It's a bank holiday today in Switzerland, so I decided I'd try a new ride.
I woke up late (for me) so was out on my bike by 9am and it was already really hot. I should really have just done a shorter ride, but as I'd spent a load of time looking at maps last night, I decided to stick with Plan A. There is always the option of getting the train home if I'm too tired.
So the first part of the plan was to ride out to the German border at Kaiserstuhl along Route 32. This was straight forward and very well signposted. Somewhat steeper hills than the map indicates, but as nice ride out through the countryside for about 30kms. Kaiserstuhl seemed very small but quite pretty. Lots of other cyclists around but all the cafe looked pretty full so I didn't bother stopping. From here I jumped onto Route 2 and headed west along the Rhine and I had 2 options - Either stop at Bad Zurzach and head down Route 77 or continue along to Koblenz (The Swiss one not the German one) and down Route 8. I was enjoying the views and coping with the hills ok, so I decided on Route 8.
So reaching Koblenz it was starting to get very warm so although my bike isn't best suited to riding on gravel paths it was a relief to head into the cover of the woods along the baks of the River Aare. This was pretty nice for a couple of kilometres but then it was out into the open and into the hills - none of them long, but short and steep. By this time Switzerland had turned into an oven. The lowest temperature I'd see for the rest of the day is 37 degrees. Too hot! But too late to give up now.
For the next stretch Route 8 merges with Route 77 and I was back in familiar territory, it's all fairly level until you have to cross then River Ruess. Then it heads steeply downhill to the River and then back up 100 metres on the other side - There is actually a sign warning cyclists of that fact, though what you are supposed to do about it, I'm not sure. There is no rest after that, as to get to Baden there is yet another hill. There was quite a wind picking up by now blowing some storms in so if I'm honest this was not my favourite part of the ride. I finally got to Baden and headed straight to Starbucks for a Large Mocha Cheesecake Frappucino. It was cold sugary and wonderful. I also had cake! I figured I deserved it :-)
All that remained was the trip back to Zürich. I was slow and tired and glad to get home by this point. But apart from the last bits when it really was too hot and windy it was a good ride seeing lots of new places. 103km's in total. According to the Garmin, the max temperature was 40.1 degrees.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms now, so at last it's cooling down a bit.
Here are a few pictures :
First stop Kaiserstuhl after heading along Route 32
Heading along the Rhine
Somewhere on Route 8
On the banks of the Aare
At the top of one of the hills looking down on the Aare
And the map.
