I also wrote this on the MArket place, but maybe is better here:

Hello.

Just in the second ride of my new bike, the back SRAM shifter broked.

Until the guaranty procedure finish, I need a back derailleur.

So please, If you have a back SRAM shifter (x-5; x-7; x-9...) for shell or even for rent, please, tell me.


See you¡¡

Hi there,

I'm new (to this forum) and have just tuned in to this great topic/thread. Would be good if the info section was stickied?

I'm based in Geneva and regularly ride a few roadie blokes, one of which has a great blog cram packed with info on cycling in and around Swiss/French Alps: http://www.cycling-challenge.com/

Much more later.

Cheers

Thanks for that link, slogfester. I've been wondering when the Col de la Croix is going to open, and they have a report of someone trying to go up last week, but finding a 1-metre high wall of snow at the top (the pass is almost 1800m, and is used as a cross-country ski trail in winter). Maybe I'll wait a couple more weeks.

Does anyone know of any organized rides in the Lausanne area? VTT or road? It seems like a lot of the other riders I pass are all alone, too. and I see so few women ... maybe it's not considered "feminine" to ride a bike here? BTW little plug for Hood Cycles in Lausanne, run by an ex-pat, I love my custom frame and they are very helpful with repairs.

Try having a look at Cyclophile Lausannois. They organize group rides, I have no idea of the atmosphere or speed, but they should have something for everyone because they are involved in road cycling, track, mountain biking, and cyclocross.

I agree, Hood Cycles is a very nice bike shop. I've bought a nice lightweight trekking frame from them and have recommended them to several friends. The fact that they speak English is a big bonus around here. Other local bike shops with English-speaking staff include The Bike in Pully (dealers for Cannondale, Specialized, and others), and BBR Cycles in Le-Mont-Sur-Lausanne (dealers in Trek and others) have one Swiss-German assistant who speaks English.

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Cycling in Switzerland | Photo blog (mostly travel pics from Switzerland)

when is the next time that every1 come to zurich for riding? now that my mtb is fixd i hope i could come

Today I borrowed a racing bike and had my first drafter! I was cycling around Lake Zurich at around 31 km/h.

But no hi, no bye... As soon as I grabbed my bottle he overtook me. And this after about ten minutes. I don't know if I should celebrate my achievement or be offended.

I would view this as fairly typical for deutsch schweiz road biker behavior...he caught up to you and enjoyed the benefits of your work for a while and once you took a break he moved on....I think it would have been acceptable for you to draft off him for a while and made him pull. It is annoying that no greeting was exchanged...but Swiss are often not the most outgoing

I am wanting to do the Basel - Chiasso cycle route.

I have a road bike and the wife and friends will go ahead each day in the van.

Does anyone know good campsites, maps or information on this route.

Cheers Mark

Assuming you haven't yet, I would start with the first post in this thread. It covers alot of this territory in detail about mid way down.

I'm happy to say that in the 11 months since I started this thread, it's had over 5,000 views. In that time, many more cyclists have joined this forum, and I hope that these two things are partly related. This means that there is now much more cycling information scattered all over this forum, and this thread was getting out of date.

I've been trying to rectify this during the past couple of weeks by updating the information in the initial posts in this thread. You may notice that there are now many more links to threads on the forum, and a few new sections added. If you think I've missed something, then please say so.

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Cycling in Switzerland | Photo blog (mostly travel pics from Switzerland)

A cycling related news

Look recalled the Keo pedals with Cromoly axles.

The steel axle inside the pedal can break, posing a fall hazard to cyclists.

Link here

http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml08/08354.html

hi ChrisW, thanks for sparing ur time to prepare this very informative post!

Sorry, this may sound a bit stupid, but are there any simple rules-of-thumb when it comes to knowing which roads you can bike on and which you can't?

I've seen city roads where there are no "cycle signs" painted, yet cyclists do peddle on them. I just don't want to be honked riding on a non-bike road.

Cheers!

You can cycle on all roads except motorways, but if there is a bicycle lane you have to use it.

Is this really true?

In some cases using the bike lane involves crossing traffic for a short section of bike lane which leaves you having to cross the traffic again at the end of the lane. I know of a couple of places where I consider it almost safer to just ride on on the right hand side of the road rather then crossing over twice to use the bike lane for a few hundred metres. Could I technically get done for this?

I agree with Eire, I frequently see bike lanes that would be less safe to use than riding on the road. When I was riding in Germany, a local guy explained to me that there used to be a law that cyclists must use the bike lane if one existed, but that the law was scrapped in the mid-90's. Instead, cyclists in Germany can apparently use their own judgment as to where to ride (as long as it doesn't violate any other law, of course). I hope the situation is the same in Switzerland, but I would not be surprised if the rule still existed here. Either way, I'm going to continue to treat bike lanes as just one option of where I'm allowed to ride, and not as where I must ride.

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Cycling in Switzerland | Photo blog (mostly travel pics from Switzerland)

I've seen that often at the "banlieu" towns outside of Zürich, ( near where you live ) Uster, Wetzkon etc. there is an special bike path outside but parallel the main road.

it is not designed in a clever way though, once you merge in the main road there is no easy and direct way to cross over the 2 road lanes to get into that path.

so I just rode on the main road. many cars were tooting me.

But when I wanted to cross over there was no opening on the road, but a little barrier that would force me to stop my bike ( on the side of the road where cars are coming in the opposite direction ) to get over this thingy and get into the bike lane

I'll continue to use my own judgement when to use the bike lanes. Crossing the road to try and mix it with two abreast pedestrians, rollerbladers and wobbly kids with me at 35kmh doesn't make much sense. Particularly when I know I'll have to change back across on to the road in the next upcoming village. I'm quite sure that you are obliged to use the lanes, as I been given "directions" by a post bus driver and what looked like a Zurich cop in his private car.

Cycle paths and lanes are fair-weather friends that seem to exist when things are safe and easy and disappear when you really need them, like roundabouts, built up areas, heavy traffic etc...

Here's the law (first paragraph) and here's the fine (point 621): 30 CHF.

Care to give an example of an overcomplicated cycle lane?