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Today October 2022

Sad day.
I sold my Stanton. I didn't need to, but it wasn't getting enough love.
So I put a price on it I thought was fair.
If the right buyer comes along, it is a deal.
If the wrong buyer comes along, they will try and get me to lower my price, which I won't because.... I don't need to sell it.
So last week someone told me they would buy it in November...
Today he showed up with money.

:(
 
And - my wife was against me selling it.
She knows I can't get another since it was a prototype and she has been vocal about not needing to sell it.
sigh... this is why I get to buy new bikes.
I don't keep them if I don't use them.
 
I have neither the space nor the money to keep bikes I'm not riding, but it always sucks to see one go even if I know it's going to someone who will appreciate it.
 
Went up to Sekiyado yesterday.
Not too many cyclists out especially early doors.
Went down the Arakawa River today on my way to my daughter's place in Sumiyoshi.
Have to do a spot of dog-sitting since they are out of town.
Will be camped out in Koto-Ku until Thursday morning.
Parental duty and all of that.
I have got to say and I have been ridiculed for it on this site......the Edogawa is Tokyo's premier cycling river.
No gates,smooth as silk,not so many obnoxious riverside users,places of real beauty to see.
 
So did my two day ride around Lake Biwa - fantastic ride to be honest except for two diversions - one being shitty and the other well worth it.
Thought I would go up to Biwako Terrace as the weather was good, except the hill is about a 10% gradient minimum and my biggest sprocket was a 28T - no way was that going to be fun. Then to compound matters, the gondola was 3500yen round trip... so instead I went to the observation deck at the north of the lake called Tsuzura-dai, but after 100km, 400m of elevation was not what I wanted to do. However, this was worth the painful climb. I stopped in Nagahama for the night - talk about a quiet town. It pretty much closed for the night at 8pm.
The rest of the ride was pretty much flat and fun. Definitely can do it in a day if you don't take too many random stops for pics and diversions.
I ended up stopping at Two Rabbits Brewing in Omihachiman and that was a great way to end the ride.
  1. From Biwako Terrace gondola area. Nice views but I didn't want to pay the extra 3500 yen.
  2. At the north of the lake for a quick stretch of legs and some snacks.
  3. The climb up to Tsuzuradai was worth it for this view east across the lake. You can see my hotel from there!
  4. A nomihodai plan of craft beer for two hours at 2,480 yen. Go on!
  5. A morning walk around the park at Nagahama castle just to get the legs moving.
  6. Okishima - couldn't get the ferry across as missed it and didn't want to wait another 2 hours.
  7. The end of the ride for me at Omihachiman. Could I have done the whole lake? Yes, it's a very easy ride, but the goal was to end here for some beers at the newly reopened taproom.
 

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I skipped riding today. Not deliberately, but there wasn't an opportunity.
I am not sure I would have even enjoyed it today.
Yesterday I did 80km in the morning and then played/coached baseball for 3 hours.
I was the only one with knees healthy enough to catch on my team, so tons of squatting.

I am feeling it horribly today.
sigh... getting old sucks.
 
So did my two day ride around Lake Biwa -
I may try that later this coming week. From here it's a drive to Nagahama and overnight there, then the next morning/day do about half, overnight somewhere down at the bridge or just after, complete the loop the next day. Pop the bike back in the car and drive home.

One riding buddy here was talking of doing it, but he has now backed out. Also, since he works, it would've had to be a weekend. On my own it'd be weekdays.
 
I may try that later this coming week. From here it's a drive to Nagahama and overnight there, then the next morning/day do about half, overnight somewhere down at the bridge or just after, complete the loop the next day. Pop the bike back in the car and drive home.

One riding buddy here was talking of doing it, but he has now backed out. Also, since he works, it would've had to be a weekend. On my own it'd be weekdays.
Nice.
That sounds perfect. Honestly surprised with how many campers there were around the lake. If I had known, I would have taken a tent with me and camped in Nagahama.
If you do go, then make sure you've got some suppliers for the north side of the lake as it's pretty barren up there.
 
Sunday I am planning on Fujimi panorama if any mtbers are keen to play!
 
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122 consecutive months of "Century a Month" complete. I rode 167 km with ~2,200 m of elevation gain in Yamanashi, Kanagawa and Tokyo (on Strava). It was hard after not doing much cycling for 7 weeks.

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Earlier this month I had spent two weeks in Europe and the US on business, traveling east to west around the globe. I only got back a week before BRM1022 200 km Momotaro by AJ NishiTokyo and am still dealing with jet lag. The day before the ride I woke up at 04:00, went back to sleep three hours later and then didn't wake up again until 17:00. Yeah, not very helpful! So I knew it would be something of a rough day, but you can't let that scare you.

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I rode to Sagamihara on Friday night and stayed at ToyokoInn Fuchinobe, 1 km from the ride start. I got up at 04:50 after not much sleep (but too much sleep the day before). There were 35 people at the start attending the briefing at 05:30. There was a surprisingly strong show of hands of first-time randonneurs.

I rode in shorts and a long sleeve jersey and that served me well until after sunset but then I changed back into the trousers that I had also worn for the ride out the night before. The late night ride back to Tokyo was quite chilly.

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The ride followed the old Koshukaido in the mountains near Uenohara, where the Momotaro legend is supposed to come from. From there it headed over to Kawaguchiko and Saiko, then returned to Machida via Rt35/Akiyama.

By the time I got to Koshukaido, most of the other participants had passed me. My legs reminded me about my lack of training. I remembered the last time I rode this route, in April. Then I was training for the 360 km 24h Flèche ride and was in better shape. I finished that brevet 13 minutes under the 13h 30m time limit.

By the time I descended to Otsuki I was running 40m behind the minimum pace and on top of that my legs definitely needed a break. It became clear that if I were to continue, I would finish way behind the time limit.

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After some coffee and pizza at the Otsuki michi no eki near the Chuo Shinkansen (Maglev) track I decided to skip the middle 60 km of the course and officially abandon the event (DNF).

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I headed to Tahara Falls, some 6 km uphill from Tsuru, to take some pictures. Then I continued to PC1, the first timed checkpoint, where Mr D. the event organizer was waiting for participants. I had some coffee and snacks and we chatted for a while. Other participants arrived and departed.

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I continued for the last 60 km back to Machida and then another 28 km back to Tokyo. The climb to the tunnel at Akiyama was not so bad. I passed a house with chicken and a goat. The long descent on the other side was very enjoyable.

In Machida I visited the goal reception to meet with my friends.

Later, on the way to Tokyo I got so sleepy, I actually took a nap on the sidewalk. I was really glad when I finally got home.
 
The air gets pretty thin at 4,269 m (about 40% less oxygen that at sea level) plus you have a temperature drop of almost 10 C per 1000 m of elevation gain in non-condensing conditions (no snow or rain). You do the math!

Haleakala on Maui and the Taroko Gorge climb in Taiwan 🇹🇼 would be at the top of my list of epic climbs. I have only done Haleakala in a rental car and the view was amazing since you have the Pacific on all sides.
 
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