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Weekend Rides?

Funride 100

Great, Thomas! Let's try the Funride 100 and see what happens. The only part of that route that I've ever ridden is the stretch over Wada Pass and back to the Minami Asagawa, so I look forward to exploring the new territory. I'll bring maps just in case. :)

I won't be trying to break any speed records this time, either!

What time shall we hook up at Tamasuido-bashi (if indeed that's where we are meeting)? I have no plans for the evening, so a later start is fine with me.

Anyone else interested in joining?

Deej
 
I'm def interested Deej, but not sure how I'm gonna get there. I would like to ride if possible, but from Yamato it might take a while. I am also keen for a late start. Be great to catch up with you guys again.
 
What time shall we hook up at Tamasuido-bashi (if indeed that's where we are meeting)? I have no plans for the evening, so a later start is fine with me.

If it's alright for you and anyone else who might join, why don't we meet like last time at 8:30AM at Tamasuido-bashi?

Edit: Sorry Mike, didn't see your post. Is 8:30 ok for you?
 
I'm def interested Deej, but not sure how I'm gonna get there. I would like to ride if possible, but from Yamato it might take a while. I am also keen for a late start. Be great to catch up with you guys again.

Hey Mike. It would be great to ride with you again. I have to run an errand now, so I can't write much at the moment. I'm not exactly sure where in Yamato you live, but a quick look at my map suggests that you could take Route 16 up to Haijima, where you would hook up with me and Thomas, which would probably be around 9:45-10:00-ish. I would think that would allow you to leave at a fairly decent hour. What do you think?

Deej
 
OK desu !

I will be coming down Setagaya-dori and will meet you at the bridge at 8:30 :)

Charles
 
Hey Deej, I keep looking at the map and trying to work out a way of getting there without riding on R16 too much, but reckon I'll get lost if try other roads. After much consideration I think I will ride in my backyard tomorrow. I'd really like to ride with you guys again, but I'm not so keen on dealing with the traffic to get to the start point. Looks like a good ride from Hachioji out.
Anyway, I look forward to when the weather warms up and you guys head down this way again. Have a great ride.
 
Kazahari Rindo 風張林道

Man, I really hope the snow melts in the mountains before tomorrow's ride.

The more I read about the gated forest road linking routes 205 and 206, the more excited I get. Not only is it supposed to offer excellent scenery, it sounds very challenging, with several spots nearing 20%. :eek:

If the weather permits us to ride the full course, we are in for quite a workout.

EDIT: Mike, I just saw your post. I was looking forward to riding with you, but I understand your situation. I'll see you soon!

Deej
 
Deej

I am a no show - have sent private message. Many apologies !:eek:

Charles
 
Charles, sorry you couldn't make it yesterday!

I will leave the official report to Dave, the Master of Eloquence, I just want to state that we have had a most joyful ride, even though the descent from Tomin-no-mori was more sliding than riding. We had to change our original plan of taking R205, rindo and R33 due to the heavy snowfalls of the past few days. I have never seen such amounts of snow in the area.

We decided to climb Tomin-no-mori instead, but unfortunately the road was closed due to "anti-terror exercises". Verrry fishy! :cool:




On the way down the road started to freeze. There were long patches of snow as well. Those big chunks of snow sticking to our wheels were a first time experience and quite exciting. :)

As usual Deej, thanks for the lovely ride yesterday!
 
Sounds like another slippery day..we were supposed to go MTBing again in Okutama but cancelled for fear of ice...

Been too cold for me lately so in disgust at not riding I joined the gym...

There were 100s of riders on the Edo river yesterday so the warmth was there...now cold & rainy again...

back to scheduled programming....
 
Join us in Chiba!!

Sounds like another slippery day..we were supposed to go MTBing again in Okutama but cancelled for fear of ice...

Been too cold for me lately so in disgust at not riding I joined the gym...

There were 100s of riders on the Edo river yesterday so the warmth was there...now cold & rainy again...

back to scheduled programming....

Hey Pete,
Ain't no use in complainin'! Come with us this Saturday!
I'm not in such great form either... I imagine the two Phils will be leaving me in my own wake.. add Christoph, Mike, Deej & Thomas to the equation, and I'm gonna be hurtin' bad.
At least try and make it for this one, eh! Travis
 
Ride Report

Warning: The following novella is self-indulgent, meandering and boring -- really. Read at your own risk!

I arrived at Tamasuidobashi at 8:35, five minutes past our slated meeting time. Thomas was patiently waiting for me after having ridden a good 30km across town, compared with my 7km jaunt. I apologized for my tardiness, not bothering to tell him that my youngest son had awoken shortly before I left and demanded that I make him oatmeal. Raisins 'n Spice.

We headed up the Tamagawa, once again into a slight headwind -- or at least I think it was a headwind. Thomas commented on the lack of wind, but I was already starting to feel a little cranky about the breeze. Oh wind gods, why do you torment me so?

We got to Haijima at around 9:45 and headed east onto Route 7, taking Mutsumi-bashi across the mighty Tama. Thomas had been leading for quite a while now, and I noticed that my legs didn't have their usual pep. I had had some friends over the previous night and allowed myself three glasses of wine (red, probably cheap), but I was by no means hung over. Or was I? Oh, and I guess I'd had two beers with my curry lunch earlier in the day. Hic.

We rolled past Musashi-Itsukaichi station and onto Route 33, where we stopped at a Seven-Eleven -- one of the last outposts of civilization before the mountains -- for "breakfast." This is where things started going ever-more south for me. I filled my uneasy stomach with two Calorie Mate bars, a can of Boss "The Espresso" coffee and a Minute Maid banana gel energy drink -- all on top of an ume-flavored PowerBar gel that I had consumed near Haijima and an English muffin I had wolfed down at home. Burp.

After this brief yet disgusting repast, we continued along Route 33, aka Hinohara Kaido, with Thomas in front pushing a fast pace. Our plan was to take this road to Route 205, and then to the uncharted stretch of 20%-incline hell known by the locals as the Kazahari Rindo. However, given the large deposits of snow along the roadsides, it soon become clear that the rindo was not going to happen.

Frankly, I was a little relieved that we wouldn't be hitting the hard stuff, as I was feeling increasingly off-form the longer we rode. I wondered if perhaps my sluggishness was the result of having gone bowling the previous day, which had caused a little stiffness in my left -- how do you say in English? -- butt. Or maybe it was because of my trip to the batting cages just before bowling. Or no, it was from over-training the previous week; I knew I shouldn't have done those sit-ups with a heavy medicine ball! Whatever it was, I was not feeling the "magic."

Meanwhile, Thomas was riding like he was on EPO, and keeping pace with him was growing progressively more difficult.

We decided to ride up Route 206 to Tomin no Mori then roll down to Okutama-ko to stop for noodles. But we never made it to the noodles because the road was gated off at Tomin no Mori, with a sign saying, impossibly, "Terror Alert." Thomas looked disappointed, and I probably said something like, "Bummer!" but I was secretly filled with joy, as the ride up nearly crushed me. It shouldn't have, as it's not a particularly steep climb, just long. I should also mention that large sections of the road were covered in compacted snow and, in places, an icy slurry. These bits required nerves of steel and, on my part, a healthy dose of naivete about the dangers of cycling on ice.

At Tomin no Mori, we approached a couple of men I presumed to be police officers and asked them about the road closure, mentioning the part about the terror alert. They appeared amused by our mention of the terror sign, and said, "Oh, the road's mainly closed because of the snow and ice, but we are also conducting a security exercise to prepare for the summit in Hokkaido." Thomas and I glanced at the road, which looked perfectly dry. Huh. OK. We both agreed that the road was probably passable, but since neither of us wanted to be buzzed by black, commando-filled helicopters (and there were helicopters about) we chose to turn back.

After downing cans of hot cocoa (which only added to my stomach's woes), we pointed our bikes down the mountain and enjoyed a fast but frigid descent. Parts of the lower reaches of the mountain road were so ice-clogged as to be almost funny -- almost. At one point, while riding through slush at least four centimeters thick, I let out a nervous giggle. "It's not funny!" said the Austrian ahead of me. A couple times, I saw Thomas' rear wheel slip a fraction, but he always managed to keep a straight line. I never felt that terrifying loss of control that occurs when the tire loses its purchase on the road. Could it be that my Continentals are ideal for ice-cycling?

The road dried up and we sped down to the junction of Route 33 and Route 206, chunks of ice falling from our brakes when we hit bumps. We decided to get back on our originally planned route and take 33 up and over to Wada Pass -- the road couldn't be any worse that what we just experienced, right? Wrong. It was far worse, and within a minute of heading up 33, we turned around and decided to ride back to Musashi-Itsukaichi and the Tamagawa.

From here, Thomas went into time trial mode and completely and utterly schooled me. It was on the stretch back to Musashi-Itsuakaichi that I earned a PhD in Watching Thomas Disappear Around Bends. I simply could not keep up with him. I desperately wanted him to be hung over again like the previous week, you know, to level the playing field a bit.

After crossing a couple more hairy sections of ice, we rolled up to the Seven-Eleven, where I filled my queasy stomach with -- why oh why? -- Bacon 'n Pepper Kratz and a blueberry yoghurt drink. By now, I was feeling officially funky.

From there, we pushed a blistering pace back to the Tamagawa and to our initial meeting spot. About halfway back, I told Thomas that I couldn't hold the pace any longer and he kindly allowed me to take the lead at a slower speed, assuring me that I could go as slowly as I liked. He genuinely wanted me to go at a speed I was comfortable with and told me to please "take it easy" if I wanted to. The thing is, I am, well, a little competitive, and when someone tells me to take it easy, that's the last thing I want to do. I told Thomas that I could hold a 30kph clip and did my best to stay at that speed for a while. But I started feeling so exhausted that I could barely give hand signals to Thomas along the crowded cycling path. I told Thomas as much, and he said not to worry and again exhorted me to ease up and enjoy the beautiful weather. Finally, as we approached the end of the cycling path, I told Thomas that I needed to pull over and rest.

I had bonked. I was 100% drained, depleted. I told my comrade that the nearby Tamasuido Bridge, not one kilometer distant, appeared to be an eternity away. I was feeling melodramatic and embarrassed. Never before had I had to stop like this on a ride. I felt defeated and confused -- why was I so tired? Could bowling really be so bad for cycling?

After hunkering down on a grassy hillside for about 10 minutes, we set out for Setagaya Dori. I was feeling a little better on the final 20-minute stretch to my home, but I was totally wasted by the end. It was only 148km, but it felt like 500.

And I can't wait to do it again.

Thomas -- thanks for the great ride, buddy!

Deej
 
Wow, I read that report with a lot of trepidation... If I had seen just one mention of Dr. Pepper, I was going to close my browser :warau::warau:

Nice job on persevering with the ride despite being so out of form--it's hard enough keeping up when you're feeling in top shape... We all have days like that; I reckon it's this winter--it starting to wear me down too... :)

Anyways, thanks to both for the report. Looking forward to seeing you next Saturday, and stay away from the cheap wine :bike:

(By the way, that must have been a first: TCC ride turned back due to terrorism alert?)
 
A poor effort . . .

Mr Deej,

Nice try. But that was NOT the most self-indulgent, meandering and boring report on TCC. Not even in the top 10. No, you will have to do better than that next time. Good use of obscure words (repast), stomach turning descriptions of food consumed and lines that would have Shakespeare turning in his grave ("Oh wind gods, why do you torment me so?"). However, despite these vulgar efforts I have enjoyed your "novella".

E- Sorry, this is much too good for TCC ;)

Cheers,

Philip

PS - I assume the reference to the "wind gods" referred to the wind in your face and NOT in your stomach? :p
 
Awesome report!

Having read that I am now even more pleased that I had both the wisdom and the sense of personal responsibility to bale out at 0140 in the morning, having arrived back from a pleasant soiree that had involved Thai curry, salads, Thai Beer, a bottle of middling white, a tremendous bottle of Beaune, and a few shots of Calvados for good measure. This was not a suitable training regime and I would surely have been found out, assuming I had made it as far as Tamagawa in the first place !!

:eek:

Charles
 
Good use of obscure words (repast), stomach turning descriptions of food consumed and lines that would have Shakespeare turning in his grave ("Oh wind gods, why do you torment me so?").

Thanks, Philip. I know "repast" is a bit much, but after being called the Master of Eloquence by Thomas, I couldn't settle for such a pedestrian word as "meal."

PS - I assume the reference to the "wind gods" referred to the wind in your face and NOT in your stomach? :p

You are correct. :) No gas on Monday, just a dull ache in the gut.

It sounds more like Deej was referring to Thomas' stomach.

Ouch!

Having read that I am now even more pleased that I had both the wisdom and the sense of personal responsibility to bale out at 0140 in the morning, having arrived back from a pleasant soiree that had involved Thai curry, salads, Thai Beer, a bottle of middling white, a tremendous bottle of Beaune, and a few shots of Calvados for good measure. This was not a suitable training regime and I would surely have been found out, assuming I had made it as far as Tamagawa in the first place !!

Chazzer, you picked a good day to skip the ride!

Wow, I read that report with a lot of trepidation... If I had seen just one mention of Dr. Pepper, I was going to close my browser.

Hey Phil. I had forgotten about the Dr. Pepper story. No, things did not get quite that ugly.
 
Thanks for posting this route. I did it today (+ extra bits at each end), and it was a jolly nice ride. Apart from the trucks ...

I think my GPS was out to cause trouble though, as it was like a senile back-seat driver: always just a little bit off, and about 30 seconds too early, or late, with turn directions.

First time I have felt cold this Autumn (on or off the bike), so it was a nice reminder of the changing seasons.

Hey Travis!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and providing info about possible rides. I hear you about the snow dampening your motivation. But I am trying to continue riding through the cold because, well, I'm addicted to cycling.

Here's a link to good post about cold-weather riding in the excellent blog Belgium Knee Warmers: http://www.belgiumkneewarmers.com/2008/01/cold.html

The snow that is expected to fall on Saturday and Sunday will probably still be around on Monday in the higher places, so our climbing options will likely be limited. Nevertheless, I think I will head out west again on Monday and see what's out there.

Odarumi Toge (Takao) will almost certainly be snow-free. From there, I may do a Jimba repeat, or -- and this is more realistic -- roll down past Sagamiko, turn south onto Route 76, then loop back toward Tokyo on the Doshi Michi and north again on Route 518. There are plenty of smaller climbs south of Sagamiko that can offer a good workout and nice scenery. Or so I hear. :warau:

I've mapped the aforementioned "Sagamiko Loop": http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/103795

Deej
 
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