Today January 2023

[bloaker]

Yeah that's right - huge complex of shops with restaurants, a brewery, a bar, and also the best 7/11 in Japan for beer.

I might ride up there on my B-day! Until then.... dry.

 

[microcord]

It amazes me how so little of Yokohama has cycle markings outside of the Sakuragicho area. The roads are generally wide enough to have some markings on the ground.

I rarely ride there and my experiences may have been unrepresentative. But I've got the impression that cycling on the right (i.e. wrong) side of the road is big in Yokohama. (I mean, even more so than in Tokyo.) This annoys me, as someone who cycles on (or anyway towards) the left.

As for the beer?

Gone are the days when I'd pay 500 yen or so for a third of a litre. But I'm not going to settle for insipid macrobrew lager. Recently I've been impressed by what its green can announces as "Premium Yebisu Hop Terroir ホップテロワール Žatec". It's priced below インドの青鬼; and while it's not the greatest it's good enough for my undiscerning palate.

 

[Forsbrook]

Awesome weather this afternoon for a quick spin up the Edogawa River.
I was so surprised there were so many people about in spite of the local media saying Winter Armageddon was almost upon us.

 

[OreoCookie]

Tonight the low is going to be -7 degrees here. Finally, winter has come. Snow is MIA, though. Bummer.

 

[bloaker]

Planning to ride early tomorrow and freeze... but at least if I freeze to death, the wild pigs will get a snack.
I am taking out my hardtail for the first time this season and running my Shockwiz for the first time on the new fork.
I will get to see just how close I am in "feel" vs what the computer thinks.
I am normally pretty close on HSC and LSC, but sometimes the computer nails something I didn't try (usually on the rebound side) and the results are great!
27.5 Hardtail with 150mm of travel up front - should be a hoot! I usually run this bike in 29 mode, so I expect a fun ride and different ride!

 

[bloaker]

Tonight the low is going to be -7 degrees here. Finally, winter has come. Snow is MIA, though. Bummer.

Perfect sleeping weather!
My ride forecast...

 

[BeerTengoku]

Yeah, you're on your own there. Admittedly, I am looking forward to going out for a walk in the morning with my labrador but I have no clothes warm enough for a ride that cold.

 

[jdd]

@andywood @kiwisimon You folks okay up there? -4, very windy, and lots of snow here. (saw an article earlier that far northern china and into russia had record cold, like -50 to -60 in the last day or two)

 

[kiwisimon]

-12nwith a 8 degree windchill
but it's winter. not too much snow yet, only about 4 inches
thanks for asking

 

[bloaker]

Planning to ride early tomorrow and freeze... but at least if I freeze to death, the wild pigs will get a snack.
I am taking out my hardtail for the first time this season and running my Shockwiz for the first time on the new fork.
I will get to see just how close I am in "feel" vs what the computer thinks.
I am normally pretty close on HSC and LSC, but sometimes the computer nails something I didn't try (usually on the rebound side) and the results are great!
27.5 Hardtail with 150mm of travel up front - should be a hoot! I usually run this bike in 29 mode, so I expect a fun ride and different ride!

My enthusiasm this morning did not match my energy last night. I woke up, said f'it, went back to sleep.

 

[andywood]

@andywood @kiwisimon You folks okay up there? -4, very windy, and lots of snow here. (saw an article earlier that far northern china and into russia had record cold, like -50 to -60 in the last day or two)

Lots of the problems of the first cold wave were due to people trying to carry on as normal.

The call was made to close R8, the highway, the train line and all schools etc yesterday.

So it's just a case of hibernation and weathering it out!

Andy

 

[Forsbrook]

Not too bad in Tokyo.
Managed to get out for an earlyish ride.
Didn't go as far as usual though.
Luckily the wind had died down somewhat by the time I set out.

 

[OreoCookie]

The temps actually dropped to -8 degrees tonight and it is snowing. Which is nice. I thought I’ll take it easy on my mountain bike this morning. After dropping off our youngest at day care, I decided to cycle back home and then walk to work.

I would have had to ride up a decently steep hill to give my lecture this afternoon, and didn't feel like either freezing on the bike or risking anything in traffic. In short, no fun, no gain, less safe — I took the shuttle bus instead.

I reckon I'll have to do my weekend endurance ride on the trainer. Bummer.

 

[andywood]

It's rare that we get powder snow at sea level but today stayed below zero. The problem with powder snow is it finds it's way into the tent even when fully zipped up!



This winter I've gone back to training with rollers and heart rate. A simple workout, raise to 170HR over 45 mins then spin out.



In the past I'd listen to a different album each time. This winter I've been watching a different CX race each time.



The races last an hour so they are perfect. Today was 2017 Worlds in Luxembourg. The races rarely disappoint.

Andy

 

[bloaker]

Post work - I got the loop in I wanted to do before work.
Not happy with the current setup - (wicked fun in the rough stuff, but meh everywhere else) - I changed the bike from 27+ to 29.
I also installed a Tannus Armour instert in the rear wheel and got things sorted.
Just as I finished that - the bell rang and the Post dropped off more parts for my enduro. So the hardtail was set to the side and the enduro got the front brake rotor and spacer replaced and a fender added.
Once I get the hardtail sorted, the Enduro will be next... however it is also expecting a new drivetrain, so... I may take my time in setting that one up until all upgrades are complete.

 

[bloaker]

I did get out of bed this morning....

 

[bloaker]

I broke out the enduro with a new fork on it. It is a tuning day...
Quick thoughts....
Holy crap this bike is a couch on wheels.
Amazingly - this bike is not as efficient as the Ripley, the end results are close in time.
Also Amazingly - this bike gives up very little to my hardtail.

Scientifically - did I set up legit tests to figure things out? Nope.
But the bikes are close enough that if I have a "good day" on one bike and an "off day" on the other... the good day will be the fastest.
If I have a good day on all the bikes, the Ripley will destroy the Ripmo on climbs and flats. It will give up some on the descents, but for loops, the Ripley would be the absolute fastest.
The Ripmo on the same loop while being a tad bit slower can take optional lines on the downhill and feel very confidence inspiring on the way.
The Hardtail on the same loop will climb the fastest on asphault, but fall behind in tech climbing. The downhill would be a tad faster than the Ripley as the front end on the hardtail is stout and slack.
I am amazed that I can grab any three of the bikes and enjoy the loop just as much as the others, but differently.
It is also amazing that the loop will be done in ballpark the same amount of time - regardless of the weapon I choose.

The last part - and this one is the key - the same trail is handled very differently on all three bikes. This gives me so many choices and I am giddy at how these bikes compliment each other.

 

[BeerTengoku]

Installed the 28s on my Trek and boy, was I going fast today. I am not saying that the "possible" tailwind helped, but I made it down to Enoshima from my house in sub 50mins - something I haven't done. Ever.


Weather was fantastic out, warm in the sun with a nice cooling breeze and felt good so I carried on cycling along the old Tokaido up to Yokohama before heading over to Hammerhead for a quick bite to eat then swinging back home.


One thing I am really starting to get pissed off with is scooter drivers and their constant need to either ride in bicycle lanes and then block off paths around cars, or sit in the cycle lane doing less than 30 kph and getting in the way.

 

[Chuck]

Installed the 28s on my Trek and boy, was I going fast today. I am not saying that the "possible" tailwind helped, but I made it down to Enoshima from my house in sub 50mins - something I haven't done. Ever.


Weather was fantastic out, warm in the sun with a nice cooling breeze and felt good so I carried on cycling along the old Tokaido up to Yokohama before heading over to Hammerhead for a quick bite to eat then swinging back home.

Care to post the route? Sounds like a good one.

 

[BeerTengoku]

Care to post the route? Sounds like a good one.

It was down the Sakaigawa, along Enoshima, up to Kamakura then across to Ofuna, before going along the Kashiogawa to meet up with the old Tokaido.