I took my first Golden Week ride today, Friday May 1. Well, I did take a short spin on Wednesday, the first holiday of GW, and did ride 98 km yesterday going into town and out to Keio SFC, so I guess that also might be a GW ride, technically, even if in spirit it was a commute. Or one could argue that GW does not really start this year until tomorrow, Saturday May 2, since next Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are public holidays -- the "main" part of GW this year.
In any event, hard to worry about such definitional issues. In spirit this was definitely a GW ride. Beautiful weather, new green growth on all the hillsides, hot sun, but cool breeze and nice in the shade. Just heavenly.
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| The Tamagawa just South of Fussa |
I stopped briefly in Fussa to look at the Ishikawa / Tama Jiman sake brewery and beer hut. There were pre-school kids getting a tour of the grounds. Beautiful place ... but isn't this a bit like giving kids a tour of a cigarette factory in Kentucky?
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| Kids, this is where they make the really good stuff. |
In Itsukaichi I stopped at the little onigiri and bento shop that Tom S. showed me awhile back. The old man gladly filled my water bottle and posed for a photo. Then he gave me a free can of tea --"service" as they say. Now I will need to go back when I pass through.
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| No name onigiri shop. Either 2 or 3 signals up the hill from Musashi Itsukaichi Station, on the right side. |
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| Master of the shop. Never seen him open his eyes further than this. |
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| This morning's colorful foods. |
I rode the Renovo Firewood. It got lots of oohs and aahs from the group of cyclists who were resting at the Togura 7/11. And it rode beautifully. I felt really strong on the way back in ... I think because it is so good at absorbing shocks, yet plenty stiff when I accelerate -- even when out of the saddle. The Di2 shifting is incredibly smooth, and the Shimano disk brakes are, well, even better than the Avid BB7 I have on the front of the Yamabushi, and great for the descent from Tokisaka Pass.
Also, I climbed well on the Renovo. I might have set a personal record on Tokisaka Pass ... except I stopped several times for photos. Hard not to stop on a day like this. The photos say it all:
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| The Akigawa |
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| Approaching Motojuku |
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| On the climb to Tokisaka Pass |
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| Looking up the hill. Thatched house. |
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| This short video gives an idea of the breeze on the hillside ... lost in a photo. |
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| At the tea house. Wood bicycle next to wooden bench. |
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| Must be fed by spring water. |
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| From just below the 7-11. |
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| Simple out and back route |
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