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Hakone Ekiden Ride - Jan 2

After my preposterous claims/wishful thinking about high average speeds, it looks as I will have to watch this event in front of the TV away from Tokyo. Next year.
Maybe some of you will still prove me right and top a 30 average? I know TCC can do it!

Ahhhh bottled out did we!

I am tempted to join this ride, looks like fun.
How steep is the climb? I would hate to give up in front of all the spectators

Ah you see here is the clever thing... slow down and wait for the police out riders to stop you. Then you can sit at the side, cheer on the riders and then either continue to the top or U-Turn and head home.

BTW does anyone else plan to ride back?
 
The climb is relatively steep (forgot how steep), and above all very long. 900m straight up. This gruelling and difficult for anyone who is not used to doing such long climbs. Only the fittest will not allow the runners to catch up. But as James says, bowing out temporarily is entirely acceptable.

James, the traditional thing is to meet at the Michi no Eki for soba and then head down to Atsugi. Depending on what the mood is of the group, I'm considering a few alternatives, as is good PE tradition not to follow plans.

(1) Ride down to Yugawara Onsen and then along the coast to Odawara. 45km with 400m of climbing and a lot more descending, and hopefully very nice views of Izu Hanto and the sea. Not quite as steep as the crazy descent into Atsugi. Have never done this.

(2) Ride down to Mishima along route 1. Even shorter and half the climbing, and also great views, along a historical road. Relatively gentle descend, so making the most out of all the hard labour of getting up to Hakone. Also new to me.

(3) Ride along the lake and over Owakudani to Gora, from there rindos to Daiyuzan, then on to Shin-Matsuda (Odakyu Line) or Odawara (Shinkansen). Also lots of new roads and rindos for me, great views, and a good connection home on Odakyu. Similar distance and climbing to the first option.

(4) Ride along the lake, then route 138 and 139 to Otsuki. Possibility of avoiding most of the traffic by climbing up Mikuni Toge just to remind ourselves what a really steep climb looks like, in case we thought the climb up to Hakone was hard, and cutting through the back of Yamanakako onto the last stretch of route 139 (which should be not too bad now that the motorway to Otsuki is toll-free). Including the Mikuni "detour" this is 85km, but also over 1,000m of climbing. So we would need to avoid stopping in the waiting crowds of Hakone and move on quickly to make it to Otsuki before dark. Good train connections from Otsuki.

(5) Similar to the Otsuki plan, but head down Doshimichi to Hashimoto. That's an additional 20km or so, a also slightly more climbing. Means riding the last bit in the dark, but as it will be in built up areas, that should be fine. Also good train connections from Hashimoto.

(6) Also similar, but ride to Kofu, along Yamanakako and Kawaguchiko and through the new tunnel which is on no map yet. Also close to 100km and similar climbing, but with likely great views of Fuji in the setting sun.

Riding back at least to Yokohama is of course also technically feasible, but means riding 100km in heavy traffic, which I am not up for, especially as there is little reward on the way.
 
BTW does anyone else plan to ride back?

Probably not! Will be taking the "rinko-bukuro" with me.
Yugawara onsen sounds pretty good though!
If I want to get home quickly, I would probably ride down to Atami, and catch the Shinkansen from there (a little extravagant, but hey...)

BTW, here's the last bit of the climb: 17km of upward movement, with the last 11km of those being between 6%~9%. The final 5km being downhill, then flat....



Looking forward to it!
>Ludwig: I'll see you at Otemachi station.

Travis
 
My advice on the first two options

>1) Ride down to Yugawara Onsen and then along the coast to Odawara. 45km >with 400m of climbing and a lot more descending, and hopefully very nice >views of Izu Hanto and the sea. Not quite as steep as the crazy descent into > Atsugi. Have never done this.

I would avoid road 75 to Yugawara onsen (the downhill part). Come weekends and holidays and motorcyclists tend to gather here to race up and down. Up and down. Up and down. I mean, literally. Being overtaken uphill is okay. Not so fun when they are sucking your wheel downhill. Very few cars though.

If you do decide to go down 75 I would turn right onto road 102 after Yugawara Onsen Post Office. Sure, it will give you some more climbing - some of it very steep - but also rewarding views and a fast descent down to road 135. Only 2 K to Atami from there.

135 direction Odawara has some ocean view but it is also narrow, has quite a bit of traffic and the side of the road features more glass than you can find on any given day in the 23 wards of Tokyo combined. *)

*) Not a peer-reviewed statement

> (2) Ride down to Mishima along route 1. Even shorter and half the climbing, >and also great views, along a historical road. Relatively gentle descend, so >making the most out of all the hard labour of getting up to Hakone. Also new >to me.

Yes, relatively short climb and then fast and enjoyable descent. 10 K after Ashinoko I would turn left onto road 142 which is a relatively rural one. You also avoid a little bit of the urban sprawl of Mishima
 
@Japanviking and others wondering if they are fast enough

I did this last year and got beat by the runners and did a U-turn:eek:
It was a bit disappointing but coming down I ran into many (non TCC) people who had the same experience and we all had a laugh about it. It was a beautiful day out and getting beat was really motivating. I did the same climb in November and was super happy at how much easier it had become, so doing it is a good benchmark.

If you aren't sure if you'll make it be sure to have other people's contact info and a charged cell phone.

I'm a little sad I won't make it this year but I will be cycling elsewhere and sending you guys speedy thoughts.

Good luck!
 
My advice on the first two options

Thanks - glad someone knows these roads.

I would avoid road 75 to Yugawara onsen (the downhill part). Come weekends and holidays and motorcyclists tend to gather here to race up and down. Up and down. Up and down. I mean, literally. Being overtaken uphill is okay. Not so fun when they are sucking your wheel downhill. Very few cars though.

I would think this is not a problem in winter (but could be wrong). Most motorbikes are gone from the roads, especially curvy and mountainous ones. That's one of the things I really like about winter. It makes such a difference.

I'll be sure to avoid this road at other times - thanks for the hint. For the same reason, I generally avoid Tomin no Mori/Kazahari, unless going up Kazahari Rindo.

If you do decide to go down 75 I would turn right onto road 102 after Yugawara Onsen Post Office. Sure, it will give you some more climbing - some of it very steep - but also rewarding views and a fast descent down to road 135. Only 2 K to Atami from there.

Yep, that was already part of the plan, and hence to 400m of total climbing. Good to know I had the right intuition.
 
I guess we will part company at the top then as I would rather not catch the train and the ride is training/social rather than a hill climb fest.

I will probably U-Turn at the top and head home the same way I came.
 
Ludwig any update regarding the rolling closure yet?
 
The plan

So here is the proposed plan for the 2nd.

7:20 Meet at Otemachi. In front of exit C14 (street level) of Otemachi Tokyo Metro station, which is at the south-eastern corner of the intersection of Eitai Dori and Hibiya Dori:

http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?f=d&s...139.763702&spn=0.001207,0.001725&z=19&start=0

7:30 Roll. We will not be able to wait for late comers. Last year, we left at 7:47 and had difficulty not allowing the runners (starting at 8:00) to catch up. (OK, part of it was because we initially went slow/waited for some of us who could not cruise at ~34km/h between traffic lights - we will not do this this year, sorry!)

8:10 Pass Keikyu Kamata station. There is a Mini Stop convenience store right at the corner of Kanpachi Dori and Daiichi Keihin. Anyone from Tokyo not wanting to start at Otemachi is welcome to wait there for the group passing and join us. We will not make a stop.

http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?f=d&s...139.722241&spn=0.001209,0.001725&z=19&start=0

FYI, at this point and time, we will be 30 mins ahead of the traffic restriction.

8:55 Pass the Yokohama Hamamatsucho intersection (route 16 on route 1). There is a Sankus 400m before the intersection. People joining from Yokohama can join us either there or at the intersection. No plan to actually stop.

http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?f=d&s...139.617342&spn=0.002421,0.003449&z=18&start=0

A this point, we should be 30 mins ahead of the traffic restriction.

Depending on how we do over the hills of Totsuka, we may be able to take a brief stop at the am pm convenience store before the Fujisawa Bypass:

http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?f=d&s...139.504244&spn=0.004847,0.006899&z=17&start=0

This will also help avoid that some miss the turn-off. The route does NOT follow the by-pass, but turns off on a ramp to the left. This is not indicated and there are usually only a few people lining the road, so it is easy to miss the turn-off (as some PE riders did two years ago).

11:15 at the latest, ideally earlier: leave 7-11 convenience store right before the turn in front of the Odawara Shimin Kaikan.

http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?f=d&s...139.161866&spn=0.002427,0.003449&z=18&start=0

Last year, it took me 1h25min from there to the goal up in Hakone. We left the conbini at 11:47 and I arrived at 13:10. That was the fastest time. This year, James will beat me and I will not beat my own time because I have not trained for it. The traffic restriction at the goal kicks in at 13:20, but motorbike police on the climb and final stretch can get nervous and ask you to dismount even if you are still out of the restriction. This happened to me twice... but I still made it...

The runners turn off the Tokaido to the right, just a few meters before the goal. This is obvious when you come down the final stretch. Let us gather just at that intersection and watch the first runners coming in.

http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?f=d&s...139.026366&spn=0.002429,0.003449&z=18&start=0

We will then proceed to our usual Eki no Michi restaurant just above Hakone, where they serve nice soba and we have a great view of the lake and Mount Fuji.

http://maps.google.co.jp/maps?f=d&s...139.015986&spn=0.002429,0.005493&z=18&start=0

We will stay there until about 14:15.

I propose we then break with tradition and try a different descent down to the sea, via the Tsubaki Line to Yugawara, and then on along the upper coast road to Odawara. These are about 42km with 400m of climbing and 1,300m of descending, and a lot of great views.

From Odawara, you can return home either by Shinkansen or Odakyu Line. You will need to bring a bike bag. The Tokaido shinkansen staff are quite strict about bike bags and will easily stop you from entering with one that doesn't cover the entire bike. Other train lines are usually more foregiving.

Here is the full route (starting at my home; subtract 11km if starting from Otemachi):

http://classic.mapmyride.com/route/jp/kanto/545129369901169671

[Ignore the small detour via the toll road beyond Kouzu - I noticed this too late and didn't want to redo the entire route. The course of course remains on route 1.]

As has been pointed out by others, the pace of this ride is brisk - and it needs to be so. We need to stay well ahead of the runners, not fall into the traffic restriction, yet not be so far ahead that the traffic hasn't been reduced yet from the normal heavy load. (In some places, especially between Yokohama and Totsuka, there will still be quite a bit of traffic on the road.) The fun part is not only to ride famous trunk roads there are normally too busy to be ridden, but also to be cheered at by literally millions of people lining the roads. Especially the atmosphere entering Moto-Hakone and Hakone is unforgettable, with bands and cheersleaders lining the road.

The climb from Odawara to Moto-Hakone is tough. It is easy to have the runners and with them police close up on you, and take you off the road. This is not the end - you just need to wait until all the runners have passed and the road is open to normal traffic again, and you can then continue and join us at the Eki no Michi restaurant.

If you lose use before the climb, it is virtually impossible to catch up again. There will be a large group of cyclists behind the runners, which will slow you down below the speed of the runners, and ultimately be quite frustrating and dangerous. You can still proceed if you like, or pursue an alternative route, or just bail out altogether. It is important to be prepared with a decent map, so you know where you are and can work out what you might want to do.

I regret the group cannot wait for anyone who can't keep up, for whatever reason, because it will risk everyone getting pulled off. We learnt our lesson last year, when we initially slowed down for newcomers who could not sail at anywhere close to ~34km/h between traffic lights.

Our conbini stops will need to be brief, so please bring some food and drink already with you.

Please follow all traffic rules on this ride. Do not skip traffic lights. There are plenty of police and other guard men around, and they do not react well to even minor infractions, as they are particularly nervous on this day.

Finally, please respond if you are joining, and from where you will be joining:

(1) Otemachi
(2) Keikyu Kamata
(3) Yokohama Hamamatsucho
(4) Odawara ?

and let us know in case you are not intending to join us for the soba at the Eki no Michi, or for the ride via Yugawara to Odawara.

[Yes, James, I know you will join at (3) and not join the lunch.]

Looking forward to a lot fun together on the road!

Cheers, Ludwig
 
Ludwig thank you for organising this!

I will join at point 3, lunch (Can't break tradition) and as you are heading back towards Odawara will join you for this part of the ride also. From there I will decide on the route home, train or ride depending on my condition.

As for beating you up the climb, I've done absoultly no training at all and was out with Mike on the 28th for the first time in ages for a big ride.

Please do not expect anything remotely spectacular from me. :(
 
James, great you are joining us for the lunch too.

I think even an out-of-training S-class champion of this year will be stronger than a reasonably trained D-class champion!

BTW, will you wear your champions jersey?

If you decide to ride all the way back to Yokohama, be prepared that you will ride in complete darkness part of the way. Though by the time it gets really dark, you should be back in built up areas so should be fine with basic lights to be seen.
 
Otemachi, for me!

Thanks for organizing this one, Ludwig.
I'll be at point (1), at 7:20.
The plan looks good too - I was kind of expecting that we'd have to ride all the way to Odawara pretty much non-stop (practiced peeling bananas & onigiri on the fly).
I'm not feeling too confident about the climb either; but 11:15 sounds fairly safe though.
Really looking forward to it!
See you there:D
Travis
 
Joining in Yokohama

Thanks for all the detail, Ludwig.
I will plan to join in Yokohama at Rte 16.
 
Thanks Ludwig, look forward to joining the group at 8:10 near Keikyu Kamata. Good to know these are leaving times, not meeting times...

As Travis says, I was expecting to ride continuously and stock up before the start, as even a small queue of hungry cyclists in a combini could delay us.

I read that if a runner is 20mins behind the leader at a station, the next runner starts without waiting, and the time is added on later. That means the very back of the race should never be more than half an hour behind the finisher, so if people get asked to stop (we will) and actually stop (we might) you should not have to wait too long in the restaurant for everyone to regroup.

Is it possible to keep an eye out for the tv helicopter above the leading runner as well?
 
Thanks for all the detail, Ludwig.
I will plan to join in Yokohama at Rte 16.

Looking forward to putting the face to a name... I will be easy to spot Fuji kit and Fuji Bike.
 
Andy, there won't be a queue of hungry cyclists at any convenience stores, because we will be a small group. And basically nobody other than us does this kind of thing. Of course there will be many spectators around and they use convenience stores too, but this has not been a problem for buying anything - just for using the restroom.

Yes, the runners take up only half an hour or so, but once you are behind them, you will be among hundreds of cyclists and not only will this be frustrating, it may slow you down further. I imagine just staying at the very top of the peleton will not be easy.

Anyhow, if we stick to the pace, we will not be stopped, at least not until somewhere on the climb when police get particularly nervous (partly because they tend to underestimate the time it takes the car jam to clear when they put into place the traffic restriction! so last year half of the way up I was passing almost stationary cars).

Some short convenience store stops beyond the Toyosu pass are not a problem, as from there on there are not that many traffic lights anymore and it is easy to widen the gap to the runners, if we run at a reasonably pace.

Trust me, it's my third time... (and David's forth).
 
Ludwig, I've decided to join you guys for part of the ride. As I have a niggling calf injury I don't fancy doing any climbing for a few weeks so I'll ride wtih you until Odawara or there abouts and then head back. If anyone wants to join me they are most welcome:D

I'll be at the am-pm before the Fujisawa bypass. What time will you be rolling through there?

p.s. is the traffic going to be hideous on the return leg?
 
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