von | 22. April 2010 · 02:50

Ludwig, the Last

Ludwig I. was king of Bavaria in the 19th century and contributed greatly to the city planning of Munich. His wedding is said to be the start of the „Oktoberfest“ tradition. His grandson Ludwig II., much better known as the „mad king“ squandered money unscrupulously and built many castles which now greatly contribute to the touristic value of the state. His tradition is continued by Japanese public works. Ludwig the Last is not related to any of the above (although one may argue that he posses a similar level of obsessions as his famous predecessors), but is the unofficial name of the perhaps last ride Ludwig (Manfred) and me did together last Sunday.

It was awful cold when I left the house at 5:20hr in the morning and arriving at the Tamagawa I found the view obscured by ground fog and frost. Almost a scene from autumn days. Ludwig was cyclo-crossing while I opted for the bare Cervelo without bottles, bags, lights but with new Shimano Ultegra rear wheel and 11/28 cassette. As I needed to be back home by 12:30 hr, we headed out fast along the Tamagawa and later Asagawa in direction Takao through an increasingly thick fog. Until I realised that my glasses had fogged up and the weather was not as bad as it seemed to be. Then, we made a turn on Jimbakaido and headed out for Wada; when we made one more turn suddenly the sky was blue and the temperature very pleasant – great. So we speeded up for the entry of Wada where we wanted to time-trial up.

I had prepared myself well for this; firstly I thought that Ludwig would pull me up, secondly I had a 34/28 gear to bring me through the hard times and thirdly I spend 30 minutes at the very nice toilet hut with heated toilet seat at the bus stop before the start of the climb to get rid of any excess weight which was still lingering in my bowels.

Off we went and Ludwig speeded ahead, but at least I could still see him some 20 – 30 meters ahead so I thought that I would be doing good. But somehow I was out of shape, the road was also slippery from the rain and snow and perhaps a 34/28 gear is just too easy – in any case I arrived only a minute later than Ludwig on the top but still did only a time between 20 and 21 minutes. Which is OK, but not really great after investing 40.000 Yen for a new wheel.

Perhaps next time a will try an enema to further reduce weight.

On the top we met Steve from TCC who rode up from the other side and was scheduled for hanami at Shinjuku Gyoen in the afternoon. I think it is a very good idea to go there after the cherry blossom season is over, as it will not be that crowded any longer.

We went down on the other side and continued back along route 20 where we made a stop at the Seven-Eleven before Sagamiko Station. Here we met some Japanese riders, two out of three on Cervelos and we asked them if they would know a road between route 20 and Tsukui lake after having crossed Otarumi in direction Takao. One of them was introduced as „quite kuwashii“ but he had no other suggestions but to go on 412/413 (..yawn..) which is anyway before Otarumi from this side, or to go up Otarumi (if we desperately wanted to do so) and ride down again the same side and then take 412/413 (..yawn..). Sorry guys, but in order to qualify as „kuwashii“ in our opinion, you must do better than this.

So we time-trialed up Otarumi from the Sagmiko side and again Ludwig went ahead but I was able to draft for about 2/3 of the time before we saw James and Yair riding down in the opposite direction. Again, I did a 17:34 min time which is OK but not great.

Going down the other side, we saw at least 30 – 40 riders going up: two larger Narushima groups, one group of Aqua guys in blue and some more individual riders. Clearly the good weather and the cycling boom in Japan has enticed everyone to leave the winter pillows behind and try some hills.

Ludwig and me, following our tradition to explore at least one new stretch of roads every ride out, wanted now to cross over to Tsukui lake riding some uncharted rindos and trails we have found on Google map the day before. So 2/3 of the way down we took a right turn and rode up a small road until we came to a charming hidden love hotel consisting of many small bungalows. Some meters up the road we met an equally charming hiking group of old ladies who we asked what the best way to Tsukui lake would be. They were definitely „kuwashii“ and advised us against going up this rode but to turn back and take the next road branching off from route 20.Which we did and that brought us to one of the famous Ukai restaurants, Toriyama which we hesitated to approve for PE as it seems to be rather expensive and does not stock Weider jelly packs. Some hundred meters further up the asphalted road stopped and became a rather nice dirt trail which then became a not so nice dirt trail and continued to become a rugged, slippery and poorly drained, dirty dirt trail, hardly fit for road bikes. Ludwig slipped and crashed just in front of me and then I went in front and crashed as well, so we decided to walk up part of the way. Actually, almost all of the way. On the top we had a nice view on Shiroyama lake and then we came to a small temple where we had an even better view of the Tsukui lake from a very new angle.Finally we rode down another dirt track to the main road at Tsukui, where I went ahead to Hashimoto and jumped the train home and Ludwig did some more riding as recorded in his own account:

After MOB had left for Hashimoto station, I cycled up to the Shiroyama reservoir lake. At the power generation plant, I saw a map that indicated one could walk all around the lake, and much of it looked like it was a paved road. I was delighted - I knew the lake from hiking by it at the opposite side, and had hitherto thought there was no access road around it. Actually MOB thought so too, and had noted that it was an exception to my observation that in Japan dam lakes always have access roads all around them.
I rolled down to the dam and crossed it on a widely paved road, frequented by hikers and a sports club of youngsters running around the lake in pairs. So far so good.

But as soon as I had crossed the dam, I found myself on a hiking trail which forced me to push or carry the bike. Can't be that long I thought. Well, it turned out to go on like this basically around the entire lake, climbing up probably 150m above the lake. I had to climb up and down many long stairs, and even where there were no stairs, it was mostly impossible to cycle.

There were plenty of hikers, and of course I drew their full attention - a biker on a hiking trail, how crazy... Yes, and that's a bit how I felt too.

Eventually I got close to Misawa Toge which MOB and I had crossed only a few hours ago. I found a gravel road that led down towards the lake and from there on was able to sit on my bike again continuously. I arrived back where I had started 45 minutes earlier. This had been much harder than I thought - and carrying a bike for most of the time made it harder than normal hiking.

Back down at the first conbini, I was debating whether to seek out other mountains, but with all the hiking, I had lost my rhythm and didn't really feel like doing another excursion.

I headed home instead, taking the Tank Road (with a small detour through the park) and its full extension (which I find more interesting than the Tank Road itself), and then the roads through Tsurukawa, Noborito on to Setagaya Dori.

Early on I passed a slower rider in full gear on a road racer. He felt slighted being overtaken by a crossbike and tried to pursue me, sitting in my draft. I shook him off pretty quickly. But now I was in racing mood, so kept cycling the full bit home at high speed and relatively high heart rate. That compensated for the early finish.

144km with 1900m BBiT climbing (this time possibly close to the true climbing due all the hiking which my Ciclo doesn't capture well).

http://www.mapmyride.com/route/jp/kanto/880127158506963196



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von | 20. April 2010 · 13:47

one year on…

I have been thinking of the best way to bring about this post and in that thought process sided with the new arrival of Yuta, the day got passed me.
One year ago (yesterday) I found myself in a very euphoric state of Oh Sh*t, don’t panic, what is he going to do, I have no where to go and I am, am I, going to be OK? Other things running in past the view screens were of course what happen..ed, where is my wife, did I really land on my head, I’m allergic to penicillin, James I think I broke my arm…my wifes phone number is….I think I landed on my head…I’m allergic to penicillin…did I already say that…I know my wife’s phone number…zero ahhh zero…I’m allergic to penicillin….ahh zero…my ass is on fire…

As if in time with the rest of the world in a cosmic time space continuum crashes were happening all around. I too of course was not to escape the cosmic tractor beam and the rest is history. Some interesting facts about the ordeal, „breaking“ your neck isn’t all that bad as I found that while wearing the neck brace for 6+ months really helps out when long night at the bar is a foot. Also, while very cautious as we all have experienced in our own way, the Japanese medical system is VERY good. I was really impressed by it all AND VeRy thankful that I had my Japanese wife and her family on my side. While a many hours were spent at home watching five or more movies a day, my great prolific team mates kept my spirits up by detailing the wonderful rides that ended that summer, obviously not written with neck brace man in mind none the less wonderful reads. Lastly the over all reaction of those around me during the recovery. Many wonderful people gave and displayed their support while others well, didn’t…such is life. It’s a bit unfortunate although a reality that times like these and incidents that happen, tend to make one reflect. In a perfect world one wouldn’t need a traumatic event like this but then again…

Over this last year there have been many recoveries, new beginnings, life a new and moves on the horizon. Change is good and life must go on, and on it goes. Some may know others may have heard, we will be relocating to place where reflection is closer to a daily process tied in with fruity beverages, white sands, Polynesian spirit and cool breezes that softly whisper to the olfactory senses…Hawaii

One could say a bucket list should follow such an event, I say I’ve got my list although it requires a lot more heart (beats) and a lot less thought…

Oahu cycling info:

5 hardest

1. Wilhemina Rise

13.6% average percent gradient

2. Halekoa Drive

11.52% average percent gradient

3. Peacock Flats

10.17% average percent gradient

4. Kamehame Drive

9.11% average percent gradient

5. Paula Drive

8.86 %average percent gradient

extended list here

I think it was Dominic asked about the calculation of gradient…86% WT*

Surely I’ll get from Boardy to Merckx at some stage…

See you in Hawaii!

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von | 20. April 2010 · 11:14

Gone for a Badger

„Riding for one, two, three hours plus is the same old incremental story every time. I admit, during big days (or nights) in the saddle my mind can start to wonder, and it was during such an occasion when the cyclist’s way of tracking time came to the fore. Of course, 6.78 billion people are happy with the standard numerical system, which is probably why I am not.

The Cyclist’s System (according to me)

1 hour: Known as a Boardman or Boardy for short after Chris Boardman’s phenomenal hour record in 2000.

2 hours: Is a Jan. After looking like being the king of the Tour for a decade, der Kaiser managed no fewer than four 2nd places.

3 hours: Or as I call it, a Roche. To remember the Triple Crown of ’87 when Roche won the Giro, Tour and World Championships.

4 hours: Can only be a Kelly. Probably the hardest bike rider ever and four time winner of the green jersey at the Tour.

5 hours: This one has a couple of names, both after members in the exclusive “I’ve won the Tour Five Times” club. A Badger if it’s likely to be littered with snarls, hand gestures and foul language should any car (or team mate) come within six feet of you, or an Indurain if ridden tranquilo.

6 hours: Another double namer. Either a Super (in recognition of the bike I dreamt all this up on, the SuperSix) or a Ghent (for obvious reasons).

7 hours: Can only be a Lance. No body else can boast seven Tour wins to their name.

8 hours: Is a Pirate, the nickname of one of the most gifted climbers we’re ever likely to have seen, Marco Pantani. Marco’s eight grand tour victories is why a Pirate slots in here.

9 hours: Simply a Zabel, named after Mr Consistency in the Tour with nine green jersey victories to his name.

10+ hours: Fondly referred to as a Merckx. Riding from 10 to 24 hours takes a certain mindset, some would say a cannibalistic pleasure in eating yourself up on the bike. No further explanation needed, a Merckx it is.

Of course, this scale blatantly has no real relevance to anything, except that it always makes me smile when I look back over the week and remind myself that I’ve got a couple of Boardy’s, a Jan, two Roche’s and a Badger in the legs. And if it makes me smile, well that’s a good thing in my book.“

via Mike Cotty

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von | 19. April 2010 · 01:01

I Survived Nishi Izu

The long anticipated April 17 Brevet has come and gone.  Originally intended as an „Itoigawa training ride“ across Japan –just more mountains and less traffic — the course was changed 2 weeks ago due to snow on the mountain passes.  (Apologies for another self-centered trip report, without even much attempt at humor.)

James K. had signed up, together with his friends Jamie S. (who has been on several of the recent rides) and Peter.  Despite the route change, they stuck with it, and Michael and Ludwig indicated they might join as well as unofficial riders, despite the somewhat less interesting route to Yamanakako, down through Gotemba and Mishima, then Nishi Izu, Shimoda and Ito.

We were scheduled to start at 4AM Saturday from Fudabashi near Noborito.  On Friday, the weather forecast looked bleak, with rain, snow and sleet predicted during the night on the Doshimichi/Yamanakako/Gotemba — much of the first half of the ride — but ending during the morning and forecast dry thereafter.  It was not at all clear whether there would be snow accumulation.  Michael and Ludwig both emailed that they would not join given the conditions.

Then, as I was about to try to get a few hours of sleep, a „ping“ in my inbox.  The organizers posted an alert at 10:20PM — their telephone call to the Daily Yamazaki on Doshimichi — the first checkpoint — indicated snow and sleet were falling with snow starting to accumulate, and there were reports of heavy snow at Yamanakako.  They concluded that the course would be unrideable on the original schedule but that conditions would improve quickly in the morning, so the start was delayed from 4AM until 10AM.  I called James K. to make sure he got the message and could pass it on.  The delayed start meant no way to get back home on Saturday night, so James K. would not be able to participate.   Jamie emailed me — he and Peter were still in.

24 riders started, out of more than 60 that had signed up, under bleak skies with the rain just starting to let up.  The course change, weather and schedule change has chased away the others.

After a congested ride through Hashimoto — a route that would be been fine at 4-5AM Saturday, but was not at all fun 6 hours later — we swung to the South of Tsukui-ko along Route 510, over a bridge about 1 km below the dam, eventually hit Route 412, took it North over and down the small ridge and turned left onto Doshimichi (route 413).

As we climbed up Doshimichi, we caught glimpses of blue sky and saw snow on the hillsides, then eventually in the fields, then right up to the edge of the road, with depth increasing as we climbed.  The juxtaposition of flowering cherry trees and heavy snow, with a bright sky, blue in places, was beautiful, and unusual to say the least.  I wish I had brought a decent camera, but there was no room in my pocket or seat bag, with supplies and gear needed for 300 km, all kinds of weather and a long ride in the dark ahead.

After the Daily Yamazaki at Doshi, the much younger (early 30s) Jamie and Peter eventually went ahead for the last, steepest part of the climb.  At this point, we were in clouds again and the cold had set in.  When we next met, as they came into the 2nd checkpoint hours later just as I was getting ready to mount up again, Jamie reported that they could not resist, and had pulled off for a cup of tea at the British-themed Cafe a few kilometers later on the ride from Yamabushi Pass down to Yamanakako.

In any event, as I looked through the tunnel at Yamabushi Pass, all I could see was white and grey at the far end.  Clouds and wind, chilling cold (about 2 degrees?) with a backdrop of 10-15 centimeters of snow on the ground, but a passable road, now after 1PM in the afternoon.  The worst of the weather was on 龍坂峠 (Ryuu-Saka-Toge?  Dragon Hill Pass?) [CORRECTION — Kagozaka-toge 籠坂峠] just after Yamanakako on Rte 138, and during the upper descent from there to Gotemba.  Fog, wet road, plenty of traffic (and several cars stopped on the way down to the lake, trying to turn or get unstuck) and bone-chilling cold.  I made it down, wishing that I had real mid-winter gloves and a thicker cap, and then enjoyed a fast, very gradual, descent to the second checkpoint.

There were no other cyclists at what I was sure looked like the right convenience store at the right intersection (my GPS was no longer guiding me through the course — I switched off the „follow saved ride“ feature once on Doshi Michi … and when I tried to restart it on the way to Gotemba, it was telling me only that I was 70 km off course and should go straight to Noborito).  The old lady at the register said that, yes they had been told to expect the cyclists today, but I was the first to show up.  Wow, these Kanagawa „randonneurs“ are not nearly as fast as the Saitama/Utsunomiya groups.

In any event, 2-3 others, then Jamie and Peter showed up before I left.  Jamie said they were going to try to head back over one of the climbs to Atami and hop a train home from there.  I warned them about the Atami Toge descent, wished them luck, and pushed on.

Finally, I make it through the sprawl of Mishima and onto Route 17 and the beautiful ride around Nishi Izu … most of which I will enjoy in pitch dark.

A few more kilometers, and we pass a harbor of sailboats, the sun low in the sky, reflecting off their masts and hulls.

Route 17 is peaceful, almost desolate, and the light holds out until I am most of the way to the 3rd checkpoint (185km).  I’ve ridden Nishi Izu only three times before, and the first two times the hills and heat nearly defeated me (with Juliane pushing me up the hills South of Matsuzaki, hand on back, the first ride that I took with Michael and her there in 2005 or so; and David J. circling back from Ja-Ishi Touge — Snake Rock Pass — as I suffered in the heat on my next return).  I’m determined not to let it happen again, and the cool and dark, help immensely.  It is cold enough to be unpleasant if you stop too long, but perfect for the climbs and other exertion, and the descents are all short, so really ideal weather for riding.  Or maybe it is the compact crank, or the High5 4:1 carb/protein mix drink I have been using today.  In any event, I am first to the 3rd checkpoint, leave with one other rider (Mr. Quiet) and just before a third (Mr. „My Pace“).

There is a woman from AJ Kanagawa who greets me at checkpoint 3 … and later at 4 and the finish.  She chats about the ride, which she did 2 weeks earlier in almost exactly the full 20 hours.  She warns me to watch for raccoons on the dark stretches South of Matsuzaki … and sure enough, I surprise one that makes a racket in the brush and zooms across the road through my light beam later … no danger of hitting it, as I was climbing slowly, not descending.  She tries to chat up Mr. Quiet, but he just grunts and eats his onigiri.  This is the kind of guy they call „mu-kuchi“ in Japanese.  At first I thought maybe he just did not want to talk with the foreigner, or maybe it was because we pissed him off when Jamie, Peter and I hopped our bikes onto the sidewalk and turned left from route 508 at a red signal, re-entering the deserted route 510 about 50m later — completely safe and even legal — leaving him patiently waiting for red to turn to green.  So I was happy to see that he could not speak with the woman from AJ Kanagawa either.  I do not give up.  I try to strike up a conversation with him at checkpoint 4, and at the finish … where I figured maybe he would join me for a meal at Denny’s where we could kill an hour before heading for the station.  But no avail.  He heads off into the dark, and shows up later at the station, having changed into his street clothes and bagged his bike … somewhere.  I do not try to approach him on the platform, or bid him farewell when he exits the next car of the Tokaido Line at Totsuka.

Mr. Quiet passes me during the 4th leg.  I am cold and do not want to hang around checkpoint 4 very long, so I start out from that checkpoint ahead of him, and he passes me again on the 5th leg as I take a „safety rest“ on a hill NE of Shimoda, when I start to get a bit groggy, and almost dizzy.  He finishes first, and I second   Any hope of catching him is lost as I ride around Ito after making a wrong turn, passing 2 other 7-11’s before stopping to ask directions to the third where AJ Kanagawa-san is waiting, and Mr. Quiet is munching yet another onigiri.

The other rider from checkpoint 3, Mr. My Pace, is more friendly, and looks in very good shape.  He arrives there riding fast, and when I mention something about perhaps riding together in a group in the dark, he responds that we should each go at „My Pace“ and take it easy.  I leave Checkpoint 3 ahead of him with Mr. Quiet (who rides right behind me silently for about 5 km and then goes ahead).  Mr. My Pace passes me on the first climb out of Matsuzaki.  My legs are tired and to get some variation in muscle use, I am standing as I climb.  He greets me by complimenting my „nice dancing“ on the pedals.  I laugh at the description — Tom S. „dances“ on his pedals.  I grind mine.   „This is all I can do now“ I say, as he zips ahead of me, bright lights ablaze, repeating something about riding at „My Pace“.  When I get to checkpoint 4, he has managed to find a place in the convenience store front wall where it is possible to wedge himself in and get some support as he rests.  His head is down and eyes are shut.  Mr. My Pace looks half dead, but I am envious that he can actually get some rest in such a place.  If I am going to rest, I need to push on to find a bench, or ledge, someplace flat and hopefully out of the wind and increasingly damp and cold air.  He is still in the same position when I head out 15+ minutes later.  At the finish, I get a report from AJ Kanagawa-san.  Mr. My Pace came all the way from Ibaraki by car, was at Noborito at 2AM ready for the 4AM start, and slept (a little) in his car because of the 6 hour delay.  He cannot make it through a second sleepless night.  He „retires“ at checkpoint 4 and says he will look for a place to sleep at Shimoda.  It was still before midnight, so he might have managed to find something if he was lucky — then again, he was not having a very lucky day, so I imagine him spending the night shivering on a bench.

This was a hard ride — around 4400-4500 meters of climbing, 60% of it on Izu.  And when you add the 10km from my house to the start, to the 306 km of the ride itself plus the few detours, I was probably over 320 km for the full ride, a 200 mile „double century.“  But it was the first time I have ridden a Brevet on a full 8+ hours of sleep.  And if the conditions were difficult at Yamanakako, the cool weather helped on the last half.  So unlike the shorter or less hilly rides earlier this Spring, I was never in doubt.  And no mechanical (wheel or drivetrain) issues either, despite the messy road conditions.

http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/30383962

Note:  GPS shows only 296 km because it was switched off at one point early in the ride and again just after the S. Izu stop.  Actual ride distance 306+ km, plus 10 km from my house to the start and 1.5 km from the finish to Ito.


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von | 17. April 2010 · 12:13


That’s the boy, Yuta (優太) Chase Gibbens. He is healthy and as happy as can be and so is Mama.

Thank you for all the congrats…am looking at the weekend after GW for the ceremonial wetting of the head on the 8th of May.

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von | 13. April 2010 · 15:55

Victory Song

UPDATE — Fuji TV has had removed the video that someone posted on Youtube (and that I had embedded below — but the audio is still up, see also below) … so here is a photo of Senme back in the early days (December 2009), when they were just starting their many years of hard work to become a successful acapella group, and another photo of them in our living room celebrating the victory with their big shiny plastic trophy (April 2010).



_________________
Not cycling related, but as anyone who has been near me these past few weeks knows, my son’s singing group appeared tonight on the 10th national „Hamonepu“ acapella singing contest on Fuji TV, and they won! How can you compete with 6 kids about to graduate from high school and go their separate ways–around the world to different places for university and their futures–singing a song like this. So as you listen, just think about MOB’s impending departure from these shores across the sea, and think of others who have left our fellowship in recent years … and you, too, might just shed a tear.

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von | 13. April 2010 · 09:02

Monkey See, Monkey Make!

I’m a complete addict to an amazing blog called La Gazzetta Della Bici that has some serious insider scoops on the cycling world and for anyone that is into bikes both marginally or fanatically its really worth checking out as he is a prolific blogger often adding multiple posts in a day.
Yesterday he posted an excellent piece about Vittoria (Who happen to be my favourite tyre maker of all time) selling the 30…YES 30 remaining “IL GUERRIERO” tyres not only that but they come with a custom belt and bracelet.
Now having recently killed a brand new Vittoria Open Corsa EVO-KS tyre within one week of purchasing it (Yes I was pissed!) I decided that I would give making my own a go.
Using an old belt that never gets worn, I went to work, 10 minutes later…..
ECCO!!

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von | 12. April 2010 · 04:18

New member

As I am sure Bryon has other things on his mind, I thought I would let you know that he and his wife had a baby boy on Sunday morning. Born at 9:14am, weighing 3030g, Yuta arrived healthy and in good spirits. Mama is recovering and he is as happy as can be.

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von | 11. April 2010 · 23:55

Sci Fi Movie

Sunday offered near perfect temperatures for riding.  As planned, Jerome and I headed out a little after 6:30AM and met Tom at Koremasa-bashi.  Tom, having done another monster ride on Saturday, over 250 km and some big passes, still managed to pull us at about 35 kph along the first stretch.  With Tom („the Cylon“) in front, Jerome second, and me in the back, I could still see reasonably well, but had an almost perfect wind block.

Just before Tamagawahara-bashi we passed a group of 25 or more cyclists in team kit assembling for a morning ride.  We later passed a group of about 12 Catteni Positivo riders in a line on the Tamagawa path.  They have new uniforms, looked younger and fitter than last year’s Catteni group and were moving at a good pace … but were still easy to pass with Tom pulling at 35 kph. The Catteni leader looked like a real racer/climber type.  We also passed a group of Ovest riders from Fuchu, heading at warm-up pace to a rendezvous at the end of the path … with another huge group of riders, waiting around, mostly in Ovest kit.  Tom uses the Ovest shop and swears by it, and we have seen some very fast Ovest riders flying before — putting in top-five times on the Tokyo-Itoigawa ride, at least.

We rode out via Itsukaichi (where we passed another large team in „Hotstaff“ jerseys — I could not have passed them but for a lucky traffic light at a minor intersection where they stopped and I continued), and then Umegaya Pass (aka „Jerome Hill“) and up Yoshino Kaido, parting ways with Tom at the 7-11 at Kori, where Yoshino-Kaido ends and we turn left onto Rte 411 (Ome Kaido) to climb up to Okutama-ko.    We took as second quick rest at the end of Okutama-ko in front of the recommended cafeteria (still too early for a meal).  

These teams — yesterday Catteni, Ovest and Hotstaff, plus the first group we saw, are a big change from the days when the only group of more than 10 cyclists one would ever see was Nalshima.  And while these groups may not be riding as far as we do, they seem to be more serious than in the past.  This is only a good thing, as far as I am concerned.  Drivers will watch out for road cyclists.  And it is almost never these cyclists who do the stupid tricks on the Tamagawa path that risk injury to us.

On the Tamagawa there were flowering sakura (cherry trees).  On Jerome hill there were a wide range of flowering trees, including one in a spectacular purple.  At Okutama-ko (540m elev), there were more sakura and ume (plum trees), and we could see them on many wild hillsides later in the day. We headed up Rte 139 toward Kosuge, cut over to the base of Tsuru Pass and then to the base of Matsuhime.

The 500m elevation main climb up Matsuhime (from 750m to 1250m elev) was not bad, and at least made me feel that I am starting to get back in shape as a result of the past month’s rides.  Then again, I had put on the compact (50/34) crankset, so it was only expected that I was able to spin up the hills better than in previous weeks.  There was only one other cyclist at the top — far away from the morning crowds.

We descended quickly from Matsuhime (1250m elev) to the South, stopping at the park at Fukashiro Dam (650m elev).  We filled our water bottles at a (temporary) stream close to the top of Matsuhime.  A few people had stopped at the Fukashiro dam rest area.  These were the last humans we saw for the next several hours.

And this is where our science fiction movie started.  We crossed under/over the gate and through the tunnel for the long climb up the road to O-Toge (Big Pass -around 1550 meters elevation).  After what seemed like a few hundred meters, there was a loud „bang“, a „hiss“ and it was as if we were transported in time or space.  I thought I saw a blue flash.  Jerome’s sidewall tire had clipped one of many rocks on the road surface, pinching his tube.  He was able to patch the tube quickly and we were back on our way.

The road surface was terrible, as last year, but there were only two spots (above 1100 meters) where there was so much debris as to require a dismount.

Complete solitude greeted us on this climb and the following descent — two hours at least, from 650m to 1550m and down to around 1000 meters, not a single person.  What had happened?

Had we gone forward in time, with one of those devices the Terminators use to come back and kill John Connor … to a day (say, the year 2075) when there are no more Japanese people left, except for old people in nursing homes?

Or was this „I am Legend.“  Had all the people been wiped out by a terrible (unintentional) genetically engineered plague, leaving behind only zombies who would come to get us if we could not make it to safety by dark?

We got our answer soon.  There were some kind of animal droppings at various places along the climb.  Then we saw it — a monkey came down noisily from the brush above and onto the road ahead.  It detected us and took off running down the road away from us, rounded the corner and plunged into the wooded slope below.  This must be Planet of the Apes.

We picked up the pace, in case a group of armed gorillas should be sent out to look for us.  This is a beautiful climb, spectacular vistas, varying grade, and the road gets better once you pass 1250m elevation.  The descent on the South side, with no traffic (closed road still above 1000 meters), and not too cold to enjoy it, was spectacular, memorable — to anyone asking the question, THIS is why we ride.

As we did last week, we hopped the train from Otsuki and were home for dinner.
http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/29756956

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Eingeordnet unter 2010, David, Jerome, Tom

von | 11. April 2010 · 16:26

Rindo Exploration in Chichibu

The forth weekend in succession on which I explored rindos with my new cyclocross bike. This time, I headed for Chichibu.

Despite a particularly early start, leaving home at 5:45am, the Tamagawa was already crowded with people. And not because of the cherry blossom in many places – actually these were the most deserted parts.
I noticed quickly that I was still not fully back in form, having been down for two days with a virus mid-week. I had difficulty pushing my heart rate above 150 – or rather, I didn’t even feel like trying. But cycling at moderate speed (not made better by significant head wind) was still fun, so I kept going.
I explored a new route onto the Green Line (see GPS trail below), going from Ome to just before Hanno, then turning up the Irumakawa valley, turning into the valley leading towards Nennogongen, but taking the first rindo turning off to the right and over a 300m pass down to Higashi-Agano (on route 299). Route 299 was full of nasty truck traffic as usual, but I only had to cycle 200m upward on the pavement before turning off to the right into a nice valley and then rindo leading up to Kouburi Toge (500m), the start of the Green Line. From there the rindo continues as everybody knows over various „passes“ reaching up to 900m.
It was nice climbing with little traffic. The sun had finally come out, and I found myself overdressed in what was still basically winter gear.
At Ono Toge, instead of turning right as we always do towards Shiraishi Toge and Sadamine Toge, I left the Green Line to the left, heading towards Kenminnomori. Saitama needs its forest just as Tokyo needs their own (Tominnomori). This rindo was also well paved, and easily accessible by road bike. In fact, I saw a group of riders who must have made it up from Chichibu city.
Instead of turning down towards the city, I kept going, passing by a camp side protected by a friendly guard man, direction of Nagatoro. Beyond the camp side, the rindo falls down steeply, first unpaved (but in decent condition so manageable even on a road bike), then paved. My hands became quite tired from all the breaking, so steep and long was the descent. At one point, I got off to check the heat of the wheel rims, and almost burnt my hands. I felt the rubber melting and losing grip. The paved surface was rather uneven, so I couldn’t go faster than 30km. What a waste of mass! I prefer to spend accumulated altitude on a fast downhill!

At the foot of Sadamine Toge, I turned north, passing the Nagatoro gorge on its right. People were enjoying the by now really beautiful spring weather going through the gorge in boats.
Lots of nice photo opportunities, of landscape and also a lot more cherry trees. Every stop made me realise that I was really not in great shape – I felt the exhaustion even though I had not really pushed myself that hard. At a 7-11 stop in Nogami, I decided it was best to take the shortest route to Honjo-Waseda and spend the rest of the afternoon resting at home, perhaps getting in shape to head out with the PE crew the next day. I had rewarded myself with an onigiri and Black Thunder, when I was approached by an older woman offering me another rice ball that she and her husband had left over. I took it gladly, and it was delicious, a lot more so than the usual 7-11 variety. It looked home-made.
The guilt of the extra calories convinced me to keep going – for another round into the mountains. My plan was to head over to the Shimokubo dam lake and take the rindo leading from there to Shiozawa Toge, then run down to Tomioka.
All worked well until I missed a turn into a rindo that was meant to take me down to the dam, and instead kept going upwards on a rindo that was running parallel to the lake on its south side. I realised the mistake only 50 altitude meters or so after the turn, but decided this one was also worth exploration. The rindo keeps rising ultimately up to 980m, and then leads on in various ups and downs around the ridge of the mountain range to Tsuchizaka Toge at 700m, one of the many passes from Chichibu into Gunma which I have taken before.
Down in Gunma, I was tempted to climb up to that other rindo and cycled up to the entrance of the road, but then decided to be reasonable for a change and not attempt another 650m climb in my condition. Better take the road straight to Honjo, or so I thought. Least did I know that I still had quite some climbing ahead of me. As it turns out, (according to mapmyride) I would have had only another 200m to climb and no difference in distance at all, had I gone up that mountain…
I took route 462 along the valley towards the lake. Traffic was moderate, but rather too many noisy motor bike groups for my taste. So I left 462 to take what is essentially a badly maintained rindo, running on the other (south) side of the lake. Unlike the kokudo though, it runs deeply into some of the valleys running into the lake, and has several climbs of up to 150m each.
I passed by a nice natural fountain and replenished my water supply. Less nice about it was the fact that somebody had dumped their sodaigomi in front of it. Unfortunately, the rindos in this area were full of such sights/sites. Unbelievable that people ship their trash out into the mountains instead of paying a few hundred yen to have it collected.
Such sorrow sights were compensated by plenty of stunning views of the lake and its small islets.
The dam wall looks like the fortress walls of a Japanese castle.
Beyond the dam, I thought it was all just a straight downhill into the village at the bottom of the valley and then a fast run to the station. None of it – more up and downs! And a landslide that blocked the entire road – an invitation to the cyclocrosser to walk over it!
Then another building site – road blocked to traffic! Well, when has that ever been an obstacle? This time, however, there was a huge gap in the road, with a five meter cliff straight down. Building workers busy with their work, and not noticing the sole cyclist towering over them.
I thought it was pointless calling their attention as this would just risk them telling me to get lost from where I had come. Instead, I worked myself up a steep hill, through grass and bushes, and then down again, right into the building site, to the utter surprise of one of the workers, who was so speechless, he couldn’t say anything. Which was just as well, so I could get on speedily.
The remaining barrier of the day was one for a bird rather than myself. A young prey bird had got trapped behind the fence securing a wall of rocks along the rindo.
I managed to secure a larger whole at the bottom of the fence by inserting between fence and rock a PET bottle from another one of those trash dumps right opposite. The bird had fled my help attempts to the upper parts of the fence, and I can only hope it eventually found its way out.
I myself found my way to the station rather easily, this time avoiding route 462 altogether, and going to Honjo rather than Honjo-Waseda. A Takasaki-Hiratsuka direct train took me to Shinjuku in just one go (and 1.5 hours).
185km with 2,800m BBiT in altitude gain. 11.5 hours on the road, of which 8.5 on the bike – i.e. I had taken it rather easy.

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Eingeordnet unter 2010