First Group Ride Report

Started Gelterkinden dorfbrunnen as planned, only me this time, I picked up my companion at the station. The two of us headed off towards Sissach and stopped at the back entrance to the station, just in case. Shortly before the station, just at the left turn to go under the rail bridge we nearly literally bumped in to my old cycling club on their way out. We turned left to find them all over the road :-),  with a quick wave and shout hello! cheerio! we continued on. They will also have a ride review - to see where they went have a look at their home page - www.vcpaloma.ch.

Dorfbrunnen - empty at 9am, full of children at 2pm

Last expected pick up point was at Liestal Bahnhof which we visited, even though we expected noone to be there - but you never know! Now clearly the pair of us, we headed for the first climb. Frenkendorf towards Augst the strava segment is called Feldhof hill sprint - there wasn't much sprinting going on today.

Once conquered, onward to Magden via Giebernach and Olsberg. There was too much chatting being done and we missed waiving to the horses having passed them before i realised. The Olsberg climb turned out to be "not as bad as i had imagined" im told. In Magden there was the compulsory stop for food, toilets and chatting to a local. Luckily my companion is also a local so all was well.

Another location added to my ever growing database

Now well refreshed, on to climb number 2 - steeper than the first and on a closed road as half of it is being rebuilt. Luckily roadworks have the weekend off and we negotiated the barriers OK and got out the other side. The descent towards Möhlin through the trees was great fun, with very little traffic coming towards us. Back down at river level we went along the rolling veloweg parallel to the motorway. The joggers taking part in the event at Zeiningen avoided us, and we them.

Avoiding all main roads we turned right and scrambled up the wall at Mumpf Bahnhof then on to the veloweg again. Last real stop was just before Schupfart at a bench, in the shade next to the burn. The air was clear, the birds were singing then the peace was shattered by a group of what seemed like the over 60s moped club outing  "nggeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee". The air turned a bit blue from the reek. 

Now, the last part Schupfart to Flugplatz climb and downhill before the very last climb to Asphof and we were back in Baselland again. Flying down the hill, wheech through Ormalingen and the ride ended in a cafe in downtown Gelterkinden and suger refill.

Really fun ride, weather a smidge warm and sunny  for my Scottish complexion but factor 50 did the job. 

I look forward to the next one.

Join the strava club if you want to see where we plan to go next or if you dont have Strava, just send me a message using the form on the right of this page.

Tour stats:

Distance - 55km

Climbing - 790m

Ave speed - 20kph