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Route suggestions: Yokohama, Yamashita park

Gijs

Warming-Up
May 6, 2022
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Hi everyone!

One time visitor here. My girlfriend is doing the World Triathlon Championships in Yokohama next week. She's staying near Yamashita Park from Monday, race day is on Saturday the 14th. During the week she wants to do some 1 to 3 hour rides, but likes to ride safe/low traffic routes.

Can someone help us? Maybe with a gpx file or some examples :)?
 
For a short distance triathlon you guys probably don't need (or even should) do a +100km ride just before the race, but here is a route that goes from very close to Yamashita park all the way to Miura peninsula. Unfortunately, traffic won't get any easier until you reach the southern part of the peninsula. (almost past 50k on the ride) . But you can leave for the ride early in the morning, it will be better.


Another, and probably better, option is to ride north bound to the Tama river, which divides Tokyo and the Kanagawa prefecture.

https://www.strava.com/activities/6779871824

There is a cycling path along the river, but depending of the time in the day, there will be also pedestrians, kids and people on "normal" bikes, so I recommend you stick with the road. Again, there will be traffic, so avoid the peak hours.

Let me know if need and I can export the GPX files.
 
Sure, you can get to miura prettyeary from there. I will put together a route on strava in a bit

I used to live 5 blocks from Yamashita and found riding out to Honmoku and down Rt357 to be the best compromise with lights and being able to spin.
It takes roughly 1 hour to get to Yokosuka from the park. So an out and back would be 2 hours. If you continue past Yokosuka, that is where the riding gets beautiful - but probably farther than you want.

The problem with Tama, is that it is 200 stop lights away to get there. I would sometimes take the Tsurumi river route just out of frustration with traffic heading to the Tama.

Another option is to ride to Enoshima. Stop light hell getting out of town, but an enjoyable ride once you get rolling.
 
There is a cycling path along the river, but depending of the time in the day, there will be also pedestrians, kids and people on "normal" bikes, so I recommend you stick with the road.
The cycling path: Yes, it's all true. But worst, I've found, are the runners. A runner can, at what seems an utterly arbitrary point (not at even the most trivial of landmarks), suddenly make a U-turn. And many do just that.

And downstream of Tachikawa or thereabouts, most of the roads that parallel the river are narrow, crowded with cars and trucks, or bristling with traffic lights.

I may be mixing up my rivers here, but I think that Tsurumi is a good one.
 
The cycling path: Yes, it's all true. But worst, I've found, are the runners. A runner can, at what seems an utterly arbitrary point (not at even the most trivial of landmarks), suddenly make a U-turn. And many do just that.
I have become really frustrated with multi-use paths. (Rant on) I've noticed that ojis are the worst of the lot. They tend to go where they're watching not watch where they're going. And if there is a family with kids, they'll be all over the path, so slowing to a stop is usually the best approach. As you noted, folks do U-turns at any moment. Bicyclists trying for fast times on segments pass on the right with no warning, so that's another hazard. Etc. etc. etc. (Rant off)

I have a bell that gives plenty of warning in advance but it is annoying to have to keep it ringing for an hour our two.

I may be mixing up my rivers here, but I think that Tsurumi is a good one.

Problem with the Tsurumi pathway is, it is only about a meter wide in most places, sometimes less. Just one zombie walker with eyes glued to phone and earbuds in both ears, and you're stuck.

Tamagawa is busy as well but has the advantage of being wider. Sakaigawa is wide enough but lots of people and more stoplights and busy intersections.

All this is part of the reason I do more indoor biking these days unless I can get up into the mountains. Mountains and trails are where it's at (IMHO).
 
Yes! Zombie walkers (my new phrase) with phones. Just for fun I like to park 3m in front of them ringing my bell then shout "boo!" as they reach my front wheel. The only thing worse is if they also have a dog on one of those telescopic dog lead things. I really don't want one of those stuck in my front wheel.
 
Well you've got a few choices, that have already been mentioned.
  1. Yokohama down to Miura through Kamakura - gets some nice culture and easy roads to ride.
  2. Yokohama to Okutama - take the Tamagawa river and it's all pedestrian routes with some good climbs up there.
  3. Yokohama to Enoshima - take a couple of river rides down to the beach and then go along the coastal bike paths.
There are some main roads along there but one suggestion would be to do the actual route around the area I think as there are some changeable surfaces but guess that's already been planned.
 
If you buy a Rinko-Bag, (available at most cycle shops), you can go one way and take the train back. Then you can go all the way out to Misakiguchi or Kurihama on the Miura Peninsula. I rode it today and it's beautiful.
 
Thank you all for all the input! Sorry for the late reply, it was quite busy getting everything ready for her trip, but she has arrived safely.

She wants to do a 70-75km route. With all the swimming, running and race prep there is (regrettably) no time to take the train etc.

- I saw Chuck mentioning Tamagawa as a good option getting out, can you help me find this on a map?
- Bloaker, these are really nice suggestions. Do you have recommendations in making a this into a 70k route in that direction?

I used to live 5 blocks from Yamashita and found riding out to Honmoku and down Rt357 to be the best compromise with lights and being able to spin.
It takes roughly 1 hour to get to Yokosuka from the park. So an out and back would be 2 hours. If you continue past Yokosuka, that is where the riding gets beautiful - but probably farther than you want.

The problem with Tama, is that it is 200 stop lights away to get there. I would sometimes take the Tsurumi river route just out of frustration with traffic heading to the Tama.

Another option is to ride to Enoshima. Stop light hell getting out of town, but an enjoyable ride once you get rolling.
 


These are real quick routes.
I am not 100% pleased with them - but it is a quick draft.
I like the 1st half of the Kannonzaki route better than the second half, so she could do an out and back and skip the second half.
The Enoshima route ahs some traffic, but the beach is the beach and I just rode out to Enoshima tonight.
 
Oh wow great! Thank you for your fast reply! I'll let her know! I have strava premium, so it's no problem for me to download the GPX files :)! She will ride out tomorrow morning around 9am. Last easy endurance ride before the race.
 
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