Yabitsu Curry Chicken

On Sunday, before the official remounting permission came from the hospital, I decided to try Yabitsu Toge with my bad boy.

I had some objectives, first I decided to ride to the next station on the Yokohama line, Nakayama and take the train out to Hashimoto. That went relatively easily, however bad boy is pretty heavy and difficult to carry around.

New Train Company poster clamping down an illegal mama-chari riders in trains.

In Hashimoto I found out that I still need to ride 7 km around town before arriving at the Tuskui Ko North route which was silent and beautiful as ever. I proceeded to Miyagase Ko, but before I took a short break at a Family Mart.

Yes, you have read right, I was making purchases on a ride out at a Family Mart and not in the traditional 7-Eleven and I have to apologize profoundly as I am caught now red-handed in an orgy of evil.

However, in my defense I need to tell you, that Family Mart is not only selling the new COCA COLA PLUS with green tea whatever, but they also have launched a product line extension to their very tasty musubi line which is "Curry Chicken Onigiri". That is in fact the best onigiri I have ever eaten and it gives awful power and stamina to bicycle riders.

Actually I could have never gotten up to Yabitsu Pass, if I wouldn't have eaten Curry Chicken Onigiri and it was still in my mouth when I reached the top.Now, the Togebaka Time was not so impressive, around 67 minutes compared to my best of 51 to 52 minutes, but hey breathing is not so easy if one kilogram of sticky rice is slowly disintegrating into your breathing system.

And of course I had again a flat tire on the way up which needed to be fixed. The air was coming out only slowly and I had my small hand pump was me, so I thought I give it a try and press on. When I reached the top there was still enough air inside, so I pumped it up again before riding down.

I wanted to test another theory, which is that my bad boy is the better, safer and stable choice for going downhill. I was a little bit worried about the rear tire so I tried to play it safe in curves but right fast on straight stretches.

And indeed I was going over 70 km on the last straight stretch which leads into the first villages on the Southern approach to Yabitsu. The bad boy felt great, no bumps with the dampened front fork and going very straight and very stable.

The drawback is of course the nano-crank which doesn't allow you to accelerate fast after braking in curves, so everything depends of gravity and momentum.

I took the train home from Hadano where I shopped at the Odakyu market which I guess is OK as I have seen other Positivo Espresso Riders doing so as well.