off the train in Puidoux. The advantage of changing in Morges is that I just had to get off one train before getting onto the next.

At the start of the walk we were in snow, rain, and at one point it was almost but not quite hailing. The balls were small so I barely count them as hail. The advantage of walking in such weather is that the light is interesting. It changes from overcast to spotlit, to sunny, and back to rain and more. It’s dynamic weather.

The views are great and one of the nice things about this walk is that you’re seeing different landscapes around each bend. One moment you’re seeing chateaux and vineyards and the next you’re seeing the Alps, and then after that you’re seeing the motorway and more. The motorway isn’t a selling point.

What I appreciate, on this walk, is that you’re walking through old villages rather than modern ones. The buildings are old, with character. I like that we get a sense of history without having to drive to Italy or Spain, or Southern France. If you know where to look you can find historical sites in Switzerland. I think this is a nice cultural walk.

During the walk I was struck by something. We hear about how Machu Pichu and other cities are built with vertical terraces but on this walk the terrassing is quite vertical in parts. You’re quite high above the lake, and the view down to the lake is precipitous. I even thought it could be described as vertiginous during the walk.

And Finally

The walk is physical. The beginning is a steep descent, and then you get some steep ascents and descents, more than once. Vineyards are often built on slopes and this was clearly evident. At one point I was walking up a slope on tip toes. It’s not high, in terms of altitude, but it’s exertional for people with less experience of “mountainous landscapes”.

I enjoyed it and I think that this is a walk that I would do throughout the year. I would do it in spring, when the flowers are out, in autumn when the leaves are turning, and maybe in summer.

It’s a nice walk.

Creux Du Van Meetup

Creux Du Van Meetup

Byrichard

It has been at least four or five years since my last meetup. A few years ago I went to meetups with people from Geneva and before that to Glocals events with people from Lausanne and Geneva. I stopped meeting people from Lausanne because I was working night shifts as a deicer and I stopped going to meetups with the Geneva meetup groups because of my broken arm. The pandemic then happened and I went for years without going to meetups.

COVID Isolation

Since then people have chosen to live with the risk of COVID rather than masking and getting to COVID zero so I have had no choice but to compromise on my values by doing things with people in the physical world once again. Of course I will only do outdoor things. I am not going to go indoors when there are constant flare ups of COVID, especially when the pandemic is not tracked, to sell the lie that the pandemic is not over.

Having said this going to a meetup event, to be with people, after five years of social isolation felt good. I didn’t feel any different than when I was being social in person two to three days a week for years in the pre-deicing and pandemic days. I couldn’t be social when working as a deicer because I was working night shifts and people were heading out just as I tried to go to sleep before waking at 2am for a 4am shift start.

Creux Du Van

I arrived half an hour early, and had time to park with ease, and wait for the group. In the process I heard church bells ringing for many minutes before eventually stopping. The group arrived in one or two cars, and a train. We did the walk but it was far busier than when I did it solo. When I did it solo it was almost rainy and foggy. I walked up and reached the clearing and saw bouquetins.

The conditions were overcast and rain threatened but did not fall. We had plenty of wind instead. The views were slightly less spectacular than the last time I went, because of the clouds and lack of contrast.

I spotted some yellow rock where a recent rock fall had happened. I don’t know how recent it was. The beauty of the Creux Du Van is that it’s a semi-circular cliff. You walk up from one side and then you walk along it. As you walk you see different portions of the cliff. Both times I have been I have done the walk from the same direction. Next time I would like to do this walk in the reverse direction, and I would like to walk to the base of the cliff.

When I walked this walk alone I didn’t go down to the Gorge de L’Areuse because I was worried that it would add too much distance to the walk when I was already tired. In reality I think it’s the same distance via both routes.

The Stats

According to the Suunto Peak 5 this was a 5hr44 walk covering a distance of 16.9km, made up of 27,380 steps, for me. We ascended 906m and descended 873. It was 2hrs 20 of climb and 1hr58 of descent, with time for a snack at the top. My recovery time is about 26hrs. I am down to 7hrs left, to recover, now.

And Finally

I like this walk and I will do it again.

When Galaxus Sends You the Wrong Things
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When Galaxus Sends You the Wrong Things

Byrichard

Many weeks ago I ordered something from Galaxus and it didn’t arrive when it was scheduled to. A few weeks ago I ordered one thing but instead got half a dozen things. I thought “Why do I have so many extras, before realising that the order was wrong. They sent me the order that someone else had made.


For a while I thought “What do I do, do I let them know about the mistake or do I tell them. In the end I let them know about the mistake. By eventually I mean within half an hour, not five weeks. They told me to send them a list of all the items I had received in mistake, and to send it back to them.


When you see that Galaxus has made a mistake they will want the European Product number of each item, as well as for the package to be sent back. The Swiss post makes it quite easy to send an item back to the sender. You go to the Swiss post site, and within a few minutes you can register the return, and the next day a post man will pick it up as he delivers other packets. For fifty centimes more they will print the label for you. It’s cheaper than buying printer ink to print one page, and then have it dry up before the next time you print.


A few days after the incident I checked my orders list and noticed that the mistake I had declared was catalogued in their system under my name. The charge was zero francs but their system had catalogued the value of the items. If, for any reason, I had taken too long to send back the package, or an item had been missing I suspect I would have been charged for it, which would have been fair.


I was tempted to tell them that I was a blogger, and that if they let me keep the items I would write blog posts about each item. In the end I simply sent back the order within a day of realising.


Such an event tests your morality. It would be easy to say nothing, and see whether they ever notice. I didn’t want to take that chance. I like using Galaxus for ordering things online and if there was a mistake then I would want people to announce it, in the hope that I would not have to wait too long for a mistake to be fixed.


On their blog they speak about return rates in the French and German speaking parts of Switzerland but not about their error rates, and how often people are honest enough to report them. After ordering things on Galaxus over several years I have had one occurrence of something not arriving when anticipated, and another of getting the wrong thing. They are quick, and reliable so I will keep using them.


In Switzerland we have the luxury of not having to rely on Amazon. I see this as a luxury because Galaxus collaborates with plenty of online shops but provides a single point of entry. If you order things you can see a list of providers, and the difference in price.


I also appreciate that they use the Swiss Post rather than DHL, Fedex and other carriers. I like that they use the local post, and local couriers like Planzer on occasion.

Running Through Ankle Deep Water
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Running Through Ankle Deep Water

Byrichard

Yesterday I went for a run, despite the rain being heavy. I wore a proper rain coat and waterproof trousers. I should have also worn waterproof shoes. I didn’t so I ended up soaked once again. What made this run special is that the rain was heavy from the start.


The rain was so heavy that water running from fields and hills was creating deep rivers that ran downhill along roads, filled with muddy water. Normal people would postpone their run for the following day, especially since we knew yesterday that the weather would be good for several days to come.


I got into the habit of walking and running in all weathers so the weather doesn’t affect whether I will go out or not. If it’s raining dog walkers and normal people are usually not out, so the paths we walk and run are free for us to enjoy.


I ran uphill for the first part and it felt hard. It always feel hard to run uphill but there isn’t much choice. If I run downhill I run along the roads where drivers have no respect for pedestrians. I walk and run uphill because that’s where I feel that the roads are safer from cars.


In this day and age everyone is trying to make towns and cities pedestrian friendly but when I lived in London, when I walked in Paris, London, Florence, Geneva and plenty of other cities I never felt bothered by cars. It’s in between villages and towns that cars behave cruelly towards pedestrians and cyclists. To me roads should be dedicated to cycling, running and walking, and there should be a requirement for dogs to be on leads.


I run up the hill because I know that where I am exposed to traffic the roads are wide and I have space to move away from the sadistic drivers speeding by pedestrians. I also walk along those roads because they’re wide enough for cars to avoid us, when no other cars are coming the other way. Where agricultural roads are used by normal cars, where they are wide enough for a car but not two, drivers drive too fast.


If I was driving I would slow down to walking speed as I pass pedestrians and cyclists. They don’t. They almost never slow down.


Yesterday, in the heavy rain I could have gone downhill and stayed dry. I didn’t. Every single time I walk along those roads I yell abuse at cars being driven too fast, too close to me. Words about wanting people to walk rather than drive are empty when you make it impossible to walk between villages and towns safely.


That’s why I went uphill. That’s why I went to the farm roads that flood when it rains. The fields get saturated in water and that water runs downhill, onto the road, and when it hits the road it runs down the road. Yesterday it rained so heavily, for so long, after several days that the roads were now deep rivers. The rivers were now ankle deep. I put my foot down, and the top of my shoes was underwater for a few steps.


I went to the side, I went to avoid the deep water, but I couldn’t avoid it all the time, so I ran through the river running down the road. My shoes and my socks got wet, and it wicked upwards, onto my trousers, up to my t-shirt. I was soaked from the shoes upwards.


I didn’t feel cold. I wasn’t bothered. It’s only rain and muddy water. I ran for 37 minutes in this rain, before I walked the rest of the way home. When I got home I put my shoes on an empty cardboard box, and hung the socks on the same box, to dry. If the box gets wet I don’t mind. It will be recycled anyway. So will the shoes I used.


A few months ago, or last year I frequently said that I was impatient for rainy weather, to have a rest day. Recently I have found that I will go out in all weather, whether we’re in a heat wave heavy rain or other. The time when I really would think twice about going out is on a cold and windy day. I find that rain is fine. It’s the cold wind that is unpleasant.


In circumstances like yesterday’s there are two choices. The first is to wear quick drying shoes, like I did, or to wear hiking boots, that reach above the ankles. The drawback to such shoes is that they are not good for running. Quick drying shoes, in yesterday’s situation were the best option. Feet get wet but we just change socks when we get home.

A Walk During Cow Rush Hour

A Walk During Cow Rush Hour

Byrichard

Yesterday I decided that I would start my walk by going along a dangerous bit of road, at the start of the road. The idea behind this is to avoid being endangered by selfish car drivers when I’m fatigued. It’s better to put up with their dangerous behaviour ahead of a walk, rather than after it.

I Don’t Want To Give Up Walking Locally

I spent time thinking about walking, and avoiding cars, and I came to the conclusion that I no longer want to walk across a bridge. Every time I walk across that bridge I see cars driving too fast and to close to other people, as well as myself. One day someone will be injured on that bridge. The bridge is barely wide enough for one car to drive by, and cars often play chicken with each other, and play Russian roulette to see if they can get away with running the gauntlet without hitting each other.

there is a good bridge just a few meters away that pedestrians could use safely, but it’s made to look as if it’s on private property so I stopped using it. That farmer has a vineyard. He recently planted bushes to mark his land but in doing so he has forced people to walk on a busy road, rather than in the grass. We could cross the road but because the pandemic hasn’t ended, I prefer to be across the road from others.

The Safe Walk

I can leave the village I live in, on foot, along a wide road with good visibility. By walking along this road I can see cars coming from far away and they have plenty of space to deflect to the other side of the road, to show some respect. I can also flee into the grass without too much trouble, should I feel the need. I have a lot of room to get away from cars that are driven by people who never walk.

The rest of the route is nice. I walk up through a village, go slightly beyond it, and then I turn right, and then I walk along a weather worn road towards some fields where cows spend their days. Yesterday I counted up to 11 herons in the field with cows and another field nearby. The beauty of this route is that few people walk it. People like to walk along two paths, and I use a third. I walk right after lunch, on a regular basis, because that’s when the walks are quietest.

Blocked by Bovine Rush Hour

Yesterday I was blocked from continuing onwards by the cows. They were being transferred from one field to another and to do this the road was blocked. I could have pushed my way through but I didn’t mind having to wait a few minutes, whilst the cars were migrated from one field to another, ahead of milking.

Long Distance Walks

One of the challenges I face is that I don’t want a short 3-4km walk. I want an 8-10 km walk and in order to have such walks you need to walk between villages, and along busier roads. Nothing is built for people who want to walk from village to village so it’s for us to find routes that are not too exposed to car traffic, and especially dangerous road segments. This road segment is very dangerous. Cars go along too fast, and there is nowhere for pedestrians to shelter. There is a smaller bridge here but it seems to be on private land and there is a metal chain to block access if you come from the village. If this bridge was open to pedestrians and cyclists then walks would be much more pleasant, and a lot less dangerous.

Danger comes from cars not slowing down, and not letting others pass safely. The other danger comes from people not deflecting to the other side of the road to avoid pedestrians when there is no reason not to.

Mobilité Douce With Blinkers

There is a pedestrian mobility site but as with every other mobility body it looks at cities rather than the countryside. It looks at making walking popular for people who already have pavements, side streets and more, rather than to connect villages. The more dangerous it is to walk from village to village, the more likely people are to use cars. Switzerland has invested millions in cycle paths, and yet those cycle paths go through car parks, and in summer the cycle paths along the lake become pedestrian paths for the car drivers who parked on the pedestrian paths.

You don’t encourage people not to use cars, if you make it dangerous to walk or cycle between villages. Policies and decisions are taken by people who live in cities and towns, rather than villages.

For more than a decade, but especially since the pandemic lock downs I have seen the need for walking paths that connect villages, without cars or other vehicles. Walking and cycling routes should be safe and pleasant for walkers. Walking between villages should be a pleasure, not a gamble.

And Finally

If I walked once or twice a week I wouldn’t feel the way I do. it is because I walk along these paths every day, and I am exposed to the danger on a daily basis. It’s since they put in some bushes that I feel in danger. Until those bushes were put in I was in danger crossing the bridge but I was safe before, and after. Now I’m in danger walking to the bridge, and from the bridge, by a farmer’s choice. What was a safe and pleasant route, became deadly.

Walking is the simplest, cheapest, and lowest impact sport we can do from home, without using a car. As a result infrastructure should be put in place to make it possible to walk for 10 kilometres without having to expose ourselves to walking by dangerous road sides. The safer we make walking, the less we will have to deal with the nuisance of cars.

Playing With the Switzerland Mobility App

Playing With the Switzerland Mobility App

Byrichard

Yesterday I was planning to walk from Nyon to La Barillette but rather than take the usual route that takes me via a set of cabins where there is sometimes a dog I wanted to try an alternate route. In the end I used the Switzerland Mobility app and website because I can trust that the paths they suggest actually exist.

Garmin Explore

At first I was experimenting with the Garmin Explore App and although it does provide us with the opportunity to draw routes it creates a track but we don’t have information about whether it’s on a road, or other surfaces, and we’re not sure that the data is correct.

Komoot and Alltracks

I then tried to draw the same route with Komoot, and possibly Alltrack, and it created a route, and gave me information about what to expect, but once again I didn’t know whether I could trust that the route existed or not. That’s when I looked for the official Swiss eco-friendly mobility app.

Sqitzerland Mobility

Switzerland Mobility is an official app that provides you with all hiking, cycling, canoeing, snowshoeing, canoeing and other routes. Look around the map and you can see local hikes, bike routes and more. You can also see places to sleep, whether hotels, hostels or campings. This simplifies adventure planning in Switzerland.

Skating and Canoeing

It amuses me that they have skating and canoeing routes available for people to enjoy. Those are two sports I wouldn’t have considered looking for. With skating they also include slow ups. Slow ups are good because roads are closed to cars, for cyclists, walkers and skaters to enjoy the surface, without the danger of cars.

The Phone App

The phone app is well designed. It is easy to look for routes, and to jump between route stages. If you’re looking at the Via Jacobi you can go back and forth between stages, as well get info about the distance of that stage, climbing and descending, as well as the hiking time. Finally it will provide you with access to the Swiss transport network, to get to and from the starting and end points.

Drawing Routes

If you pay 35 CHF per year you gain access to draw routes. The reason for doing this is that you gain access to the Swiss database of walking paths that other websites and services may not have. You can zoom in to a scale of 100m to whatever your screen is set to, so you can see a very detailed map, with contours and more. It also provides you with information about path closures and alternative routes. This is practical for local exploration of a region that you may be familiar with.

And Finally

I expected to try the walk I drew yesterday afternoon but due to going to sleep later than anticipated, and then not having something to do once at the top, I cancelled that plan. That’s why I am speaking hypothetically, rather than documenting an experience.

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.

Swimming Pools Per Capita Map

Swimming Pools Per Capita Map

Byrichard

Today I learned that Switzerland has a map that shows which communes have the most swimming pools per capita. Nyon has 50 swimming pools. That’s 2,3 per thousand people. Blonay St Legier has 336. Collonge- Bellerive has 491, as you’d expect. 


Switzerland has, on average, one swimming pool per 155 people. They cover an area of around 2,500,000 square meters. 


The Water Impact


Switzerland has 56,000 private pools that contain 3.5 billion litres of water according to their estimate. That’s an enormous amount of water. This doesn’t include the indoor private pools. As droughts become more common the concept of having a private pool becomes more and more absurd. It becomes absurd because private pools require a huge amount of water, and are seldom used. 


It would be interesting to see a chart of “litres of water used per swim” where evaporation, splashing and other factors are taken into account. Swimming pools lose a lot of water, especially on hot water. 


Remember that we have been in an age of stopping the water when we’re brushing our teeth and washing our hands. We’re in an age of showers rather than baths. Within this context it makes sense to look at pools and consider their water impact on the environment. 


Having said this there is one saving aspect. The water that runs off from pools shouldn’t be dirty or dangerous for the environment. It’s that so much of it is lost and wasted in evaporation. That’s when the requirement to cover pools when they’re not in use would make sense. It would save a lot in water. 


Saving Petrol


In theory, with more private pools, and if they are shared with friends, either in the neighbourhood or elsewhere, then pools could be more efficient. If pools are set up with a cover for when they are not in use then they heat up faster, thanks to the sun, but evaporation is also greatly reduced, thus making the pool more ecological. 


They also spoke in the video report about setting up outdoor pools every summer, for some people, and that these outdoor pools were filled in summer, and emptied for winter. At least with permanent pools they are filled once, and then topped up. 


I didn’t hear any discussion about collecting rain water to keep pools filled with water and I didn’t mention a comparison with green lawns and more. Does a pool use more water than a watered garden? 


Trees Instead of Pools


Although not discussed in the report they should have explored the benefit of having trees, rather than pools. If we’re walking on a warm day we notice the thermocline as soon as we get near woods. We notice that the temperature goes from being like an oven, to cool and refreshing. Not only do trees keep air cool and provide shade, but they are able to gather their own water from deep underground. You get to feel cool, while dressed. 


Lakes, Rivers and Public Pools


Nyon has the Piscine du Rocher, Piscine de Cossy and Colovray, three public pools that people can use, three all year round, in theory, and two for winter. The lakes, during heat waves are warm enough for swimming, as are some rivers and more. In theory there is no need for them to have so many swimming pools. 


And Finally


Some communes, like Cheserex, built communal swimming pools, that people could use year round. In winter you can sit outdoors and get cooked by the sun, before going for a swim. In winter you can go for a swim, and then go home, without using the car, if you live in neighbouring villages. 


The report often spoke of the desire for private pools stemming from lockdowns. I would see it as being due to heatwaves that are constant for two or three months a year now. During a heatwave the desire to cool down is strong. 


Communal pools, and trees would help people cool down, without the environmental impact of private swimming pools. 

The Lost Art of Silent Material Cutting

The Lost Art of Silent Material Cutting

Byrichard

For years now the noise in this village has been frustrating me. It is the noise of industrial cutting. The noise of an angle grinder on metal, of a circular saw on bricks, stone and wood. It is the constant wail of a circular saw cutting into something, every few seconds, or minutes, for hours at a time, for months at a time. 


It is the reason for which, instead of opening windows I turn on a fan and swelter in summer. It is the reason for which I don’t open the window and close it at night. It is the reason for which I have gone from having windows open the entire time there is daylight, to keeping them closed. 


Industrial Noise In Rural Settings


People idealise and romanticise the idea of repairing one’s own tractors, cars and more. People idealise doing one’s own carpentry, rather than calling professionals. I don’t. 


I don’t idealise people who redo the decking for their swimming pool and other things because they’re using industrial machines in a village settings. This is not the noise of centuries gone by. This is not the sound of a manual saw cutting through wood. This is not the physical fitness training of cutting wood, and repairing a deck. This is industrial noise, in a private garden. Modern tools have made the process of home repair industrial, acoustically.  This is a shame because the old fashioned way of doing things was quiet, considerate of neighbours. 


When I Made Noise


A few years ago I was told off for making noise for using a machine to sand wood on the partition between two properties, before putting fresh varnish on the wood. I had made noise for two days. When I made noise I was told off after two days. In the village where I live now noise pollution is constant.


Part of the noise came from the building of one or two new buildings, for two years or so. More noise pollution came from a farmer doing maintenance work on farm equipment. The third was a repair shop making noise. The last source of noise was the rebuilding of a roof. 


Years of Noise Pollution


The result is years of noise pollution, on a daily basis for years. The result is that the windows stay closed during sweltering summers. The result is that I am cooking in a 26°c appartment when the Outside Air Temperature is just 16°c. 


The Privacy of Silence


People worry about web privacy. They worry about other privacies. They never consider the privacy of silence, the privacy of keeping windows open without being harassed with noise pollution. I miss the intimacy of silence. I miss being able to open windows in the morning, and closing them before sunset. 


Adaptation


Noise pollution has forced me to adapt to living in a sweltering apartment without open windows. If I open the windows I am constantly distracted by the noise of industrial cutting. I have had to grow used to being too warm for months at a time. 


Sweltering


I used to love the heat. When you’re in the top floor of an apartment, unable to open windows due to noise pollution you’re stuck with adapting to heat. Walking in the noon day sun on a 37°c day is refreshing, after spending time in an apartment where the windows are closed, due to noise pollution. 


I don’t use the fan for cooling, because it’s worthless for that. I use it as white noise machine, so that I can focus on tasks, and achieve my goals. Until I lived in this apartment I never understood the value of white noise machines. Now I do. 


And Finally


One of the easiest solutions is to go for my daily walk when people start to be too noisy. That’s why I go for a walk at the time I do go for a walk. I found that this was the time at which the noise pollution annoyed me most. Switzerland might have been quiet back in the day, but no longer. 

Cycling In The Rain

Cycling In The Rain

Byrichard

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.


Shorts Weather


For the first time this season I rode in shorts rather than long cycling clothing. I didn’t feel cold. I didn’t regret it. I prefer summer cycling clothes because it’s easier to put on and to take off. It’s also less hassle generally. I didn’t bother with suntan lotion because I expected to be in cloud the whole time. That assumption was correct.


Barely Noticeable


Riding in the rain is no different to riding in the sun. In both situations if you ride beyond a certain intensity you’re going to be wet at the end of the ride. By riding the bike I didn’t come home, with shoes caked in mud as if I had walked.


Longer Stopping Distances


There is a big difference in stopping distance between good weather and bad weather cycling, especially with old fashioned brakes. When you apply the brakes they’re not half as efficient as normal. They’re old. My bike needs a service. I tightened the brakes after writing the last line.


A Shortened ride.


I got to a point where I could turn West and go towards Geneva or turn East to start heading home. I turned East to head home. Although the rain was light and I wasn’t getting soaked and cold I was getting wet. When I got home my socks were waterlogged but I felt quite dry, despite the wet legs, soaked socks and more. The rain fell gently enough for my body to warm it up, without feeling chilled. That’s perfect. That’s ideal.


And Finally


When I got home I took a shower, not to warm up, and not because I felt cold. I took the shower to remove the mud and dirt that had collected on my legs. Riding in the rain might be pleasant in some respects but it isn’t clean. I put my cycling clothes to wash, to remove the accumulated mud splatters and I changed socks, as the others had become soaked. The reflex. to wear a rain coat is not always justified. In this scenario I’d wear lighter socks, that absorb less moisture.