August 24, 2022
Day 2: EuroVelo 15 - the Rhine river (source to sea)
Carrera to Bad Ragaz
A tough day with climbing at the start ... much better than at the end of the day, I guess. Once I conquer this day, the rest of the ride to the sea will generally be flat or downhill. There will be hills, but nothing like the last 9 km I rode yesterday to reach my camping spot at Carrera, just beyond Ilanz, or the climbs today.
I tried to make an early start, but I seemed to be the only one awake at the campsite, so etiquette dictated I wait for a more reasonable hour. I quietly rolled up my sleeping bag and mattress, and then waited ... and waited some more. Mountain air must be good for your sleep! I finally got going at 8:30 a.m.
Within the first 60 minutes, I was passed by three groups of Swiss motorcycle police - 15 officers in total - followed by a group of six military police motorcyclists. None saw through my disguise, all blissfully riding by ... red faces at the barracks tonight!
The roads were so easy to ride on and well-maintained. I didn’t spot a single pothole! There’s a job offer in Queensland (my home State) for their chief roads engineer.
My first stop was at the peak of the mountain I had been climbing, just 3.7 km from the start. The views made the effort worth it. I enjoyed a coffee overlooking the valley I was about to ride into - a great start to the day. The road here was a bit rougher, but with so little traffic, I coasted and enjoyed the hairpin turns, hoping my disc brakes would hold up. I soon reached the Versamer Tobelbrücke, a bridge built in the late 1800s that still stands. A modern bridge beside it made it easy to take photos.
From there, it was another short climb to spectacular views overlooking the Rhine. The road edged along a mountain cutout, and coming around the tight corners felt precarious with frequent warnings of rockfalls and cars appearing suddenly. But once again, Swiss drivers proved to be some of the most courteous in the world. From the bottom of my cycling heart, thank you.
I passed through three tunnels carved into the mountain, the longest being 170 metres and curved. My dark grey bike and black panniers could have spelled trouble, but I had the road to myself for 171 metres.
Suddenly, there was a long, straight downhill run toward Bonaduz, then on to Reichenau, where the two Rhine tributaries, the Vorderrhein and Hinterrhein, meet to form the Rhine as we know it.
A highlight of the day was meeting fellow touring cyclists. There were many on the route, mostly on 2 to 3-day trips. Whenever I saw a fully loaded bike approaching, I’d stop and hope they got the hint. They all did, and we swapped stories. One Frenchman was riding east with no specific plan, or maybe he did have one but wasn’t going to tell the weird guy who flagged him down for a chat! A Swiss family from Strasbourg, riding with two kids under 12, were cycling to the Swiss-Italian border. Impressive!
I eventually rode into Chur along the best bike path I had encountered so far, mostly flat, or downhill. Chur is a busy city, but I never felt unsafe among the cars, trucks, and buses - all gave cyclists the right of way, though I didn’t test that theory too much.
It was 12:30 p.m. when I arrived in Chur, where I’d planned to stay the night at a campsite. However, it was still early, and I felt good, so I stopped for lunch to decide my next move. I found a restaurant with empty tables, but when I asked if my bike could stay with me, the waitperson strongly advised it must remain outside. Bike and man smiled, turned, and left - with a tear in the man’s eye because the menu had looked good. The waitperson seemed unaware of the truly symbiotic relationship between man and tour bicycle!
After flying halfway around the world only a few days ago, and two days of cycling through the toughest parts of the Rhine River route (albeit brilliant), I opted for a hotel that night. Bad Ragaz, some 21 km further along, became my new destination. This meant missing Heidiland, where the famous story of young Heidi is set, but so be it.
Passing through Bad Ragaz was a detour, about 3-4 km off the main route. Best detour ever! It’s a famous health resort and spa town, and there I was - a dirty, smelly cyclist - getting stared at. The place was cosmopolitan, dripping with money. The ride to my accommodation passed what was the most beautiful golf course I’d ever seen.
After checking in and doing a few chores, I explored the town. For dinner, I had the largest prosciutto pizza I’ve ever seen and learned about a famous Swiss health drink called Rivella. Let’s see if it powers me through tomorrow … day three.
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