to Hamamatsu -- routes?

[Hank]

Has anyone gone to Hamamatsu from the Tokyo area and can give me some advice regarding which route would be good? I'm going there for a conference on August 4th and would rather bike than take the shinkansen. One option is to head to Atami and cut inland from there, that way I'll know part of the route.

Any particular map series you recommend? (Touring Mapple for motocycles?)

Thanks,
Hank

 

[Sora]

Has anyone gone to Hamamatsu from the Tokyo area and can give me some advice regarding which route would be good? I'm going there for a conference on August 4th and would rather bike than take the shinkansen. One option is to head to Atami and cut inland from there, that way I'll know part of the route.

Any particular map series you recommend? (Touring Mapple for motocycles?)

Thanks,
Hank

Hi Hank-san,

route 1 is recommended.
There is a good bypass way from around Fuji City along pacific.
The sight from the bypass was very beautiful and it is also very comfortable.

About map, yes, Touring Mapple 3 for motocycles is recommended.

It covers Hamamatsu from Tokyo.

 

[Hank]

Thank you, Sora-san, that is helpful. Highway 1 looks like a good route, though it seems to have a lot of cutbacks along some sections--elevation, I wonder? I'll just have to pack less stuff than I brought to Atami...

Hank

 

[thomas]

Most of Highway 1 seems to be bicycle-friendly. I remember that when Newton and I went to Hakone we had to leave the H1 once around Fujisawa, because it had turned into a narrow, two-laned hell with speeding trucks thundering by.

 

[Hank]

Thanks, Thomas, I'll keep that in mind. It looks like there are a number of places where I'll have to pay good attention to the map, as Rte 1 splits up a few times before rejoining itself. Hopefully I can find the Touring Mapple 3 this evening and do some aerial reconnaissance.

 

[Sora]

How about Route 134 to Odawara or Atami?
We ran in Tour de Himono.:bike:

 

[Hank]

Yeah, 134 would certainly work but from Aobadai it is only 20km or so to Route 1. I checked it out yesterday to see what the junctions were like. 246 is a busy two-lane posted 50-60kmph, and 467 is single-lane, posted 40-50kmph but I didn't feel crowded, and the road was of pretty good quality. The junctions are sometimes confusing here, but once I'm on Route 1 it goes all the way to Hamamatsu (except it branches off and onto itself several times...).

Thanks to Brian for putting the PBP bee in my bonnet--might as well start training now, and save shinkansen money while I'm at it.

 

[Hank]

I ended up taking Route 1 until Shizuoka, where I got on 150 instead. It added 20km but was much quieter than the Tokyo-Nagoya transport route. I rode it in the morning, though, until 8 AM; when I headed back Saturday evening, it was pretty busy, but usually dual-lane with some room for a bike (as opposed to the Route 1 bypasses; scary).

On the way back I decided to take quieter routes; after 150 to Shizuoka I took Route 1 to Fujigawa and headed north to 396, which I took eastward to 139, which led me north to 180, the unlighted, forest-shrouded Fuji Skyline. It was great to see stars again, and to see the mountain at dawn (I'll add some photos to the gallery). 180 turns into 152 and then into 23, past Gotenba. After that it was Route 246 the rest of the way to Aobadai. I saw about 15 other cyclists (racers or out for sport) and one other touring biker on this route despite its lack of shoulder.

Thanks again for your suggestion of the Touring Mapple 3, Sora-san; that was a very helpful book.

 

[thomas]

Thanks again for your suggestion of the Touring Mapple 3, Sora-san; that was a very helpful book.

Good to know, Hank! Make sure you bring it on Sunday.

 

[Sora]

Thanks again for your suggestion of the Touring Mapple 3, Sora-san; that was a very helpful book.

Yokatta. よかった