Chasseral - October
Many thanks to Adrian for the excellent organisation and navigation for the ride up and around Chasseral. It was a lovely day out for Simppa, Felix, and myself - great company, good weather, and just a small hill or two to keep us interested.
After an easy journey to Biel we gathered our wits and headed off. It was slightly chilly in the fog right at the start, but we quickly climbed above that, heading up from the lake at Alfermée. The first climb was relatively steady, with just a 1km section of chalk & gravel track to negotiate. At the top we got our first glimpse of the Chasseral tower, before dropping slightly and passing through Lamboing and Diesse into Nods. I decided that the only sensible thing to do in Nods was to buy two large sausages (apparently they’re a speciality here) which went into my jersey for the rest of the day. The main climb starts in Nods with the first of four switchbacks just outside the village. The climb itself is very pretty - lovely mixed beech and conifer woods, with very distinctive green moss on white limestone covering the ground. The gradient is a pretty steady 10%+ through the second and third switchbacks before clearing the treeline and flattening out through the last bend and on to the tower.
We stopped for the obligatory congratulations and photos at the top. Unfortunately the Alps were obscured by haze, but the views were still very impressive, looking down on the foggy valleys and the surrounding hills and peaks. For lunch, we headed back to the Hotel Chasseral where no-one had the fondue, opting instead for bowls of pasta.
Revitalised and enthusiastic we decided to carry on a bit further. We headed off down the backside of Col du Chasseral - which is a cracking descent down to and through Les Savagnières. We then took the far side of the Vallon de Saint-Imier past pretty little farmhouses and along Grand Combe. Felix took his leave of us at La Motte, and headed over Col de la Due des Alpes back to Neuchâtel whilst Adrian, Simppa, and I headed on down Vallée des Ponts. We stopped for a quick refreshment and to fill our water bottles at Hotel von Bergen in La Sagne before continuing down the valley.
I was taken by surprise by the cracking descent down from Le Haut de la Côte to Rosières - if I’d have known it better, then I would have taken it a bit less cautiously, but it’s great fun and was pretty safe in the conditions on the day. We stopped briefly in Noiraigue where I deliberated buying & carrying a bottle of Absinthe in addition to the sausages, eventually compromising on a 50ml miniature! We decided that we did have the legs for one last section along the very pretty gorge Saut de Brot and into Boudry, timing it perfectly for the train to Neuchâtel.
It was a lovely day out, the weather was very kind to us, and the scenery is beautiful in this part of the world. Overall it was 84.4km with 1820m of ascent / descent and took us 4 hours 40 pedaling. We did stop quite a few times for food and drinks and to make sure we all stayed together, but the travelling speed was quite quick whilst we were moving - particularly heading uphill. It was probably at about the limit of what I would enjoy, particularly as this was the first (and probably last) big ride of 2022. The gpx plot of our route is here.
Pfännensteil with Sevi - August
With a lovely day forecast - sunny and with a gentle breeze but not too hot, Sevi and I headed out for a spin around the Pfännensteil.
We were a tiny bit time-constrained, so took Sevi's suggestion of a loop around Feldbach, the Pfännensteil, and Forch. This is a nice variation on the classic loop and is a little bit shorter than the other route that we did back in May, but one which still gets in a nice fast leg down the Seestrasse. It's also slightly less than two full ascents of the Pfännensteil owing to not dropping completely back down to lake level before starting the 2nd ascent.
It turned out to be a 50km loop with 500m of ascent & descent, and took us about 2 hours, not including the time to get there and back.
Feldbach - Greifensee Loop - May
For a slightly different stretch of the legs, Sevi and I headed out to cycle down the side of the lake to Feldbach and then over the hill and round the Greifensee before heading back over the hill and into town.
It was a lovely day for a ride - bright & sunny but not too hot. We made the most of the good conditions (an unheard-of tailwind along the lake down Seestrasse before turning left at Feldbach through Oetwil-am-see and Mönchaltorf then to Maur and back over the hill.
The loop was a bit more than 60km with 480m of ascent & descent and took us about 2 hours 40 (not including a short break for a chat). It was a superb stretch of the legs and the perfect antidote to a day spent in the gentle ministrations of Deutsche Bahn the previous day.
Effretikon - Pfaeffikersee - May
With a lovely day forecast and keen to get out for a bit of exercise before a long train journey, Jules and I headed out to Effretikon to try route #13 from teh COOP book of Zurich cycling: Um den Pfäffikersee.
It was great weather for a ride - bright and sunny but not too hot. We saw a kestrel and lots of kites out searching the newly mown fields, and nature really getting into the spirit of spring. The route took us out of Effretikon as it meanders through the pretty village of Illnau and down past Fehraltorf to the Pfäffikersee. We then looped around the bottom of the lake and then back up past the Juckerfarm and skirted past Volketswil back to Effretikon.
Overall the 32.9km with 280m ascent / descent (but no real hills) took us 1 hour 45 at a fairly gentle pace. The gpx plot of our route is here.
Baden - May
With lovely weather forecast, Jules and I headed over to Baden to meet Diana & Luis for a drink in the sun and a relaxing afternoon.
It was perfect weather for a gentle ride - warm in the sun, but not too hot. There were plenty of other people out and about on and by the Limmat - which seemed to be very popular. We made steady progress following national Route 66 along the riverside and generally enjoying the scenery.
We met Diana & Luis at Triebguet Frishluft bar under the Hochbrücke for a well deserved beer in the sun, and a good chat for the rest of the afternoon. It was lovely sitting by the river, and the bar was nicely busy - enough people for a nice atmosphere, but not so many that it felt crowded.
We declined the return ride, and instead headed back to Zürich on the train - definitely a good plan after a couple of beers. The 30-odd kilometers took us 1 hr 45 going at a steady pace but without hurrying.
Greifensee Loop With Sevi - May
With a pretty good day forecast, Sevi and I headed out to do a loop of the Greifensee, including a couple of passes over the Pfaennensteil ridge.
We met at Sevi's place (after a couple of different attempts by me to get there), and headed up the hill. It was a lovely day for cycling - warm and sunny but not too hot. Sevi showed me his preferred route, which passed the golf course before dropping down to the Greifensee. From there we did a quick lap around the lake, before climbing back over the Pfännensteil to recuperate with a well-earned beverage. We weren't the only ones out enjoying the good weather - the cycle & skating path around the lake was well-used on a lovely day.
All in all it was a nice stretch of the legs in good company and without logistics or planning complications. All good!
Faellanden & Pfaennensteil - March
Taking advantage of the warm spring spell, I decided to dust off my road bike and headed out for my becoming-traditional Fällanden & Pfännensteil start-of-the-season ride.
It was a lovely day, and I wasn't in any rush, so I decided to take the slightly longer route around the far side of the Greifensee. That was a nice little detour and very pleasant. The climb up to Egg was the usual head-down and go, and I took my preferred route up to the Meilen pass near Oberchrüzlen before heading back to the Pfännensteil.
It was a lovely day, and I wasn't the only one out on my bike enjoying the weather. Everything seemed to be working (including my legs) and I completed the 45km with about 610m ascent/descent in about 2 hours. All in all a lovely ride to start the season.