2 weeks in Switzerland

[PaMtbRider]

My wife and I just got home from a 2 week cycling trip to Switzerland. This was to celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. We flew into Geneva and met up with 22 other riders for an Erickson Cycle tour. 630 miles and 56,000 feet of climbing made for a challenging, but beautiful trip.

First climb of the trip was in France, just outside Geneva
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BSdJFIciolg/UgpWh9sHR7I/AAAAAAAAARA/ojZtk6zhhsQ/w459-h612-no/IMG_0167.JPG

Creux De Van, Switzerland
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0AX0FRevgEk/UgpW-khSDWI/AAAAAAAAAVI/07jiaNM0vEk/w816-h612-no/IMG_0211.JPG

Burgdorf
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-3hluIbpPupE/UgpXaTHQb7I/AAAAAAAAA1M/RQ8asPDMyCE/w437-h582-no/IMG_0259.JPG

Cathedral in Bern, Switzerland's capitol
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--xxgVqG_Mu4/UgpX0srsNlI/AAAAAAAAAco/dRfbMaZGJH8/w459-h612-no/IMG_0291.JPG

Lake Sarnen
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8Op5zAtzRB4/UgpYVVIjdVI/AAAAAAAAAhA/xifahveen7E/w872-h612-no/IMG_0336.JPG

Atop Grosse Scheidigg with the Eiger in the background. This was the hardest day of the trip. 72 miles 9600 feet of climbing.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-lU_GOqh2P74/UgpYgmfn2yI/AAAAAAAAAig/QzogNIz-AfE/w459-h612-no/IMG_0349.JPG

More to follow.

[saab2000]

Cycling there does not suck, huh? :banana:

[slinkywizard]

Looks like you had fun! More pictures please! I've got Gotthard, Oberalp and Lukmanier lined up for tomorrow...:) Then we'll relax with some pizza in Locarno looking out over Lago Maggiore...Cycling here does not suck indeed...

[freakforti]

Yes it's quite OK here in Switzerland - now isn't it

That is Gleen Erickson - Seattle Cycling Hero you're touring with I reckon

Made me a beautiful roadframe back in 2000 and I picked it up while he flew into Geneva to go touring ...

:hello:

marTIn

[TomNY]

Yes it's quite OK here in Switzerland - now isn't it

That is Gleen Erickson - Seattle Cycling Hero you're touring with I reckon

Made me a beautiful roadframe back in 2000 and I picked it up while he flew into Geneva to go touring ...

:hello:

marTIn

Those are very cool for frames w/o mounts! Are they available in USA?

[tiretrax]

Congratulations on your 25th. It looks like you had a great trip, but you're in trouble now - what are you going to do for 30?

[msl819]

That is awesome... makes me wonder why I live where I do.

[Gsinill]

that is awesome... Makes me wonder why i live where i do.

+1

[paulYpaul]

What an amazing trip! Can't wait to see the rest of your pictures!

[donevwil]

Ok PaMtbRider,

You've sucked us in with these awesome pics, now we need a complete trip report and tour review (and more pics would be nice).

[freakforti]

Those are very cool for frames w/o mounts! Are they available in USA?

here we go

http://www.sks-germany.com/?l=de&a=product&r=Radschützer&i=5288300000&PHPSESSID=0c746dca74be826392777ea72fbe7d86

;)

marTIn

[PaMtbRider]

This was our second trip with Glen Erickson. We rode our tandem from Geneva to Nice in 2002 with him. I can't believe we waited so long to go back. In 2 more years we will both turn 50 and are already talking about celebrating with another trip to Europe. Switzerland is an amazing country. It is very clean. We never saw trash anywhere alongside the road. If you are walking and need to cross the street, traffic will always stop, IF, you are at a marked cross walk. Ride single file and traffic gives you room, and is patient. Ride 2 abreast and they will honk and pass within an inch of you. Bring a lower gear than what you think you need. Many of the people on our trip were using a 50 /34 compact with a 32 tooth low on the back. I used a 36 / 29 as my low gear and at times would have welcomed something lower.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-T9ultR0Jq_A/UgpWy6EMZ1I/AAAAAAAAATc/IwdFereQruI/w1278-h959-no/IMG_0193.JPG

Every town has a fountain with safe drinking water.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-evtig6w7hGA/UgpXCXn4MiI/AAAAAAAAAVo/IP-0Q-NZcNA/w958-h719-no/IMG_0215.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-P1bRWHVkVWo/UgpXDSV4o_I/AAAAAAAAAVw/IaPzX4yI0zo/w580-h773-no/IMG_0216.JPG

We usually rode with one other couple we met on the trip. A few times we would be in a larger group.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DbeC8fF3xGo/UgpXJSxZ6gI/AAAAAAAAAWo/hV3J0GfkFEY/w958-h719-no/IMG_0223.JPG

Sunflowers in the distance.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/--U755aUKpeA/UgpXPjXUMXI/AAAAAAAAAXg/mJwv4eGNoKM/w958-h719-no/IMG_0234.JPG

Bring a GPS, you won't regret it!
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-aRZc9LCMvuk/UgpX6171yeI/AAAAAAAAAdg/dVjAvvAfl6M/w958-h719-no/IMG_0298.JPG

More thoughts and pictures later.

[Liv2RideHard]

Good stuff man. Thanks for sharing. Switzerland is a place we want to go back to. We really enjoyed our time there. And yes...the drinking fountains everywhere. Loved that about Austria, Switzerland and Italy.

[velotel]

Plus I see you've been enjoying the same wonderful weather we've had. Heck of a summer and heck of a country to ride a bike in. But, your comment on bringing a gps, no, better to just use a map. Makes you think, look around, observe, and even ask someone when you really can't figure it out. Much more interesting like that instead of following some electronic gadget. At least that's how I see it. Admittedly I'm a dinosaur but...

[cnighbor1]

MYSwitzerland.com has lots of switerzerland bike routes and an interactive map you can zoom in on for great detail
there are nine signed major routes there one you can even roller blade
Enjoy
charles

[choke]

Ok PaMtbRider,

You've sucked us in with these awesome pics, now we need a complete trip report and tour review (and more pics would be nice).+11ty billion

[PaMtbRider]

A typical day was to get up at 7:00 am and be at breakfast by 7:30. Your bags had to be at the van by 9:00. Most people were on the road between 8:30 and 9:00 There were always at least 2 ride options to choose from. We chose the longer, harder route each day, which was typically 60-70 miles. We would see the van usually mid morning. Depending if they stopped for lunch or not, most people arrived at the next hotel between 2:00 and 4:00. A meeting was held each night at 7:00 to go over the next day's cue sheet and route options. Dinner started at 7:30 and lasted to about 9:00-9:30. About every third day we would stay at the same hotel. The next day could be spent riding or sight - seeing. The average rider was in their mid fifties. One gentlemen brought his 15 year old grandson, and I believe the oldest couple was in their 70s. Out of the 22 riders on our trip 19 were repeat customers.

Grindlewald
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https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-TtgjCGqPKxI/UgpYxsSSPjI/AAAAAAAAAlA/9P__ltYeYaU/w655-h492-no/IMG_0379.JPG

Fribourg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-EXxvX8T0hPs/UgpZkFg0drI/AAAAAAAAAsw/NaSR0eFIQJo/w369-h492-no/IMG_0455.JPG

Gruyere
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-EXUXbGV8Hk4/UgpZu54BlmI/AAAAAAAAAuY/dsQJVctGnCc/w369-h492-no/IMG_0468.JPG

Chatel, getting ready for the tour de Avenir
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-bWCgarz9L5w/UgpaBPIMq8I/AAAAAAAAAxA/sBvDoYxhs7w/w655-h492-no/IMG_0497.JPG

[donevwil]

Mmmmm, Gruyere..... Damn, I'm craving Fondue.

[boconnor811]

Great photos, looks like a heck of a trip.

[velotel]

Mmmmm, Gruyere..... Damn, I'm craving Fondue.
Fondue, created by mountain farmers who were poor and refused to throw away old bread that was hard and all but impossible to chew and also refused to throw out old and smelly cheese that had turned into a serious science project. They figured, easy, throw the old cheese into a pot, hang it over the fire until it melts, toss in some of that white we wouldn't drink otherwise, mix it all together, cut the bread up into chunks, drop it into the melted cheese until it's soft enough to chew, and with that a new dish was created. Normally only eaten in the winter, except by tourists.