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4th Tokyo Hillclimb Nariki Stage Race

astroman

Speeding Up
Mar 19, 2007
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Will be held on Sunday, August 15th. The race is over two stages of 5km each. Doesn't sound like much of a race, but it is a fun event and I have joined the three previous times and really enjoyed it. The course is on a very scenic, closed, dead end road with a 600 meter gain. The first stage is to qualify you for the 2nd "race" stage. This is very easy to do.

But for Clay, James M and the fast riders in TCC there is some decent prize money on offer:

優勝:男女各150,000円、2位:各100.000円、3位:各50,000円、4位:各30,000円、5位&6位:各10,000円

The course record time is 14:29 and it does attract some pros.

Another great point is that it is very close to Tokyo, only about a 20 minute ride from Higashi Ome JR station and even doable as a day ride out of Tokyo.

Entry costs JPY8,000 and officially closes on July 7th. But it may sell out. The "gift" is a gilet or sleeveless windbreaker.

I don't think I will do it this year as I have a triathlon the following weekend in Aizu.

To enter: http://www.sportsentry.ne.jp/event.php?tid=21232

Full details are here (Japanese only): http://www.kfctriathlon.jp/html/event_bike.html

Last year's report and pictures: http://www.kfctriathlon.jp/html/reports_2009_nariki.html

Let me know if you have any questions.

K
 
Keren, Thanks you for knowing us this event.
From this year, the distance changed to full 10km and only 1 Pattsu syoubu(一発勝負). Another 5km looks like flat course, but I'm really tempted that sleeveless windbreaker! Is that gift you were wearing sometimes? (fluorescent color?) :eek:
 
Oops

Keren, Thanks you for knowing us this event.
From this year, the distance changed to full 10km and only 1 Pattsu syoubu(一発勝負). Another 5km looks like flat course, but I'm really tempted that sleeveless windbreaker! Is that gift you were wearing sometimes? (fluorescent color?) :eek:

Kimm-san: thanks for pointing out the change. I didn't check and just assumed it will be over the same course.

And the gilet is similar to mine but a different brand. I like mine, I wear it alot for both running and riding.

K
 
Signed up.

I had a look at the course yesterday. The first 5km is a gentle rise up Nariki Kaido, then the route turns off to the dead-end road and the gradient steepens to 9-14% for the rest of the way.

At normal pace it's a steady climb, no problems, but at race pace it's going to be tough. The challenge will be holding on to and drafting the fast group along the flatter section while maintaining enough energy in the tank to climb the steep bit without blowing up.

AW.
 
Entered!
 
Just signed up too. Looks like the TCC usual hill climbing gang will be back! Thanks for the info Keren and Kimm:D
 
I checked last years report&result of this race. An olympic representative of MTB "Eri Katayama" and the champ of Japan 2009"Hiromi Kaneko" signed up. Looks like only pro&semiprofessionals charange this race, at least in lady's category:warau:
My target will be..... not finish last in lady's class AGAIN:eek:uch:
I look forward to seeing STRONG women's ridding:bike::bike::bike: Also it would be great to ride with them, only first a few mins (few seconds?) though.....
 
I also managed to sign up for this event before the cut-off.

Yesterday afternoon I rode the course in the rain on my Mt. Bike to check for the gearing. At a leisurely pace it took me 42min, with the last 5km (from the left turnoff) taking 27min. Won't be breaking any records here.

I slipped down into a 1.33 gear for a bit so I did not have to stand up for too long. Will need to get a replacement sprocket for the road bike. I have old wheels (126mm) and will need a freeweel (non cassette).

Does anyone have a lead on where I could get a custom 6/7sp hillclimb freeweel? My front chainring is fixed at 42 so I am looking at a 30 or 32 in the rear.
 
Naomi-san!!! Ganbatte!!!! :ninja: Please beat that Katayama-chan for me !!!
(she was faster than me at Utsukushigahara.....that's why :eek: )


I checked last years report&result of this race. An olympic representative of MTB "Eri Katayama" and the champ of Japan 2009"Hiromi Kaneko" signed up. Looks like only pro&semiprofessionals charange this race, at least in lady's category:warau:
My target will be..... not finish last in lady's class AGAIN:eek:uch:
I look forward to seeing STRONG women's ridding:bike::bike::bike: Also it would be great to ride with them, only first a few mins (few seconds?) though.....
 
Wow - course map shows the max incline at around 6% - 1.33 seems really low - what gear were you riding actually? I did a bunch of 6-9% hills yesterday and felt strongest and fastest with a 40/20 (compared to the 44/17) I'm usually mashing in. Over 12% -15% and I pretty much have to go into cyclocross mode (traverse, then basically walking).

My main concern on this route is the first 5km of basically flat terrain - I'll just have to grit it out at max of 25-29kph (125-150 cadence)

If anyone wants to go up and ride this for training and testing, please let me know - I'm game pretty much anytime in the mornings (early) and weekends.

Be doing this on fixed gear (of course).

I also managed to sign up for this event before the cut-off.

Yesterday afternoon I rode the course in the rain on my Mt. Bike to check for the gearing. At a leisurely pace it took me 42min, with the last 5km (from the left turnoff) taking 27min. Won't be breaking any records here.

I slipped down into a 1.33 gear for a bit so I did not have to stand up for too long. Will need to get a replacement sprocket for the road bike. I have old wheels (126mm) and will need a freeweel (non cassette).

Does anyone have a lead on where I could get a custom 6/7sp hillclimb freeweel? My front chainring is fixed at 42 so I am looking at a 30 or 32 in the rear.
 
Tom-san,

Otsukare-sama for Usukushigahara race!!
Well, If I could beat Katayama-san, I would change my job into the Olympic athlete as a Japanese representative;)

Actually, I have not ridden my Terry for more than one month.... as I just came back from long summer holiday! Well it's time to :bike::bike::bike:up to hills.

Naomi-san!!! Ganbatte!!!! :ninja: Please beat that Katayama-chan for me !!!
(she was faster than me at Utsukushigahara.....that's why :eek: )
 
Naomi.... switching from MTB to Raod is such a nice feeling....you'll find you fly on it!
 
Naomi.... switching from MTB to Raod is such a nice feeling....you'll find you fly on it!
:confused:

James, no need to remind Naomi-san of that !!!! This gal knows how to fly !!!
 
I slipped into a 32/24 for a bit to get the 1.33. I was avoiding to stand or smash the pedals too hard as it was on a dual susp. mt. bike with a quite soft rear air shock. (Plus I am about 5kg overweight)

I guess I could put on a 42/28 on the road bike and give it a try. I will likely head out there one more time before the event so will let you know when I plan to do that.

Wow - course map shows the max incline at around 6% - 1.33 seems really low - what gear were you riding actually? I did a bunch of 6-9% hills yesterday and felt strongest and fastest with a 40/20 (compared to the 44/17) I'm usually mashing in. Over 12% -15% and I pretty much have to go into cyclocross mode (traverse, then basically walking).
 
Doug3,

Are the shock on the bike air-oil or spring? If they are air-oil shocks you can do something called "Pre-Loading" Which is where you basically load the forks with air while you are on the bike.

This will pre load the suspension level to your weight and make the ride a lot more stiff but will also all travel on the rougher stuff.
 
James,

The rear shock is a Fox Air Vanilla Float (Air-oil) and has a schraeder valve to pre-load it. I have the pump and pump it up to about 180psi every couple of weeks. The thing is it has not been rebuilt since new (1999) so it can get soft after riding awhile.

I'm thinking to have a piece of aluminum bar machined to replace the shock and turn it into a hardtail for the road rides. I know it is so inefficient with the current set-up and can hear the shock swish-swishing whenever I push it hard. (I think the oil cavitates and foams)

On the other hand, the good thing about the soft suspension, fat tires and heavy frame is that it does feel really good when I get on the road bike. I currently spend about 85% of my training on the mt bike.
 
I think I'm going up there tomorrow early for a recon. Just train to Ome - then ride up to hit this a couple times. MapMyRide elevation shows the last 5km at about 10-12% so this is what i really want to see , er, feel.
 
Becareful of the moss

I think I'm going up there tomorrow early for a recon. Just train to Ome - then ride up to hit this a couple times. MapMyRide elevation shows the last 5km at about 10-12% so this is what i really want to see , er, feel.

Tim,

Just be careful of the green moss on the road on the last 5km section. Very slippery, especially around the many grates that cross the road. But they do clean up the moss before the race day.

K
 
Did a recon there today - thanks for the warning, wish I read before - cause I wiped out 3x!!

1) 1st 5km nice and fast - the 44/16 was perfect, maybe a bit slow - but enough speed, I think to not lose hella time - especially in my class.

2) Hitting the narrow climb, another story - the 44/16 wore out its welcome quickly. Besides just too low cadence to really attack the switches, I was sucking wind like a 1 lunged coal miner. Road had quite a bit of moss as well, which made things a bit trecherous - crashed 2x on corner and once on a grate crossing. Gave up with the 44/16 at that point and swapped to the 40/20 - much better. In fact caught another rider who passed me when I had crashed on the gate and lost time to change cog.

3) This is a pretty narrow road - if there is moss on race day it will be mayhem. Even they clean it - I'm sure it will be fun dodging bodies and bikes. I noticed on the last hundred meters or so, the place to NOT be is the right side! Did you see the size of that drop off!!?? I can only imagine a hard sprint finish and then crashing over that edge. You'll find me firmly on the left for the final 200m or so.

4) Our "recon times" were a casual 13min for the first 5km and 29min for the last 5km (inlcuding the crashes and wheel swap) My goal times are going to be:

First - 5km : 10min
Second - 5km : 20min

I'm going to make another trip or 2 up there to practice the full course with the gears I'll be using. But it seems that I'll need to cog swap at the 5km as the time gained on the speed will be greater than that lost using a small gear required for the 2nd part.
 
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