Hike-a-Bike
Bike: Porrentruy to Muriaux, 27 miles, 3700 feet of climb
Accommodation: Les couleurs du vent--Chambre d'hôte (Airbnb); host Taryn. B&B outside Muriaux and Saignlegier. Actually, a large room with private bath and separate entry that Taryn and his wife built for her parents to stay in when they visit and for Airbnb guests the rest of the time. Very nice and comfortable. Double bed, coffee maker, bath, wifi, terrace, large windows. Horses in the pasture next door. 500 meters to a woodfire bakery.
We started the day with a big mushroom and tomato omelet in our apartment, and were out the door at 9:00 sharp. Our upstairs neighbors were loading their ebikes and on their way to catch a train back to their home in Geneva. As we rode out of town, we paralleled the train and waved them on.
The ride began with a steep 1200-foot climb, followed by an equally steep 1200-foot drop to the tiny medieval village of Saint-Ursanne. We made our way to a boulangerie in the center of town, where we shared a table with a guy from Bern who had brought the train over for a weekend of cycling in the Jura Mountains. This is a very popular area for cycling of all sorts—mountain, road, touring.
Next was a really long, steep 2400-foot climb. Fortunately, it was cool (in the 70s) and partially cloudy, so we at least didn’t have the heat to contend with. The scenery was spectacular, but the gradients were so high that I did a lot of walking—which is okay but not as much fun as biking.
Once we were on the top, we cycled through fields of horses, cows, goats, and sheep, with gates and cattle guards to maneuver around and through. The area is crisscrossed with cycle trails of all sorts, and we were constantly meeting and greeting other cyclists. Most of the long-distance touring cyclists (with saddlebags) were on ebikes.
We pulled in to our B&B near Muriaux around 16:30, very tired and hungry. After quick showers, we got back on the bikes and rode a mile to a restaurant that was supposed to be open and serving fondue. It was open but not serving food until 18:45. So we made a reservation, rode back to our B&B, and called Joshua and family. It was good to talk to the boys, hear about their summer, and reassure ourselves that we did not break Konur on the Loire.
Back to the restaurant for a huge green salad and all the fondue we could possibly eat, then back to our room for a good (we hope) sleep.
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| We found crosses erected to mark the old Roman road throughout our bike routes in the Jura Mountains. This one is dated 1145. |
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| The Jura Mountains are incredibly beautiful--and the bike routes are mostly paved little lanes with almost no traffic. Perfect! |
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| The last stretch to our B&B took us through horse pastures between Muriaux and Saignlegier, which is the regional capital and home to Switzerland’s largest horse auction. The horses ignored us; we were not the first cyclists they'd seen. |
