Tagesarchiv: 3. September 2009

Jerome and I will leave my house 6AM Sunday. We plan (subject to amendment, revision, clarification and alteration) to ride to Oume and then into Chichibu. I would like to try the quiet route along Tom’s „brand new“ (well, newly discovered) Haraichiba-Naguri Rindo and head North from it Rte 299, then climb up to the Green Line, along the Green Line to the NW and back South via Yamabushi Touge and along Nariki-Kaido. We could add on Ikusabata/Jerome Hill for the return if time permits. The plan is to be back at Futakotamagawa by 2PMish, no trains.

Let us know if you want to join at the start … or along the route.

On the Transalp, one of the nice things was how courteous most of the drivers were in Germany and Austria … and only a bit less so in Italy. When they saw a bicycle coming, they got WAY out of the way, not just assuming the cyclist would keep going in a straight line but really wanting to avoid any close proximity in case the cyclist swerved. This contrasts to Japan, where the drivers are generally polite, but the roads are narrow and there is little margin for error. And the U.S., where suburban moms in big SUVs barely notice you in mid-mobile phone conversation as they brush you over onto the edge of the road … but the road may have a nice, wide shoulder.

At least when Lance Armstrong rides around Austin Texas with his friends, the police don’t arrest him, as cyclingnews.com reports happened recently to Walter Perez of Argentina, Beijing Olympic gold medal winner in one of the Madison track events, when he joined a group ride down one of the few „rideable“ streets in Buenos Aires. (Note to self: avoid extended business trip to „B.A.“ — just remember Mark Sanford).

There is no video of the ride itself, but tempers were hot during the arrest.

What is the LEAST bicycle friendly place you have ridden/lived?

David L. added … then there is THIS story from Wisconsin … always watch before you start up when the light changes … don’t assume the car will actually stop just because there is a red light.