thomas
The Crank Engine
- Nov 1, 2005
- 2,075
- 601
Yesterday, I embarked on a (not so short) one-day ride to Lake Okutama (奥多摩湖) in the very west of Tokyo Prefecture. Here's a short summary.
I started at 8.20am from Koto-ku, heading west on Yasukuni dori and Ome Kaido via Shinjuku. Terrific weather and the Golden Week contributed to a massive flood of day-trippers. I am not very fond of using Ome Kaido, as it is quite busy and narrow. In case you know of any viable alternatives, please let me know.
I reached Ome City around 11.15am despite the heavy stop-and-go traffic. Having impatiently jumped between street and pavement too often I was rewarded with a flat rear tyre. A local jitensha-ya-san helped me changing the tube, but well, he was a mamma-charrie-type of jitensha-ya-san, so my tyre felt quite uneven, producing this beating kind of sound. The flat tyre had cost me about 45 mins in delay. I decided to continue against all odds (and without spare tube), reaching Okutama-ko around 1.20pm (exactly 80km from my home, and a ride of 3:26'). The climb up to the lake is not that challenging, the traffic was however!
It is amazing how many kind people you met on your way. I will remember Kenta-san from Kokubunji who made the same trip up to the lake on a shopping bike! And the friendly mountain-biking ojisan from Tachikawa who - after overtaking him for the third time - shared his anko-mochi with me.
I returned home via Ome Kaido (did you know that street stretches for about 50km from Ome to Shinjuku???).
Find my specs below (and pics in the gallery):
05/04/06 (CB)
Distance 164,81 km
Av 24,5
Mx 55,3
Odo 2209,8
Time 6:42'15
Below: a picture of Ogochi Dam (小河内ダム)
I started at 8.20am from Koto-ku, heading west on Yasukuni dori and Ome Kaido via Shinjuku. Terrific weather and the Golden Week contributed to a massive flood of day-trippers. I am not very fond of using Ome Kaido, as it is quite busy and narrow. In case you know of any viable alternatives, please let me know.
I reached Ome City around 11.15am despite the heavy stop-and-go traffic. Having impatiently jumped between street and pavement too often I was rewarded with a flat rear tyre. A local jitensha-ya-san helped me changing the tube, but well, he was a mamma-charrie-type of jitensha-ya-san, so my tyre felt quite uneven, producing this beating kind of sound. The flat tyre had cost me about 45 mins in delay. I decided to continue against all odds (and without spare tube), reaching Okutama-ko around 1.20pm (exactly 80km from my home, and a ride of 3:26'). The climb up to the lake is not that challenging, the traffic was however!
It is amazing how many kind people you met on your way. I will remember Kenta-san from Kokubunji who made the same trip up to the lake on a shopping bike! And the friendly mountain-biking ojisan from Tachikawa who - after overtaking him for the third time - shared his anko-mochi with me.
I returned home via Ome Kaido (did you know that street stretches for about 50km from Ome to Shinjuku???).
Find my specs below (and pics in the gallery):
05/04/06 (CB)
Distance 164,81 km
Av 24,5
Mx 55,3
Odo 2209,8
Time 6:42'15
Below: a picture of Ogochi Dam (小河内ダム)