Friday Friendly in Switzerland

Bike travel should be easier than it is. I’d love to do some cycling with Irina through Russia and Turkey, but man… what a headache ! I do have good bike case. I even mangaged to use it once: took my Fuji from Geneva to Iowa for RAGBRAI. It wasn’t fun. Packing my regular suitcase and clothing is a chore, but try packing a bike. Try.  Once you’ve done it, you’ll think twice next time you tighten your pedals. Yeah, and my piano-size bike case cost me $150 as surplus luggage…and that was back in the good old days.

My problems would be compounded in Russia. Imagine I put the bike together in record time, then what ? I ride it from the airport ?! Where do I store the case ? And I don’t dare leave the bike out of my sight, so will have to face the flabby, flailing arms of my babushka hostesses as I wheel the velo through the livingroom. Of course, I could rent a bike… if the world were perfect, but Russia isn’t near perfect…in fact it’s 167th place on the list (see story below).

My good friend,  North Dakota Tim,  told me about Bike Friday: the folding bike invented in Fargo that folds fast and can pack in a backpack. But Tim’s pride in ND is unwavering, and just months before he had been boasting about the Bobcat skid loader, so I never gave the Bike Friday a second thought.

North Dakota School of Design

The Bob Cat 863 and the Bike Friday Pocket Rocket

News Flash: Switzerland Best Place in Universe

Swiss cities beat out Fargo, Bismark and other world metropoles in two highly regarded quality of life rankings. The Mercer Rankings showed that three of the world’s top ten cities are here in Switzerland: #1 Zurich, #2 Geneva and #9 Berne. Not to be outdone, the “World Values Survey” (a group of elitist pollsters snobs) found Switzerland to be the 2nd happiest country in the world…right behind Denmark. Now, you’re welcome to bike across Denmark, but if their happy-boom causes Danish hotels to fill up early, I’ll work hard to find you a place on a Bike Switzerland tour.

Russia, by the way, ranked 167th.

Happy, fat and foggy-headed

Having grown up with small town newspapers, I feel that it’s entirely appropriate to inform you that David Cotting (Author of 1,001 Bike Switzerland Salads) and myself were the privileged guests in the home of Tim (North Dakota) Anderson on Friday night. The ever-exotic “Pineapple” was served for dessert, and John helped himself to several glasses of Tim’s cherished single malt.