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Takao-san or similar beginner hill climbs

doubletrouble

Speeding Up
Jan 14, 2008
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I have been meaning to get more into hill climbing for a while now. I went to the ePerformance training camp last October and climbed most but not all of the Norikura hill climb. This was my first experience of hill climbing and I haven't done any since which is what I should have done to build up my confidence in hill climbing. Therefore can anyone recommend any easyish beginner level hill climbs? Are there any good routes up Takao-san? I'm thinking of nothing to fast or majorly steep, something that can be used to build confidence and get started in hill climbing before moving on to something more challenging.

A few weeks ago, I met another lady at the GSAstuto barbeque who was just starting cycling this year and she said she was interested in climbing Takao-san. So it would be good if we could get some of the other ladies in TCC to come.

I would be thinking of doing this on a Sunday sometime in June

Thanks in advance,

Penny
 
Hey Penny, its been a while! You did great on Norikura and I have to say Takao will seem like a bump in comparison, it's a perfect climb for beginners as it is a gradual climb rather no switch backs so you can pretty much take it all in your stride
 
Hi Penny,

I'm in for your hill climbing!
Anywhere in the Kanto area suits me, and Sunday's my day off so it's perfect.
We may need to ask for a guide, though...I'm sorry to say but I'm not familiar with most of the climbing routes here.

Anyways, hope to ride with you soon.

Chikako
 
Hey Penny, its been a while! You did great on Norikura and I have to say Takao will seem like a bump in comparison, it's a perfect climb for beginners as it is a gradual climb rather no switch backs so you can pretty much take it all in your stride

Hi James,

Yeah it would seem like a bump but just want something easy to get back into climbing. Would like to go back to Norikura and complete it this time. Maybe should make that the challenge for this year...

Hi Penny,

I'm in for your hill climbing!
Anywhere in the Kanto area suits me, and Sunday's my day off so it's perfect.
We may need to ask for a guide, though...I'm sorry to say but I'm not familiar with most of the climbing routes here.

Anyways, hope to ride with you soon.

Chikako

Hi Chikako,

It would be great if you could join me. Would you be able to do a Friday? I'm assuming you work on Fridays so can't. I spoke with another friend last weekend and they thought Friday would be quieter. If not Sundays are still fine.

Sure, we may need a guide or at least someone with us who has done the route before. I don't know many of the hill routes either. My plan was to take the train and then climb Takao. Something like this:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/95234827/?new_route=1
 
Not really a hill climb ride but:

Planning on riding upriver to takao station tomorrow morning(up the tamagawa cycling path from futakotamagawa and along the koshukaido (route20) to takao station). I want to get a feel of the kind of traffic that drives through there and get a feel of the roads.
If I still have the legs for it when I reach takao station, I am planning to cycle up further to sagamiko (sagami lake) for some photo taking. And yes I am rather curious of the Takao Tozan "railway".....

Rather unfit :eek:(haven't been cycling for 2months now due to exams, doing this as a respite between papers) high schooler. Average speed's probably about 20-30kph (~25kph). Extremely slow and easy ride.
Early morning start (7-8ish). Anyone want to tag along?
 
Planning on riding upriver to takao station tomorrow morning(up the tamagawa cycling path from futakotamagawa and along the koshukaido (route20) to takao station).
Of course your choice of route is up to you.

The nicer way, I think, is to ride alongside the Minami-Asagawa, which drops you out right by JR Takao station.

Kilometer marks 14 to 52 on this map:

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/21204270/

R20 is probably a bit faster, but packed with cars. Depends on what sort of ride you want.
 
Of course your choice of route is up to you.

R20 is probably a bit faster, but packed with cars. Depends on what sort of ride you want.

Great thanks!!. Will try out that route then. I'll try out route 20 going back then and pop back along into that route if the traffic's too much to handle.
 
Hi Chikako,

It would be great if you could join me. Would you be able to do a Friday? I'm assuming you work on Fridays so can't. I spoke with another friend last weekend and they thought Friday would be quieter. If not Sundays are still fine.

Penny,

Fridays are possible with some adjustments.
Your friends are probably right. Takao-san at this season, on weekends could be filled with hikers. I'm sure weekdays are nicer with less traffic and people.
Since the rainy season is coming up, may have to choose the date according to the weather though...

How does June 1st, or the following Sat./Sun. sound?
 
I've been out to Takao and Wada the last two Fridays. I can vouch that the traffic is not so busy compared to a Sunday. Never been out on a Saturday though.

You might not need a guide if you are doing Takao (R20 to Sagamiko), but I'll post a ride here next time I go out that way.

If you have a vintage steel bike, you could join Tim's 5/26 - L'eroica Loop. (Otarumi = R20 Takao). I plan to do it if I am not working.

Dave
 
Went out to Sagamiko today! Great weather (30 degrees up in the toge:confused:). 127km (realised how unfit I became :eek:)

Mike's route reminded me alittle of the Half Fast intermediate river runs. Koshukaido wasn't too bad (a few 14tonners but managable).
Got lost around Hachioji twice after turning too early...

Out of curiosity: saw a sign along the toge road up to sagamiko that disallowed any motorcycles below 140cc on weekends and public holidays (it would include bicycles would it not?). Has anyone been stopped before from going on further?
 
Mike's route reminded me a little of the Half Fast intermediate river runs.
Only a little?

Out of curiosity: saw a sign along the toge road up to Sagamiko that disallowed any motorcycles below 140cc on weekends and public holidays (it would include bicycles would it not?).
I don't think so. They ban scooters in some areas because of the noise and pollution nuisance. Not a problem with bicycles (unless you're riding with Big Jon). Can you post a Google Streetview link just to be sure?
 
Penny,

Fridays are possible with some adjustments.
Your friends are probably right. Takao-san at this season, on weekends could be filled with hikers. I'm sure weekdays are nicer with less traffic and people.
Since the rainy season is coming up, may have to choose the date according to the weather though...

How does June 1st, or the following Sat./Sun. sound?

Weekdays tend to have less traffic, but I've gone to Takao on a Saturday with no traffic and a Saturday with tons of traffic. The toge itself was fine.....until I started down the other side. There was so much traffic I ended up descending at the same speed I climbed Takao.

Hikers aren't a problem, as they don't climb the toge, so no need to worry about that.

Let me know when you guys plan on going. I might be able to swing it, depending on the date.
 
Weekdays tend to have less traffic, but I've gone to Takao on a Saturday with no traffic and a Saturday with tons of traffic. The toge itself was fine.....until I started down the other side. There was so much traffic I ended up descending at the same speed I climbed Takao.

Cars coming up on the way down is a good thing. Makes your cornering TIGHT.

Well, unless you go a little too silly and end up on the floor,

Ahem..ims...Hnnng, cough-illiams...

*excuse me, I have this terrible hayfever*
 
Well, unless you go a little too silly and end up on the floor, Ahem..ims...Hnnng, cough-illiams...

*excuse me, I have this terrible hayfever*
:p

Thank you for bringing up such a painful subject. While you're at it, why not give me a nice paper cut and pour lemon juice on it already?

Who will be first to spot the reference? Answers in the form [actor] as [character] in [film title] on a postcard with your name and address to BBC Television Centre (but not for much longer), Wood Lane, London W12 8QT.

Upsides of crappy accident last year:

1. I got to spend lots of time waiting in hospitals, instead of working

2. The shoulder is getting a lot better since I was brave enough to start swimming again.

3. Cool "How did you get that?" Oakley-flavoured scar. Unfortunately my shades hide it almost perfectly.

20110717212310greenline.jpg


And the downsides:

1. Ten months of shoulder pain... so far.
 
Penny,

Fridays are possible with some adjustments.
Your friends are probably right. Takao-san at this season, on weekends could be filled with hikers. I'm sure weekdays are nicer with less traffic and people.
Since the rainy season is coming up, may have to choose the date according to the weather though...

How does June 1st, or the following Sat./Sun. sound?


Very good point about rainy season! It would be best to go as early in June as possible. Unfortunately I am busy on June 1st. I can do any other Friday or Sunday in June except Fridays 1st and 29th. How about Sunday 3, Friday 8th or Sunday 10th? Which would be best for you?

I've mapped another route that continues to Sagimi lake which would make a 14km ride (ascent to the top of Takao and the descent to Sagimi Lake):

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/95596369/?new_route=1

From Sagimi we could either return by train, or return the same route on bicycle which would make a ride of around 28km. If anyone's got a better idea for the route, please let me know.

I've been out to Takao and Wada the last two Fridays. I can vouch that the traffic is not so busy compared to a Sunday. Never been out on a Saturday though.

You might not need a guide if you are doing Takao (R20 to Sagamiko), but I'll post a ride here next time I go out that way.

If you have a vintage steel bike, you could join Tim's 5/26 - L'eroica Loop. (Otarumi = R20 Takao). I plan to do it if I am not working.

Dave

Weekdays tend to have less traffic, but I've gone to Takao on a Saturday with no traffic and a Saturday with tons of traffic. The toge itself was fine.....until I started down the other side. There was so much traffic I ended up descending at the same speed I climbed Takao.

Hikers aren't a problem, as they don't climb the toge, so no need to worry about that.

Let me know when you guys plan on going. I might be able to swing it, depending on the date.

Thanks DeltaForce and pedal-strike. pedal-strike,if you can make it it would be great, more the merrier.
 
By the way, does anyone know if there's any sort of ranking of hill climbs in Japan, or in Kanto region in particular, from easiest to most difficult?

I would like to challenge Norikura again, but don't want to jump straight into it right away. What hill climbs would people recommend attempting to work up to Norikura?
 
By the way, does anyone know if there's any sort of ranking of hill climbs in Japan, or in Kanto region in particular, from easiest to most difficult?

I would like to challenge Norikura again, but don't want to jump straight into it right away. What hill climbs would people recommend attempting to work up to Norikura?
There are several 'difficulty' factors for hills. The average grade is one obvious one. Then the grade of the steepest section, which can make or break your attempt! Also distance from where you start to where you finish; usually/hopefully this is from the bottom to the top. But also how much riding you need to do to get to the climb is a factor.

Norikura is not terribly steep, but from Northstar to the top it's 20 km, with very little respite from climbing (unless you stop).

For training, I'd say

Otarumi ("Takao") - do it from both sides. Just a warm up
Wada ("Jinba") - either side but not both sides on your first try
Kazahari ("Tomin-no-mori") - not the stupid steep Kazahari-rindo
Tsuru, and finally
Matsuhime

If you can ride out to Matsuhime and ace it, Norikura should be a doddle.
 
I have been meaning to get more into hill climbing for a while now. I went to the ePerformance training camp last October and climbed most but not all of the Norikura hill climb. This was my first experience of hill climbing and I haven't done any since which is what I should have done to build up my confidence in hill climbing. Therefore can anyone recommend any easyish beginner level hill climbs? Are there any good routes up Takao-san? I'm thinking of nothing to fast or majorly steep, something that can be used to build confidence and get started in hill climbing before moving on to something more challenging.

A few weeks ago, I met another lady at the GSAstuto barbeque who was just starting cycling this year and she said she was interested in climbing Takao-san. So it would be good if we could get some of the other ladies in TCC to come.

I would be thinking of doing this on a Sunday sometime in June

Thanks in advance,

Penny

Hey Penny, if you ladies don't mind a dude tagging along for the ride/s then I would like to join you. I live in Hino so I would just ride out to meet you at takao station or whatever, and I'm free anytime right now so I am flexible on the time and date (I should warn you that I'm not a foul weather rider)
 
There are several 'difficulty' factors for hills. The average grade is one obvious one. Then the grade of the steepest section, which can make or break your attempt! Also distance from where you start to where you finish; usually/hopefully this is from the bottom to the top. But also how much riding you need to do to get to the climb is a factor.

Norikura is not terribly steep, but from Northstar to the top it's 20 km, with very little respite from climbing (unless you stop).

For training, I'd say

Otarumi ("Takao") - do it from both sides. Just a warm up
Wada ("Jinba") - either side but not both sides on your first try
Kazahari ("Tomin-no-mori") - not the stupid steep Kazahari-toge road
Tsuru, and finally
Matsuhime

If you can ride out to Matsuhime and ace it, Norikura should be a doddle.

Ah my old friend, and by friend I mean nemesis, Jinbasan Yama - I seem to have issues making to the summit, I have ridden it quite a few times and my legs crap out 3 switch backs from the summit:mad: So I am now trying to train the legs, and learning how to suffer.

I like climbing but I'm not used to the sharp and repetitive kicks, but I will have my way with you Jinba...
 
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