zoompastmykids
Cruising
- May 5, 2011
- 3
- 0
Hello TCC! I moved to Tokyo in 2006 and took up biking in '07. It was easier to haul my groceries home on a bike than to hike my fat arse with 30 lbs groceries from the market to home every time. Over the course of time I lost weight and loved biking. I started biking everywhere and added spins around the Imperial Palace for fun. I had to look silly out there in my Don Quixote Chimpunk special with the granny basket but I enjoyed getting out and biking.
We returned to US in '09 and I bought a new bike. A Specialized Aerial Sport for biking the trails and roads in my city. 75 miles of greenbelt connect my community (a rarity for TX) and I began biking to everything I did. Gym, grocery, bank, library, etc.... I was thrilled to keep up the biking here. My kids can't keep up with me and that's why I picked my screen name.
I've added long routes 40-65 km and now prefer road biking. I'm about to upgrade to the Specialized Elite before we move back to Japan in August. I was having difficulty remembering what biking was like in Japan and wished for long bike routes and club rides. I began mapping my old rides in Tokyo at MapMyRide.com and realize that my everyday bike ride is long enough to get me far beyond my old neighborhood. From Roppongi to Shibuya felt like a death wish for biking back then but now I can't wait to bike to Nishi Kasai (where my husband's office is) or Odaiba or Chofu or farther. I stumbled on this forum and The Half Fast Cycling Club and now I'm really psyched. Can't wait to join you guys and learn a lot more about cycling. I just learned to repair a flat. Not by need, just curiosity. Love my local bike shop. They are so jealous I'm moving to Japan. They want to spend time there riding and enjoying the famous 'bike culture' they hear about in the cycling community. These guys are fanatics.
My pace is about 20-25 kph depending on the ride. I hope a club ride will help me go faster and longer. I'm working with a personal trainer hoping I can build more muscle now that I've lost fat and help my endurance on the bike.
As a fat american arriving in Tokyo that first night the walk from Azabudai to Hard Rock Cafe frightened the heck out of me. I was terrified of living there without a car. The first trip to Odaiba to Toys R Us was exhausting. The train and the monorail to buy a Hot Wheels race track was annoying. It felt like ages to get there. My friends said, "Get a car. By car it's so much easier to get to Odaiba." Now the notion of biking there is revving my engines. With my panniers I can probably bring back two hot wheels tracks and a couple of lego sets. I can't wait. :bike:
Thanks for letting me intro myself. Sorry to be long winded.
zoom
We returned to US in '09 and I bought a new bike. A Specialized Aerial Sport for biking the trails and roads in my city. 75 miles of greenbelt connect my community (a rarity for TX) and I began biking to everything I did. Gym, grocery, bank, library, etc.... I was thrilled to keep up the biking here. My kids can't keep up with me and that's why I picked my screen name.
I've added long routes 40-65 km and now prefer road biking. I'm about to upgrade to the Specialized Elite before we move back to Japan in August. I was having difficulty remembering what biking was like in Japan and wished for long bike routes and club rides. I began mapping my old rides in Tokyo at MapMyRide.com and realize that my everyday bike ride is long enough to get me far beyond my old neighborhood. From Roppongi to Shibuya felt like a death wish for biking back then but now I can't wait to bike to Nishi Kasai (where my husband's office is) or Odaiba or Chofu or farther. I stumbled on this forum and The Half Fast Cycling Club and now I'm really psyched. Can't wait to join you guys and learn a lot more about cycling. I just learned to repair a flat. Not by need, just curiosity. Love my local bike shop. They are so jealous I'm moving to Japan. They want to spend time there riding and enjoying the famous 'bike culture' they hear about in the cycling community. These guys are fanatics.
My pace is about 20-25 kph depending on the ride. I hope a club ride will help me go faster and longer. I'm working with a personal trainer hoping I can build more muscle now that I've lost fat and help my endurance on the bike.
As a fat american arriving in Tokyo that first night the walk from Azabudai to Hard Rock Cafe frightened the heck out of me. I was terrified of living there without a car. The first trip to Odaiba to Toys R Us was exhausting. The train and the monorail to buy a Hot Wheels race track was annoying. It felt like ages to get there. My friends said, "Get a car. By car it's so much easier to get to Odaiba." Now the notion of biking there is revving my engines. With my panniers I can probably bring back two hot wheels tracks and a couple of lego sets. I can't wait. :bike:
Thanks for letting me intro myself. Sorry to be long winded.
zoom