26 November 2021

SRAM Revisited


If you look back into the Positivo Espresso archives, or search some online forums, you can find some complaints that many of the first generation of SRAM eTap (wireless electronic) rear derailleurs failed, gradually or suddenly, within the first three to six months. Mine did also, in the middle of a ride. It was of questionable enough reliability that there was no way I was taking eTap for the trip to Europe that included 2019 PBP.  I also, historically, have grumbled when, say, a SRAM crank-arm sheared off above the pedal, leaving my foot dangling in mid air, not to mention the many times that the rubber brifter covers have torn and worn on my SRAM brifters.

Overall, I had the impression that SRAM was trying to shave weight off of components in places where, perhaps, they should have focused on reliability. And that they rushed eTap to the market faster than they should have.

Of course, a search through the archives and the "equipment we broke" page will show plenty of Shimano brifters, Shimano Ultegra cranksets, etc., that were unrepairable after catastrophic failure. But overall, historically, Shimano seemed a bit more reliable and conservative than SRAM.

Then there was the very fast, sudden, jump from 1st generation eTap to the AXS eTap, with almost no backward/forward compatibility! Ouch - felt like a punishment for jumping in with both feet and getting the early product.

But I have now been using my warranty replacement SRAM eTap rear derailleur without any problems for the past 2+ years.  At this point I would trust it enough to take it on a 1200km brevet outside Japan. It continues to have some great advantages, other than reliable, push-the-button shifting. The main one is ... no shift cables, mechanical or electrical. This is a compelling advantage for travel, when one needs to take apart and put together a bicycle several times to avoid damage and fit it as luggage. 

And these days I find myself using an old SRAM Rival/Red mechanical groupset mix, with long cage (Wi Fli) rear derailleur and FSA/Ossymetric cranks, on the travel bike. Also, the Pelso came with a 1x SRAM GX groupset with hydraulic disk brakes (also 11 spd ... not the newer "Eagle" 12 spd version). These SRAM products work just fine, though they are not as effortless to use as eTap.

SRAM seems to be the "innovator" now. They led in bringing 1X systems from the MTB to the road/gravel bike market, including rear derailleurs with a clutch and a very wide gear range.

They led with wireless electronic shifting. Shimano is only now bringing out a "half" wireless product that, while it does not have wires running through the top nor down tubes, and so would work for a travel bicycle with couplers, still has plenty of cables within the front and rear parts of the bike, and a seat post battery that cannot just be swapped in and out in seconds as the SRAM batteries can.

And the AXS eTap seems reasonably well-regarded in the market. It has been out for several years, and has "trickled down" from Red, to Force, to Rival versions. The Rival one is affordable, the Force one at least not shock-the-conscience outrageously expensive.  You can get a power meter in your crankset for a few hundred dollars extra -- a fraction of what the first Quarks or old SRMs cost a decade ago. And they have both 1X and 2X systems.

--I have read that SRAM is doing a firmware upgrade so that an older 11 speed eTap rear derailleur could function with a new AXS shifter, as they stop being able to supply the older shifters for replacement. Backward compatibility instead of forced obscelescence. 

--The batteries and chargers also are compatible between first generation eTap and AXS. The 12 speed SRAM cassette free hub is different than the 11 speed SRAM/Shimano one, but at least it seems that many hub/wheel manufacturers (e.g. DT Swiss, Chris King) make adapters to allow continued use of old wheels/hubs with the new 12 speed cassettes.

--Rim brake versions are available. A hydraulic disk defeats the simplicity for travel of no shift cables/wires, simple brake cables with splitters, unless you use one of the mechanical/hydraulic disc brakes such as TRP or the Ultimo Yokozuna. If I were to transfer this groupset to a disc brake bike in the future, I could get some of those and continue to use everything else (and continue to use cable splitters for the brake cables to travel.

The main disadvantages for SRAM are, I think:

(1) the Shimano front derailleur performance continues to be noticeably smoother/faster than SRAM, and 

(2) SRAM is very hard to find and expensive in Japan. 

I bought my eTap from a German online retailer at the end of 2018. If I try today, the same site tells me the product is "not available for shipment to Japan".  That said, it is usually possible to find someplace that will ship to Japan what I want and need, if I cannot find it locally. I just purchased a Force AXS upgrade (with Rival AXS crankset, including power meter) to install on my travel bike this winter. I was glad that they offer a rim brake version. 

And the gearing will be 46-33 crankset, 10-36 rear cassette, compared to my current 50-34 and 11-32.  So my top gear will be 4.6x instead of 4.54x, and the bottom will be 0.916 instead instead of 1.06. Total range is 502% instead of 428%. Also, I could find a merchant willing to ship to Japan. The bike's titanium frame is in its 10th year. I hope that with the new groupset, I will have at least another 10 years of relatively trouble-free travel around the globe with my Ti Travel bike, Voyage Voyage.

Finally, even if SRAM is made in Asia (mostly Taiwan), it is an American company, with a pretty cool looking HQ in Chicago. As an American overseas, it is nice, once in awhile, to fly the stars and stripes.


22 November 2021

Some Quality Time Alone with Sakamoto Ryoma

Sakamoto Ryoma contemplates the world outside Japan, looking out from Shimoda Harbor.
(Always impressed with the iphone 11Pro's night vision-like camera. This scene was near pitch dark.)

This weekend I joined an Audax Kanagawa 300km brevet, from Kamakura/Zushi to Minami Izu and back. This route, down Route 135 along the eastern coast of Izu, is known for very heavy traffic at least as far south as Atami or even Ito. There are cyclists on it, but it took me years before I dared it, and it is not fun to ride with a constant line of cars whizzing by, sometimes only inches away. 

The solution -- ride it at night while the drivers are asleep in their beds! An 8PM start meant that around 12 hours (out of a 16 hour ride) were in low (or no) traffic.  The last 45 minutes of the ride was next to a line of standing cars along the coast road from east of Enoshima all the way to Zushi -- so if you count riding through what is essentially a parking lot also as "low traffic", at least "low danger from traffic", that would make it nearly 13 out of 16 hours.

Pre-ride briefing, at the West entrance to Kamakura Station

Organizers Maya Ide and Honda-san chat with riders

It was a beautiful night, the temperature never below 10 degrees C (50 fahrenheit) along our route, a full moon visible until nearly morning, only partially obstructed by clouds from time to time. Sunday we finished just as a light rain shower started. 

Typical audax scene - at the turn around in Minami Izu. Warm enough to eat outside!
(Family Mart just across from closed michi-no-eki)

First photo of the night - heading south, at Usami just before Ito

The ride included nearly 3000 meters of elevation gain, all of it in the "middle 220kms" along Izu, none in the first or last 40km. That would be too much for the recumbent, not to mention the stress it would have added riding the Pelso through the "parking lot" of traffic the last 20kms, so I was on Sky Blue Parlee. My usual brevet rear wheel is in need of a rebuild, so I got out the Gokiso rear wheel ... the bike felt fast, maneuverable, and stable. It advanced with minimal effort. And with this setup and at my current rather heavy body weight, I descended REALLY FAST. At one point I was doing an "accordion" ride with another randonneur, Ohno-san, who had done Okayama 1200 with us in April. He would distance me on the climb, and I would catch or pass him on the descent. Repeat. Repeat again. 

This ride offered a chance to at least say hello to numerous friends.  The organizers, Maya Ide and K. Honda, are longtime Kanagawa leaders, thanks to whom I have enjoyed countless brevets. Indeed, my first brevet ever was a Kanagawa 400k back in 2009. Ryu-san, the alongtime Saitama and AJ leader, was there. He has lost weight and grumbled about the headwinds, but looks as strong as ever. Joe Wein rode this one on his Elephant National Forest Explorer. Many others. Even a third "gaijin" rider -- a strong younger first time randonneur named Benedikt, from Iceland.

One highlight was the "foot bath" in the park next to Shimoda harbor. Ohno-san had stopped there on the outbound leg, and told me the location when he caught up again at the turnaround control point. Then there was also a big "FOOT BATH ->" sign in English at the park entrance, to help distinguish the gazebo with the hot spring water from others that had only benches. Looking out at the Ryoma statute, I could lie on my back on the ground, feet in the 15~20cm of water, it removed all the stress and strain of the ride in only a few minutes, and was just enough to warm my entire body on a night like this. I could have fallen asleep and stayed there until morning. But, this is a brevet. There is not a moment to waste! At least not any more than necessary. So the total stop was only 15-20 minutes, the time lying down even less. And it was back on the road!


Lovely, free, 24-hour public facility -- the hot spring is barely noticeable, inside the trench.

Anyway, it was a lovely ride, except that patch of 3~4 hours of heavy traffic between Ito and Enoshima on the return. Riding at night, not to hot nor cold, a confident bicycle, smooth roads, good lighting, the calming sound of waves breaking against rocks, their white foam visible when all else is dark. 

Moon over the Kawazugawa

First light

More first light

On local route 109 between Izu Kogen and Ito - lovely road




Still south of Atami, but back on the main road


Surfers at Yugawara


Since Jerome told me that my 2015 Japan Audax vest is not as visible as it should be, I have been using my Proviz runner's vest for these events. Very light weight and breathable, and very bright. A real winner.
Reflective vest in normal light

Reflective vest with camera flash

This was my last scheduled audax event of the year. I really look forward to more "traditional" (not just "remote") brevets in 2022, riding with, or not far from, friends.

Which Bike is Faster, the Parlee or the Pelso?

On Strava, this ride on the Parlee showed an average moving speed of 22.3kph over 302 kms.
Last weekend on the Pelso, my average speed was 21.7kph according to Strava. And that was a much flatter course. So is the Pelso slower, even on a flat course? Not necessarily.

A number of adjustments are needed.
--First, recall that my GPS was turned off for probably the fastest 10km after Oume -- the descent to Hanno. That section could have boosted the average speed.
--The event on the Parlee was 100km shorter, and I rode another 25kms total to/from the start of the other event, on the Pelso. 

My speed gradually drops over most rides, so the comparison is not at all even. On the Kanagawa/Parlee ride, I was going an average of 28.7kph to the first checkpoint, nearly 50kms in. And the first 150km, including almost 1500m of climbing, took only 6 hr 49 minutes. If I had just turned around and ridden back (without any rest, foot bath, nor drop in speed) I would have finished in 13 hrs 38 minutes, rather than, the actual 16 hrs 57 minutes. Add in another 100kms at the end with a slower, tired rider, and my average speed would likely have slipped significantly.

Also, I don't think the Pelso is fully optimized yet. Nor is the Pelso rider. I am going to try a shorter crankset (165mm instead of 170mm) as many prefer on a recumbent, and try a 44t crank instead of 42t, to get a wee bit more speed on the flats and descents. Finally, I want to try 700x30 or 700x32 tire, instead of the current 700x25 tires, to see if a bit more fork "trail" makes the bike more stable and comfortable when going at low speed.

20 November 2021

Cycling Routes in the USA

The Washington Post has a nice article about new network of recommended bike trails and routes in the US that are making long-distance travel by bicycle safer and more pleasant. This is not new infrastructure. In many cases the routes do not even have signage. But the designations help cyclists to know which roads they will enjoy -- the lower traffic, higher reward routes -- and eventually they will help bring cyclists into the consciousness of motorists, increasing safety.

“The national corridor plan is to have 50,000 miles of routes across the United States that will be suitable for long-distance bike travel in a mix of environments,” said Jennifer Hamelman, USBRS program manager with the Adventure Cycling Association, a partner in the project. “It will be like the interstate highway system,” but for human-powered two-wheelers.

15 November 2021

Brevet on the Brevet

This weekend I joined a Randonneurs Tokyo 400km brevet, riding the Pelso Brevet (carbon "high racer" recumbent).

Somewhere in Saitama, or Ibaraki in the wee hours of Sunday.
I am thankful as always for my dynamo lighting -- SP Dynamo SD-8 hub and Supernove E3 Pro 2 light.
Sunday Sunrise over Lake Kasumigaura

Sunday Sunset, over Tokyo Bay from the promenade near Makuhari

The Route

I signed up for the event despite a relatively familiar, relatively flat, less interesting, and heavier traffic course all within or on the edges of the Kanto plain.

The route -- 400 kms around the Kanto Plain.

That said, the course was not without its highlights. 

  • The route it takes north of Oume to at least Moroyama reminds me that this is the "best" way S-N (or N-S) along the eastern edge of the mountains, with some nice minor twists such as getting away from Route 299 at kms 63-64, and the nice side road at kms 65-67 -- classic Audax hacks to enjoy a bit nicer ride than along the main highway -- as well as one of the best ways through Hanno. And there is that long downhill from Oume to Hanno after the short climb that follows Oume Station (when going S-N direction). My GPS was off for part of that section, but you can see it on the ride's route map, kms 50-72 or so
  • The route takes advantage of new cycling infrastructure, along bike paths in several places. 
    • The first was a 10 km stretch between Tsukuba and Tsuchiura (kms 179-190), where there is a new, nicely paved, dedicated bike path through the fields. The path goes much further to the NW,  then N, and apparently includes an "optional" loop up onto Mt. Tsukuba. 
    • Next, we joined the Lake Kasumigaura "ring road" for much of our route to the SE alongside Lake Kasumigaura. This was delightful in the morning, warmed by the sun with a nice view across the Lake and plenty of waterfowl. Indeed, if I could make an easy change to the course for this brevet, I would have had us join the lakeside path earlier (as looks possible from around km 204 instead of km 220), and staying along the lake from kms 232-239 instead of rejoining the road, to save over 20 kms of short rolling hills and Ibaraki traffic (still relatively light for me at 630-830AM Sunday morning). 
    • Finally, there is now a decent bike (and running) path alongside Tokyo Bay in between Chiba City's harbor and the area west of Makuhari (approx kms 352-360). In a few stretches, it is a proper bayside promenade even. Now, if only Chiba and Tokyo Prefectures, together with Funabashi-shi, Ichikawa-shi, Edogawa-ku, and Koto-ku, could extend this type of infrastructure to create a link all the way between Tokyo and Chiba ... but I am not holding my breath. So Ibaraki competes with Izu, and the Shimanami Kaido, with new cycling infrastructure or support.
  • The road along the coast on the northern portion of kujukuri-hama is narrow and has plenty of traffic on a Sunday afternoon. I wanted to try the bike path along the ocean whose signage I saw ... except that I did not want to delay, nor to ride into a headwind with full exposure, as opposed to a street lined by structures and trees. Then again, I was very happy with the route taken from Togane toward Chiba City, at least the first 15kms or so (kms 320-330). I usually have taken a route west from Togane on Chiba Route 301, that takes in Lakeside Hill/Hiyoshidai where I once developed a solar farm. The brevet took a route one valley toward the North -- pleasantly undeveloped with forests and fields after the first bit.
Up the valley west of Togane

More internal Chiba just west of Togane

The event was to be conducted under the Covid-19 pandemic-adjusted "N2" format. This means that while the event is registered for a morning start on Saturday November 13, riders can choose in advance their own start time during a designated window of a week or more. All check-ins are done via a smartphone. I had other obligations during the day on the 13th, so I selected a 745PM start-time.  If the event will take approximately 24 hours, why not start at night? I could not ride it other than this weekend, and I did not want to finish in the wee hours of Monday morning. 

Besides, this course includes some heavy traffic roads that are not a lot of fun, and some relatively monotonous scenery -- urban sprawl and flat farming areas of endless northern Kanto territory. I figured that as long as I was well-rested at the start, I could make good time and, if i could get through the first 250kms largely in the dark and before the arrival of peak Sunday mid-day and afternoon traffic, I would enjoy it more. In the end, I did the entire ride without seeing any other brevet riders. There were plenty of other cyclists during the day hours. There was even a brevet-like cyclist I was trading places with in the first 10kms, .but no rider had the distinctive reflective vest and required lighting that signals "Japan Audax".

The Randonneurs Tokyo N2 brevets use a "remote brevet card" to record progress. This involves uploading photos of convenience store receipts with a "frame badge" that shows one's registration number. The system works very well, once I decipher the Japanese instructions. I did a 200km version back in January, so this time only a short refresher is required and I do not need to worry too much about getting something wrong. 

My "remote brevet card".

Report of my Start

This is a brevet format in line with the times -- no unnecessary human contact. I can do the entire event by just filling in forms, uploading photos, sending a bank transfer (of the $20 equivalent entry fee). Indeed, the closest thing to a human touch was a reminder email from the organizer that I had not paid my fee on time, and my application would be cancelled if I did not do so within 24 hours of notice. This is a far cry from 7 years ago, when I did the Randonneurs Tokyo Ise Itte Koi 1000km ride, got to know many of them and joined many familiar riders, ended up building and giving Tsumura-san a handmade (home made?) front wheel with SP Dynamo hub for testing by their core members, and got a bottle of Okinawa sake in thanks. The elimination of unnecessary paperwork is to be applauded -- and should be emulated by the government -- and probably removes much of the drudgery for the sponsors, but I hope that eventually they return to a "regular" format where we ride together, and the organizers appear at the start and finish.

Riding The Pelso [Brevet]

The other unique feature of this brevet is that I decided to ride the recumbent Pelso Brevet. A brevet on the Brevet. This was to be my first ride longer than 200km on the Pelso, and I was a bit worried (actually quite worried) whether I could do it. This is the main reason that I chose an event with a relatively flat course.  I am slow climbing on the Pelso, and a long climb of steeper than 5-6%, especially when tired out from several hundred kms of a brevet, is out of the question. I can power up a short steep grade, or a longer gradual one, but trying to do a longer climb after many, many hours of riding ... is beyond my current capabilities. Hence, I chose an event with a course that stays out of the mountains, even if it does go through hills over the first 100kms (when I would be "fresh"), and has short up/down sections later on. I hoped to compensate by the Pelso's somewhat faster "cruising speed" on the long flat sections.

The Pelso, as I stopped for a fruit/nut bar somewhere NE of Moroyama on Saturday evening
The Radical Designs rear bag fit everything I needed and more.

How did it work out? Well, I made it, so that says something. And the flat run from west to east across Saitama and Ibaraki, after the last hills around Higashi Matsuyama until the Tsuchiura checkpoint, was definitely easier than it would have been on an upright bike. Likewise for the stretch into the wind along Kujukurihama. My overall time was probably about the same on the Pelso as it would have been on a road bike.

But I will need to change something if I am to use this bike much on climbs or in heavy traffic areas with lots of stops and starts. 

Just after leaving the Oume checkpoint, the route hits a short steep climb over the ride to the north, or at least up to a tunnel through the ridge to the north. There is a short steep section (10-11% grade) that was too much for the Pelso and me. I could feel my heart racing and lactic acid in my legs burning ... so got off and walked a minute or three, up nearer the tunnel mouth. I was reassured that it took only a little while, saved my legs for later, and that this was the highest hill on the entire ride if the route map was to be trusted. An hour or two later I walked up one short hill in Saitama, as a way to catch some rest, and again the next day some nasty very short climbs in Chiba where the back roads dip through some hollows with +/- 10-15% grades, as well as part of the not-so-steep climb after crossing the Tonegawa. Otherwise, I stayed on the bicycle. 

Thanks to the night start time and a nice wide shoulder on the busy highway while passing through Kamisu (kms 250-270), I did not hit nasty traffic until the approach to Chiba City (kms 330-345). At times there were cars streaming by me. At times there were LONG lines of cars sitting, waiting for a bottleneck intersection, with only a narrow area next to the gutter in which to slide by on the left. It was heavy traffic most of the way to the border with Tokyo, though I could avoid about half of it by utilizing the bike path / promenade in places. Getting by the lines of traffic in a narrow space is not so easy on a road bike, but it was definitely more difficult on the Pelso. The Pelso is longer and a bit less maneuverable than a road bike and my current handlebar setup is at least 6~8 cms wider. And it is less stable at low speed, and sometimes requires adjustments to keep it from going off its "line". In the absence of an adjustment, I must put a food down to stop from falling over if not careful, especially when starting uphill. In the last 100kms of the brevet, I needed to put a foot down several times. And I worried that I would strike a side view mirror or scratch a car when passing at close quarters. I did not do so, but I needed to focus on it in circumstances when I would have been watching the road ahead or the scenery had I been on a road bike.

I was expecting some kind of prominent signage, maybe an intersection with traffic light, and was getting a bit tired, so completely missed the entrance road to tiny Shingo Station.

I have learned that the way to avoid the risk of going off balance on the Pelso at slow speed is to sit up straight, holding the bars tightly, and only recline onto the seat once I am gathering speed. That technique makes the bike very stable, and with it starting and stopping is no more risky than on a road bike. But it is not a position that I want to use for many kilometers when already quite tired, nor do I want to sit up and pull the bars 50-100 times over an hour. Indeed, the wonderful Ventisit seat pad is just coarse enough so that it grips and rubs against one's shorts and jersey. I wore out one pair of shorts already in recent months on the Pelso. Going through Chiba, I could feel the seat grabbing the shorts a bit as I "slid" up or down, over and over, on Sunday afternoon.

Of course, I took only 3 rides, none longer than 70km, on the Pelso the past two months, since my September U.S. trip and October quarantine. So the shortcomings that I mention can probably be overcome with a bit more recent training and preparation. And climbing would be far better if I lost 10-15 kgs. On the other hand, if I lost 10-15 kgs, I would be that much better climbing on an upright bike as well.

How did and do I feel? 

Well, I have done plenty of 300/400km or longer brevets before where I felt great during and after the ride, and also my share of events where I had pain somewhere -- a stiff back, stiff neck, chaffing or saddle sores in the groin, searing pain of "hot feet", pain in the hands and even temporary numbness in the little fingers of one or both hands. I can remember a few earlier efforts (Rocky Mountain 1200) where I had trouble with my ankle (achilles tendon?) developing some pain and even a slight "click", and needed to take some ibuprofen. My first PBP I was a wreck. On the other hand, I gradually have developed muscles and adopted gear that get me through most events without any such difficulties. The right saddle, good insoles and more comfy/roomy shoes with thicker wool socks, the right bike "fit" for handlebar position, seat posts with a bit of flex, slightly wider tires with lower air pressure, frames that are not overly stiff -- all add up to the possibility of much longer rides in comfort. 

The recumbent takes away all the stress on back, hands, and groin. With the recumbent, there is no getting off the bike and feeling like an "old man" as you try to straighten your back after hours in an aerodynamic position. The neck can suffer as much, or more, stress than on an upright bike, though on the Pelso you are trying to hold the head forward/upright, rather than backward/upright, to see ahead. The solution -- a neckrest at the top of the seat -- is easy for the recumbent. I used mine to rest my neck every so often, and could use it pretty much non-stop on long traffic-free sections in the wee hours of Sunday morning.

The recumbent does, however, put stress on the legs. A lot. And the pressure on my knees and ankles as I push in the pedals, pressing into a fixed carbon shell seat with my back, is far greater than even when I stomp on the pedals applying my body weight on an upright. So I need to be careful not to push too hard or ride in too heavy a gear. And to lighten the pressure, I ride the Pelso with flat pedals and regular athletic (running) shoes that have a sole designed to absorb impact. 

I felt some mild pain in both knees and ankles during parts of the ride, not to mention the intense burn of lactic acid in my legs as I pushed hard on short climbs. I needed to remind myself to ride a somewhat lighter gear. At 275-300km, I was a bit worried that if my leg pain increased, my knees might start to swell, or my ankle suffer an obvious problem, and so I might not make it. Instead, though, I stretched my legs a bit then took my only real "nap" of the ride -- 15 minutes -- at a gazebo along a river by the sea just north of the jujukuri hama checkpoint. That seemed to do the trick. I could make it through without the symptoms worsening, and indeed improving. The day after the ride, my legs feel very heavy, my knees and ankles somewhat sore, but, as they say, "none the worse for wear"?

Despite the different style of bicycle, I still find that an intense, 24-hour effort such as this ... is rewarded with a beautiful, deep, 10 hours of sleep, and that the next day my body feels completely stress free and "detoxified".

Could I use the Pelso for PBP in 2023? I think the jury is still out. I would not rule it out, but to do so I would definitely need to be better at climbing. PBP does not have any mountains, and the longest climb, coming back out of Brest, is not steep. But there is a lot of up and down over 1200kms.

 ---------------------

Anyway, after an early dinner I left home at 7PM, arriving at the start (Musashi Nakahara Station in Kawasaki) 10 minutes ahead of my start time. My convenience store receipt shows 19:45 exactly, and after a few minutes taking my photo and uploading to the "remote brevet card", I was off! 

The first 50km segment to Oume was uneventful, still some evening traffic, especially through Kawasaki's wards adjacent to the Tamagawa. I was at Oume just before 10PM. So far so good. It was cool but I did not feel a need to change to my warmer gloves or cap, yet. After a bit of invigorating chill on the descent to Hanno (and the minor panic of going a few kms off course and needing to backtrack), I made good time through the rest of the northern leg. 

But I was tiring as I neared Shingo Station near Hanyu, the second checkpoint. My kilometer count was thrown off by the "off course" episode, and I was over 3kms beyond the checkpoint before I thought to pull out the map and cuesheet and look for it. So I circled back and did not arrive until 1:30AM, 3 1/2 hours after leaving Oume for what should have been a 74km stretch, in fact around 85kms for me. 

At Shingo I put on my warm Q36.5 Anfibio "winter rain gloves" and a felt lined helmet liner. I passed one signboard that showed 2 degrees Celsius (37 fahreinheit) just before Shingo, but in fact it cannot have been colder than 5-6 degrees. I never needed a jacket over my long-sleeved winter jersey/leg warmers setup, nor did I use any of the "kairo" (chemical warmers) I had brought along.

I continued to make decent time to Tsuchiura in the wee hours. By 530AM (9hrs and 45 minus after start), I was at 190kms, actually closer to 200kms including my detours. That is faster than my recent 200km brevet times, definitely. 

Mimura, in Ishioka-Shi, Ibaraki right here

The trip to the north from Tsuchiura included some lovely farm houses, especially a collection of them that streched on for quite awhile, well-maintained, with beautiful plantings - flower or Japanese gardens. And the ride down the eastern edge of Lake Kasumigaura was also lovely. 

Wetlands along Lake Kasumigaura

I generally have a bad impression of cycling near Kashima and Kamisu, SE of Lake Kasumigaura.--  heavy traffic on limited roads. But traffic was not bad on Sunday morning, and the main route (124) we took had a wide shoulder.

In the 20 yen lane (sidewalk) on the Tone Kamome Bridge

The bridge we took over the Tonegawa and into Chiba had a 20 yen toll for walkers and cyclists.  There was a toll box ... but I had brought no change with me. No electric money. and no one there to make change. I was struggling with whether to insert a 1000 yen note, or maybe walk across several lanes of traffic to the office on the far side and try to find someone to make change, when an older man passed. I mentioned my dilemma and he said "that's okay, just go ahead, even many Japanese do not pay here". So I went. I told him "next time I come here, I will bring 40 yen"..

Along the Chiba coastline

My view as I took a short nap Sunday afternoon

The headwind had kicked in on the southern part of the ride down Lake Kasumigaura, and then were gale force on the bridge over the Tonegawa. The winds continued from SW until evening, slowing my progress some ... but not as much on the Pelso as would have been the case on an upright.

The Epic Ride Weather app does a good job at matching wind, precipitation, and temperature forecasts along a ride route ... just give it a start time, average speed, and link to a route that has been entered into any of the common GPS services.


Central Chiba city.

I survived the traffic on the eastern approach to Chiba City, got rewarded with a lovely view of Mt Fuji at dusk across the waters, enjoyed a trip through Ginza, and then was at the finish, a 7-11 on Nakahara Kaido just before Kanpachi.

Along the promenade approaching Makuhari


Bright lights, big city (Tokyo), from Eitaidori bashi

I cruise through the Ginza. At this point my clothes are ... 
a wee bit smelly, so I don't stop for any shopping.

In the end, I did not get to the goal before 8PM, over 24 hours after the start. I need to get faster again if I am going to enjoy - and get enough sleep - on the multi-day rides such as PBP.


As I rode the Pelso back into town from the goal, along Nakahara Kaido toward home, somehow the uphill sections did not seem so tough anymore.

 


Izu is for Cyclists

Nice article by Rob Gilhooly about Shizuoka's promotion of cycling tourism in Izu, in the Japan Times today. These efforts are in high gear after the Olympic cycling centered on Izu (and nearby Gotemba). I've said it before, but Nishi Izu offers rides that are up there with some of the best in the rest of the world. More cycle tourism could only help the economy and support additional accommodations for existing regular cycle visitors such as myself.

Now if they will only do something to make the Eastern side of Izu less congested, with roadways that are generally unkind to cyclists.

The perfect room at a Japanese Inn (ryokan)


09 November 2021

E-bike boom

Transport is electrifying, and e-bikes and e-scooters are leading the way. 

They will convert millions of non-cyclists in a few years and have the potential to provide urban transport to tens or hundreds of millions over a decade or so. They will lead to calls to modify transport infrastructure. 

Why? Fun, convenient, clean, fast, quiet. 

And no parking worries nor massive parking congestion issues for planners (you can squeeze 10-20 ebikes or escooters in each current parking space for an automobile -- and the folding escooter can often be stored inside an office). 

For many urban trips for many people, they are the best option.  Anyone designing an office or mixed use complex today would be wise to take these transport options into account. And any transport planner would be wise to come up with solutions that allow all of these transport methods that are "in between" walking and traditional motor vehicles to co-exist safely on our roadways. That will not be simple.

Twenty years from now, we should see only a fraction of the current traditional cars and trucks on the road. We will use eVTOL air taxis for longer hauls and faster trips to places not served by trains; ebikes for shorter ones and the "last mile" to/from train or highway bus stops, and of course we cyclists will still be riding under their own power and should remain part of the picture!

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/08/business/e-bikes-urban-transit.html?referringSource=articleShare



05 November 2021

Cycling the Forbidden Rindos around Miyagase-ko on a Beautiful Autumn Day

 

Cyclist mimicks pictogram. 
At Ogurabashi on Route 510 in Sagamihara.

I have some work this weekend so took a ride in beautiful weather on Friday (again!), another spectacular Fall day.  I left home around 5:50am heading to meet Peter J. at "the toilets" (Komae shi Nishigawara Park). I had put the Gokiso wheels on the Parlee, but had not yet adjusted the carbon rim brake pads or other items. 

On the first downhill, a minute from my house, the brakes screeched loudly.  I stopped to adjust them, aiming the front brake shoes inward (pigeon toed). The rear ones ... could not be adjusted well, as the brake shoes I had picked were flat against the brake assembly arms. Oh well, at least I fixed the front screech, and 70-80% of braking force is applied to the front.

Anyway, that was the extent of problems with the bike. it was a lovely ride. 

At the rendezvous.

Dynamo hub cable and connector taped out of the way for the time being.
I will need them again soon.

Fall color already on the first climb of Onekansen Doro. Peter J. zooms ahead.

Peter and I took each other's photos here.

Peter J. went along as far as Route 412 around Hanbara/Sagamihara, then turned back for a late morning commitment. 

I continued on to Miyagase-ko.

But first I stopped to admire a temple and the lovely morning weather, a small river (the Kushigawa) running through the valley. It was one of many photo stops today.

Kushigawa below.

A temple en route. Kintokuyama Komyouji.



Then it was up through the hamlet of Toya and then to the north side of Miyagase-ko, where I turned right and immediately came up this signage.

Road closed!
The road is closed ... but not really. It suggests a closure ahead, but invites investigation. So I went on.  Just over the next rise, on a downhill before a long bridge, I came to this.


Not only was the fencing without any obvious gaps, but there were men working inside (on a Friday), and it seemed truly closed.  So I looked for a route around. This is what I found -- an 18km rindo detour.  I know that some others have taken and know well the rindos around Miyagase-ko, but i have not, and did not know them until scratching the surface today.



I passed some athletic facilities -- what looked like a field for horse competitions with adjacent stables, another for baseball -- and soon was at another road closed sign, this one for a rindo.

Road closed to vehicles due to fallen roads and slides -- there were none.

I continued along this road ... no problem at all passing and only a very few rocks in the road ... Eventually I got to the end of the closed section, where looking back I saw this sign.

No one except construction-related persons allowed!

That was clearer than a ban on cars/vehicles (is a bicycle a vehicle?).  Then after a short stretch of "allowed" road, I was at more signage. This indicated the the rest of the rindo around the lake was open only to "authorized" personnel vehicles. 

Yet another closed road. This one was unlocked ... although workers emerged after a few minutes and locked it behind them.

Bike leaning under momiji grove.

Big blue bridge (closed at the other end).

Bridge viewed from afar.

More momiji. Dappled sunshine all the way.

Glimpses of the closed "main" road at various points.

Finally I was back on the main road, just at the area where Miyagase-ko's restaurants and park are located. I pressed onward, only to pass a sign warning of the Yabitsu road closure.

That was no concern since I did not plan to take Route 70 today. Instead, I rode out over the lake and then down to the dam.
I have never seen Miyagase more beautiful than today.

Looking out toward Yokohama from the dam.

Looking back up the lake from the dam spillway toward mountains of Tanzawa.

The dam spillway.

Leaving the dam, I took the road that goes along the North side of the lake ... away from the lake and down the hill to the East, switching to smaller, local roads eventually and then joining Route 412, repeating a short segment covered earlier with Peter and continuing to Tsukui-ko and Zebra Coffee fo an early lunch.
 

After the Zebra stop, I went home via Yaen-Kaido and down the Tamagawa, well-traveled paths -- home shortly after 2PM, 136kms in total.
I stopped at RX Bike on Meguro Doro to look for a new front tire. Someone noticed my PBP Seattle Randonneurs jersey and asked me about brevets, and soon I was chatting with 3 people hanging out at the shop.  One of them told me he is a cycling illustrator and will hold an exhibition December 9-12 at a new exhibition space in Daikanyama/Ebisu area. Reminds me of, well, reminds me of life before Covid-19. Details below.