Archiv der Kategorie: Freunde

Positivo Espresso, Bremen und Sonstwo. Alle die mitmachen.

von | 24. Juli 2009 · 06:52

Saturday Ride July 25 – Nagano Shinkansen Touring

As I said on Friday, „I’m thinking of getting up early again and trying something a bit different — maybe hop the Nagano Shinkansen to Karuizawa (or better yet, one stop beyond to Sakudaira and from there a local train to Koumi), and then ride back over the intervening hills into Chichibu — Manfred country — or head west toward Utsukushigahara/the Marchen Line, the Venus Line, etc. …“

It worked, mostly! Nagano Shinkansen is a great option. It is easier and faster for me to get to Tokyo Station than to Hachioji, and a very fast trip from there–just over an hour to Karuizawa, a few more minutes to Saku, or if you prefer, on to Ueda and Nagano–much faster than getting to Enzan. A great way to extend our riding area to another climate zone in the summer, when needed. The cost is 5250 yen from Karuizawa back to Tokyo, but well worth it.

I was on the 6:24 train from Tokyo Station, at Karuizawa by 7:30. I continued to Sakudaira, and by local train up the valley (Koumi-sen to Koumi), assembled and was on the bicycle by 8:45. The major climb of the day was from Koumi (Elev 850) up through Matsubara-ko kogen, past Koumi Re-Ex Ski Resort, and eventually meeting Rte 299 (the „Marchen Line“) up and over Mugikusa-Touge (Elev 2130 meters). The climb gets easier (flatter) higher up and there was almost no traffic, so it was quite relaxed taken at a leisurely pace. After a few nice vistas on the climb, there was no view to speak of from the top as the morning clouds blocked most of Yatsu-gatake and everything to the West (where the South Alps should have been).

A photo of the sign marking the pass, which is fairly broad and flat, as seen in June edition of Cyclesports:

Over the top and starting down the other side, I rode into the clouds and some wind and drops of rain.

For the first time in quite awhile, I was riding on the Fulcrum Racing 1 wheels with tubeless tires (rear rim replaced by Nagai-san). I had forgotten how plush and fast the ride is … extremely comfortable, and I looked down at the speedometer and was surprised to see that I was going over 50 kph on the first slight downhill, though it felt more like 30.

The road descends to the Tateshina area on the West side–a huge wooded vacation area many miles across, homes hidden away on what looked like reasonably generous lots. I headed North on the „Venus Line,“ going up and down between 1350 and 1700 meters.

After a quick early lunch stop at a ski area’s ramen/soba shop (NOT Positivo approved–they make a fairly poor excuse for a bowl of ramen), the weather became increasingly sunny, but the area is high enough to be blissfully cool.

… Somewhere I got off the Venus Line. I missed the road to Utsugushigahara and ended up going straight north and starting a descent. I was on a great road, and there were fields, horse farms, lakes, and more vacation homes (almost all shuttered or otherwise looking deserted).

I headed down a valley toward Mochizuki, eventually reaching the point where the last thing I wanted to do was climb back toward Utsukushigahara — its mountains not even visible. A nice descent, very gradual descent down the lower valley–what could be any one of a hundred similar landscapes in the Japanese mountain countryside:
http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5764742&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1

Rte 152 from Tateshina toward Mochizuki, Nagano from David Litt on Vimeo.

I reached Rte 142 (The Naka Sendo) and took it east toward Saku, completing the loop to where I had left the shinkansen in the morning. … but my ride was far too short because of the wrong turn, and not enough climbing, so I decided to keep going East and took a route through southern Saku and up a small valley to (Nagano Prefectural Rte 44, though not marked.

I was off the map that I had brought with me, but remembered that there was a connecting road toward Karuizawa. The road had no traffic and climbed from 700 back to 1300 meters. It was hot and sunny, lots of blue sky. I finally got to the marked turn-off for the „super forest road??“ toward Karuizawa. The road started through a ghostly area of unsold vacation home plots (I can imagine the ads „secluded paradise … only 20 km to the nearest supermarket, conveniently located only 1 hour to the nearest expressway entrance; road not plowed in winter“).


From the ghost town, only 20 km winding through the forest to Karuizawa, with ups and downs, twists and turns, but mostly downhill the last 10 km. In the middle of the forest, equally far from either end of the road, there was a toll gate — an old guy sitting in a trailer in the middle of the forest who came out and opened the gate for me (bicycles free!). He must need to get up and open the gate at least once or twice an hour.

Then down through a vacation home area on a hillside south of Karuizawa, and another 5-7 km left for a victory ride down a main road and through town to the station. I felt as if I was finishing a big solo breakaway, put down the hammer, full gasAs I got into the more crowded streets I sat up, back straight, and tried to make it look really easy without losing speed. In the end, just under 130 km and 2800 meters of climbing, mostly at a leisurely pace and in somewhat favorable conditions. No one pushing me to ride fast or far–much, much less intense than Michael and Tom’s ride with TCC. No particular training goal for once. Just an opportunity to see someplace different and spend a sunny day outside covering some nice territory. And home for dinner.

Next time … maybe another try at Utsukushigahara? Or 2000+ meter Kuruma-zaka Touge (North from Sakudaira, instead of South)? Or maybe a longer ride out from Tokyo, take the „Crystal Line“ NW of Enzan 1/2 way up Odarumi Pass, but don’t go down to Kofu. Instead head North over Shinshu Touge and down the valley to Sakudaira, then hop the train home? Maybe all three options?
Copy Of Nagano ride
Find more Bike Rides in Nagano, Japan

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Eingeordnet unter David

von | 21. Juli 2009 · 05:04

The Horrors of Sasago

The legendary Sasago Tunnel – entry point to untold horrors


Tom, David and me were on the way back from Odarumi on route 20, Tom in front and me some 100 meters behind and David some 300 meters behind perhaps when we came to the road that leads to Sasago Pass and the old Sasago Tunnel.

We waited some 50 meters of the road at a Jidohanbaiki for David to arrive, when I saw him passing by. I shouted „David!“ but he just continued so I had no choice but to ride back to route 20 and follow him up on the slope, trying to catch him.

Actually, this is a very interesting probably non-linear mathematical optimization equation, or problem along the following lines:

You are following 300 meters behind a bicycle rider which rides at constant 20 km/hr towards an abyss (Sasago Main Tunnel) without knowing this. You are following this rider at 25 km/hr speed and you want to warn him, however you do not know from which distance between the two of you he can hear you.

Every time you are shouting a warning, your speed drops to 15 km/hr for a period of 10 seconds as you are running out of breath. Assuming that there is a logarithmic relation between the probability of your warning being heard and the distance between you and the bicycle rider with 0% chance at 300 meters and 100% chance at 0 meters, how would you time your warning shouts and at which distance from the start point would the rider stop ?

Not sure about the correct answer, but the maximum distance would be 1.500 meters (5 km/hr speed difference to cover 300 meter distance difference at 25 km/hr).

Anyway, David was tired and decided to ride home by train so we bid good bye and I followed Tom up the slopes to Sasago Pass. The climb is very nice, very gradual, but also more than 400 meters up. It is hard to imagine that this was the main road to Kofu until 1958 when the main road tunnel of route 20 was completed. And even the old tunnel was only completed in 1938, before that there was a pass even at a higher point above the tunnel.

Tom was fast as usual and despite all his lamenting on the blog that he has becoming an old man, not able to withstand the cycling challenges of middle-aged salaryman from Hyogo prefecture, I don’t see this decay actually happen on the road when riding with him.

Since years I am telling my kids about the horrors awaiting oversuspicious cyclists in the Sasago Tunnel. I try to fine tune my stories along the lines of old stories by H.P. Lovecraft that I read as a kid. I was also inspired by a blog entry of Tom some time ago, where he felt that something slimy was touching his legs while riding through the tunnel, having lost all sense of room and time and falling into an eternal vertigo.Wiki, now the source of all knowledge to mankind defines the work of H.P.
Lovecraft as following:

Lovecraft’s major inspiration and invention was cosmic horror, the idea that life is incomprehensible to human minds and that the universe is fundamentally alien. Those who genuinely reason, like his protagonists, gamble with sanity. […..] His works were deeply pessimistic and cynical, challenging the values of the Enlightenment, Romanticism, and Christian humanism.Lovecraft’s protagonists usually achieve the mirror-opposite of traditional gnosis and mysticism by momentarily glimpsing the horror of ultimate reality.

„… momentarily glimpsing the horror of ultimate reality …“, I guess that has a lot to do with „defying gravity by speed of ascent up some semi-vertical hillock“.

So I told my son (12) and daughter (7) who were listening with horror in disbelief, that in their are giant, invisible octopus living in holes arranged at the ceiling of Sasago tunnel. Every now and then, when a stupid cyclists rides alone into the tunnel, they let down their tentacles, try to grasp him and move him up so they have splendid dinner to chew on for some days. Tom was barely able to escape and I named him as the eyewitness to this horrors.

OF course my kids didn’t believe a single word, so I had to prepare better evidence. Tom was so kind to take some photos of myself while fighting with the octopus in the tunnel. As I said, they are invisible so it is a little bit difficult to see them in the photo, but I presume that the expression of horror in my face speaks for itself.Just when he handed back the camera to me, Tom was also attached by these godless creatures.
Luckily I could take a picture of this heinous assault.

After surviving Sasago Tunnel we rode down to this famous cedar (sugi) tree the older bike rider has told me about at Tomin no Mori some days ago. It is supposingly 1.000 years old and inside completely hollow to the top. It seems to have come out directly from a Miyasaki movie.

We then road a high speed to Otsuki. Although the compact crank is nice for the climbs, it is true that on the downhill a 52/11 gear ratio adds more speed, I was not able at all to cope with Tom here.

At Otsuki station I was lucky to get an express train back to Hachioji and then hop on the Yokohama line back to Shin Yokohama from where I wanted to ride the last 8 km or so back home.

But what did I had to notice when I just unpacked my bike at the station? Another flat rear tire. So far for the existence of the Japanese Tube Gods. I thought, OK, this is only small puncture and the air is coming out slowly, so if I inflate the tire again, I might be able to ride home. I had my small hand pump with me and I pumped as hard as I could and started tor ride as fast as I could. Which brought me exactly to the Nissan Stadium before I was out of air again. So I pumped again. Which brought me to Nippa station. So I pumped again, but his time the air would simply not stay in the tire.

I didn’t want to pack and unpack the bike for only one station of a train ride and I was also very angry so I rode home on the rim.

Where I told my kids the story of the Sasgo Tunnel and showed them the photos. They didn’t believed a single word.

2 Kommentare

Eingeordnet unter 2009, David, Mob, Tom

von | 21. Juli 2009 · 04:39

Some more Odarumi Stories

Another report on the Odarumi ride is here (in Flemish).

Some of the views from the road were quite nice, but due to the thick cloud cover there was not very much to be seen most of the time.
David was going strong, as usual I had a hard time to follow him at the start of the climb but I was becoming faster closer to the summit. I became further motivated by riding in the starting rain, I thought if I could climb fast enough I may escape over the clouds.
Arriving at the top was somewhat of an anti-climax. The road stops. Well not exactly but it becomes a gravel road, not suitable for road racing bikes. There is no tea house, mountain witch, nothing. But there were cars parked on the side of the road for the last 500 meters and it was surprisingly crowded for such a desolate place.

On the way down I had again a rear tear puncture. I was taking a curve a higher speed when I suddenly got this wobbly feeling. I thought, well perhaps a wind gust, but the next curve the same thing happened. I stopped and the rear tire was almost flat.

Now, 2009 is the year of the flat (rear) tires; I am now almost up to 10 since May. This brought memories back of the time when Juliane and me were still riding with a „traditional“ Japanese cycling club, today called Tamagawa Cyclists.
They were very, very strict concerning the rules how punctured tires have to be disposed off. And perhaps, I thought, it is because I was not following these rules that I was cursed by the Japanese Tube Gods with a series of punctures.

So once I finished the tire exchange and had the bike ready again, I lay down on the side of the road with the old tire in front of me and thanked him for all the hard work he had done on many kilometers inside the hot and tight Continental GP4000 tube (orange, of course):

„お疲れ様、タイヤー様。これからも宜しくお願い致します。“


Then I buried the tire along the road where he has a good view on approaching cyclists on their climbs. I hoped that this will help. It did not, as can be read in the post about Sasago Tunnel.

Many thanks to David, Tom and Hiroshi, the incredible „bunny hopper“ for this nice trip.

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Eingeordnet unter 2009, David, Hiroshi, Mob, Tom

von | 17. Juli 2009 · 05:50

Odarumi attack Sunday — Success!

Partial Ride Report [by David L.]:
Michael and I made our early morning train connections as planned and attached Odarumi after filling our water bottles and stocking up on some provisions a 7/11 (approved) near Enzan Station.

As it was 8AM and cloudy, the humidity and heat were still contained somewhat, and we reached the bottom of the climb without difficulty. I urged that we take the „direct“ climb rather than going over Yakiyama Touge („Burnt Mountain Pass“) since Jerome and I had already climbed via Yakiyama last month.

Just after we started up, Michael got a call … from Hiroshi, who had decided to join us and driven from Tokyo, but did not tell anyone until his arrival (delayed somewhat by traffic). Michael spoke with him as we continued to climb. We know that Hiroshi is faster uphill than we are, and it sounded from Michael’s description as if he was already near the entry to the climb, so we kept going, expecting to see him reach and pass us somewhere along the climb.

Hiroshi’s (Japanese language) report and a few photos are available here.

The climb was MUCH easier than when I did it with Jerome last month. While I would like to believe this is because I succeeded in reaching a „new level“ as a climber by participating in the Transalp, I am afraid the much more obvious causes are (1) not having started the day by riding 100km plus from home, over Yanagisawa, and (2) weather that was probably 5-7 degrees (C) cooler than the climb with Jerome and without harsh direct sunlight.

As usual, Michael climbed a bit faster than I did. We stayed together, trading front positions until around 1600 meters, then Michael pulled ahead. I could still see him around some of the bends in the road as we went through the flat-ish 5km section between 1700-1750 meters elevation, but from there to the top I kept up my plodding pace, while he accelerated, taking advantage of a slightly reduced grade of the climb, and the confidence that he could make it up without difficulty.

I was glad to make the entire 35 km from the 7/11 in Enzan to the top of Odarumi, over 2000 meters of climbing, without stopping. The only time my foot touched down was when I stood to climb out of the saddle and my cleat slipped out of the pedal (time to replace that cleat!).

The clouds darkened dramatically and the wind gusted on top. We put on our windbreakers and had just started the descent … when we saw Hiroshi coming up. After waiting for him to summit and start back down (and, in fact, going back up to the top to make sure that he was, in fact, planning to spend not too long up top), we started the descent. Hiroshi and I ended up ahead with Michael nowhere to be seen. We pulled over to wait and, after 5 minutes, had decided to head back up to see what was keeping him (tire puncture? crash? other????) when Tom can zooming up, having ridden all the way from home. These photos are mostly from Tom, and his full trip report can be found here.

The 3 of us went up until we met Michael, who had changed a flat tire tube. We descended together, turned off the main route halfway down, climbed over Yakiyama Touge and descended through the adjacent valley. We rode through light rain, but just enough to cool us down, not enough to make the road damp or slick.

After farewell to Hiroshi, and a ramen stop, Tom led Michael and me through the Enzan/Katsunuma area and toward the west entrance off Rte 20 to Sasago Pass.

While Tom was right that going through Enzan/Katsunuma saved us from the hilly Fruit Line, the air was oppressive — way too much humidity, mixed with some auto exhaust and a blend of diesel particulate. I had not gotten nearly enough sleep the night before, and was suffering from a combination of modest stomach issues and pain in my feet (really need to experiment with other cleat locations). In the end, I hopped the train home from Kai Yamato, while Michael and Tom headed up Sasago.

Michael will need to report on what happened thereafter … and add any photos of note.

David L.
(added a few photos, Tom)
________________________________
David and I are finally going to climb Odarumi Toge [2.360 m] on Sunday (19). Previous attempts were unsuccessful for various reasons, including a too ambitious climbing program in 2008 on the previous day’s approach which killed 3 our of 5 riders.

Now this time we would like to do it properly and therefore we are going by train:

06:35 Hachioji – 07:50 Enzan (Chuo Line to Matsumoto)

It will take about three hours of climbing up and one hour down, so we should be back in Enzan by one. Whereas we will reassess our strength and go for some more leisurely riding in the vicinity (Yanagizawa, Kamihikawa, Sasago) or take the train home again.

Would anybody like to join (who has not refused so far) ?

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Eingeordnet unter 2009, David, Hiroshi, Mob, Tom

von | 13. Juli 2009 · 01:22

Positivo Espresso C Squad Report

The C squad, consisting of David, Jerome and me reassembled at the shores of lake Okutama and decided in view of the time to cancel all plans to climb Yanagisawa or even Odarumi. Instead we opted for the Tsuru + Tawa road back to route 20. I did not recall that the climb from this side as so steep, but all of us were creeping up at less than 10 km/hr despite hard training in the alps of Europe and Japan.

The descent that follows is very rewarding, a nice road indeed. And also fast, maximum speed of 72 km/hr is something I don’t reach too often.
We were taking a break between Tsuru und Tawa when two things happened: First a group of foreign cyclists rode up the Tsuru hill with the first rider leaned over the handle and going at a fast pace but essentially riding free handed (either this or he had no hands). I thought that they would be from the TCC but David called and they didn’t respond.

Secondly a Japanese car driver stopped as he thought that the small hut at the rest place would contain a toilet. He was going around the hut and looked for the door when Jerome noticed him and pointed at a point in the woods and said „there it is“. Well there was no toilet there, but all the authority in Jerome’s voice strongly suggested, that this precisely is the designated toilet point … until David took pity on him and pointed out that the small building nearby was, in fact, a restroom.

We skipped the golf course hills and had a long lunch at Uenohara’s famous Narita Shokudo, a place where even the emperor drove by as witnessed by a photo inside. It took years until we got finally our food but it was good to catch up with all Transalp news.
David and Jerome then rode home along route 20 while I had some more time left and took road 76 over to Doshi Michi, then rode to Miyagase lake and as I still had time and power mounted an attack on Yabitsu.

This was the first time since the accident that I felt I had sufficient power in my legs to make faster climbs. All the previous tours I was climbing at the edge but yesterday I felt that I had some reserved and could go faster if required. And I was fast, despite the 1.500 meters of climbing I had already in my legs.

But I am still lacking the stamina to go fast for a longer period. I was running out of gas on the last part of the climb between the teahouse and the top and was 18 seconds slower than my best time.

A fast descent brought me to Hadano station where I took the train home and made it to our doors one minute before the deadline imposed by my wife.

Total 120 km only in 11 hours (including 3 hours of train rides), but 2.000 meters up and again no wasted distance on unpleasant roads.

It was a bit difficult to combine the speeds of all riders and go as a group. In order to compensate, I convinced James, michael and Graham to ride up to the Mitake cable car station as some kind of preparation for the Kazahari climb. That seems to have been very much appreciated and will be referred to as „the spike“ in future posts.

[Some minor additional edits by David L.]

5 Kommentare

Eingeordnet unter 2009, David, James, Jerome, Mob

von | 5. Juli 2009 · 15:58

TCC – Positivo Espresso training

Teamed up with Philip of the TCC to complete a 222km loop taking me to known destinations but in a combination which was new to me: the Tsuru valley up from Uenohara, Suzugane up from Sarubashi (and without walking through endless snow), a pretty hilly link between 35 and 412. We went at relatively fast pace – average of just over 25km/h plus a total of two hours of stops in altogether 11 hours away from home.

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Eingeordnet unter 2009, tcc

von | 5. Juli 2009 · 15:34

Kawasaki Pista Track

Hiroshi kindly invited me over to the Keirin Track Training today in Kawasaki. I was late and the start was rather unusual.

As I left home in a hurry I had no time to take a look at a map and find out the precise location of the Kawasaki Keirin Track called URBAN BANK. I have been there in January and I thought that I would find it easily, but I found myself wandering aimlessly around before I could find a map. Ah, there it was, the characteristic oval on the map, just a couple of corners away …. and there I was at the entrance and between the track and me was only an older guard man. Who refused to let me in. I insisted. I explained that the club of my friends was training inside. I strongly pointed out that I need to go in now. He didn’t budged. I said:

„Look, I have been riding with the club there on my bike already in January!“ „On the horse track?“


Oh. One look at the signpost at the gate and I had to admit that he was right, I didn’t rode to the Keirin track but to the nearby horse racing (keiba) track.

So I was very late for the training.

Hiroshi was already there and in good mood. We rode some laps at low speed, then went up and down the banks until we gathered a group of five riders and started to draft around the track. The speed was picking up and after a while we have lost almost all riders. There was a group of three left and Hiroshi was already pulling his third lap in the front when I had to give up as well.

There were some obvious reasons for this:

a) a strong headwind on the finishing straight
b) my legs were still tired from
1) The Hitachi Naka Four Hour Endurance Race
2) My venture up Dosaka some days ago
3) Playing squash the day before
c) neither Hiroshi nor anyone of his friends provides adequate draft for me while
d) I provide draft for a line of riders which would stretch almost over one lap.

After that we took some more slow laps, I tried some more high banks and fast runs and then we did some other fast laps but I couldn’t outdo Hiroshi today. But I will train hard.

I did maybe 80 km on the track today but my legs are extremely tired afterwards. When I went on the scale at home afterwards I was finally below 90 kg for the first time since …I don’t know….and as a non-smoker perhaps for a first time since 1994 (When I was working in China. There were no cigarettes available except for some very nasty varieties and there was almost no edible food there as well.)

I like the track riding very much. I really have to make an effort to follow Hiroshi and I feel that I am getting stronger by riding hard. This has probably a better effect on my body than some of the longer trips.

Thank you Hiroshi for taking me there. we also spoke about a road which branches off from the (Sagamiko) descent of Otarumi Toge and goes first to a place called Bijotani (Valley of the beautiful women) and then further on to the backside of Wada Toge. Must go there.

So I am now very tempted to apply for the JCRC „Try the bank“ event in Omiya in August. Anybody interested to join me?

Photos courtesy of Hiroshi. I tried to rotate them into correct position but in vain. Please note that my new Positivo Espresso bib shorts are still in the washing machine. I have to speak a serious word with my better half.

UPDATE. I rotated them for you.. Jimmy Shin.

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Eingeordnet unter 2009, Hiroshi, Mob

von | 5. Juli 2009 · 01:07

Transalp – The Finish


We are done! A great last stage on the 4th of July. Crossing the finish line:

… we actually had a relaxed evening strolling the shores of Lago di Garda, eating ice cream (for protein), attending the award ceremony (where jerome enjoyed much time with champions Roux and Mestre) and we got our coveted 2009 finisher jerseys. We even got to meet Siegfried and Brunhilda (whose mother’s name, as it would happen, is Brunhilda) – photos to come with the full report.

Links:
Before the Start
More before the Start
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Stage 5
Stage 6

The press release:

PM_Lueckentext Positivo Espressohttp://d.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=17557131&access_key=key-22ql6gju7578ier3yp7q&page=1&version=1&viewMode=

The final photos:

Celebration by the Lake:

The traditional Positivo Espresso ice cream shop/cafe in Riva di Garda (do not dare stop anywhere else):


Jerome’s version of the road racing cyclist’s gaunt cheeks:

The Closing Ceremony/Presentation/Dinner (PLEASE click on this photo to see a larger image — much more impressive):

Jerome explains his „turtle“ climbing style to the Masters champion Messr. Roux and the French Connection team:

David, via Juliane, gets to meet Siegfried (aka Jorg Ludewig) and Brunhilda (aka Claudia Frank). … who took second place in the Mixed category.

… and a second photo as they share an intimate moment …

The French champions rest their caps on top of the Masters trophies:

… and we pose for the adoring fans after collecting our coveted „Finisher“ jerseys:

3 Kommentare

Eingeordnet unter 2009, David, Jerome, Transalp

von | 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 | 27. Juni 2009 · 06:30

BREAKING NEWS FROM TRANSALP

DAY -1



In Transit
We arrived on time at CDG in Paris 415AM and are using the lounge — showers, a place to charge electronic devices, and last but not least breakfast, including a wide array of Lactalis diary products such as this delicious (delicieux?) serving of President brand Tomme Noire fromage.

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Eingeordnet unter 2009, David, Jerome, Juliane, Transalp