It started as all of our good adventures do: with a too-early alarm and an ambitious plan. At 6:30 a.m., Marco and I set off into the dawn. While he headed into his workday, I veered off into my self-imposed challenge: to ride further than last time. (86 km? Pfft, barely a warm-up!) My destination? Make it at least to Laufenburg, maybe Waldshut if the legs—and the willpower—cooperated.
Armed with an updated route and my trusty eTrex 30x (elevation data kindly deleted for smoother navigation – yes I do have the ability to learn 🤣), the journey started strong. Around Rheinfelden, I faced my first major decision: bakery break or AVIA gas station? Nature called, loudly, so I opted for the gas station, also hoping it would provide a quicker stop than the bakery did. Let me tell you – that AVIA is hands down the best gas station I visited, ever. Spotlessly clean, quick, efficient and the staff is friendly. I’ll definitively add this to my future runs!
At Laufenburg, I felt fantastic – no fatigue, great progress, smooth traffic, and I was so warm I had to stop and shed a layer. With a hint of cockiness, I decided to scotomize the waypoint I’d set to shorten the route and fully embrace the challenge, heading on to Waldshut instead.
At roughly 40 km in, hunger struck. In a whim I pulled over at a cozy wooden bench, munching away, oblivious to the trap I’d sprung on myself. Turns out, sitting still in chilly weather when you’re warm from cycling is a rookie mistake. Within minutes, I was shivering. Cue a frantic layering-up and pedaling to beat the chill.
It … half-worked-ish. By 46 km, I’d stumbled upon another gas station (a new theme emerges) and decided to stop and warm up properly. Walking into the heated shop felt like stepping into paradise. Peppermint tea defrosted my hands while locals gave me the “you’re an absolute nutcase” look. A bit of socializing and some regained feeling in my toes later, I was back on track. Another gas station I’ll be saving for future trips – spotless bathroom and very friendly staff!
After taking some obligatory cool bike-on-a-bridge-pics around Koblenz, I hit the border crossing – a place clearly designed by people who’ve never ridden a bicycle. Having had enough to eat and hoping to dodge heavy traffic, I decided to take the EV15 path around Waldshut. Soon I found myself on the familiar gravel trails. Not my favorite, but these are manageable. Things went sideways after Waldshut though. My route pre-planning skills failed me, forcing some epic faffing with my phone in the freezing cold trying to avoid a dangerous road. Efficient? Not in the slightest. Freezing cold? Absolutely.
A bus stop around Luttingen became my next snack-and-“warmth” station. It shielded me from the windchill, but still – sitting in the cold isn’t ideal. By the time I reached Bad Säckingen, I was practically an icicle. My feet were frozen, I had no feeling left in them anymore. My hands were so cold, I could barely move them, which made it difficult to use the brakes properly – leading to a few potentially dangerous situations. I decided it was time to call it: I ditched the plan to continue and headed home via the Swiss side.
At 90 km, my old nemesis made a comeback – the sharp, nagging pain in my right side. It was the same issue that had forced me to take my first-ever scratch during the Tour de Hieber just a month ago. Breathing hurt, pedaling hurt, existing hurt. Determined not to stop again and risk turning into an ice cube, I pushed on. By 104 km, the pain had become so intense that breathing was difficult, so I stopped briefly to lie on a bench and try to ease it. I should have stayed longer to let the pain subside, but with the cold creeping in, I was teetering on the edge of hypothermia. With only 8 km to go, I decided to power through and finish the ride.
The stats
- Total distance: 113 kilometers (70 miles)
- Total time: 6 hours and 55 minutes
- Total moving time: 5 hours and 57 minutes
- Total stopped time: 1 hour and 28 minutes
- Average moving speed: 19 kmh (12 mph)
- Calories burned: 1’805
Route wins
- The eTrex performed flawlessly
- I finished it
Things to change
- Pack overshoes for long rides in temperatures of 5°C or lower.
- Invest in warmer gloves.
- Plan my stops more strategically.
- Avoid stopping in unheated places during winter cycling!
As always, keep the rubber side down and I’ll catch you at the next one!
Nice warm up. For me it would be a big journey.