TRANSALP TRAINING TIPS
Eingeordnet unter Uncategorized
Laurent has started a charity project for the benefit of CARE and asked me for our support and to spread the word:
"I am trying to raise as much money as possible for specific projects run by CARE International. CARE is a humanitarian organization fighting global poverty through education and training to encourage self-help, social inclusion and economic opportunity. CARE also delivers relief in emergencies.
Some of you receiving this mail know that Societe Generale is partnering with CARE on 3 concrete projects in Peru, Mali and Bangladesh.
I have decided to actively raise funds for these projects by entering a fund-raising bike ride from Paris to London organized by SG in June (NB: We'll get on a boat to cross the Channel between France and the UK. I'm not planning to cycle under water, and the guy who used to part the seas isn't around anymore!). I think I will be the only participant from Asia and I am counting on a lot of support from friends in the region and elsewhere.I would also like to start an SG Asia team for future years!
You can help me by contributing financially either directly to me, or via my website http://www.aiderdonner.com/laurentdepus You can also help by promoting this around yourself, to your friends, colleagues and family. Please help me reach as many people as possible.
It takes only a few minutes and every contribution counts.The integrality of your donation will be delivered to CARE. I and SG will cover all the expenses of the event itself.
I started yesterday with a 1000 EUR target but from the wonderful and immediate response of many people, I will be able to increase this target very soon. The sky's the limit.
Thank you in advance for your support!"
Eingeordnet unter 2009
Triple Crown, Hat Trick, Three Strikes (I hope not), Gold/Silver/Bronze, Win/Place/Show, 3 point shot, 3-point field goal, 3 time loser, whatever, … events that include a series of „3“ have always had special significance in the world of sport. So I was delighted to get in 3 rides over the past 3 days.
— Friday morning, Jerome and I played hookey and left very early (6:45), went up the Tamagawa and then took Yoshino-Kaido/Oume-Kaido to Okutama-ko and rode to the far end of the lake. We were thinking about going back over Kazahari, but Jerome was suffering after effects of his no-training marathon run. We turned around and parted ways at near Tachikawa. I hopped a train and was at the office just after lunch. With the commute home at night, 160 km riding … and an unusually high (for me) average pace up to Okutama-ko and back to Tachikawa (approx 29 kph — some light, but favorable winds?).
–Saturday, Michael and I got a late start (ended up meeting at 9:30AM at the Kawasaki side of Tamagawaharabashi), went out Onekan-sen, along Tsukui-ko forest road, out to Sagami-ko and Rte 20 to Uenohara and Sarubashi. We started the climb to Matsuhime Pass from the South, but parted ways at around 650 meters elevation, as I needed to turn back in time for the train from Sarubashi to meet my „mongen“ (Japanese for curfew — in this case, a scheduled telephone conference instead of the usual spouse-imposed limit). My legs were anything but fresh — I think I pushed too hard on Onekan-sen! I got a fast train to Tachikawa and rode home from there — 140+ km.
[mob’s note]
After David and I parted on the approach to Matsuhime, I continued to climb to the top. This is a long climb of more than 20 km and 900 meters up and all in all it took me more than one and a half hours to complete it. It was the first time I did Matsuhime from the South side, except for an abandoned try with David and Tom after the great Tamagawa floods in 2007. One can see from below the road winding up in endless serpentines and it is quite discouraging.
On the way down to Kosuge a light drizzle started which I choose to ignore. I told David that, if I feel OK I would give Kazahari a try. Well the weather situation was turning for the worse, I felt so lalala and it was getting late. So, what to do? Kazahari, of course, I needed some topic to blog and brag about at the next Davis Planning Meeting.
The light drizzle continued until elevation 800, when it became a very heavy drizzle and then, at app. 850 meters, it turned into full scale rain. I hadn’t packed even a windbreaker so I was getting wet fast. I hoped though that either I might climb over the clouds at Kazahari and/or that the weather would be better on the other side of the mountain. In any case I was very motivated to ride up fast and this is what I did.
Neither was the case, I descended in the rain and the rain and drizzle continued down to elevation 400 meters. Then the roads were dry again.
I stopped at the 7-Eleven (the other one, you know) and bought, among other things:
– a T shirt size LL
– a pair of socks 25 – 28 cm
– a towel
– packs of self-heating adhesive patches
At Itsukaichi station I undressed, put my wet clothes in the bike bag and covered my cold body with warm patches as best I could before jumping on the train home. 175 km. 2,700 m of climbing. Much money spent on clothing.
–Sunday morning I dealt with other matters, then headed out around 1PM. After a conversation with Laurent who I had not seen in quite awhile, I again headed out Onekan-sen.
Just before Tsukui-ko, I turned north off Rte 413 and climbed up to Lake Shiroyama and Hon-zawa Dam.
This is a very nice, quiet road and short climb through woods and with views over Tsukui-ko to the Southwest. The top of the climb is around 300 meters elevation — 80 meters higher than the hill we usually ride along on the North side of Tsukui-ko.
It has the disadvantage of being a „dead end“ to the West — no way to keep going Westward out of town without coming back down.
But it is a great option for a shorter ride out of town, and there is another way down the hill toward the East/Northeast. The lowest stretch of the road needs repaving, but once you get into the climb it is a smooth, deserted road. This would be well worth „repeat“ climbs (2-3-4 times in one ride for training), with more variation in the grade than some other really short climbs.
If others try and like it, perhaps it should be added to the Touge-baka? It is a detour that could easily be added on to half-day (or less) rides. This new discovery, plus the beautiful Cherubim bicycles from Hashimoto shown at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show earlier this year, make me think that I may have underestimated the charms of the Tsukui-ko, Eastern Sagamihara, Machida, and Hashimoto (which I believe I previously referred to as „the armpit of Kanagawa Prefecture–located amidst endless suburban sprawl).
Eingeordnet unter Uncategorized
‚FASSA BORTOLO‘ ex-pro mechanic Nagai-san owns and runs the best bike shop in Tokyo – Positivo
The Cervelo went today for a little TLC and a compact crank..
Eingeordnet unter Uncategorized
After a longer break and some communication with F2P I finally found the time (and the renewed pleasure) to work on the Positivo Espresso Team Outfits for the 2009 season. F2P pointed out some inconsistencies in the designs which I corrected. I tried to address as much as possible the comments from the riders that have been forwarded.
So here is the latest design for the short sleeve jersey.
There was much more interest for the short sleeve jerseys than for the bib shorts, so I am intending to make this the main item for 2009. F2P also agreed to reduce the required minimum lot size, therefore we can finally start the production if everybody is OK with this design. I would like to add some comments
And here is the latest design for the bib shorts.
Please note that only the orange part can be printed. The design is more or less as the first one. However, I have removed all Positivo Espresso logos except the one on the lower right leg, as we have more than enough logos on the jersey.
I liked the comment about the ladybug very much and included one on the back. This one is then called „Shingomushi“ in Japanese, meaning „Traffic Light Insect“, or, if written with different characters „Ignoring Traffic Lights“.
I will send an e-mail to all riders who expressed their interest with some more details. In case you are interested, but you didn’t got a mail, please let me know. You can also order a jersey if you are not a member of Positivo Espresso. We will also discuss the jerseys must likely at the „Davis Touring Planing Meeting“ on April 14th. That is, if I am allowed to speak up.
If there is something you would like to comment on the design, please let me know.
Eingeordnet unter 2009
The Cent Cols Challenge involves climbing 100 Cols in ten days, cycling nearly 200 kms per day with an average of 3,000 metres of ascension on each stage. The first edition will be held on the 13th-23rd September 2009. The intention is for this to become an annual event. It will be held in the French Alps for the first three years. Thereafter it will be held in different mountainous regions for three years at a time.
Crikey.
Unfortunately it’s SOLD OUT. Phew!
Eingeordnet unter Uncategorized
Some ideas stick in one’s head forever before they are realized or finally abandoned. I wanted to travel to Chichijima for eight or nine years before I finally did it. I wanted to ride in Chiba for eight or nine days – then I called Phil and we did it.
I have to admit that I have many prejudices about Chiba. It is the prefecture which is all industry and social housing complexes in the North, followed by petrochemical plants on the coast (funny enough, the Japanese word for large petrochemical complexes is コンビナート, which comes from the (East-)German word „Kombinat„, only being used in the GDR for large state-owner industrial complexes in general), followed by an endless supply of golf courses in the backyard.
One of the biggest foreign affairs blunders of the Japanese government ever, was the decision to move the Tokyo international airport from Haneda to Narita in the Seventies. Sure enough, the developing fight of left-radicals and farmers against the construction of the airport produced many beautiful photos and videos (some can be seen at the police museum in Ginza) of beautiful aesthetics.
And in case you don’t know, for the first 9 month in 2008 the number of passengers passed through Haneda airport was close to 56 million, making it by far the busiest airport in Asia, while Narita was trailing in 7th place with roughly half the pax.
So, when the average normal traveller, full of Japan and it’s romantic image of Japan (Geisha, Bonsai, Samurai, Maid Cafes, Visual Kei and Anime) arrives in the morning after a long international flight in bad mood, what is he subjected to? Another endless bus or train ride into town, passing emulations of crammed, boring „mansions“ and apartment blocks, warehouses in dull grey with corrugated steel roofs, production plants of unknown purpose and worse of all, Funabashi, commuter’s hell.
This is the first impression one gets leaving the relatively international grounds of Narita airport and I believe that this has done more damage to the image of Japan then anything else. It’s a kind of ongoing Pearl Habour publicity disaster.
So far, concerning Chiba.
But hey, one has to be open minded and I just loved the idea to ride in Chiba first, then take the ferry from Southern Boso to Miura Hanto and continue the ride on the other side of Tokyo bay. Phil from TCC, also member of the failed Tsukuba team, also member of the soon to be very successful Hitachi Naka team has kindly offered to guide me through the labyrinth of Chiba back roads.
We met at 9 at Honda station, me after a 2 hour long rain ride from Yokohama. Off we are to Lake Takataki and continue to go South on smaller roads. All the roads we ride are small and consist of a constant up and down. Riding in Chiba is definitely different from riding in the Western mountains of Tokyo. There is less climbing, the longest one is perhaps 100 to 150 m of elevation difference. So one goes anaerobic by trying to do the climbs fast and rests while doing the fast descents. It is like some kind of interval training. Phil knows the area very well with a lot of shortcuts and scenic views. Sometimes we talk while riding, but he is also a fast guy and a fast decenter so I need to concentrate to keep up with him. We concentrate of riding fast and I don’t have the time to take photos.
Then suddenly the landscape opens and we have reached the cost in Southern Boso. Phil is heading back to the North and I continue along the coast road which is clogged with cars. But soon I turn to road #89 and another splendid ride through rice paddies and hills open up. I reach the coast at the end of the road and check my watch: Only 30 minutes left to reach the 14:35 ferry to Kurihama on Miura and more than 12 km to go – I need to hurry up. Luckily this coast road is not that crowded and I make good speed. The ferry is in the port and waiting for me. My bike is fixed by pros against the effects of heavy seas.
It’s now time to say good-bye to Chiba.
As I had no time to east so far, I visit the ferry’s kiosk and check for some food. Hm, here they have all kind of good food on sticks: dark brown croquettes on a stick, light brown eat balls on a stick, an older mobile phone on a stick – I ask if they can warm it up for me.
After 40 minutes the ferry arrives at Kurihama. I line up in the car deck and wait for the front gate to be opened.
And I continue my ride in Miura, first going South along the coast, then cutting over to the West coast and heading in direction Kamakura. The pace is good, but the traffic is just terrible.
For a moment I think about having coffee at the restaurant German Seacastle, but when I come close to the place I reconsider. I am just too afraid to enter the place alone. This is a restaurant as no other in Japan, a typical German restaurant where one is served unfriendly and rude and an atmosphere of fear and terror let all guest stare at their plates, silently east their meal and try to avoid to attract any attention.
So I continue to Ofuna where I pack my bike again and take the train home to Shinyokohama as I really hate riding the last 20 km or so through Yokohama city.
Home the day turned out to be a mid distance ride with surprisingly lots of climbing meters. It was a good training for the forthcoming endurance events and I would like to thank Phil for his good companionship.
Ludwig and me started to explore the trail of Chichibu in autumn last year. Although Chichibu is a massive landmass, second in size and roughness only to Wales, we already felt that we have explored almost all trails in Chichibu by now. So this time we ventured out further to the edge of Chichibu.
As some of you may know, the edge of Chichibu is called Gunma and sometimes Nagano and is basically identical with the end of the world. A guy called Tanaka had built in the seventies a town behind the edge of the world which is called Niigata. This is even behind Itoigawa.
And as it can be very far to the end of the world, Ludwig and me decided to meet (relatively) early and head out directly to Chichibu city, without trying any „shortcuts“ or adding any numbers of interesting climbs.
Of course we could not pass through Ome without stopping at the Aurore bakery; a Pavlovian Reflex for every Positivo Espresso rider by now, just as the 7-eleven in Takao. I guess that if someone of us is called on the phone and the other party says: „I am standing in front of the 7-eleven …“, then before even listening further one would assume that the person is standing in front of the 7-eleven in Takao. Even if we know that the call is from Mozambique.
And of course we could not ride up Yamabushi Toge without starting a competitive time trial which Ludwig won easily. The last time I saw him on the slope was when he was pedaling with his hands and whistled „Yankee Doodle Dandy“ while sitting upside down on his bike. Yankee Doddle Do or Die.
After a fast ride into Chichibu and a short break we rode further along road #140, the same one we had taken with our sherpa David in autumn, when we dared the climb to Mistumine Toge. But shortly before we went ride on road #210 in direction Otaki dam.
Now, here it starts to get impressive. Shortly before the dam, there is another loop which I assume would be a nightmare for Laurent.
Wow. If this is not impressive, I don’t know what is [I don’t mean the shitty plastic bike with integrated ashtray in the foreground, but the magnificent engineered dream in the back]. Still I have the feeling that there might have been a less costly solution feasible for this road construction. In particular considering that this road is mainly connecting the industrial centers of Chichibu and Ensan.
Here we can see a very impressive Cervelo bike, mainly in orange. 
Further we went, riding along the lake towards the edge of Chichibu. It now became also a little bit colder. After coming home I found out that the Ciclo has recorded a max. temperature of 27 and a minimum of 4 degree on this ride. How to you dress for this?
Then the road forks off, one direction Ensan, the other one up to the edge of Chichibu and road #299. Here the roads there are not in too good a shape, so that’s why there are many construction sites along them. I somehow have the suspicion that the roads are in bad shape BECAUSE they are misused by heavy construction equipments to transport concrete, gravel etc. to these construction sites. This is in contrast to three brand new (2003) concrete lined tunnels, all in impeccable shape.
Of course all this road construction is absolute necessary for the benefit of Japan and its population for the following compelling reasons:
Well then the serious climb starts and one gets to a nice example of industrial decline in Japan, which is so well documented in Deathopia. Thirty years or so ago, this must have been a quite big Nicchitsu mining operations, perhaps for iron, zinc or other ore, perhaps for Sauerkraut [actually the biggest mining operations in Germany, conducted by dwarfs with red jelly bag caps in the region of the Sauerland]. I wish that Meinolf will read this one.
old wooden workers d
Beautiful dilapidated architecture on both sides of the roads, dormitories, a small post office, but still there seems to be some kind of activities ongoing, probably gravel or concrete for the road construction.
Another long push and we find a branch of the road leading to another Mikuni Toge, possibly in direction of Nagano prefecture. We need to check this one out in May or June when the climate is more accommodating. Another push. The road drags on forever, finally at almost 1.300 m height we arrive at Haccho tunnel (not only bloody long with more than 800 meters but also useless).
We are pretty much done. After a short rest and the obligatory memorial photo (otherwise nobody will believe us), we ride through the tunnel which seems to go on forever. There is not much light inside, then we arrive finally at the other side,almost in Gunma. It is cold and there is still snow next to the road. But what a view:
This time not obstructed by any plastic. Absolute fantastic – this must be the edge.
We then continued our ride back to road 299 and made a fast run for Chichibu station. Quite a long ride with 187 km plus and we are glad that we can hop on the train home which will anyway take hours. I phone home to say that I am late and exaggerate the situation to my son, telling him that I am in Gunma. He completely misunderstands me and tells my wife later that „I have immigrated to Gunma and will not come back.“ Perhaps forever.
http://www.mapmyride.com/route/jp/kanto/660123790261187997
Ludwig and me decided that it was finally time to ride out to Izu.
So we one morning we took the Shinkansen out to Atami – living now close to Shinyokohama makes these types of adventures quite easy for me. We started to ride along the coast instead of riding up the killer Atami Toge straight out of the Shinkansen. Then we climbed up at Usami which was much nicer and with better views and headed straight for the CSC Shuzenji.
Ludwig had his 2nd 2009 JCRC E class race scheduled there the next weekend, so we made some training laps on the tracks and discussed possible race strategies. From there on I remembered that I had once taken a small road to the South, but I could not remember where that was. We searched for quite a while but got lost or on gravel roads and in the end we decided to take route #80. Which was nice, small and leading to the South. And just might have been the road we were looking for.
From there on we followed the main inner Izu road ＃349 and #414 in direction Shimoda. One escape attempt to find a smaller roads through the woods led to some significant climbing before we ended up in front of a gravel road again. Back again to the main road.
The wild boar sanctuary closed down due to the economic depression it seems.
Then we reached Amagi Tunnel, the highest point on this road and we decided not to take the boring, modern road tunnel but climb even higher to the old Amagi tunnel which was constructed in the 19th century (Meiji). Of course another half gravel / rotten asphalt road but I didn’t minded any longer.
For every civil engineer a wonderful tunnel, just straight out of forgotten engineering wonderland. An older couple asked Ludwig to take some photos and I complimented them on their good choice of the photo motive: Meiji tunnel plus Meiji car in front (plus almost Meiji couple in front of the Meiji but I refrained from saying that).
Of course the tunnel has not only an entry in the „spooky place of Japan“ list, but it was also the scene of some love adventures described in the book „Izu no Odoriko“ by Kawabata, later made into a movie, even later made into a major express train.
Then the descent including the famous 414 loop. Due to our main attempts to shortcut we lost a lot of time and when we finally reached the coast it was already pretty late. So we started the after-burner and rode fast along the East coast. Traffic was not great but OK and after a further detour, we finally reached Ito station where we had to wait quite long before we could finally catch a train home.
A very enjoyable trip with a lot of climbing but also some fast runs. I hope that there will be more opportunities to ride in Izu this year – there is still so much more waiting to be found down there.
http://www.mapmyride.com/route/jp/izu/191123738286321953
11-23
Rot Weiß Silber Schwarz
what ?
[not for real]
Geldgrab mit 61 Zähnen.
Fuchsien Schönheit
Japan Braut
Blau Gold Weiss
Track Version
Zu schön zum fahren
7 kg Plastik und Blech
Motobecane, Raleigh oder Peugeot?
Beginn der der Fixie Liebe
... what you gonna do ...
Nun komplett in blau
Leider nicht in Gunmetal Grey
Da einzige RH 60+ Rad in Tokyo
Keep on cruising in the free world
Der Todesstern
Daccordi Universum
Design follows function
Blau Rot Silber
Arktis Blau
CIÖCC. Hannes.
Drei Farben. Schwarz.
Beim Shopping.
Schwarz Rot Weiß
Shopping Blockade Runner
Entlackt
Viner Black Viper
Gross und Gelb
Oops.
Zwischen Florenz und ....
Dancelli O-nabe
Prinzessinnentraum
Aus einer anderen Galaxie
Fixie Projekt
Concorde Twin
Lange Geschichte
Classic Cyclone
Für Manu
Für Midori
Deutschland !
Grelle 80er Farben
Reus
Gold wert ?
Für Shozo
Neunziger eben
British Racing
Wait and See
Kotter für Heike
Colnago Super XL 1988
bikesnob28hb
fixiefanboyhb
sudi1662
there is no "I" in cyclyng 
