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Winter Boso Backroads (Feb 6th)

I'm in for tomorrow's fun and games.

So another Dave to add to the list (will this be a record number of Dave's on one ride?).

Looking forward to it

Dave
 
Forecast is looking good for tomorrow so we're officially a go. We'll gather 9:15, south exit of Honda Station, roll-out 9:30.

Minoru > No problem stowing your PJs. :)

David A. > See you tomorrow! That makes it a full "Ride of the Daves", with supporting cast...
 
Just do it!!

Hi Everyone - so the two newbies are thinking about a re-do of this ride tomorrow. Yes, Phil, the photo was on 172 after the climb out of Otaki. It is a nice route and does get a little hilly towards the end. With all the riders expressing interest, the pace should be nice and the going easier.:)...
 
I think the more the merrier! looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow!
 
Windy Boso!

First, the ride theme music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhTqzZpz6RY&feature=related

Second, many thanks to David (TrufflesEater), David (Davad), Minoru, Randy, Michael, Tim, James, and David A for joining David (trucksan) and I on the ride... It was a long way to come for some of you and the company was much appreciated.

This ride was a lot harder than we had envisioned it would be, in large measure because of a relentless headwind that seemed to battle us the whole time, coming and going...

We started only 10 minutes late and headed south on the 128/27. This is normally a zippy way to get into the Otaki area, but the swirling wind quickly splintered the group and progress was relatively slow. Tim on his fixed gear was having troubles sticking with the freewheel bikes on the descents, too, but we all arrived at the Otaki 7-11 (Positivo Espresso approved) together.

After the refuel, we hit the 172 toward the Yoro Valley. Though a numbered road, it rides much like a rindo. It also fools with a few false summits before descending into a narrow sheltered valley and making you climb some more. Though not high, it adds quite a bit of climbing to a ride. Here we lost Tim for good; we left an arrow of twigs pointing our way and hoped to rendezvous at the country store, but never did. Tim, hope you got home no problem.

After lunch at the Oikawa country store, we followed the 465, which offered a bit of a climb followed by a fast descent (with a few rollers) toward the lakes around Kameyama. Here Michael, James, and Dominic peeled off to continue their journey to the coast, ferry, and Miura. The rest of us turned back into the hills, this time toward the TCC regular Daifukuyama but approaching from the steeper south side. Near the top we negotiated the short section of gravel which everyone said was "a lot of fun" (I think that was it, wasn't it guys?). We carried on along the ridgeline before descending to the 32.

We had one more rindo to climb, past the Shimin no Mori and to the 160. That offered a very quick descent and, I am sure, the only proper tailwind of the entire ride!

We skipped the usual Lake Takataki stop and headed for the new Ministop just beyond--we needed food! Quick break, with a slightly odd conversation about cats...

At this point we had 30km to go; a stretch that usually only takes an hour and change, despite some small steep hills in the way. Here, however, we ran into the full onslaught of the wind which we had been buffeted by earlier on the trip. In the usually very fast sections through the rice fields north of the lake we were reduced to a teeth-baring crawl, stomping away into a gusty headwind I've never experienced in the inland of the peninsula.

Insult was added to wind exhaustion when a member of the red baton brigade turned us away from our usual shortcut past the golf course (road widening works), sending us on a 10km detour.

Still, we arrived back at Honda in full light, only 40 minutes behind schedule. Various Garmins said we'd done around 1700m+ of climbing; surprising considering the length of the route.

Once again, thanks to everyone for the great company, it was another truly fantastic day out. Was especially good to meet and ride with the new (to me) folk: David (Davad), Randy, Dominic, Tim, James--many thanks!!

Random Ride Stat
Number of mechanicals: 3. (Snapped FD cable (Davad--had to do most of the ride on the inner chainring--much respect!), broken spoke (TrufflesEater--didn't slow him down a bit), and slow puncture (me again, fortunately only in the last 10km).
 
Outstanding, and they are [not] mild

Excellent ride, especially for the first week in February. Much thanks to Phil
and Trucksan (aka David the Pirate) for the impetus and invitation. Very
good to see several people for the first time in many months; very good to
meet several new folks. All in all, a most convivial day. Simply a lot of
fun, and for me at least, an outstanding fun to pain ratio of 1:1. :eek:uch:

David the TrufflesEater
 
Cool ride, but the rhythm of the geared vs. fixie is not so compatible. I was spun out on every downhill (losing you). Just barely catching on the flats (with no wind relax) and killed on the steeper climbs where I had to switchback up and skidly down. After the canyon climb I bailed towards the ocean and rode down in a more shelted leeward roads. Then doubled back up through Kuratsu (?), Onjunku , etc and eventually back. Maybe in 6mo when I can push a 44:12 continuously at 140rpm and leap tall buildings with a single bound I'll join again.

Now to go buy a new rear tire.
 
That was several thousand percent more difficult than I`d imagined; still, as TrufflesEater said, it was a 1:1 pain:pleasure ratio. Great to meet so many people, pilots and cat-lovers amongst them. I hardly noticed the wind, being completely distracted by my utter lack of power on the climbs. Huge thanks to Phil for his regular efforts waiting for me at the intersections and sorry to the group for holding things up. That blocked shortcut at the end was more than anything a mental test - really tough to backtrack! I felt all kinds of illogical ill will toward that guy with the light-saber at the roadworks, and I was wondering at the time why we didn`t just over run his position and charge on. Such was my mental state.... Thankfully saner heads prevailed. From today`s perspective it`s all positive. Thanks again to all.
 
Absolutely great ride yesterday,I would like to thank Phil for organising the ride and it was great to finally meet so many I only know from thier avatars here on the forums.

I got some good photos as well and will post them all up later today for you to download. The hill climbing was perfect as well and I got to do some great interval training.

I ended up riding 147km with 2023m total ascent with an average of 26.1kph not bad for the huge amount of head wind and climbing done.

Would also like to thank MOB for navigating us down to the ferry and then up to Ofuna once on the otherside of the bay.
 
Boso Rocks!

What a great ride!! I really enjoyed my first foray with the TCC. Fun people, good pace, and lots of mutual energy and camaraderie to power up those endless 11%+ grades with that howlin' headwind. Many kudos to Phil for his organization, consideration of others, and keeping us moving. I am looking forward to another ride (and hopefully dragging some other newbies along). For now, I am recovering with a little vitamin M...:) Yours, Randy PS - Amy and Emily are top cats (and good guitarists).

Please post the photos so we can all share!
 
Thank you!

Phil, I really appreciate your dedication to the tour. You organized very well. I totally enjoyed this unexpected FAST ride with extreme headwind. The pace was faster than my normal speed but was good as far as someone is in front of me:D.

I reconfirmed Boso is very hilly and challenging us with many many small ups and downs. In the area I normally ride, once you reach a top of a hill, long down hill is always waiting. But Boso is not, disguising a top of a hill.

Anyway, it was nice to meet some new persons. I hope we ride again.


Minoru Arai


P.S. I uploaded some pics for you to download.
 
ride of the cat loving davids

great ride great company. However was pleased to fall in to hot bath afterwards followed by some much needed beer.

I was commenting to phil on the way home how I have never seen nor am I likely to see again, a group of cold tired bike riding cat lovers come together in a convenie in the Boso and eat ice cream. However as I pulled up the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper later that night there was an article showing the higher IQ of cat owners over dog owners, apologies to all you dog lovers out there, if you can read this.

look forward to the next one.

meow for now.
 
Great Ride

Thanks to Phil and everybody else that made this ride such a nice one. To add the Positivo Espresso point of view plus letting you know what has happened to us after we broke away for the port, I have written a post on our website:

Imagine you wake up one morning and the world around you has changed completely. All your neighbors have become brainless zombies and you can only defend yourself by throwing Dire Straits LPs at them. Or suddenly, everyone you know goes by the name Dave.

"Oh, David, good that you made it. May I introduce you to David? David, this is David, David this is David."
"Hi David, Nice to meet you."
"Hi, nice to meet you too, David."

With David J. being back in England, David L. injured and David C. taking part only in short trips morning rides, one would assume that the amount of Davids that could be assembled for a ride in Bozo peninsular would be somewhat limited. Nevertheless, when Phil of TCC called for a joint winter ride in Chiba, all remaining cycling Davids and very few other guys turned up, eleven riders in total. We were quite a group: David Dachin (younger brother of James), David Denderson aka as Dominic Denderson and me, the D.O.B. were attending the tour on behalf of Dositivo Depresso.


please continue to read her : http://positivo-espresso.blogspot.com/2010/02/dawn-of-davids.html
 
"It was the first time I ever ate a powerbar and I was surprised at the resistance it offers against being eaten."

:D:D:D

Brilliant report as always, Michael, thanks. Sorry to hear you guys got lost; going up to Kururi would have been quite the detour... Guess you had to skip the climb?
 
Thanks to all (davids, non-davids and psuedo-davids) for a great day out.

Special thanks to Phil for his sterling efforts leading us around the superb hinterland of Boso.

Personally, i have always favoured dogs, which i suppose backs up the latest research:).

Look forward to seeing everyone on the next ride

"Thickie" Dave A - the dog lover
 
Phil, I really appreciate your dedication to the tour. You organized very well. I totally enjoyed this unexpected FAST ride with extreme headwind. The pace was faster than my normal speed but was good as far as someone is in front of me:D.

I reconfirmed Boso is very hilly and challenging us with many many small ups and downs. In the area I normally ride, once you reach a top of a hill, long down hill is always waiting. But Boso is not, disguising a top of a hill.

Anyway, it was nice to meet some new persons. I hope we ride again.


Minoru Arai


P.S. I uploaded some pics for you to download.

お疲れ様ですArai-san。

Phil企画のライド&房総半島でのライドにおいて、決して'楽'という文字は存在しませんよ:)
 
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