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Izu Hanto East Coast

Mike

Maximum Pace
Sep 24, 2007
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I'm thinking of doing another tour of Izu and was wondering if anyone has ridden the east coast from Atami down on a weekday, and if so what was it like? I've been there plenty of times by car on weekends and it has been bumper to bumper traffic. The west coast and central Izu are bliss for cycling as I experienced with Alan and Naomi on our Golden Week tour there:

https://tokyocycle.com/bbs/blog.php?b=59

I plan to ride exactly the same route as on day 1 from the above blog, map here:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/16447451

After staying overnight in the same area I'll hopefully head up the east coast back to Atami if the roads aren't too bad! The other option might be to head up central Izu again using R414, then branch off onto R59 to Ito or something like that and head home by train. Any suggestions appreciated for day 2!

Also if anyone would like to join me I'd love the company. It'll be at the pace of a long slow ride, although I do need to say my slow pace isn't really that slow. Any teachers on spring break that wanna join me?

Dates: April 2nd to 5th (only 1 night/2days but I'll choose the best 2 days of weather in this window)
Alternate dates : March 26th to 29th
 
Bump

really no one has ridden below Atami on a weekday:confused:
 
I have spent a lot of time in Izu (Not on a bike though) and the east coast road is busy no matter what day you are on it.
It is also very narrow and winding, with lots of blind corners and tunnels as you get down past inatori.

There are several shadowing roads you can branch off that would be advisable, but the main road is a PIA in the afternoons all year around.

I would recommend getting a train as far down as you can and just focus on doing the bottom and west coast. Lots of uncrowded beautiful roads.
 
Cheers for the advice. I'll avoid it all together then;)
 
Looking at Day 1....


One option coming down, stay on the nishi izu skyline route and stick with 411 to 59 and then head to the coast on 410.

One Recommendation: At the bottom, take 16 along the coast, spectacular!

Day 2, yeah, east coast isn't great. On the (motor)cycle, I tend to stick to the west/central the whole ride, avoid the east.
 
I've ridden lots of Izu. The west coast is definitely much nicer. I would avoid the east coast. R414 up the centre is quite nice but R59 is a cracker (0 to 900m).

If you wanted a slightly different course, I'd recommend doing the top bit of coastline (with the views of Mt. Fuji) - top left corner as you look at the peninsula on the map. Keep going down the coast to stay in Matsuzaki. On the second day, go back via R59.

Don't know how much that is distance wise but there are plent of minor roads to add on. Some of the minor roads are really nice.

I was planning on going down later this week but will probably stay closer to home. Maybe just to Gunma after seeing the blue skies on Tom's blog.....

Andy

www.jyonnobitime.com/time
 
I've ridden lots of Izu. The west coast is definitely much nicer. I would avoid the east coast. R414 up the centre is quite nice but R59 is a cracker (0 to 900m).

If you wanted a slightly different course, I'd recommend doing the top bit of coastline (with the views of Mt. Fuji) - top left corner as you look at the peninsula on the map. Keep going down the coast to stay in Matsuzaki. On the second day, go back via R59.

Don't know how much that is distance wise but there are plent of minor roads to add on. Some of the minor roads are really nice.

I was planning on going down later this week but will probably stay closer to home. Maybe just to Gunma after seeing the blue skies on Tom's blog.....

Andy

www.jyonnobitime.com/time

Thanks guys, and Andy R59 looks really good. If you have a time have a look at the map I posted on the top of this thread. After reading your suggestion I might do it but head down R18 to the coast a bit earlier from the Izu Skyline adding a few extra miles and then stay in Matsuzaki as you suggested. Then day 2 head back via R59 to Ito. I was also thinking of maybe going Thursday/Friday. Being a teacher too, care to join me:D
 
Mike,

I was really wanting to go - to tie it in with the race at Shuzenji - but it's a 7h drive, which is perhaps a bit too much with two small kiddies in the car....

Gone are the days when I used to drive down there to escape the Niigata winter and park up outside an onsen for a few days! I'd just park, tear a couple of pages out of the map book and explore. The minor roads really are beautiful. And the villages too. You'll have a great time I'm sure!

Andy

www.jyonnobitime.com/time
 
I love the west coast of Izu.

We often went to a small fishing village called Iwachi Onsen, a couple of km south of Matsuzaki.

Basically, the further away from Tokyo you get on the east side, the better it gets.

Here are some pics from a trip last summer, both east and west coast. The first coast line pictures are from a hike at Jogasakikaigan. The beach is Shirahama near Shimoda, the pictures after that are Iwachi Onsen and the Matsuzaki coast.
 
Thanks for the advice and photo's guys. I'm booked in at Mitsuzaki tomorrow night and getting excited to roll! Will return via R59 and enjoy the climbing and views on day 2:D
 
Have fun there, Mike!

I've never went the R59 all the way, just some part of it. (Personally, I LOVE the steep climb of R410 from Ugusu port)
Would be great to read/hear your report! :)

Eugen
 
http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/78745070

As you will see I recommend a different climb from the one you took last time around with Alan and Naomi-san. Both roads are nice wake up calls, this one has even less traffic (ie zero).

Down via 19 and 80 to Shuzenji. You will have done the 80 stretch before, I quite like it.

From Shuzenji cross over to the coast and then 17/135 to Matsuzaki. 17 until 135 is magnificent: you get the pretty scenery throughout and the expected beautiful ups and downs beyond the cape but a low amount of cars.

And yes, 59 all the way is great! Note that there is only a couple of vending machines and no conbinis in between Matsuzaki and Yugashima. Very little traffic of course. Make sure that you take 59 all the way down to Ito, up at the ridge there is also the option of no. 12.

Btw, you can easily do most of the east side - Shimoda to Ito - on secondary roads.

Whatever you end up doing have a great trip mate, would have joined if I was not out of country.

Frode
 
Thanks for your advice also Frode, unfortunately I read it too late but I'll be sure to try it next time. I Andy, your description of R59 as a 'cracker' is perfect! That is a fantastic road for cycling, great climb and a fantastic descent descent through sweeping valley roads. I had a brillaint 2 days cycling, although today was a bit sketchy at times with the gusting wind, especially on some of the descents. Damn Izu during the week is cycling heaven! Here's a teaser, before I blog about it:D

Image1-1.jpg
 
Mike,

I'm glad you liked that climb. You can't go wrong with Izu really. The beauty of Sado or Noto Hanto but with pretty much guaranteed great weather. Looking forward to the blog!

Andy

www.jyonnobitime.com/time
 
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