In September I spent 19 days riding in the Swiss Alps and the Stelvio. This post is to encourage others thinking about similar trips. I wasn’t trying to set Strava records. Instead, I just rode comfortably and enjoyed the incredible scenery, food, and hospitality found throughout this region.
Locations, dates, and climbs:
I flew to Zurich, picked up a rental car at the airport, drove to Davos, and then travelled west with stays in Andermatt, Obergoms, Grindelwald, and Martigny. Anthropic’s Claude helped greatly in planning.
To see maps and details of my rides, my Trainerroad account username is JJR.
Date Passes/Climbs Route Miles Climb (ft)
9/5 Albula, Fluela Albula Gorge – Bergünerstein Gorge loop from Davos Platz (Komoot) 66 8,444
9/6 Stelvio Stelvio from Bormio 27 5,122
9/8 Furka, Nufenen, Gotthard / The Starter Triple
| Date | Passes/Climbs | Miles | Climbing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9/5 | Albula, Fluela | 66 | 8,444 |
| 9/6 | Stelvio (from Bormio) | 27 | 5,122 |
| 9/8 | Furka, Nufenen, Gotthard (Starter Triple) | 66 | 10,060 |
| 9/10 | Oberalp, Lukmanier, Gotthard (Long Triple) | 98 | 11,468 |
| 9/13 | Susten, Grimsel, Furka (High Triple) | 76 | 11,464 |
| 9/15 | Grosse Scheidegg (from Meiringen) | 56 | 5,297 |
| 9/17 | 64 | 3,484 | |
| 9/20 | Col de la Croix | 80 | 6,127 |
| 9/21 | Col de Sanetsch, Lac de Derborence | 50 | 8,068 |
The Grosse Sheidegg and Furka passes have the best mountain views. The Stelvio and Col de Sanetsch are the most “epic”. (If you like the climb up Mont Ventoux from Bedouin, then you’ll enjoy the Sanetsch from Conthey (or Scion); it starts with riding through vineyards, then forests, and finishes above the tree line.) The Gotthard climb from Airolo, on the old cobbled Tremola Road, is very nice; there’s little traffic, the gradient is moderate, and the surface is relatively smooth.
Switzerland has so many great rides, hikes, sites, etc. that it’s difficult to decide which to do. I spent my off days hiking in Mannlichen and Reideralp, visiting Interlaken, Thun, Zermatt, and Montreux and touring Zurich’s Kunsthaus museum.
Riding:
I rode solo and stopped at Coop grocery stores for sandwiches and the restaurants and/or snack shops found at the top of most climbs. In general, drivers and motorcyclists in these areas are more considerate of cyclists than what I experience in the USA.
Targeted watts on climbs: 210 (3 watts/kg). At this pace, my heart rate ranged between 145-160 BPM. (RHR is 45 and MHR is 190)
Consumed 90 to 100 grams of carbohydrates per hour – see below.
Fueling:
90-100gm of carbohydrates per hour using the following mixture per 800ml bottle:
Maltodextrin 76.8 gm,
Fructose 51.2 gm,
Pectin (slow-set, apple) 2 gm
Sodium alginate 1.6 gm, and
Sodium bicarbonate 0.352 gm.
I used an article on this Forum to determine the 90 to 100 carbs-per-hour required to maintain 210 watts. I started rides with two 800ml bottles containing this mixture plus Zip-Loc snack-size bags containing powder for mixing one or two additional 800ml bottles. I used a shaker ball to get the powder to mix well.
On my flights, in my carry-on bag, I carried 38 Zip-Loc snack-size bags each containing the above mixture. The TSA agent simply asked what was in the bags, swabbed a few with a wand which he ran through a test machine, and said have a good trip.
Navigation:
Because the navigation display on my Wahoo Bolt Roam is too small for my aging eyes to read, I set the display to show watts, heart rate, and speed. Fortunately, the roads are well marked with signs indicating the towns, route #s, mountain passes, etc. Before each ride, I’d look at a map and make a mental note of the route I planned to ride and sometimes wrote down a list of the towns I’d be passing through which I kept in a back pocket.
Lodging:
Airbnb in all locations. All were comfortable and convenient. Lock box entry is preferred for arrival and departure time flexibility.
Food:
Dining out in Switzerland is expensive. I ate only three meals in restaurants. I selected AirBnbs with kitchens and shopped for food in Coop and Migros grocery stores. Both have very good selections and offer sandwiches which are ideal for quick meals during rides. To carry perishable foods between locations, I bought an insulated bag (un sac isotherme) and made blocks of ice by placing bowls of water in the freezer. I sealed the ice in a gallon Zip-Loc bag.
Rental car:
Skoda Octavia station wagon(Hertz)
Good acceleration and large cargo space. The Serfas bike case fit lying flat in the back. (A second Serfas case could be placed on top of it. The case is too tall to stand up in the cargo area.)
Bicycle:
Frame: 2011 Cannondale Super-Six Hi-Mod
Components: Shimano Ultegra 6800 mechanical
Wheels: Mavic Ksyrium ES (yes, from 2006 with rim brakes – quelle horreur!)
Tires: Vittoria Corsa Graphene 2.0 25mm (max. tire clearance of frame)
Tubes: RideNow TPU with aluminum stems (no melting issues using rim brakes on descents); front 91psi, rear 93psi (Silca pressure calculator)
Gearing: 50/34, 11-32 cassette
Headlight: Knog Plug USB
Rear radar: Garmin Varia RearView 820, very useful on descents
Bicycle travel case:
Serfas Bike Armor Transport Case
Serfas website lists their current SBN case weight at 31lbs; however, my older case weighs closer to 28lbs. Most airlines will accept a bike, packed in a case (or box) weighing less than 50lbs, as a checked bag. The case has two wheels on one end and a nylon strap handle which allow it to be dragged with one arm. I put an AirTag in it to track the case during flights.
Clothing:
The weather was exceptionally good throughout my stay with only one day of occasional showers. The temperature varied greatly some days, with mornings in the low 40s and afternoons reaching the 60s to mid 70s. A few days started in the 60s and reached the upper 70s.
Here’s what I packed. (I wore all of it.)
Bib shorts - Castelli Free Aero Race, ALE PRR
Insulated knicker bib shorts – Castelli Rosa Corsa
Leg warmers – Assos GT Spring/Fall
Short-sleeve jerseys - Giordana FR-C, Castelli
Arm warmers – Castelli Pro Seamless
Sun sleeves - Assos
Lightweight wind jacket - Castelli Squadra Stretch, fits easily in a jersey pocket, wore on a few descents
Short-sleeve jacket – Castelli Perfetto
Long-sleeve jacket – Castelli Perfetto
Base layer shirt – Castelli
Under seat bag: Silca Grinta Roll Top Bag
Fantastic bag. The opening rolls down to handle varying size loads. BOA closures make it easy to open and close. It’s narrow enough to prevent rubbing on inside of thighs.
Cost:
Airfares and car and AirBnbs rental rates are significantly lower during September than the peak summer vacation months of June, July, and August.
Roundtrip airfare: $1,158 (Columbus-Atlanta-Zurich / Zurich-JFK-Columbus) on Delta
Rental car: $34/day through Hertz (Skoda Octavia station wagon)
Gas: $360; Tolls: $22 (Italy); Parking $82; Speeding ticket: $45 (going 39km (24mph) in a 30km (18mph) zone)
Food: average of $36/day
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