The GIN Biking season hasn’t yet started but the promise of another Spring day and shortage of snow on the slopes encouraged the B.Leader to suggest a gentle ride to blow out the cobwebs and get the gears back in action. An enthusiastic 7 responded to the invitation, although Thatcher had to pull out on the morning, leaving Stephen, MikeM, PeterT, Mervyn, Mark and Ivan to meet at the Everness Hotel. There were on display an equal number of uncovered muscular legs in shorts to legs in longer biking leggings and a 5:1 ratio of pure muscle power to e-bikes. Peter suggested an initial coffee on the hotel’s terrace or, at least, indicating that in the future we could meet a little earlier for a coffee on in order to ensure that we were in prime condition for the start. The danger would be that there wouldn’t be a start……
Participants took the description of a gentle ride to heart and set off at a modest pace through the woods in the direction of Grilly. From there the pleasant, slightly uphill, track along the converted railway line led us to Gex followed by the first, more meaningful, ascent of the day up to Vesancy. The leading biker arrived in Vesancy just as the clock was striking 11h….the hour when our regular coffee spot opens its doors to clients. Our friendly waitress recognised us from previous GIN visits and happily unpadlocked the outside tables to allow us to relax and enjoy the unstrenuous part of the season’s first outing. Coffees came and went but there was no sign of the backmarkers. Phone contact with Mervyn and Mark was attempted but suffered through poor signal.
Eventually, Stephen set off back down the road and met the two, not too far away, upset that a puncture had delayed them but glowing with pride that, due to the benefit of prior more negative experiences, they had the necessary equipment to fix it. Mark was particularly pleased that Mervyn was able to share in the chain grease….an unavoidable consequence of fixing a rear wheel puncture.
The late comers were allowed a short recovery break before we set off again, enjoying the initial downhill ride before bracing ourselves for the inevitable Bonmont climb. On this occasion we took the classical (i.e. legal) route without having to encounter on-coming traffic, which previously had been known to be somewhat indignant that one-way guidelines were not being strictly followed. Unfortunately, Meteo Suisse failed us at this point and the rain-free day proved to be over optimistic. Happily , this was short lived and we also had the protection of the trees as well as the help of the uphill climb to distract us. Regrouped at the usual 777m point, we realised that our timing would be perfect for the 12.30h lunch reserved at the Auberge de Crassier. All that lay before us was the downhill cruise.
They say that lightening never strikes twice in the same place. The same cannot be said of punctures. Once again, the front runners were left wondering where the peloton was. Happily, phone signal allowed notice that there was an interruption to the descent. Sadly, the supply of replacement inner tubes had been used up and Mark had to wait for Linda to rescue him. Did we detect a little Schadenfreude from Ivan? The irony that he had a few problems with the bike Mark lent him last year did not go unnoticed…..
Peter, sipping his beer at the Auberge, was unaware of the reason for the latest delay but had used the spare time to reconfigure the restaurant to allow for the 6 of us to be seated (for some reason a table for 5 had been prepared). When we arrived, minus Mark, this had to be reconfigured back to 5 again. We ordered drinks and the plat du jour (fish with rice and asparagus) and waited to see if Mark and Linda appeared. They did, just as we finished the salad starter, but they decided not to stay and headed home to relax over their own plat du jour: sushi.
Conversation was wide ranging and lengthy. We covered topics such as: preferences of baths vs. showers, unchanging character traits from adolescence, political polarisation, the luck of living in Switzerland, Russian speaking in Ukraine and much more. The time drifted by, coffee came and went, and we reluctantly left the now empty Auberge to recover our bikes and the relatively short ride home (shorter for some than others).
A great start to the new season, although punctuated by unexpected stops, and a well worthwhile warm up for the year ahead.
Statistics: ca. 42kms, 19.1km/h average travelling speed, 580m elevation gain.