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New Year's Climb

thomas

thomas

The Crank Engine
Nov 1, 2005
2,075
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It's time to plan for the first hillclimb of the new year, ladies and gentlemen! :)

So interrupt your hibernation, tuck your expanded waistlines into your cycle bibs and join us next Saturday, January 3, 2009 for a rerun of Travis' HT Loop

=> http://www.mapmyrun.com/route/jp/tokyo/993949686730

Suggested meeting place: Musashi-Itsukaichi Sta.
Meeting time: 0900
Rollout: not later than 0930

We shouldn't regroup in M-I later than 1430.

Anyone interested in joining?
 
I have only my flatbar commuter in disposition - right now and maybe until the end of the next week...so let me get back to my hibernation until then :angel:

PS
Are the roads still open there? especially Kazahari-rindo, you know, snow, ice, bears...:)
 
Unfortunately I'll be in Nagano (where the roads really are all ice and snow) until the 4th.

I look forward to joining you on another ride in the new year.

Wishing you a Happy New Year,

Lee
 
I'd love to join you, but I'll be in Shizuoka until the 4th. But I look forward to some fun rides with all of you in January. Happy New Year, and have a great ride!

Deej
 
Hi there,

I will join tomorrow, although it will be very hard for me to keep up with Thomas and his new carbon steed. See you at Musashi-Itsukaichi..

Chris
 
Sergey, Lee, Deej, Clay, sorry you won't be able to come along!

Who else will join tomorrow? So far we have:

Chris
Thomas

Naomi-san, Alan, Philip, will you be on board?

chris said:
I will join tomorrow, although it will be very hard for me to keep up with Thomas and his new carbon steed. See you at Musashi-Itsukaichi..
Click to expand...

In case Alan and Philip will come along, you shouldn't worry about keeping up with me... :warau:
 
Thomas said:
Naomi-san, Alan, Philip, will you be on board?



In case Alan and Philip will come along, you shouldn't worry about keeping up with me... :warau:
Click to expand...

I'll be there. Naomi-san might come too. See you tomorrow!
AW.
 
I will be passing through Tamasuidobashi at 7:30am and should arrive at MI at 9:00 in time for breakfast before the 9:30 start. My intention is to complete the loop in a leisurely 5 hrs and enjoy the ride :D

Am looking forward to the first ride of the year . . .

Philip
 
Philip said:
I will be passing through Tamasuidobashi at 7:30am and should arrive at MI at 9:00 in time for breakfast before the 9:30 start. My intention is to complete the loop in a leisurely 5 hrs and enjoy the ride.
Click to expand...

I shall meet you at the bridge, Philip. Breakfast in MI sounds great. And yes, do bring your Cervélo. :D
 
New Year's Climb - Report

Don't let the title fool you....the New Year's climb route included no less than three big uphill sections :climb01::climb01::climb02:

Meeting at Mushashi-Itsukaichi were Naomi-san, Chris and me, who took the soft option of the Akigawa express, and Thomas and Philip, who, true to tradition, rode out from Tokyo.
The bakery next to the station was closed so our first stop along the way was at the 7-11, where the staff must be getting used to cyclists clumping around the aisles before heading up the hill. Breakfast for me was a combination of canned coffee (Georgia Black, in case Deej wishes to review) and a big but nondescript pastry. Soon we were spinning our way up the hill, in a close group of five. As we took the turn for Kazuhari Rindo, Thomas and Chris went ahead, while I stayed with Naomi-san and Philip. [Excuse mode:] I did a hard ride the day before and was in a cruisy frame of mind [end Excuse mode]. It was my first time up this particular Rindo and I have to say it's a brutal climb. Even with my 34/27 low gear it was tough to keep the pedals turning and I've no idea how Chris and Thomas cranked their non-compact drive bikes to the top.
We arrived, one by one at the top, where Philip decided he had had enough for the day and turned for home - fair play as I've had days exactly like that. The rest of us suited up for the decent to Okutama which was unbelievably cold. I was in the lead but taking thing very cautiously as there was ice at the side of the road and some sections were in deep shadow. We made it to the lake with no mishaps and set off up the next climb of the day; a much shorter affair than Kazuhari but still with some steep sections. Just over the summit we regrouped. Naomi san came flying down the hill at over 64 km/h but she saw us in time and managed to stop. From there it was a fun decent into the Okutama valley for the second time, where we followed the lakeshore. We were all feeling a bit low on energy and Thomas suggested we stop for lunch. TCC's traditional Ramen/Udon shop was closed but 2 buildings down was a Soba place which served us a pretty tasty lunch. We saw the chef making the soba by hand in the kitchen.
The last climb of the day was back up Tomi-no-mori which is 10 km of almost constant 9% gradient. We all settled in and found our comfortable climbing pace. On the way up we passed a rider on a singlespeed machine who looked to be really suffering. I was glad I had gears :) As we ascended the hill we passed two crashed cars, not crashed into each other but separate incidents. It seemed the slippery conditions had casught out a few of the boy-racers today. Cresting the summit, the thermometer showed 2 degrees C, so we zipped up our jackets again and started the 20km descent back to the station. We passed a few more riders (including a group of five who started up the hill while we were ordering lunch) and I led our group back to Musashi Itsukaichi. Just before the station we stopped again at 7-11, looking a bit more bedraggled and chilly than in the morning for a final energy boost. Chris accompanied Thomas back to Tokyo while Naomi-san and I got the train where we were very glad of the heater!

All in all a great (but chilly) TCC first ride of 2009 :D
 
Naomi-san, Alan, Philip, Chris, thanks for the lovely ride yesterday, and Alan, special thanks for your excellent report. What a torture those climbs were! :)

Chris, much obliged for dragging me along Tamagawa. We managed to reach Shibuya at 1800 sharp and parted on Meiji-dori. I for one will not touch any of my bicycles today. :D

PS: Wasn't the cyclist climbing Kazahari-toge on a single-speed(!) absolutely amazing?!
 
Thanks to everyone for the great ride yesterday. I also enjoyed the extension part back into town which offered a great view of Fujisan in front of the red sunset sky, dodging runners and other cyclist at Tamagawa in the dark and a finish at Shibuya crossing. Riding in Japan can be a truly amazing experience..:)
 
Thanks to Thomas for organizing the ride and pulling me up the river. Nice to meet you Chris. Naomi - looks like you could have a career as a bike racer. Alan - thanks for looking after me. I was sorry to have to say goodbye so early in the day but enjoyed myself very much and am now motivated to get back in form :bike:

Cheers,

Philip
 
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