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Ride 8/6 Tokigawa Oven

tigerkamen

Maximum Pace
Jan 6, 2012
300
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Going to try last week's ride one more time since I chickened out on the heat. (Note that this will also be a HFC ride)

Convenience store/vending machine stops whenever needed. 3 climbs and 30ºC heat. Come out and play.
It'll be fun. Don't forget the usual things: Bottle, sun cream, bike bag, helmet.

Meetup: 6 am at the spaceship to avoid the worst of the heat. Please do contact me to signify interest, as I will leave earlier if I'm alone to avoid the heat.

Pace: comfortable-ish 28-30++ on the flats. Climb at your own pace. All climbs WATT. (Note: There is no water source on top of Raiden, and I haven't ever done Kasayama yet, but there definitely are vending machines between the climbs.)

Bailout points: km33 @Takasaka station
Km45 after climb 1 Monomiyama at明覚station
Km57 after climb 2 Raiden @ Ogawamachi station
Km86 after all 3 climbs @ Ogawamachi station.
*I will probably take the train at km 57 or km 86 since I need to be back around 2pm ish
The map is all the way and back, but the planned route is the first 86kms of this route:


 
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Met up with hfc buddy and tried to hammer it out. Fun but by the time i got to kasayama, the sun was blazing and i was crawling. 14% gradients are not for this heat.

10/10. Would do again just to keep tan lines razor sharp
 
Heat scares me as I'm not used to it. I was off my bike almost all summer last year, and didn't even cycle the one before. Yesterday I did about 80 km between 5:30 and 9ish but after 8am or so it was already too much. It saps all the energy out of you. Can't even think what climbing would be like! Maybe I'm doomed to short commutes only until mid Oct or so?!
 
You don't have to be. Just stay well hydrated. As in drink lots and lots of water from the beginning of your ride. Have one bottle water and one with a hydrating supplement to keep the salts intake up.
Also remember to keep eating. It's easy to forgo it as you do t feel hungry because of the heat.
This is my experience. Of course inside sit down conbini breaks and ice cream helps too!
 
Heat scares me as I'm not used to it. I was off my bike almost all summer last year, and didn't even cycle the one before. Yesterday I did about 80 km between 5:30 and 9ish but after 8am or so it was already too much. It saps all the energy out of you. Can't even think what climbing would be like! Maybe I'm doomed to short commutes only until mid Oct or so?!

Keep your rides short and sweet.
Leave early, and as theblob said, eat and drink often.
It's cooler up in altitude too!
 
Thanks. The thing is, I already practice those things, esp over the last 2 months or so as it got progressively hotter. But it feels I'm entering uncharted territory with recent temperatures. Was pretty knackered after about 70km ride the other day at what felt at the time like pretty medium exertion level - climbing Wada - and am now apprehensive about triple digit rides with lotsa climbing at 30+ degrees. I don't wanna slow down a group, but neither do I have the courage to go out in the mountains all on my own and test myself. I guess I will go out on a group ride when an opportunity arises, but in the meantime riding just the flats during the week I just don't know how it will be when climbing.
 
Thanks. The thing is, I already practice those things, esp over the last 2 months or so as it got progressively hotter. But it feels I'm entering uncharted territory with recent temperatures. Was pretty knackered after about 70km ride the other day at what felt at the time like pretty medium exertion level - climbing Wada - and am now apprehensive about triple digit rides with lotsa climbing at 30+ degrees. I don't wanna slow down a group, but neither do I have the courage to go out in the mountains all on my own and test myself. I guess I will go out on a group ride when an opportunity arises, but in the meantime riding just the flats during the week I just don't know how it will be when climbing.
Do you sleep with the air con on? These days I only use a fan at night and I find my body is far more acclimatised to the heat these days. These kinds of temps only really bother me when I'm pushing it harder than I should.
 
Do you sleep with the air con on?
I'm afraid so. Come to think of it, this might have something to do with it. Though I can't see myself doing without it at night - I'd get drenched in sweat...
 
youll get used to it. How do you think people survived for a million years before aircons were invented!
 
youll get used to it
I know I could go without it, for a set of consequences. I'm choosing not to though, as I don't need to tolerate or get used to things when I have a more comfortable option. Sweating through the night every night might or might not help with heat tolerance during the day, but the price is just too much. I really have no idea why they say cycling is a summer sport, unless the speaker is from the southern hemisphere, or otherwise has their seasons inside out.
 
II really have no idea why they say cycling is a summer sport, unless the speaker is from the southern hemisphere, or otherwise has their seasons inside out.
I've always heard it said that cycling is a winter sport. Kanto winters are perfect for me.
 
I've always heard it said that cycling is a winter sport.
I should have specified road cycling, which is usually associated with summer. Cyclocross or something is a different mater.
Kanto winters are perfect for me.
Tell me about it. I'd take Kanto Jan or Feb instead of Aug or Sep anytime. Only the mountains are not accessible, but in this heat it amounts to the same thing in the end...
 
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