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The Best of the West

kpykc

Speeding Up
Jun 13, 2007
805
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Hi all,

Here's the plan for the next Saturday (September, 4th) -
174 km long / 3800 m high
http://www.mapmyride.com/route/jp/Tokyo/961128299806118695
Mostly inspired by Philip's ride last week. Wanted to try it this Sunday, but it's too late for kokoro-no-junbi

Nothing new, just a compilation of the best climbs from the western Tokyo/Kanagawa - Ashigara, Mikuni, Dozaka, Suzu, Matsuhime, Kazahari.

Start at Shin-Matsuda st. at 8.00am, finish at Musashi-Itsukaichi

Here's one more thing - I want to try and finish it in 7 hours so it should be a pretty good pace. After 7 hours, stop riding, and take train back to Tokyo from the closest station.
Forgot to add - please, join! :)
 
If this was a different time of the year, I'd join with pleasure. But in this heat, these low-altitude climbs are just a sheer pain if not to say dangerous.

Anyhow, just finished three days of continuous riding with more than 9,000m of climbing - for Mike it must have been almost 11,000m in four days. That'll make us feel good for a while, and in particular so because most of it was in the best possible scenery and at high altitude (every day at least once pass over 2,000m).

Report and photos to follow.
 
Would love to try this with you Sergey but have a family commitment this weekend :(
 
Sergey, I'd be tempted to join you for part of this ride but my front wheel needs a new bearing AGAIN, 6 months after having them replaced. I think it's gonna take a while for them to come...so it's back to indoor training for me.
 
Woohoo! Did the whole thing!
The only downside is that it took me 7h 30m in the saddle, 8h+ for the whole ride.
Started at 7.00 am to avoid as much heat as possible. Finished with Ashigara/Mikuni before I knew it - nice&cool morning air, long shadows, Fuji grandioso! After Mikuni, Dozaka and Suzu felt like bumps in a road.
Then came Matsuhime - what a bitch of a climb it is! Bitch in heat! Took me ~1h 20m to finish it. It was the only place where I felt I was not going to make it, remebering scary stories of heat strokes and deaths by the sun...ouch!
On the way down, I almost took a shower at the holy water tap :warau:
Ramen shop at Okutama lake offered some nice free service today - cold salt-covered mini-tomatoes and a can of poccari sweat - aparently, they don't have too many customers (cyclists) these days because of the heat.
Finally, Kazahari was nothing but survival, then tumble down to Itsukaichi, bakery, train, aircons!!!
 
Well done Sergey, that's a damned hard ride you did, especially in the heat and by yourself! Did you take any pics today? Your best time up Matsuhime is around 1hr, right? It's amazing what the heat can do to performance.

I did my monthly 30 minute critical power test today (at home on my trainer) and I'm way off last months results...Now I know why I've been feeling like such crap when climbing. These long rides in the heat have really taken their toll on my body. Time to back off the miles and try to get some improvement over the next month!
 
Well done Sergey, that's a damned hard ride you did, especially in the heat and by yourself! Did you take any pics today? Your best time up Matsuhime is around 1hr, right? It's amazing what the heat can do to performance.

I did my monthly 30 minute critical power test today (at home on my trainer) and I'm way off last months results...Now I know why I've been feeling like such crap when climbing. These long rides in the heat have really taken their toll on my body. Time to back off the miles and try to get some improvement over the next month!

No pics, Mike, I had a backpack with me with lots of stuff, didn't want to bring the camera too.
Matsuhime had me on the edge for sure. It was definitely not a record breaking ride, the plan was to ride it all at a solid pace. I will try to ride shorter but faster from now on, need more power!
 
Absolutely hard-core, Serguei! :)

The daily commutes in the heat kill me, no power left for weekend warfare. Chapeau to your endeavour and stamina!
 
Well done!

That's a hefty ride there, Sergey!
Are you really surprised that no-one joined you?
Next time, you should use some basic advertising "tactics", so people won't know in advance how hard it's going to be. You know, say stuff like "At your own pace", even if you really mean "keep up with me or else"!
Still, congratulations on an awesome ride.

Here's an idea though; Now that Kodama-san has stopped doing the "Hotaka" race, how about (when it gets cooler) we take your course, and turn it into an official TCC "Race" course? Being close to Tokyo, it's something we can all practice in our own time.
It would also be handy if we could get someone with a car to carry all of our bike-bags and other luggage to Itsukaichi station so we don't have to carry it.
It's just an idea, and I'm just thinking aloud... But does anyone else think it's a good idea?
 
It would also be handy if we could get someone with a car to carry all of our bike-bags and other luggage to Itsukaichi station so we don't have to carry it.
It's just an idea, and I'm just thinking aloud... But does anyone else think it's a good idea?

It's a brilliant idea. BUT do you have a car?

Philip
 
Someone...

It's a brilliant idea. BUT do you have a car?
Philip

That "someone" would obviously not be riding. The riders would, of course, pay a "fee" to said driver.
In answer to your question; No! I don't have a car, but "SOMEONE" has a car.
And if we can find a "someone" who would also be willing to drive it for us, we'd be doing very well indeed:D
Details! Details! We can deal with them later!:cool: T
 
Travis, it's a cool idea, I am sure there is an open niche for such events.
We need to have our own annual TCC event.
Wada TT (MOB farewell ride) in spring went pretty well too.
 
A car is useful if you have spare wheels etc. and need someone to follow you with a big bag o' tools.

Motorbikes get held up less in traffic, and it's easier for the rider to stop and quickly take photographs.

A suitably-motivated volunteer, meanwhile, could get from Shin-Matsuda to Musashi-itsukaichi by train in less than two hours. Even Echo3 might struggle to finish this ride in that time! One big rucksack could hold (say) 10 bike bags and some spare clothes.

Just suggestions/observations.

--HF Mike-- (who will not be racing or carrying your stuff)
 
That is one crazy ass ride, so much so I wonder how many TCC'ers would actually want to ride that course, let alone race it! I'm all for a TCC event, but logistically it might be easier if we did a loop.
 
That is one crazy ass ride, so much so I wonder how many TCC'ers would actually want to ride that course, let alone race it! I'm all for a TCC event, but logistically it might be easier if we did a loop.

Yes, Mike, it is damn hard, but this is what would make it very appealing - training and polishing your form just for this event (like it used to be with Hotaka).

We could modify the course to avoid traffic and traffic lights. There are not many of them now, though

Anyways, it would be cool to have our own "Hotaka" :)
 
Yes, Mike, it is damn hard, but this is what would make it very appealing - training and polishing your form just for this event (like it used to be with Hotaka).

We could modify the course to avoid traffic and traffic lights. There are not many of them now, though

Anyways, it would be cool to have our own "Hotaka" :)

Don't get me wrong Sergey, I'm totally up for this just thinking about logistics. We definitely need a car for this. And with you 100% on traffic lights.
 
I think Lee is kindly volunteering to drive :D

Surely someone's gf or misses wouldn't mind driving in beautiful countryside for a day? Count me out though coz my sexy gf has 2 wheels and is made of carbon:D
 
Surely someone's gf or misses wouldn't mind driving in beautiful countryside for a day? Count me out though coz my sexy gf has 2 wheels and is made of carbon:D

Mike. You are the epitome of modern man :p
 
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