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As the GIN Ski Group was confronted with insufficient snow and bad weather, the GIN Biking Group stepped into an empty Thursday and offered to replace downhill skiing on two skis with uphill biking on two wheels. Admittedly, the weather was not perfect for biking but it wasn’t raining and it was an opportunity to satisfy at least one of the New Year’s resolutions (where alcoholic abstinence has failed?).

Stephen, Ivan, Mark2Ts and Mervyn made up the group for a gentle warm up to the 2023 season. No-one was brave enough to wear shorts and e-Paul, the most likely to come so attired, had absented himself due to prior plans. In fact the clothing count was up to 5 layers. Mark 2Ts resplendent in his new high-vis top….a precursor maybe to the long expected new bike? Ivan had come prepared with spare pedal and correct tooling should he suffer the same fate as on the last ride before Christmas

We followed a mostly flat route from the Everness Hotel via Grilly to the old train track through Divonne and onto Crassier. At some stage there was a murmuring about a lack of coffee stop but the leader had a plan in mind and wasn’t going to be deterred. On via the farm roads, in sight of the slopes of the Jura to Gingins and, to the surprise of some, a Bonmont climb was avoided. This was replaced by a downhill ride from Trélex to Prangins and along the lake road to the Tennis Club at Nyon for lunch. The motivation for this venue was revealed as Stephen still had some unused club restaurant vouchers whose expiry date was fast approaching.

The set menu lunch choices at a very reasonable 21CHF were more than acceptable, accompanied by a couple of beers, proving no-one was keeping to January temperance. Service by the chatty staff was more rapid than the cycling. Discussion topics followed the usual diverse course from meat curing to Ukraine to the similarity of the pizza oil and Richard’s hiking schnapps.

A modest climb from the tennis club went on well-known routes via Crans, Céligny and then back to out respective warm homes. The ride lived up to expectations, gentle, enjoyable and for once no bike problems for Ivan. Long may they continue….but after a skiing break.

Statistics: ca. 50kms, 400m total ascent, 16.5 km/hr

The first day of December and the GIN Bikers were still keen to prove themselves. Even at 5C one die-hard arrived in shorts having e-biked it all the way from Geneva.

Eight hardy members signed up for this last official outing of the season. In the event, Mervyn had to call off due to teething problems….a 9/10 excuse. So it was Stephen. PeterD, a reluctant PeterT, Mark2Ts, e-Paul, Ivan (on his new, old bike) and newcomer e-Mike (immaculately turned out in brand new gear) who met at the Everness Hotel at 10h. PeterT’s lack of enthusiasm was due to a definitely non-Alfred previous evening. E-Paul was also not at his performance peak…..maybe due to recovery from the GIN Wine Group or maybe having to nurse a cold battery already diminished from the warm-up ride from Grand Saconnex.

We raced(?)off in the direction of Céligny, our leader making an ill-judged call to use a farm track which was water- (and mud-) logged in places. However, having now initiated any new and/or clean gear there was no need for subsequent caution. We followed the familiar road and track from Céligny to Crans, through Eysins, up to Signy and from there to Gingins. The peloton seemed a little sluggish and there was frequent need of “herding”. Regrouped at Gingins we embarked on the infamous Bonmont ascent. Our leader forged ahead trying to prove manhood and the ability to take on the e-bikes. 50% success with the latter, the former to be judged by others.

After the customary photo shoot, we enjoyed the downhill ride to La Rippe.…although the wind chill factor was noticeable. As we prepared for the ascent to Vesancy, where a coffee had been promised at our favourite Ô Château restaurant, there was leadership concern about timings. Lunch had been booked in Divonne and we had been told to arrive before 13h. Backmarker, Mark, magnanimously offered the rest of the group to speed ahead and secure coffees. This seemed a solution and was gratefully accepted by the front runners. However, the Vesancy hill proved almost too much for the depleted battery of e-Paul and he manfully preserved the fading glimmers of charge by raw muscle power. The hill did prove too much for Ivan’s new, old bike. What was once the pride of the PeterT’s stable suffered from a detached pedal and a non-fitting alum key only provided temporary fixture. Hence, by the time the rear group arrived at Ô Château, coffees had been long drunk by the advance group and it was evident that the 13h deadline in Divonne was unattainable. Happily, the GIN Lunch the week before had generated much goodwill (and income) for the friendly waitress, who recognised the organiser of that event. His enquiry as to whether she could fit in an addition 7 for lunch was met with enthusiasm. It was just a question of cancelling Chez Mademoiselle’s, whilst maintaining the potential for a future visit there. Task accomplished. We happily settled down in the Vesancy restaurant, without time pressures and without any other diners to disturb our banter.

The menu du jour lunch was truly excellent, washed down not only with the usual beers (and some non-alcoholic drinks) but also with a PeterT sponsored Vacqueyras red wine, and a locally formulated “44” pousse-café.

Difficult to recall all the intellectual conversation around the table but it included subjects such as why e-bikes don’t have the ability to recharge the battery on downhill runs, the amortisation time of solar panels and whether this should include potential additional house value if you have no direct inheritors, karma and re-incarnation, the advantages of completing a PhD on Bhutan temples and erect phallus iconography, wildlife and vegetation under snow coverings, etc. As the meal progressed the conversation flowed, the subject matter diversified further and the ability to recall any of it diminished.

Eventually, it was time to leave the warm, convivial bubble of hospitality and venture back out into the grey, cold afternoon. E-Paul was advised on shortest routes back to Grand Saconnex, with the hope of nursing the failing battery home. We unanimously agreed to avoid the Mourex hill and take the long, but downhill, road towards Gex. Paul parted ways as we reached the main road into Gex and for him onto Ferney. We assumed he found a successful route home (and have since learnt he did with 1% charge left). The rest of the group headed in the opposite direction, along the old train track towards Grilly. The Peters peeled off here to take the back route home. The remaining four cycled together as far as the Divonne Casino (supermarket, not betting tables) and they headed home across the border to Bogis-Bossey. This left Mike to escort Stephen back to Arnex before he made his solo way into Nyon.

A memorable ride although this blogger’s Garmin memory failed to record the all the data. It seems that we were too long at lunch and watch batteries, like e-bike batteries, sometimes go into shutdown.

Well into November and still the conditions are good for biking, enough to encourage 4 regulars and one newcomer to venture out, even though the forecast was a little uncertain. Rudi emerged from biking semi-retirement to join Stephen, Mervyn, Mark2Ts and PeterD on a ride marketed as flattish with the potential for our favourite Bonmont climb after lunch. This latter suggestion was shot down before it had taken wing by a couple of participants, who shall remain nameless, but whose names start with the same letter as “mutineer”. It seems that after-lunch cycling has to be short and easy.

e-Rudi had packed his e-bike neatly into his car to avoid draining both bike and leg batteries on a ride from his home in Morges to the Everness Hotel meeting point.

A few spots of rain welcomed the other riders but happily did not transform into anything more significant (the rain that is, for the riders it’s too late). We set off to join the cycle route 50 by the Chavannes Shopping Centre and followed this all the way into Chambesy. Pristine bikes were spattered by spray from the wet, muddy Versoix paths as were bikers who didn’t have the benefit of mudguards. Without the presence of the the leader from the last outing and his off-piste tendencies, we were able to make almost unwavering progress along the designated route. So much so, that there was a potential for either a coffee stop or a slightly longer loop before lunch. We stopped for coffee. Rudi, ecstatic that both his batteries were still fully charged, kindly sponsored the refreshments, including the now customary first beer of the day for one participant.

Fortified and grateful that a longer loop had been averted and that a 50 km/hr speed limit put heed to a time trial along the flat straight lake road cycle track, we were able to proceed without stress, admiring the views and details often unseen when passing this road in the car. We turned off the lake road up past the Nyon Tennis Club, onto the smaller tracks, through Eysins and via the back route to Signy, where lunch had been booked at the Pinte, recently having changed management to Sabo, who also runs the Nyon Tennis Club restaurant.

We all enjoyed the first beer of the afternoon (and for some a subsequent second) and happily ordered the menu du jour of oriental couscous starter followed by braised beef in tasty sauce and truffled potato. This was excellent and complimented by the usual varied and lively conversation.

After lunch, Mark shot off ahead at strategic points, sufficient to ensure that the ever-hopeful leader would not be tempted to divert the group up the Jura. More refreshments were offered in Arnex, but ultimately declined, as the attraction of an afternoon siesta won out.

Statistics: ca. 48.5 kms, 416 m ascent, max. elevation 501m, saddle time 2h30, average speed 19.5 km/hr.

NB. Regret lack of usual photographic record, our chief photographer was absent.