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Koyo Boso (Sat Dec 5th)

Phil

Maximum Pace
Sep 1, 2007
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(...or maybe, Bare Branches Boso, but the Kameyama Tourist Association insists the season runs to early December, so hopefully there'll be a few red leaves left clinging to trees.)

David (Trucksan) and I are thinking of doing a Boso ride the next weekend. Would love the company if anyone is interested:

What: Shortish, fast run through the interior of Boso
Where: Start and end at Honda Station.
When: Dec 5th. 9:30AM rollout. Should be back by 4pm latest.
Route:
http://www.mapmyride.com/route/jp/Chiba/531125940416478693

120km of mostly familiar roads. We'll skip the coast and most of the rindos to concentrate on the larger, quicker, but still scenic, main roads. We'll loop through the Kameyama lakes area, famous for its fall colors. Uphill bits include a foray into a rindo around Kameyama (a first for TCC rides), as well as the 465, which is a bit climb-y. Overall, though, slightly flatter than the usual Boso jaunt.

Mighty be handy as a last-chance training for Tokyo Enduro, with hard intervals between turnoffs. Or take it slower and enjoy the scenery...either is good.
 
Train info

The usual train info:

The JRエアポート成田・成田空港行 (JR Airport Narita) leaves Yokohama at 7:39, Shinagawa at 8:01, and Kinshicho at 8:18 direct to Chiba, where you can switch to the 8:54 Sotobo Line train to Honda, arr. 9:08. Other option is the JR Keiyo to Soga, then switching to the same Honda-bound train.

Meeting is at south exit. I'll have the car for anyone who needs to stow bags etc. (No lockers in the station).
 
Excellent Phil, just what the doctor prescribed. Looking forward to next Saturday. :)
 
Another one I should do would do...but...

After last Sunday's ride to Narita, I've discovered my arm hasn't healed well enough for long rides. This was not a cycling injury so I didn't come here to brag about it before... quite embarrassing really...on my comeback training ride after cutting my arm we had the 8 bike pile up (on my other arm) which I did mention here.

gory details http://mcentyre.com/McBlogg/2009/08/09/injured/

Both accidents have taken a lot out of me...including blood, skin...and pride.

Have a great day out... I'll be preparing for a night of beer at my 1st bounnenkai for the year. (work).
 
Pete, it's a pity you cannot join!

David, would you like to ride out? We could meet at 0730AM at the Chiba side of the bridge.
 
Yeah, sorry you can't join us Pete. In the new year for sure...

Thomas, Lee, David > Thanks for the interest--look forward to seeing you there!

Unfortunately the weather might be a problem. Forecast is going back and forth on the question of rain on Saturday. If it does look bad, we'll move to Sunday--I know this will preclude some (all?) of you from joining, so we'll try to avoid that if possible.

Will post final decision by 10pm Friday at the latest.
 
In spirit...

Love to join you on this one.....instead it will be a wet and windy weekend, with the constant cajolement of the bike set up on a trainer in the cold and damp garage for company.

Still there`s always Oxford Street and Christmas shopping as an alternative I suppose....

chazzer
 
Thomas,

A ride out sounds excellent. I will get the train back though - i don't fancy the narrow roads in the dark when tired.

See you at the chiba side of the bridge at 07.30

Dave
 
weather is looking fine

the narita aerodrome forecast is predicting it to be fine and the radar is showing nothing much.
I think it could be all go.
 
Saturday it is

David's hotline to the best aviation weather info reveals that the rain should hold off until the evening...so it looks like we're a "go" for tomorrow.

See you all there!
 
Many thanks!

The ride was everything I'd hoped it would be (and expected, given the excellent company), combining speed and scenery in just the right dose. We did get caught in a heavy 30 minutes of rain on 171/172, but apart from that the weather held. Some of my highlights:

- A remarkable view down the Yoro Gorge just after our country store stop, the steep banks lined with onsens and red momoji trees.
- Similarly, spectacular views from the bridges over the Kameyama Lakes.
- The troop of monkeys moving through the rice fields just off 465.
- The twisty, smoothly paved descent from Mitsuishi-san (三石山), the turns so tightly and regularly spaced that it felt like snowboarding through a slalom.
- The long stretch of hammering up the 24/410. There's something about that road that invites you to put your head down and just gooo.
- Feeling like cavemen as we stood in the tunnel of 173, watching the rain pound down on the yellow foliage outside.... Of course, the aesthetic appreciation was tempered by the knowledge we had to venture into that rain.
- And last but not least, the superb company and conversation.:beer:

Only lowlight for me was once again neglecting to eat enough on the return leg and suddenly losing every ounce of energy in the final 15 km. A coke and a Snickers fixed me almost immediately, but it was a long, slooow slog to that particular combini...

David T, Thomas, David A > As always, many thanks!
Lee, Alan > Sorry you couldn't make it. Hopefully next time!
 
Phil, thanks for the great report. Sounded like a good one. Sorry I keep missing all the Boso rides; frustratingly, they almost always fall on days that I cannot join due to work or other scheduling conflicts. :( As I've said before, the Hilly Boso ride we did nearly two (!) years ago remains one of my most memorable rides.

Deej
 
Thanks to Phil, Thomas and David for another great day in Boso.

Knackered today - but it was well worth it.

See you all soon

Dave
 
Phil, thanks for the great report. Sounded like a good one. Sorry I keep missing all the Boso rides; frustratingly, they almost always fall on days that I cannot join due to work or other scheduling conflicts. :( As I've said before, the Hilly Boso ride we did nearly two (!) years ago remains one of my most memorable rides.

Yeah, it would be good to have you over here sometime; next one let's coordinate schedules, eh?
 
Phil,

thanks for another ride that had everything a cyclist could possibly yearn for: drama cavemen-style, adventure, speed, climbs, natural beauty and camaraderie. Oh yes, and beer. I have to admit I was dead beat last Saturday. :D

Gentlemen, it's been a great ride.

PS: Mitsuishi-san (三石山) is a must to revisit.
 
great ride

Was as a great ride , took me a few days to recover, Im going to have to work on my climbing ability.
Thank you all for the great company. Next time I will try to drink a beer with lunch, a pleasant target for my next TCC ride.
Thanks Phil for organising and the ride home.
David aka trucksan
 
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