What's new

Suggested rides - 1 or 2 hours by train from Central Tokyo

Phillipsc1

Warming-Up
May 10, 2020
11
15
So I just bought a folding bike which I will pick up this weekend (Tern N8), given the national holiday next week will make a one day or possible overnight trip.

So wonder where is good to go within two hours from central Tokyo for cycling - I am looking for nice scenery, probably won't be going that fast a pace just looking for a nice long relaxing ride at comfortable pace with good scenery (some hilly terrain is fine but not looking to climb mountains).

Any suggestions for locations or routes - I was thinking Miura peninsula / around Shonan, somewhere in Okutama area or possibly the Akigawa valley - but not sure if that has a good paved route. Need to do some further research but I wonder what people recommend.

Also considered going out to around Takao-san area or some part of Arakawa river far out of Tokyo - wonder any recommendations - at the moment I am leaning towards Miura, just hope there won't be a strong sea breeze next Thursday / Friday.
 
"Miura peninsula / around Shonan": suburbia, lots of cars

"some part of Arakawa river far out of Tokyo": pretty good between Ageo or thereabouts and Kumagaya, as long as you like your route to be flat and don't have a stiff head wind. Below Ageo, boring to dreary. Beyond Kumagaya, I have no idea.

Okutama area: Now you're talking. But watch out for ice on the roads. How about north from Okutama station to Nippara 日原 and back? (Unfortunately all you can do is out-and-back. Take lights for the tunnel.) It really is scenic, and it's not at all steep.

Upstream from Okutama station is Okutama mukashi-michi 奥多摩むかし道, which is pleasant (far better than the regular road).
 
"Miura peninsula / around Shonan": suburbia, lots of cars

"some part of Arakawa river far out of Tokyo": pretty good between Ageo or thereabouts and Kumagaya, as long as you like your route to be flat and don't have a stiff head wind. Below Ageo, boring to dreary. Beyond Kumagaya, I have no idea.

Okutama area: Now you're talking. But watch out for ice on the roads. How about north from Okutama station to Nippara 日原 and back? (Unfortunately all you can do is out-and-back. Take lights for the tunnel.) It really is scenic, and it's not at all steep.

Upstream from Okutama station is Okutama mukashi-michi 奥多摩むかし道, which is pleasant (far better than the regular road).
Thanks for the quick response - stupid question, so I assume ice on the roads is likely then? And how bad - any way to check in advance of going other than what the nightime and daytime temperature was / is.

I guess that from March onwards would probably have no ice risk up until sometime in Fall?
 
I quite like Ogose area, Tokigawa & that part of Saitama. Some nice quiet roads, some hills and seem to be welcoming towards tourists.
Ogose station has a ton of lockers as they get hikers too.

Found a nice road along the tramline last ride out terse on my Festive 500 ride too.
 
Thanks for the quick response - stupid question, so I assume ice on the roads is likely then? And how bad - any way to check in advance of going other than what the nightime and daytime temperature was / is.

I guess that from March onwards would probably have no ice risk up until sometime in Fall?

Why yes, there is another way: Ōtarumi webcam, Miyagase-ko webcam, Kiyokawa webcam; and there are probably more webcams besides.

Expect an increased risk of frost on northern slopes, expect more risk when you go downhill than when you go uphill, expect sneaky little patches of frost in particularly shady areas, be wary of bridges.

So for example I'd have happily ridden up from Saruhashi station to the top of Matsuhime on almost any recent day, but I wouldn't have gone down to the north without first checking the weather. And even if I hadn't expected any trouble, I'd have descended warily, willing to get off and walk some way.

Thirteen months ago, a friend and I estimated that we'd be OK climbing up Kazahari rindō (no, I don't recommend this for you quite yet) to Kazahari pass (1146 metres). We were fine. It's possible, though unlikely, that you'll encounter frost as late as March.

Central and southern Bōsō, recommended above, is fine. You might take the ferry from Kurihama to Kanaya and back.

I can't comment on the Saitama suggestions because I haven't tried them, but I've heard good things about them from others, too.
 
Thanks for all the suggestions am sure I will check them all out , any thoughts on the Tsukuba-Kasumigaura cycling road?

Seems like ideal for cyclists, but wonder if the scenery is nice?
 
any thoughts on the Tsukuba-Kasumigaura cycling road
It's nice. Wait for a day with relatively little wind, or plan your ride to go with the wind rather than against it.

20131207-132229-kasumigaura.jpeg
 
I just came back from doing a ride around Miura and found it to be very nice - but it was a weekday ride. I started from Yokosuka, and went around the coast, visiting Glass Beach/Tomyo-do Lighthouse, then down the east coast past Kurihama port, before going down to Ena Bay and then Jogashima Island. I then took a route up the west coast through Miura, and stopping off at Sea Breeze Hill, up through Hayama, and then finishing off at Beach Muffin for lunch. I had a bit more energy left, so went over to Enoshima Island.

The route wasn't that hilly, besides at two points: just before Ena Bay, and then heading up from Jogashima back into Misakiguchi. A very nice ride around the area with some great views.
 

Attachments

  • 20210319_095159.jpg
    20210319_095159.jpg
    195.7 KB · Views: 6
  • 20210319_103353.jpg
    20210319_103353.jpg
    154.8 KB · Views: 6
I just came back from a 3 day bike packing trip up to Okutama & back. While there did. Nice 25km ride exploring what is called "Mukashi no Michi" or "The Old Road" that takes a smaller side road rather than the newer highway from Okutama station up to Okutama Dam.

Okutama is accessible by train from Tokyo & there are plenty of camping, hostel & ryokan options to stay longer if wanting to hike or enjoy the river. A great company called Trekkling, which is closed at moment will resume hiring bikes next month.

 
Back
Top Bottom