A “Feierabend” Loop
I haven’t been posting on here as frequently as I used to, mainly because I’ve written more over at 29in.ch. As soon as I get back going building a new road, I’ll have more updates about the progress with that and this place should see more activity again. Spring in Switzerland so far has been absolutely terrific allowing me to spend a lot of dirt miles on my tang carbon rocket. Interested in where I’ve been with it these past couple of weekends? On April 3rd, I drove west to Baulmes in the canton of Vaud to explore the Needles of Baulmes. The following weekend, a 55k ride took me up to the Chasseral for the first time this year and a day later I covered another 39k above “The Rocks”.
Yesterday, a usually pretty uneventful after-work ride turned into one of these epic rides that finds a permanent place in memory. Warm and sunny days invite for long, great rides. But don’t such rides quickly fade away in memory? The rides when the weather is tough on the other hand are a different story. You remember ever puddle along the way and every hailstone that smashed into your glasses even years later. I still recollect every foot of pavement of a ride with friends, when a rainstorm pounded us on the way back from Fort Ross to Santa Rosa. We were racing single-file on River Road in heavy rain. We jumped onto Westside and crossed Wohler Bridge to reach Slusser Road. As we passed by the Sonoma County Airport we were suddenly hit hard by hail. It’s a ride my friends and I will never forget.
When I left town Tuesday evening, a strong wind was blowing through the streets but the sun was out. As I climbed into the Jura, the mountains were more and more darkened by heavy clouds. As I zig-zagged up a mountain-side, it started to drizzle and soon enough to snow. The wind was howling the message “cut this ride short” through the trees. I didn’t listen. Instead I charged ahead and accelerated to be done faster with the loop I wasn’t going to shorten. At the top of the ridge, the wind got really unpleseant. Every gust was saying I should not be there. A few more miles fighting the wind, battling the cold and then I let myself carry down the mountain by a whipping tailwind.
Finding protection in the forest, I followed my usual singletracks only to find them extremely slippery due to the rain. Caution was advised. I felt a little stiff on the bike due to the cold and rode these trails a lot more cautiously than normally. I made it back home in one piece. A bit wet, more cold and ready for a long, hot shower.
| Distance: | 30km (18.5 miles) |
| Total Climb: | 1000m (3300 feet) |
| GPS Track: | GPSies.com |
