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Speeding Up
Sep 8, 2008
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Tomorrow morning Mike and myself will be heading out from Hon Atsugi station for what we hope will be a relatively speedy ride. We plan to leave at the rather civilized hour of 10am. Like-minded (ladies and) gents welcome.
 
Forgive me for abducting your thread, Clay, but Sergey and I decided for some TTing tomorrow: we'll meet at Tokyo Sta. (Yaesu Central Exit at 0930) and follow Arakawa up to Kumagaya. A conservative, flat 180+km course of unfettered hammering into the heart of Saitama. Needless to say, all like-minded 'hammerers' are welcome. We aim at maintaining an average speed of 32,193 km/h over 180km.
 
Hmm, where'd that number come from? ;)


It is actually a well known average among river riding cyclists.

The formula for calculating the figure takes into account the average number of steel gates, pigeons, pedestrians, dog walkers, roller skaters, mama chari riders, toilet stops, drink searching diversions, puncture changes, wind direction, the slight elevation going up stream versus the added speed on the slight decent on the return. Rumor has it that some guy called Kleinstein figured it out.
 
Saturn V

We aim at maintaining an average speed of 32,193 km/h over 180km.

Thirty two thousand, one hundred and ninety three km/h! You'll be home in no time!

I'm still jet lagged. I'm probably going to do a moderately paced ride tomorrow.
AW.​
 
The formula for calculating the figure takes into account the average number of steel gates, pigeons, pedestrians, dog walkers, roller skaters, mama chari riders, toilet stops, drink searching diversions, puncture changes, wind direction, the slight elevation going up stream versus the added speed on the slight decent on the return.

Oh, Pete is an Illuminatus too... member of the secret order of river riding bicyclists. :)

The good news: we made it. What I didn't factor into the calculation were the zillions of gates, the punishing headwind and the rain during the last 30km. Despite the averse conditions we achieved a respectable average of 29,4km/h over exactly 180,00km. Thanks Sergey, what a great TT route! And thanks Alan for the route map.



=> http://connect.garmin.com/activity/16932923

The bad news: Sergey and I parted at the Irumagawa intersection. Earlier, I had noticed that Sergey's rear wheel was slightly out of true. When I was on Arakawa he sent me a mail informing me that the rim of his rear wheel had cracked, forcing him to take the train from Kawagoe. I hope you're alright, mate! :eek:uch:
 
Very nice ride, thanks Thomas! I dare as well to call it a Glorious Flat Ride - GFR! :D

As for the wheel - it's a damn pity!
I made it home without problems... but now I need a new wheel.
Good news is that HED claims there's 2 year warranty on their wheels, but bad news is I don't seem to have any paper proof of my purchase (could not find it yet, maybe later...)

I will try contacting the shop and HED anyway :(

PS
Oh yes, and there were no bears in Kumagaya - Bear Valley!
...not even a statue
 
Sounds like a fun ride, guys. Sergey, sorry to hear about your wheel. How frustrating! I hope you get that sorted out without too much hassle.

Due to family-related obligations, I had only a two-hour window to ride today. I used the opportunity to blast down route 246 from Setagaya to watch part of my son's soccer game in Fujigaoka (just past the Eda rendezvous with good old Cristoph, for those who remember our German locomotive).

The ride back was in the rain, but it made me feel like a hardcore pro racer, and I could only imagine that onlookers gasped in awe as my blue form and shiny quads flashed by. Iron-frickin'-Sword, baby.

One thing: the bypasses on 246 are marked with "No Bikes" signs. I generally ignore these and time trial over the bybasses, as heeding the signs is a detour into red-light hell. Today, I was tut-tutted by a woman on a scooter as I blew past her on the overpass. "Bicycles aren't allowed here!" she cawed, her scooter doing about 30kph to my 45kph. I responded by doing my best Fabian Cancellara impersonation and kicking Black Thunder into high gear.

My question is, do you guys ignore those signs, play it case by case, or obey them? Have any of you been yelled at while riding on a bypass, or been stopped by the fuzz?

Deej

P.S. It's looking kinda rainy tomorrow, but it might lift by noon. To keep my form, I may take the train out to Takao at around 11 a.m. or noon, then do the Otarumi, the Jimba onsen climb, Wada, and back the same way. It's about 1,800-1,900 meters of climbing. If anyone's interested in joining, PM me.
 
I ride 246 every day.... at first I used to bypass the bypasses but over the past 6 months of riding it I've had more near misses from redlight jumpers or truckers trying to squeeze past me, Taxi drivers suddenly swerving or U-turning than taking the bypass that is supposedly closed for cyclists. I now ride on the bypasses as I deem it safer and the speeds I'm riding at warrant my use.

I've actually had a policeman pass me on his motorcycle and ignore me, as well as imerge from the underpass into a police speed trap and area only to be ignored again.

I've experienced the same thing with scooter riders and do exactly the same... blast past them in soft pedal mode.... give them a wink and then put the hammer down.
 
One thing: the bypasses on 246 are marked with "No Bikes" signs. I generally ignore these and time trial over the bybasses, as heeding the signs is a detour into red-light hell. Today, I was tut-tutted by a woman on a scooter as I blew past her on the overpass. "Bicycles aren't allowed here!" she cawed, her scooter doing about 30kph to my 45kph. I responded by doing my best Fabian Cancellara impersonation and kicking Black Thunder into high gear.

My question is, do you guys ignore those signs, play it case by case, or obey them? Have any of you been yelled at while riding on a bypass, or been stopped by the fuzz?

Once on the way to the Izu peninsula I ended up on the expressway; there wasn`t any green sign to indicate entering the expressway. Once discovered, the cops escorted me to route 1.
 
I would never ignore a traffic sign (let alone red light!):), but it is entirely possible that I may not have noticed Verboten signs for flyovers or underpasses;). Maybe that's because I usually look backwards to see how much traffic is approaching from behind and how dangerous it could become. These passes can be quite narrow and I'm particularly scared of large trucks and coaches.
 
Thomas and Sergey, if you went a bit further North West in Kumagaya you would have gotten to Kagohara. It was here that prisoners were executed and part of the ritual was to catch the severed head in a basket. Hence the name 籠 basket 原 plain.The old prison that is now a girls school is still haunted by the ghosts of executed prisoners. At least according to one girl who went to school there.
 
Once on the way to the Izu peninsula I ended up on the expressway; there wasn`t any green sign to indicate entering the expressway. Once discovered, the cops escorted me to route 1.

Hmm,
Some of toll roads haven't any green signs and are really dangerous to riding into them on bikes. You guys should keep in minds that taking those routes would be your own risk.:D
 
Thanks for the feedback about bypasses, fellas. Interesting anecdote about the policeman ignoring you, FarEast. I kind of get the sense that "No Bicycles" in this case really means "No Mamacharis," kids on bikes or others who are merely pottering along.

At the speeds we are hitting, I would think we deserve to ride over the bypasses. However, it's true we are often slower than the cars, and on some of those bends that do not afford a clear view ahead, a truck barreling along may not be expecting to happen upon a cyclist, even those on steeds as ass-kickingly cool as Black Thunder. I guess we just have to do some shoulder checking to gauge the traffic and use our best judgment.

Deej
 
Deej,

This is why I never ride the gutter, normally I take the 1/3 of the lane stance when riding. Allows K-cars and bikes to overtake me but trucks and cars will either need to change lane or wait for me to pull over.

Been riding this style for years now and I've had no issues with it, once in a while I get someone honk thier horn but I normal turn, smile, wave then once the road is safe I pull in for them to get pass with another wave. It seems to work wonders.

Route 246 is pretty good as I catch a lot of regular drivers that recognise me and will happily wait for me to wave them through..... (Maybe its just the rear view they appreciate)

But going back to gutter riders, I think they are thier own worst enemy. I've seen plenty of roadies and serious commuters ride in the gutter which give drivers more temptation to squeeze through, also these same riders swerve in and out to avoid gutters, debri and other road side dangers and even more so from drivers when on corners.

Also Give TRUCKS SPACE.... ALWAYS....others have mentioned here many times that if you give Japanese truck drivers respect they give it back and 6 months of riding 246 has proved this time and time again.

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/stand...shed-to-death-by-lorry-as-she-turns-corner.do
 
Deej,

Been riding this style for years now and I've had no issues with it, once in a while I get someone honk thier horn but I normal turn, smile, wave then once the road is safe I pull in for them to get pass with another wave. It seems to work wonders.

Route 246 is pretty good as I catch a lot of regular drivers that recognise me and will happily wait for me to wave them through..... (Maybe its just the rear view they appreciate)

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I agree with your custom of 1/3 stance and turn. I also think it might be work wonderfully well that even checking your right shoulder would tell vehicle drivers your intention of moving bit right ward to evade obstacles or your feeling of taking good care of you passing through. Let's have nice rides!
 
Im always looking.... even when not at junctions or corners. just keeping a healthy eye on whats going on around me and also lets drivers know that you are aware of them.

The biggest risk I find is from scooters trying to undertake you on the inside.

Also wearing team kit or other more distiguished clothing helps as it set you apart from other cyclists, I've found that the P.E kit has had an effect on drivers as well as my Caisse D'epargne team kit. Maybe because they see me as a more serious road user or because both of them are bright colours???? Who know's but it has a positive effect!

Also finally lights, I've noticed that other commuters use these flashing LED lights but sometimes these don't do the job very well especailly in some lighting conditions or when seen from certain angles and I now have another red flashing LED on my helmet as well as a 5 LED flashing on the seat post. My freind is using a blue flashing LED which really draws attention and Im thinking of replacing my helmet light with this as it seems a lot more noticible than another red light amoungst 1000's
 
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