Tagesarchiv: 4. Juli 2009

von bikesnob28hb | 4. Juli 2009 · 06:57

An idea

Flipping through the back pages of the Positivo Espresso blog, I believe that we have now a quite impressive collection of roads and climbs in the greater Tokyo area and I wonder if it would be possible to publish them as a book. Clearly, Tokyo is not exactly first choice when it comes to the target selection for the next cycle holidays but still I feel that there are many people out who want to escape from the city on the bike and make day trips without too much hassle.

I thought about a structure with some general introduction to Japan, some information about Tokyo, cycling in Japan and general tips and hints, followed by a selection of routes we have taken in the past with maps or mapmyride links. The idea is to have them as connected modules, so you can add modules together and devise your own ride.

This is what I was doing when I rode out yesterday :

Module : Hashimoto Station – Tsukui Ko North road – Doshi Michi Entry at Mikabi

Module : Doshi Michi entry Mikabi – Doshi Route 76 Crossing at Aone

Module : Route 76 Aone – Route 35/76 Crossing

Module : Route 35 / 76 Crossing to Road 139

Module : Route 130 – Dosaka Pass – Doshi Michi

…. and so on.

Any idea how to tackle such a project and who would be interested in publishing this? Of course for me alone that would be too much of a task, any interest to join?

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Eingeordnet unter 2009, Mob

von bikesnob28hb | 4. Juli 2009 · 04:43

Dictionary of contemporary cycling phrases

From the TCC site adapted from http://amateurtrigirl.blogspot.com/

I’m out of shape“

Translation: I ride 400 miles a week and haven’t missed a day since the Meiji period. I replace my 11-tooth cog more often than you wash your shorts. My body fat percentage is lower than your mortgage rate.

„I’m not into competition. I’m just riding to stay in shape“

Translation: I will attack until you collapse in the gutter, babbling and whimpering. I will win the line sprint if I have to force you into oncoming traffic. I will crest this hill first if I have to grab your seat post and spray Pocari Sweat in your eyes.

„I’m on my beater bike“

Translation: I had this baby custom-made in Tuscany using composites blessed by the Pope. I took it to a wind tunnel and it disappeared. It weighs less than a fart and costs more than a divorce.

„It’s not that hilly“

Translation: This climb lasts longer than a tea ceremony. Be careful on the steep sections or you’ll fall over — backward. You have a 39×23 low gear? Here’s the name of my knee surgeon.

„This is a no-drop ride“

Translation: I’ll need an article of your clothing for the search-and- rescue dogs.

„It’s not that far“

Translation: Bring your passport

„We should be back before it gets dark“

Translation: Check on your life insurance policy and leave a parting note to your loved ones。

Any typical Positivo Espresso phrases you would like to add?

„We are taking regular food supply breaks“

Translation: Don’t even dare to stop at any other shop than a 7-eleven. Even when riding the Transalp.

„Sure it’s OK for newcomers to join us on a ride out in the mountains.“

Translation: You are lured into the moutains and left in a place from where you have no idea how to ride home. One of the newcomers, Paul Jason changed bis phone number and e-mail address after the ride. You might want to consider to do the same before.

„This is the last hill.“

Translation: Expect at least five similar climbs on the remainder of the ride, although unless the speaker has a very short memory, is intentionally misleading you, or just has a warped sense of perception, each upward slope can be somehow distinguished from that „last hill“, as follows:

–you do not actually go over a „pass“ before heading downward again;
–the steep part is only a few kilometers long;
–it is not a hill, just a series of „steep rollers“ stacked near each other, so even though you climb a thousand meters with a 10%+ average grade, you end up only 150 meters higher than you started, etc., etc.

But the most likely explanations are that the speaker is intentionally misleading you, if a racer, or suffering from warped perception, if a long or ultra-long distance cyclist.

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Eingeordnet unter 2009, Mob, tcc

von bikesnob28hb | 4. Juli 2009 · 04:37

Horrors of the Transalp – Day 6

This was the big day. Third and last of the „major“ passes (Passo di Gavia – just over 2600 meters elevation) this trip, 3770 meters of climbing and 181 km distance. Our strategy was to attack from the beginning to end.

Passo d’Eira
Passo Foscagno
Passo di Gavia
Passo Tonale and
Passo di Mendola („Mendelpass“ in German).

David J and Juliane were 69th place today in the mixed group. Siegfried and Brunhilda lost another 10 minutes.

Jerome and I had our best stage finish – 156th place. We are now 162 out of 179 in the Masters general classification, up from 166. Messrs Dupont and Dumond (actually Messrs. Roux and Mestre) retook the lead of the Masters category.

Highlights of the day’s ride —

I was actually up the first two passes and Gavia with Juliana and David J and a few minutes ahead of Jerome … a new experience for me this trip. Juliana says I am her hero, hauling 98 kgs up those hills! Maybe it was due to the leg stretching I did at the starting area:

… or maybe it was a result of raising my seatpost a few millimeters so that I could sit back and spin more smoothly on the steeper slopes?
Rickard Lindkvist poses for a photo with the Positivo Espresso team, as the three chat about the day’s upcoming „Queen Stage“ of the race:

Leaving Livigno:
Jerome the monster climber appeared on Passo Tonale.
Jerome and I pulled a train along a long flat stretch after Tonale. Eventually a tandem (not officially in the event but riding passed our group and motioned for riders to draft off of them. I jumped at the opportunity, as did a rider named Andre. We had a very fast ride the rest of the way down the valley.
Gavia was less spectacular to look at on the climb than Stelvio, but offered a 3-4 km flat section on top — like another world. The descent was ridiculous — narrow road, hairpins, -16% grade at spots, construction, potholes, and traffic coming up at us.

Mission … almost accomplished.

P.S. Transalp camp in Kaltern, another gymnasium, has no hot water in the showers. The sleeping quarters, however, are very hot, and without apparent ventilation. So we took our camp to the graffiti-covered back porch. Jerome started to sleep out under some trees, until the ants came. Then he moved to the top of the concrete ping pong table (right side of photo), but was able to take over a spot from another sleeper next to David J. (left side of photo) when David J.’s snoring drove a stranger to seek indoor accommodations in the middle of the night. This is what it looked like at 6:30AM, when everyone else had already started to pack up for the day: