Today - April 2013
- Thread starter bird
- Start date
Last month was going so well until the last week. Did 1200km in the first 3 weeks and was finding some good form, got my power meter and installed it. Then work had me running around followed by a cold and ending the week with a stomach flu that floored me. Oh well. 1 step forward 1 step backwards...At least I had the time to research the power meter and how to make the most of it.
Got out for a very short and light one this morning after a late start and it felt nice to be out on the bike again. I'm looking forward to April and doing some good riding with everyone. Signed up for JCRC so I might look at entering my first race this month or next.
Got out for a very short and light one this morning after a late start and it felt nice to be out on the bike again. I'm looking forward to April and doing some good riding with everyone. Signed up for JCRC so I might look at entering my first race this month or next.
838 km in March, which is my second highest monthly total ever.
Since I was only 26 km short of the total of July 2012, I picked a ride for the last day of March that would just take me over: Imperial palace and back, which came to 31 km. Shintaro joined me and I always end up going faster when I have him to chase.
Like on our last ride, I again saw a new highest heart rate. Does that mean I'm getting fitter? I don't think I suffered more.
Since I was only 26 km short of the total of July 2012, I picked a ride for the last day of March that would just take me over: Imperial palace and back, which came to 31 km. Shintaro joined me and I always end up going faster when I have him to chase.
Like on our last ride, I again saw a new highest heart rate. Does that mean I'm getting fitter? I don't think I suffered more.
Oooh - sunshine! Easter Monday so I'm off work. I think I shall go out on a nice, gentle ride.
This will do: Tokyo Super Looper http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/10515110
This will do: Tokyo Super Looper http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/10515110
On my grocery shopping ride today I enjoyed the much milder weather after a cold weekend. Less than two weeks to go until my next brevet (BRM413西東京200km金太郎)
AJ NishiTokyo photo album of the March 9 brevet now online:
AJ NishiTokyo photo album of the March 9 brevet now online:
The bag hanging off the back of your bike looks kind of odd, looks bigger than your arse JoeOn my grocery shopping ride today I enjoyed the much milder weather after a cold weekend. Less than two weeks to go until my next brevet (BRM413西東京200km金太郎)
AJ NishiTokyo photo album of the March 9 brevet now online:
Great picture of Fuji san, really like it!
I bought the bag late in the year before the Nichitsu ride, when it was getting cold and I was worried about extra layers, rain gear and food in remote places... I really don't need anything as large as that for most of my centuries and brevets.
Last-Chance Hanami
As threatened above, I went out for a Super Looper ride. This was the plan. The ride was devised years ago by Half-Fast stalwart Leo, though we don't see him so much now he's started breeding. Putting together the 'Northeast Passage' to connect Tamagawa and Arakawa was very much a process of trial and error. It's called the Super Looper because it's super, and it's a loop.
And here's what I did [Strava]. 167 km all told. My first proper century for some time.
There are short sections of cobbles, bricks, bumpy tree roots, gravel and sand. So not ideal for riders who are very precious about their rubber.
Despite having the route loaded onto my Edge 800, I took a few wrong turns - mainly because I was paying more attention to taking photos. Shooting from the hip, as usual, I snapped a lot of beautiful trees until the light faded so much that I couldn't any more. The last few have an interesting 'real' motion blur effect.
I played around for a while in Showa-kinen-koen (Showa Memorial Park) near Tachikawa. If you haven't been there I really recommend it - especially if you have a family and you can all cycle. There are several km of beautifully-paved cycling road, with roundabouts instead of intersections, and it's all separate from the pedestrian walking trails except for a few crossings.
Also d1cked around for a while on the far side of the Arakawa, wanting to put off for a while setting off into the headwind that was going to be my fiend for the next 35 km. It was a belter.
For the first time in several years I rode all the way down the left bank, from Akigase to the sea. 'They' STILL haven't done anything about the construction around and above the driving school so you still have to re-route around the graveyard and through the school car park. (Meanwhile on the levee the diggers are rearranging very large, neat piles of earth into other large, neat piles.)
Once I got through the waterfront and hit Tamagawa, the wind was at my back so things were much easier. It was dark by then, with only a few joggers and cyclists about. In the last week or so my least-favourite section of the right bank, which was paved in concrete, has been overlaid with perfect asphalt. Lovely.
Lessons (re)learned: pack more than one spare tube; don't set off at 10.00 a.m. for a long ride without the good light
So here are the photos. Below them I'll try embedding a YouTube (if you can bear any more).
As threatened above, I went out for a Super Looper ride. This was the plan. The ride was devised years ago by Half-Fast stalwart Leo, though we don't see him so much now he's started breeding. Putting together the 'Northeast Passage' to connect Tamagawa and Arakawa was very much a process of trial and error. It's called the Super Looper because it's super, and it's a loop.
And here's what I did [Strava]. 167 km all told. My first proper century for some time.
There are short sections of cobbles, bricks, bumpy tree roots, gravel and sand. So not ideal for riders who are very precious about their rubber.
Despite having the route loaded onto my Edge 800, I took a few wrong turns - mainly because I was paying more attention to taking photos. Shooting from the hip, as usual, I snapped a lot of beautiful trees until the light faded so much that I couldn't any more. The last few have an interesting 'real' motion blur effect.
I played around for a while in Showa-kinen-koen (Showa Memorial Park) near Tachikawa. If you haven't been there I really recommend it - especially if you have a family and you can all cycle. There are several km of beautifully-paved cycling road, with roundabouts instead of intersections, and it's all separate from the pedestrian walking trails except for a few crossings.
Also d1cked around for a while on the far side of the Arakawa, wanting to put off for a while setting off into the headwind that was going to be my fiend for the next 35 km. It was a belter.
For the first time in several years I rode all the way down the left bank, from Akigase to the sea. 'They' STILL haven't done anything about the construction around and above the driving school so you still have to re-route around the graveyard and through the school car park. (Meanwhile on the levee the diggers are rearranging very large, neat piles of earth into other large, neat piles.)
Once I got through the waterfront and hit Tamagawa, the wind was at my back so things were much easier. It was dark by then, with only a few joggers and cyclists about. In the last week or so my least-favourite section of the right bank, which was paved in concrete, has been overlaid with perfect asphalt. Lovely.
Lessons (re)learned: pack more than one spare tube; don't set off at 10.00 a.m. for a long ride without the good light
So here are the photos. Below them I'll try embedding a YouTube (if you can bear any more).
Managed to clock up around 8,500 m of climbing last month. Most since July last year, and probably as much as I managed in Dec, Jan and Feb combined, which was the last complete month I had before I picked up the leg infection. Still lacking some power and endurance but getting there.
3 April
More rain. Blech. In protest, I've bought some 25 mm Panaracer tyres with tread on 'em. And new rain trousers yesterday that Wiggle say they've already sent. I may be damp, but not defeated.
When I can't ride, I sometimes look at my multiview slideshow of rides passim.
More rain. Blech. In protest, I've bought some 25 mm Panaracer tyres with tread on 'em. And new rain trousers yesterday that Wiggle say they've already sent. I may be damp, but not defeated.
When I can't ride, I sometimes look at my multiview slideshow of rides passim.
tacx mtb 1.25 training tire (in smurf blue) just arrived in the mail! found a perfect spot to do my training, in the cement floored balcony OR in the space near the fire escape, as long as i dont block anything for emergencies (the joys of living on the farthest end of the apartment floor, hence no neighbors to annoy on two sides)
Ah, same here! End apartment, concrete floor outside my front door, nobody needs to go past. Perfect! Good init.tacx mtb 1.25 training tire (in smurf blue) just arrived in the mail! found a perfect spot to do my training, in the cement floored balcony OR in the space near the fire escape, as long as i dont block anything for emergencies (the joys of living on the farthest end of the apartment floor, hence no neighbors to annoy on two sides)
Beautiful morning! Finally after illness and sh%# weather got out for a decent run. Found a good groove for a nice 58km tempo run. Averaging 247 watts for the duration. My legs felt great, ironic really the illness probably evened out the fatigue recovery from the previous 3 weeks. Of course I have lost a few kilos so that would have made things a bit easier too!
Was a little chilly at the off but the arm warmers came down and I rode a short one up and down the river. Getting used to these Look pedals a bit more and the bike, too. The handle bar creaks and squeaks in the stem any time I give it some welly, anyone tell me how to get rid of it?
LOL, new bike creak could be coming from aaaaaanywhere. What sort of creak is it? Metal against metal sound, a clicking, rasping, squeaking? Any tight spots when you turn your handlebars? Stand over the bike when you are not riding it, and pull around hard on the bars. Can you replicate the sound?
Check all bolts, don't crank them down, just check them.
Check all bolts, don't crank them down, just check them.
It is the bars. Yes, I can replicate it standing on it not moving. Maybe it'll just go away when it gets bored.