von | 15. Februar 2008 · 05:53

THIS SUNDAY Feb 17….

Anybody riding this Sunday? I’d be interested in a real lazy ride starting not too early (even 9:30 or 10:00 from Sekidobashi would be OK)…

MOB : Tried Yabitsu

As nobody else was interested to ride on Sunday I left the house at 8.30hr and rode along the Tamagawa and Asagawa to Takao. I didn’t want to spend all my power at Otarumi so I made a rather slow and steady approach which took about 23 minutes up. I then went along road 412, 413 and 64 to Miyagase Ko and made a rest at the entrance to Yabitsu Toge. Just when I turned around the corner after the rest I saw the road block and one guardman stopping all cars who want to enter. As usual before the end of the fiscal year, the remaining budget is spend to work on the roads of Yabitsu. I like the idea as a bicycle rider and I hate it as a tax payer.
Construction works are scheduled to be completed by February 24th.

I thought about pressing forward in good „spilliaert-fashion“ but the guardman was nice and proposed to take the road 64 to Atsugi. This is exactly the same road that David and me took last year when we were trying to attack Yabitsu early in the year. It is wide and always down so one can go there with good speed. I made the run to Hon Atsugi where I packed my bike and took the train home. 100 km in total. Nice trip but it is still so cold and snow everywhere in the area.

TOM : New route to Akiyama-mura and beyond
Got up late this morning leaving the house only at 10:00. Like Michael, my first climb of the day was Otarumi. Unlike yesterday when I desperately exhausted every muscle trying in vain to keep up with NFCC elite hill climbers, I enjoyed a leisurely „my pace“ ride to the top. Experimented a little with my „heso belly button“ technique and found out that the horizontal pull on the handle towards the navel should not really be real energetic pulling but simply exerting a constant „tension“…just think of it as removing the slack in the muscle groups in the back and sides of your upper torso…no need to firmly stretch them but just keeping them tightly in position that’s all (well, not really all…you still need the legs to do the work) and you’ll instantly notice the difference. Moving and keeping your butt in the rear of the saddle adds even more momentum. Went as far as Akiyama-mura (where I begged Lady Kannon for mercy on my Colnago’s soul) along a great new route. As Michael wrote, the snow is still everywhere but fortunately the roads are perfectly ridable. Feel like going up a bit higher (Matsuhime) soon!

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von | 14. Februar 2008 · 13:55

JEROME & TOM DOING THE DU

Jerome and I participated in the JAPAN CALFMAN DUATHLON (MINAMI KANTO STAGE) last Sunday…5km run/ 30km bike/ 5km run…a first-time experience for me but not so for Jerome who is used to mountain-running, triathlons and other excruciating endurance sports. And yes, Jerome naturally beat me with more than 4 minutes!!

Results Under-50 Category:
Jerome 28th 01:44:32
Tom 35th 01:48:37

For next year, I’ll certainly add some running to my training program. Highly recommended this Calfman! You’ll love the muscle pain!

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von | 12. Februar 2008 · 07:47

Escape from Tokyo

I was on a business trip to Osaka on Friday and looking at the weather forecast for Tokyo I thought that I might better take my bicycle with me and stay in the Kyoto area. To escape the snow and do some nice rides in so far unchartered terrain.

The girls from our Osaka office were so kind to book me a hotel in Kyoto which was quite difficult due to the extended weekend. On Saturday morning I assembled my bike and wanted to start to ride. However within hours it looked like this:

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[psychological tension built-up trap]

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The rest of the day I spend in museums, department stores and other cozy and warm places. I even went to the local Sento around the corner and took a long bath. Much more than Onsens, Sentos have the tendency to be hot. Very hot indeed. This one was no exception, I could lower myself only up to the belly into the water and when I went out again I looked like the Polish flag (red below, white above). The only basin with an acceptable temperature was the one with free distribution of electric shocks, which I found out only after I have moved inside. I encountered one of the rare occassions that I wished to be born without testicles.

On Sunday morning I move on to Hamamatsu. I have lived there from 1998 to 1999 and I liked it very much. There is much less to go, see and do compared to Tokyo, but it is so much easier to do something. So in the end, in Tokyo I do nothing because it is too much stress anyway, while in Hamamatsu I had a lot of fun.

On Sunday I made a round trip at lake Hamanako. This is the tour I always made when I lived there, it is only 63 km long and the hills are ridiculously easy to climb today, but 10 years ago it was very hard. The landscape is beautiful, especially in the north of the lake. The civil engineer in me rejoices, seeing all these fine examples of bridge building culture. I was aiming to do this round in 2 hours in the past, but this time I rather tried to stay in high cadence of 90+ and make a lot of breaks at temples and sightseeing spots and take some photos which I never did in the past.
Here is a nice photo of my bicycle enjoying the view at Bentenjima with four Japanese mops.

All in all it was a little bit cold still, but much better than the day before at Kyoto. The only bad experience I had came when I went to the CYCLE POP shop and asked if I could use their pump to inflate my tires. The owner said no, even after I repeated my question and even after I offered him money for it. This is actually the shop where I bought the pump I am currently using in 1999 from exactly the same guy. There are many Japanese-Brazilians (or Brazilian-Japanese) in Hamamatsu and the town is famous for its prejudice against them. I guess I was mistaken for one of them, despite my super-expensive Assos gear.

On Monday I went to the North to Tenryu and than up into the mountains. One needs about 25 km to come out of the city but then one is in the middle of the country side. I opted to go to in Western direction first, then took a smaller road leading me over a 400m elevation pass. There were no signs of snow and the roads were in good shape. The area is similar but somehow different to the Okutama area where we do most of our rides. A lot of tea paddies deep in the montains, some lonely houses here and there, I even saw a small waterfall. Also there are many temples and shrines in the area and virtually no traffic. If I encountered a car, it used to be a minicar or a minicar type van, rather than tourists crusing the area. For the friends of WADA, there were also some difficult steep slopes.

I only made about 90 km, but in high cadence and took a lot of breaks. It is clearly different to ride a track which one has ridden many times before or to go into new terrain where you don’t know how much more meter you have to climb before you reach the pass. This showed me, that I have become a little bit complacent in recent times, as I did not try to many new things, more variations of the same theme.

In any case, it was a very good experience and as there are many nice onsens in the area like Shibukawa Onsen, I wonder if we should not go together there in spring before it is getting really hot. The trip by Shinkansen from Shinagawa to Hamamatsu is about one and a half hour and a return ticket costs 16.000 Yen. I stayed in a pretty good business hotel close to the station for 6.500 Yen per night – so if we leave by first Shinkansen on Saturday we could ride both days and visit some Onsen for 24.000 Yen plus this and that.

Please let me know if there is any interest.

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von | 7. Februar 2008 · 04:46

Spinning classes

My local gym has a room equipped with Schwinn spinning bikes ~ until yesterday I had never participated in a spinning class, but the instructor (a very cute girl who always wears a Lampre outfit) gave me enough reason to go an try it out. The „Start“ lesson was scheduled for 10PM .. I spent 5 minutes to adjust the bike and then waited .. nobody turned up apart of me and the cute instructor (!) – how fortunate !? The 45 minutes that followed had everything : a free Nihongo lesson, useful advices in terms of positioning and pedalling, a mixed course of flats and climbs and something nice to look at (that being a fit & cute girl in cycling gear). During the entire period I rode a cadence of above 100, which caused me being very exhausted at the end. The girl told me afterwards she has a road bike herself and occasionally goes for rides. I sure would love to go for a ride with her one day … but for now I will confine myself visiting her spinning classes 😉

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von | 6. Februar 2008 · 04:33

Bicycle Registration Papers

While traveling the Philippines last week my wallet was stolen containing my japanese bank cards, alien registration card, health insurance card and my bicycle registration papers (for both my bicycles). The problem now is that I dont know where to get those papers re-issued !? Does anybody have an advice / idea ? Your help is much appreciated.

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von | 2. Februar 2008 · 17:00

Nada Surf : Whose Authority ?

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von | 31. Januar 2008 · 05:08

Infrequently asked questions

Awhile back I posted answers to some infrequently asked questions. And because knowledge is power and we all want to register big wattage on the SRM of life, I’ve gone ahead and answered a few more below. So read and be misinformed. If you’ve still got any questions once you’re done, check in with Fat Cyclist, since he may have some answers for you too:


What is a “century?”

A century is a word people who ride Serottas and Cervelos equipped with mountain bike pedals and compact cranks use to describe what the rest of us just call a long ride. There’s also something called a “metric century.” Riders use the same type of bicycles, but a metric century is shorter and probably involves more camelbaks and helmets with visors on them.

What is a “training ride?”

This is how roadies describe what the rest of us just call a ride. It can be long, short, fast, or slow. It can also be intermittently fast and slow, which is called “intervals.” Roadies call rides “training rides” so people know that they race. In fact, roadies only do two kinds of rides: training rides, and races. Any other type of riding is considered “garbage miles,” or “junk miles.” Garbage miles include any miles ridden offroad, any miles ridden for purposes of commuting or transportation, any miles not ridden in full team kit, and any miles during which the rider has any fun.

What is a “session?”

A session is a word fixed-gear freestylers, freeriders, and BMXers use to describe riding around in circles doing tricks. The term “session” is also used in relation to the Senate, therapy, and band recording. All of these sessions share in common the fact that they are generally self-indulgent, boring to watch, and in the end go nowhere.

How do I know if it’s time to replace my frame?

Inspect your frame closely for URLs. If your frame has any URLs on it, it means it is too new to be considered “vintage,” yet too old to be considered up-to-date. URLs on bikes went out in the late 90s and early Oughts, when manufacturers finally realized that even the dumbest person can figure out how to find a website without seeing a “www” and “.com” around the name.

Which is better, threaded or threadless steering setups?

Threadless.

As a cyclist, should I obey all traffic signals?

Absolutely not. The surest way to disaster is mindless adherence to rules, routine, and procedure, because they do not account for the unexpected—or, as I prefer to call it, the stupidity factor. Take pedestrians, for example. When you have the green, pedestrians will not think twice about crossing against the light, right in front of you. They will also usually look near you but not at you, as though they’re following Jerry Seinfeld’s procedure for admiring a woman’s breasts without being caught. Conversely, when they do have the light and you have a red, they’ll generally stop dead and look at you as though you’re about to run them down. When you’re dealing with this sort of stupidity, all bets are off. If you don’t believe me, go outside right now and stand at a busy corner. Wait until a large vehicle is approaching, and then run across the street. I guarantee at least five people will follow you to almost certain death. These bovine are simply too stupid to live, and if you blindly follow traffic rules they will take you right down with them.

More aggressively stupid are drivers. If you wait at a red light and then proceed when it turns green, you’re virtually assured death by yellow-miscalculating idiot.

Rules are not designed to protect you. They are designed to trap and kill you. Rely only on your wits, because that’s the only thing that will keep you alive.

Can I purchase a fixed-gear-specific hooded sweatshirt that is inspired by a Huey Lewis and the News Song?

You absolutely can! A reader just forwarded me the „Dissizit“ hoodie. (Just wait for the chorus to find the Huey inspiration—if you can bear it.)

from Bike Snob NYC

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von | 29. Januar 2008 · 01:25

COPS TO COLLAR CARELESS CYCLISTS

By GEOFF BOTTING Weekly Playboy (Feb. 4)

With their habit of racing along pedestrian-filled sidewalks and ignoring the rules of the road, bicycles have long been a scourge of Japan’s city streets.
But perhaps no longer. The National Police Agency (NPA) — never mind the nation’s pedestrians and motorists — has had enough, according to Weekly Playboy. This spring, cops nationwide are expected to start collaring dangerous and annoying cyclists.
The crackdown would be backed by a revision — the first in three decades — to the NPA’s „Manual Concerning Traffic Methods.“ Drawn up late last year, the guidelines go into force this spring, adding five new cycling prohibitions: Wearing headphones, operating a cell phone, holding an umbrella or affixing one to the bicycle, carrying more than one child as a passenger and excessive ringing of bells*1.
Should a cop stop you for doing any of the above, you could be hit with a nasty fine. Cyclists with two kids on board, for instance, would be subject to fines of up to ¥20,000.
The tougher new police rules complement a comprehensive anticyclist crackdown instigated by the government. The revised Road Safety Law was enacted in June last year with the basic intent of clearing up a lot of gray-zone issues involving cyclists.
Notably, the legal revision treats bicycles as „light vehicles“ — just like motorcycles — and as such, cyclists are obliged to travel on roads*2, not sidewalks, where it seems 90 percent of urban cyclists prefer riding. And if cyclists can’t be bothered to switch on their lights at night, they could be pulled over, ticketed and made to pay a fine — of up to ¥50,000. That’s right: cyclists could be held up to the same standards as motorists.
„Until now, bicycles have been treated like pedestrians . . . and many of the people who ride bikes are mistaken in the belief that they are pedestrians,“ says a man, name not given, who runs a Web site for cycling enthusiasts.
Provoking the authorities‘ more aggressive attitude is the large number of traffic accidents involving bicycles. In 2006, such accidents numbered 174,000, accounting for 20 percent of the total.
But now the key question is whether the cops, who have long been taking a lax attitude toward cyclist miscreants, will actually follow their new rules to the letter of the law.
An anonymous police officer at a prefectural police force thinks so. „I think there’ll be a concentrated effort for several months after the manual’s revision comes into force. . . . Without a doubt, it will be easy for officers on the streets to get tough, now that the manual has clarified the issues.“
Yet perhaps the police’s bigger job will be to create a new awareness and sense of responsibility among urban cyclists.
„I don’t think riding manners will improve with a crackdown, but rather through a comprehensive form of safety education at schools and other places,“ the Web site operator says. He also notes that the cops on the beat often encourage cyclists to stick to the sidewalks for safety reasons — and to stay off the road.
So we can only wait and see until spring and beyond. Will our neighborhood cops actually step out of their koban (police box) to make the streets safer for pedestrians, motorists and cyclists alike? Stay tuned.

The Japan Times: Sunday, Jan. 27, 2008

*1 ahem!

*2 …not really „notably“ Geoff…As a matter of fact, this has been the rule for the past 30 years although most people – including the cops who ride their bicycles on the sidewalks themselves (!!!) – are not aware of this. Hopefully this rule remains in force although there are rumored to be movements within the NPA to abolish bicycles altogether from the roadway…
Next time a cop tries to tell you to cycle on the sidewalk, remind him of the existing traffic law: „SHADOU WO HASHIRU NO WA, HOURITSUJOU NO GIMU DESU“ or better…next time you see a cop cycling on the sidewalk, remind him – with a stern look on your face – to cycle on the road like this: „OOOI KIMI! ABUNAI ZO! SHADOU WO HASHIRANAKYA!!….and watch his reaction!!

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von | 26. Januar 2008 · 11:13

SUNDAY JAN 27 RIDE



SEKIDOBASHI @ 9:00 IS PERFECT FOR ME MICHAEL

Did the Kobu Tunnel today…climbing up there was great; descent was a different story….most of road is in the shadow and I tell you with these temperatures, it is scary!! Snow and ice everywhere! I imagine Suzugane Touge will be the same: going up fine…going down eisbahn! But we can always try! See you tomorrow. Tom.

PS: I will be very slow…got tortured by NFCC’s Young Hopes today!

MOB : OK, I will be there at 09.00 at Sekidobashi with my new yellow Assos Fugu jacket and my old bike,

TOM: ALRIGHTY!

HEY BTW, WHO ARE THOSE PUNKS IN RANDOM PHOTOS?

mob : So we met at Sekidobashi at 9 AM and tried to move quickly against the headwind to Itsukaichi. After the break at the 7-Eleven we then rode along the road to Honjuku and further in direction Kazahari before we made a turn to the left and approached Kobu Tunnel. The road was much in the shade with some patches of ice so we moved very carefully. After that we rode to Fujino and down at the Uenohara CC to Route 20. This is not my favourite area really, I don’t know why but Uenohara makes me always so tired.

We then went over Otarumi from the Sagamiko side, none of us clocking the time as we were already pretty tired. Nevertheless Tom speeded up and I secretely looked on my watch but the time was not worth mentioning.

We went down the other side and gad a good lunch of Tororo Soba at a place close to Takaosanguchi station. Tom rode home by bike, I biked up my son from an insect hunting excursion. He and me were in luck first – he finished already at 2 PM and I was there at 2 PM despite the time set for 3 PM so we made an early start for home.

The trip home was a disaster. I mean in the train. We made it to Fuchu when someone in the station decided to commit suicide and jumped in front of our train. We couldn’t see anything as we were in one of the last cars, but as the train has not fully moved into the station when it came to a stop, the doors couldn’t be opened. we had to wait for 30 minutes, then finally could move out, took a bus to Kokubunji and a train to Shinjuku – finally we were home by 6.30 PM.

Nevertheless a very nice ride and it is good to add a lot of kms in the mountains this early in the season. Thanks Tom.

I also bought two maps at Takaosanguchi for the Takao and Okutama area to plan the next tours.

Tom: Thanks Michael…the ride was just what I needed to take up the slack after I got broken on the wheel on Saturday. Sorry to hear about the Fuchu accident and the long way back to home. Let’s go again when we have splendid weather again like yesterday.


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von | 24. Januar 2008 · 08:58

Saturday Freeze-drying Ride Jan 26?

I want to ride this Saturday. David Jacob also sounds like he wants to get back on the bike. Anyone interested in an 8AM start at my house? 8:45 at Sekidobashi?

Tom: David, I’ll be there at Sekidobashi – 8:45…I love these zero temperature rides! The Hinoharamura area will have min -6℃ ~ max +2 ℃ temperatures tomorrow fortunately with very little wind….

Well … David Jacob and I got a 10 minute late start, then I flatted a tubular tire about 5 minutes south of sekidobashi. Tom had invited some of the NFCC and rode off with them for Sagamiko. I managed to change my tire and, after some fun with the valve stem coming unscrewed, got it fully inflated. David Jacob and I rode up to Oume and over Jerome Hill (we blew through the record for Jerome Hill — and I was coasting the first part and only pedaled at all as the road turned up near the end), back over a different hill (the hill you go over if you do not turn at Sakamoto and head up Jerome Hill, and back down the river from Oume. 105 km or so from my house. Add 20 km for David Jacob. I got 3 hours of sleep after a long, long night of bengoshi recruiting activities. It reminded me of day 3 of the Tour de Noto, after Michael’s birthday party the night before, but with half the sleep. In any event, it was good to stretch the legs.

Tom: I’m sorry David I couldn’t wait for you. I’m glad to hear though that you managed to fix a new tubular on your carbon wheel…those tubulars can be a nuisance if you have to change them mid-ride. About the Jerome Hill….talk about pulverizing records! ….I cannot believe what you guys managed to do ‚cause I really gave everything for my time!! Are we measuring from the same start line? Something has got to be wrong haha!! Anyways, let’s do this hill all three or all four (with Michael) or all five (with Jerome himself) of us together next time!

Had a nice ride with three much younger NFCC guys…first time for me to go with them (which is why I didn’t want them to wait much longer at Sekidobashi)…two of them are transfers from a professional team. Whereas lately I am usually the one waiting at the top of the touge for the rest to arrive, this time it was the complete reverse! They all had to wait for me to show up! Not a very pleasant feeling having to let others wait. All three of them are more than 10 years younger than me, so maybe it has something to do with age…one thing is for sure, if I continue to cycle with them every weekend, I should be able to improve my hillclimb skills.

We are measuring the same distance — between Sakamoto crossing and the sign at the top of the hill. but don’t worry Tom, our 5 minute record was coming DOWN the hill. Michael picked up one clue — about riding via Oume. The other was „I was coasting the first part …“ 5 minutes was a very leisurely descent.

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