Today kicked off the Bike to Work Challenge, and to my delight, my workplace is taking part this year. The idea is simple: ride your bike to work as often as you can. It doesn’t matter if you’re pedaling a trusty old road bike or gliding along on an e-bike. You can even split the trip with a train or car. The only thing that counts is that some part of your commute happens on two wheels.
Final rankings are based on how often you ride, not how far. That levels the playing field for everyone, from casual commuters to slightly overzealous long-distance addicts. (I say that lovingly. Also: guilty as charged.)
I had a consultation lined up to change the dressing for a patient who had amputated part of his finger. So I figured, why not make this into a mini-adventure? I quickly slapped togerther a last-minute route from home to Basel, riding along the German side of the Rhine all the way to Laufenburg, then looping back on the Swiss side.
Note: due to privacy reasons, the route has been truncated. If you need the full official GPX of what I rode to verify, please send me a message.
Before heading out, I made one important decision. After being thoroughly disappointed by my second eTrex 32x, I ditched it in favor of my faithful old 30x. I wrapped it in a silicone case, mostly to keep its aging frame from disintegrating on me. The bumper has holes in it, and honestly, it’s only a matter of time before the soul of the 30x escapes through one of them, leaving me stranded in the wilderness and questioning my life choices – yet again 🫣.
The morning ride into Basel was a dream. The city can be surprisingly bike-friendly if you pick your roads with care. Even better, it was May 1st, a national holiday, so the usual swarm of traffic was blissfully absent. I even rode through Schifflände without getting a near-death-experience. That’s rare enough to be noteworthy.
After the consult (shoutout to my co-worker Laura for teaching me this new type of dressing change), I jumped back on the bike and rolled out of Basel under a warm spring sun. The headwind was doing its best impression of a giant hairdryer, but strangely enough, I didn’t mind. I dodged a few joggers and dogs while following the EV15 out of town, then crossed into Germany and made my way toward Bad Säckingen, smiling and waving at the stream of fellow cyclists along the way.
Because there aren’t many places to cross the river, Bad Säckingen was the point where I had to decide: play it safe and cross into Stein, or push onward to Laufenburg. Despite the strong headwind I felt great, fresh enough to briefly believe I might secretly be a pro cyclist, so I kept going.
The stretch between Bad Säckingen and Laufenburg is a cyclist’s dream. No cars, just birdsong, shady trees, and the brilliant blue Rhine riding along beside you like an old friend. It was one of those stretches that makes you forget this is technically a commute. It ended far too soon, as all the best parts do. I reached Laufenburg still feeling energized, with only a slight grumble from my right shoulder.
Even better, for the first time ever, I didn’t get lost in Laufenburg. Usually my eTrex gets overwhelmed by the maze of buildings, but today? Flawless navigation. I survived Schifflände and nailed Laufenburg. Am I in some sort of alternate reality?
Okay, full honesty: I saw a sign that said Waldshut – 15 km. That was hard to resist. I felt so good I figured, “why not?” But then I remembered my husband’s advice. He warned me not to go overboard on day one, something about avoiding unnecessary injuries and saddle sores. My husband is a wise man.
The ride home was lovely, tailwind at my back, cruising effortlessly… until, well, the roadblock. A sign assured me the path was still open for hikers. Which I translated as “surely fine for bikes too, right? Worst case I’ll hike-and-bike my way through it” (Spoiler: it was not). About a kilometer in, I found myself facing a steep gravel climb. I briefly considered my options here: gravel (which I hate with a passion), steep climb (I am allergic to hights), blazing sun…. No, I decided to save myself that torture and made a tactical retreat to take the official detour. Which I managed to make longer. Because I’m stubborn. And also very consistent in in my refusal to follow signs like a normal person hahaha 🤣.
When I reached Rheinfelden, I made a very important stop at my favorite gas station. Yes, I have one. Yes, I’m proud of it. My small frame only fits one 650 mL and one 450 mL bottle, which was nowhere near enough for a day like this. I bought the biggest bottle of water I could find and downed it at the counter while the cashier watched, somewhere between amused and horrified. Hydration accomplished.
Just as I was about to leave Rheinfelden, I got a surprise. Marco appeared on the cycling path, having finished work early and decided to join me for the final stretch home. We celebrated with a café stop: Apfelschorle for me, beer for Marco. A perfect ending.
And with that, I wrapped up day one of the challenge with 106.26 kilometers on the odometer. The old 30x performed like a champ, no crashes, no sudden shutdowns, just good GPS accuracy and steady guidance. Not bad at all for a dressing change and a work commute.