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'09 - Kt2

WhiteGiant

Maximum Pace
Nov 4, 2006
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The latest series of "KT" (Kusatsu Training) rides actually began last week, with Phil's "Narita Loop" ride.

KT2, as it were, will begin this Saturday, Feb 21st, and on one of our longest and most difficult rides.... "Mikuni-Toge":cool:

There are actually TWO "Mikuni" courses; The first is a long route, starting with a ride all the way to Hon-Atsugi along Rte.246, before taking in the smaller "Tanzawa-ko" and then onto Mikuni-Toge, before returning via "Doshi-michi - Rte.413".
Philip & I completed this course while Thomas took the train home with a broken spoke... Read about it here:
https://tokyocycle.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=747

The other course is a short 100km loop from, and back to, Odawara. This loop takes in Ashigara-Toge, Yamanaka-ko and Gotemba.
https://tokyocycle.com/bbs/showthread.php?t=1067

Let's keep it "LONG & HARD! ie. The first course!
Rte.246, from Shibuya at 6am.
Kamiuma (Kannana-dori - still on R246) at 6:30.
Hon-Atsugi: Meet at 8:00 - Roll out at 8:30.
Short stop at the 7-11 at the Rte.710 turn-off. Then straight on to the next 7-11 before the start of "Mikuni".
Down to Yamanaka-ko from there, before the long ride home on Rte.413.

This will be a 200km+ ride for anyone out of Tokyo.

'Twill be fast and steep!
The ride back down along Doshi-Michi (R413) is really fantastic until we get back to Hashimoto. Then it's the same ol' traffic on R16 & R246 back to Tokyo.

Any takers?
I know that:
Thomas,
David Anderson,
AlanW
and maybe Deej...
... are looking forward to it.

Anyone else going to Kusatsu?
>Mike: This is your territory - Or are you still hibernating?

I will post again for exact meeting times & places.

Rubber Down!
Travis
 
They should be...

And definitely Deej!
I just hope the passes are ice-free.
...ICE FREE, as it hasn't snowed in Tokyo this season - except for a short fall of the white stuff last month.

Other than that though, I think the roads will be clear - particularly after the warm weather we had last weekend - that should have melted anything in our way.

T
 
Hi, gents,

I'm thinking about joining, but I only have my steel steed at hand (which might actually be good for training). Will post later, if I decide to join

this might be the answer to your worries -
http://www.tabitabilink.com/livedome_doro.htm

A bunch of live webcams from some of the mountain roads
 
Drat, I'd been looking forward to a Mikuni rerun...

but too hard, too soon, and plain old too scary for this '09 late starter... :eek:

Will have to do this vicariously through your pics and reports...and in the meantime, I'll try to catch up with your fitness Travis and join you in the weeks to come.
 
Mikuni this early in the game seems generously ambitious.

I've been for a fitting session on the bike and notched up 120km with Steve last week on (ice free) Kazahari and other fun places, I've even delayed my attendance at a stag do on saturday night. Yet, I still can't decide whether I want this much, this early.

Will report back.

Lee
 
I went down to Osaka yesterday and was surprised so see pretty good dusting of snow from ~100m elevation upwards. Can't remember where it started, but it lasted until the Shinkansen hit south facing slopes of Fuji (around Fuji city). The cold front on Monday night must have had some moisture in it. Suggest calling a koban or gas station in the hills to make sure its clear.
 
But that's the point!

Mikuni this early in the game seems generously ambitious.

I've been for a fitting session on the bike and notched up 120km with Steve last week on (ice free) Kazahari and other fun places, I've even delayed my attendance at a stag do on saturday night. Yet, I still can't decide whether I want this much, this early.

Will report back.

Lee

..The first "ambitious" ride is supposed to BE as hard as possible!
From there, everything else gets easier (well, shorter, anyway).
The idea is to make the first "training ride" so idiotically difficult that all of the following rides appear stupidly easy... Not to mention the race itself!

As for the "ice" on the roads, I will call the "Yamanaka-ko Police station" tomorrow, and ask them if the roads are clear - I may have to make up a fictitious story in order to get them to tell me the truth, but even without their confirmation, I think the roads will be fine.

Weather-wise, I assume we'll just take it as it goes.
If it looks really bad on Friday night, we'll cancel. But if it looks reasonable, it will be a GO!

T
 
Kind of comical...

I tried calling the Yamanaka-ko Police, about three times, but they never answered (Probably out checking the local surrounds).

So then I called the "Gotemba" Police station...
I made up a story that my mother was coming over from Australia, and wanted to see Mt.Fuji close up, and that I "wanted to show it to her from Rte.147 - Mikuni-Toge"
I was transferred/re-connected 3 times before they found someone who could tell me what the road condition was like.

They finally told me that, "The road is clear of ice, and fine to drive on".
ie. "Fine to ride on"!

"As long as the coming rains don't freeze, we should be good to go."
>Thanks Deej!

*Note: It is a difficult ride, as far as distance is concerned. But it's really not that hard after the climbs are over - Think of it as a "one-way-climb" - 100km from Tokyo - and then a one-way-downhill; 100km back!

So far;
Deej
David (Anderson)
AlanW ...(I think?)
Travis (YellowGiant)

And maybe some others.
Looking forward to it!
T
 
Thanks for the update, T. Looking forward to it!

As long as there are no more pessimistic points of view regarding future snow-overs, we should be good to go.
T

T, I know the topic of weather forecasts is a touchy subject for you, but it's not a question of someone's point of view.

Shouldn't your comment read: "As long as the coming rains don't freeze, we should be good to go."?
 
Changed it!

Thanks for the update, T. Looking forward to it!
T, I know the topic of weather forecasts are a touchy subject for you, but it's not a question of someone's point of view.
Shouldn't your comment read: "As long as the coming rains don't freeze, we should be good to go."?

Read it again! T
 
Crazy dudes.....

I haven't been on the bike for 2 months and counting and to start off with this monster ride would be insanity for me. Sounds great and will def join you if you do it again a bit later down the track. I'm not riding til March:D

In the meantime, jogging, playing soccer and doing weight training so I'm not being a complete lazy bugger:p
 
It sounds like utter lunancy and i think that i am up for it (with reservations!!).

If there is a map it would be appreciated (and more importantly a profile it would seem).

Travis - if you are riding from your home to Shibuya, could i come along with you? perhaps meet on the Kuramaebashi-Dori - 蔵前橋通り, Rte.315" as it crosses Edogawa (river), as per last week?

Dave
 
Bad news

I'm terribly sorry Travis, but I will not be able to make the ride Saturday after all due to family scheduling reasons. Major bummer.

Deej
 
T-man,
For whatever reason I don't really feel motivated for a 200 km + ride tomorrow, especially the start and finish portions on the heavy traffic roads. I'd be up for the 100 km loop we did from Odawara over Mikuni-toge.

If we really want to get fit for Kusatsu, I suggest we work up through a four-week "macrocycle" where this weekend will be our starting point, for the next 3 weekends we increase the intensity and/or distance, then the 5th week we ease up again to lower intensity, but still more than our start point. See attached.

Let me know if you and David fancy the short route this weekend.
David - you will need your small chainring for Mikuni - make sure it's fixed or you'll be walking :eek:

AW.
 
So far;
Deej
David (Anderson)
AlanW ...(I think?)
Travis (YellowGiant)

And maybe some others.

I shall be on your side, Travis. Sounds exactly like the kind of lunacy I need after a week in suits and on trains. I'd actually prefer R246, as the ride out to Odawara is horrible. (Sorry, Alan :warau:)
 
OK, David & anyone else on the "Short & Soft" ride:

I plan to leave from Odawara station East Exit just after 9 am. The Tokkaido line from Tokyo arrives at 8:51 am; this is the train I'll be on.

Route map courtesy of Travis

http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/japan/odawara/860687720

Note the 13% gradient of Mikunetoge.

Travis & Thomas, Bon Chance, Messeiurs! Next time.....

AW.
 
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