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Today - September 2010

Half-Fast Mike

Lanterne Rouge-et-vert
May 22, 2007
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The A$$hole list

Good morning to you too, Mr. 'merican red Bentley driver. Thank you for not killing me. I wouldn't want you to get your car scratched.

So - I'm an ******* for cutting you off? I've been called worse. The truck driver in front of me is also an ******* for parking suddenly immediately after the intersection, forcing me to either slam into the back of him or move two feet to the right. The driver of the white car behind you is also an ******* for almost rear-ending you when you slammed your brakes on.

There seems to be one ******* road user missing from your ******* list: the ******* 'driving' his red Bentley at 90kph (it's a 60-zone) in lane one of a three-lane carriageway in the middle of rush hour. Maybe your car can do 250kph+, but 07.45 on a weekday morning on Aoyama-dori is not the time or place to prove that.

--HF Mike--
 
Good morning to you too, Mr. 'merican red Bentley driver. Thank you for not killing me. I wouldn't want you to get your car scratched.

Ah, the joys of commuting by bike. I guess getting "shoaled" is a lot better than almost getting run over and then getting sworn at by the would-be (Canadian?) murderer.

I have to say, every morning when I throw my leg over my bike, I get the butterflies thinking about the roaring surf of glass and steel I'm about to plunge into. In this kind of traffic, you really can't afford to let your guard down, which is a good way to sharpen one's focus (good), but it can also be stressful (bad).

Still, it beats riding a packed train. By a long shot.

Where on Aoyama-dori did that happen, Mike? I'm picturing the downhill approach to the flyover at Akasaka.

Deej
 
Where on Aoyama-dori did that happen, Mike? I'm picturing the downhill approach to the flyover at Akasaka.
Nah - Akasaka-rikkyo is pwned by ME.

This was at Gaien-mae. Said truck wanted to stop right outside First Kitchen. So he did. Heaven forbid any driver in Tokyo should have to walk more than 10 meters to their destination.

--HF Mike--
 
After nearly getting creamed by a taxi, I thought, owuldn't it be great if I could have snapped his pic, then posted it on a website like 'tokyof*ddrivers.com' for all the world to see. And of course at the same time blast it out over twitter and 2ch. I want a wide angle cam mounted permanently on my bike with a gun trigger so I can just happily snap away... The Bently would have been an instant trophy for sure!!
 
I blame it on the heat. Drivers are in the twilight zone now, and their every move is unpredictable, and irrational.

I must admit I am the same, at work, or on foot - but when I ride now my senses are in overdrive. Since a couple weeks ago I am scared shitless of riding on busy roads, as I can longer longer make assumptions about what drivers will do.
 
If it makes you feel any better I had the same thing happen to me near Roppongi Hills some **** decided to cut over from the inside lane to the outside lane cutting through 3 lanes of traffic.

A work truck slammed on thier brakes and I had to swerve around them to avoid impaling myself on scaffolding, it was either a Bently or a Aston Martin that almost took me out and the guy got very verbal.

I had to use sign language to make myself understood and I think I got the message across. As he floored it to get the last 15 meters to the next set of traffic lights.

Fortunately the gods were smiling on the brave and he must have hit something in the road as there was a bang followed by a clack, clack, clack sound.

In his fustration he had runover something sharp and big that had not only punctured his front tire but was bashing the crap out of the inside of the inside of his tire wall.

As I passed him I gave him the royal wave with a loosely clenched fist.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wanker
 
In his frustration he had runover something sharp and big that had not only punctured his front tire but was bashing the crap out of the inside of the inside of his tire wall.
Ooops. There's a shame, now.

Anyone here got a bright green flashing LED light at the back? Whoever it is, I feel I buzzed him a bit too close at Seta around 00.15 this morning and I'm sorry. (The light turned green and I wanted max momentum for the uphill section of the flyover.)

Dammit my Polar S720 heart rate transmitter is failing and I can't buy replacements anymore. I've only had it for five years. Might have to try a DIY battery replacement like this. Has anyone done this successfully?

--HF Mike--
 
At least we all live to tell the tale

Over the past few years I've read so many threads lamenting the near-catastrophic carelessness of drivers, pedestrians, and - alas, yes - other cyclists, that my Spidey-senses, too, work overtime when I'm behind the handlebars.

Yes, perhaps we are all fried by the long hot summer, but I think defensive cycling is simply a prerequisite for survival in any city. For one thing, my experiences as a cycling commuter have made me a much more considerate driver, and I go out of my way to give ample room to cyclists.

Having said that, there are still far too many cycling prats out there who continue to flagrantly ignore common sense, wantonly violate the rules of the road, and ignorantly dispense with cycling etiquette. It's not surprising that drivers jump to the conclusion that all cyclists are knobs. My only answer is to be as courteous and sensible on a bike as I can. And you can generally spot our serious brethren simply because they do give a damn.

I'm glad there were no injuries in the close calls at Aoyama & Roppongi. There is only one glimmer of fortune in your cautionary tales: Had you been forced to take the bastards to court, at least they'd be good for 15-20 million yen!

PS How come such beautiful cars are always driven by the dregs of humanity?!
:(
(Sour grapes...)
 
Sunday 4th

Had some work to get done in the afternoon so decided to head for a quick spin in the morning.

Got the train to Ome after which I cycled down the 411 to Okutama. Here I turned left onto Nokogiriyama toge. Previously I'd been a bit critical about this but I've now had a conversion. I've done it twice now in the past two weeks and it's very pleasant. 99% of the climb at 8am was in the shade. Of course, the descent is a bit of a bone shaker but it's empty and there's drinks and a tap at the bottom.

After this I turned onto Kazahari rindo. Steve had warned me that this is exposed, but I hadn't done it yet this season and as I was in the area and it was only 9.30 I thought I might be alright. Well, I did it but I didn't enjoy it. Extremely hot and drawn out with very little shade, especially in the first half. There was also a bit of uncertainty as the road was closed with signs everywhere saying it was forbidden to enter - they also explicitly said 自転車を含む. It was a bit worrying and I had pictures of a little man with a baton trying to send me back, but thankfully the workmen weren't there. They are felling a lot of trees in the area - not roadworks. Anyway, I'd advise some caution on this climb this summer, both because of the heat and the possibility of running into the little man with the baton.

After that I went to the ramen shop. The lady kindly gave me some salted tomatoes similar to Sergey yesterday. At this juncture I was seriously considering slacking the work off and doing Matsuhime. I'm glad I didn't as when I'd finally decided to cycle back to Ome, the legs certainly didn't have much left in them.

Route details here.

Time: 04:41:29
Distance: 96.72 km
Elevation Gain: 1,977 m

Might make this one of my regulars.
 
Commuting

I depart my house at 0500, so traffic isn`t bad. Returning home unscathed is a little more challenging an endeavor.
 
Had some white van man try and turn left on me this morning..... he is now minus one wing mirror and has a new respect for cyclists, I got his number and driving Licence number and name.

I have a slight bruising to my hand where his wing mirror hit me.
 
Had some white van man try and turn left on me this morning..... he is now minus one wing mirror and has a new respect for cyclists, I got his number and driving Licence number and name.

I have a slight bruising to my hand where his wing mirror hit me.

Go James! Now that guy knows the real meaning of "Use it, or LOSE it!":D
Hope your hand is O.K!
 
Yeah the hand is fine, slight bruising across the knuckles though...im a little vague as how the wing mirror hit me but you know how it is in life and death situations.

I was just worried that I was going to get killed on the new SL-1 on her maiden voyage, I know testing the kit is part of being a sponsored rider but I didn't sign up for that kind of testing!:D
 
"Use it, or LOSE it!"
Hear, hear!

The last white van wing mirror I hit (deliberately, for tailgating me and honking at me in my bus lane) exploded, cutting me up some and thus making a mess of my nice new white gloves. Serves me right; direct action is rarely an effective solution, however momentarily satisfying.

Sorry - don't know what happened with the last sentence. I almost sound adult. Normal service to be resumed asap.

A couple of degrees cooler this morning, and a nice breeze. It's been so hot for so long that it's hard to believe there are sometimes days in this town when it's too cold to enjoy cycling.

--HF Mike--
 
Actually last nite but I was too tired to post --- went to Nicole for their Spin Train event. Actually it was fun! They had set up 3 or 4 trainers in front of a BIG screen and had one of their pro staff guide us through a 45min zone and interval set. Good fun! They even provided Polar HRM for anyone who didnt have their own - as well as a courtesy road bike. I was lucky enough to snag a new DeRosa - yummm... A tad on the short side - but was very nice overall to train on. BTW - this was my first time in more than 20yrs to fiddle around with a geared bike. The Dura-ace group seriously kicks the ass of my old SR titanium gruppo.

Nicole has put in quite an inventory. I'm impressed. And the prices are quite good - I gotta stop by more often, being a fan of the Lezyne stuff, which they seem to have alot. Nice people! GS says thumbs up (shameless plug). And they do have English speaking staff.
 
Finally feeling a little better after cooking myself the last few weeks. Did a Hill Cruise Interval session on the trainer tonight and after pushing through the first 3 sets got some nice rythm going for the last 2 sets. Good power readings too accompanied by finally.....normal HR levels:D Hopefully my training plan is back on schedule.

p.s. James, hope your hand is OK? I'm presuming you smashed his mirror after the incident?
 
Ahh, the rain felt good on today's cruise into work today. An added benefit was that the precipitation scared off about 80% of the cyclists, significantly diminishing my chances of getting shoaled by a noob with a rusty chain and underinflated tires. And shirtless foreigners.

I'm also enjoying my new Deuter "Race EXP Air" backpack, which has mesh rubber straps and a mesh "trampoline" that holds the pack off the back and allows air to circulate -- meaning less sweat and, more importantly for my co-workers, less fetid-backpack stank.

Deej
 
Yeah, I definitely noticed a lack of cyclists on the road today. Much nicer, despite the wet. I did very cautiously yet quickly pass two guys riding with one hand while holding umbrellas in the other. Add that to my list of pet peeves. I gave them a wide berth.
 
I'm starting to think that the cyclists who stayed home were on to something. It's coming down pretty hard out there! Getting home may be a nice little adventure.
 
It's coming down pretty hard out there! Getting home may be a nice little adventure.

Tell me about it. I've just come home, glad to ride titanium. Visibility close to zero (forgot my cap this morning), but do not expect any mercy from motorists. Seriously, have a safe ride home! :eek:uch:
 
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