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Wet and Wild

Deej

Deej

Maximum Pace
Oct 13, 2007
1,018
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Yeah, Saturday's looking pretty wet. But Ironsword is feeling bold, and Black Thunder is growing restless in his stable. Yes, Black Thunder is a dude.

ironsword_cover.jpg


Rain or shine, I'm going to take the train to Takao, then do my beloved Jimba 5 route, adding Tallon's Traverse at the turnaround point.

Here is the route, courtesy of Andy W:
http://www.mapmyride.com/route/jp/jimba san/131125750818981270

I'll slap a rain guard over my rear wheel and bring a change of clothes for the train ride back.

Anyone else keen? I should also add that I've got a slight cold now, and if it worsens, I will probably cancel. I'll put up an update Friday night.

9:00 or 9:30 departure from the Takao Seven-Eleven.

Come feel the magic!

Deej
 
Hi Deej, how about moving this ride on Sunday? - weather looks ok
 
I know, Sergey, it's killing me. I'd love to ride Sunday, but I'm on kid duty that day. If I want to get any riding in, it has to be tomorrow.

I'm not relishing the prospect of a cold, wet ride, but it could turn out to be fun. Or something. All I know is that riding helps keep me sane, so it'll be worth the wetness.

Deej
 
Deej,

tomorrows fine, i'l l ride - similar weather to UK , i'd prefer a 0930 start though if possible, and which exit is the 711 ?
 
Great, Peter. I'm just leaving my office now. I'll send you the details before 9 p.m.

Deej
 
Peter C said:
i'd prefer a 0930 start though if possible, and which exit is the 711 ?
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Peter, 9:30 is fine.

The 7/11 is on the north exit side along route 20. But if you are using the lockers at the station, you will have to go down some stairs and ride your bike "around the corner" to get to the 7/11 -- it's not a simple grab-the-bike-and-go. Here's a close-up of the area around Takao Station to give you an idea. You can see the 7/11 across from FamilyMart. Let's try to roll out by 9:30.

OK, another thing. I still have a cold, and it's in my chest a bit. If it remains as is, I should be fine. But if it worsens by tomorrow morning, I will probably have to PM you to cancel. If I do cancel, I will contact you by 6:30. I'll PM you my mobile number now.

Deej
 
Kanzler said:
Curious to hear how you survived the typhoon :eek: today?
Click to expand...

Today was AWESOME.

It was raining fairly steadily when we rolled out of Takao, but we were prepared for that, so no surprises there. We had a pleasant spin up and over Otarumi-toge, enjoying the scenery, which was ablaze with the colors of autumn.

As we began riding up the Jimba Onsen rindo, it began to come down hard, then harder. I believe I elicited a whoop or two at this point, to help give me a little fighting spirit. But Peter and I continued to chat happily throughout the climb -- throughout the day, in fact -- and before we knew it, the rain had lifted and a muted orange orb could be seen in the misty firmament.

We rolled down to the base of the rindo and then began heading up toward Wada-toge. Patches of blue were appearing overhead. Sweet! "If only Sergey could see us now," I thought, with perhaps a smidgen of smug satisfaction. :)

After summing Wada, we rolled down 521 and took a left at the liquor shop and headed into what was for me terra incognita. It wasn't unknown to Peter, however, as he had ridden the road recently -- though from the other direction, down, not up. I must say, I was very pleasantly surprised. I deeply enjoyed the climb up to Wada on this "mystery" road, which leads right up to the Snack Hut atop the pass via a roughly 50-meter-long hiking path, no dismounting necessary. With the mist rising slowly from the valley floor -- a patchwork of greens, yellows, reds and oranges -- and the sun bursting in thick beams through stands of cedar trees, I was moved by the beauty of it all and the joy of being on my bike. Yes, I said, "Woo!"

The climb was rather steep in places, and generally in decent condition. I'll definitely incorporate it into my winter riding regimen.

Once back at Wada-toge, we rode back the way we came. By the time we got to the base of Otarumi-toge (lake side), I was feeling a little sluggish, as I had not consumed enough calories before and during the ride. Peter kindly offered me some of his food, but were were close to Takao, so I figured I could wait a few more minutes. Still, the usually easy ride up that hill was fairly demanding, as Peter had set an impressive pace, and I was simply trying to hold his wheel by that point.

We enjoyed a rapid descent back to Takao, snacked and chatted for a bit at the 7/11, then parted ways.

Peter, thanks for a fantastic day out! If the photo you took of the valley proves worthy, please add it to the gallery if you get a chance.

Deej
 
Thanks for the ride and company Deej - a couple of thousand metres of challenging climbs packed in this half century ride and with short desents its a great route to keep you warm even with the the odd rain cloud and shower in tow.

Also with very few cars on the roads you can enjoy good conversation and search for that perfect autuminal red on this route.

As for Deej, when he remarks hes got a cold , the end result is still the same - you still see him disappear up the hill in a cloud of smoke .
 
Good stuff guys, and much respect for braving the elements yesterday. It was far too blustery for me; even if I didn't have work I'd have found some other excuse not to exit the house... :rain:
 
You were brave - and also courageous to do this to your bikes... :(

I'm glad I had the luxury to head out today - it was just perfect whether, sorry :p No clouds, very clear air, the views were stunning wherever I went.

I also tried out the newly discovered north approach of Wada Toge, and liked it too. Especially the lower part with the farm houses is very picturesque. Quite wet though after all the rain and on the fallen leaves, this can be treacherous. It meant I had to stay in the saddle whenever going over wet leaves, to avoid slipping.

I then headed via the old Koshukaido to Sarubashi, and from there climbed up the north approach (today's theme!) to Otoge, which was in places in similar conditions as the north approach to Wada, though much, much longer... Very nice views of the distant mountains, including Matsuhime Toge. But no more koyo above 1,000 meters.

I then took Akiyama Kaido and Philipl's route to Hashimoto where it became too dark to ride on. 200km and 3,000 meters of climbing.

Ludwig
 
Deej and Peter,
I admire your mental fortitude in going out on Saturday. I took one look outside and decided that cycling definitely wasn't on the menu! (In my defense, as a Scotsman I have very much "done my time" cycling in bad weather :rain: )

Headed out to Boso today and enjoyed almost perfect conditions - lovely sunny skies and warm temperatures. The wind was blowing a gale though which was by turns tough (heading south), sketchy (crosswind buffeting) and a blast (BIG tailwind).
 
Ludwig, sounds like you had a fantastic day in the saddle. It looked like perfect cycling weather. That climb to Wada is nice, isn't it? The leaves on the road are ridiculous, though. I hope they blow away soon.

Kanzler said:
and also courageous to do this to your bikes... :(
Click to expand...

Well, I always give my bike a good cleaning, drying and oiling after it gets wet. And I'm pretty sure the carbon fiber won't melt. But yeah, I don't like getting it rained on for long periods.

Alan, very nice. Thanks for sharing the photos. It must have been gorgeous out there. Hope to see you in the mountains soon!

Deej
 
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