Tsuru Toge on a Beautiful Fall Day

I enjoyed a lovely 202km ride on Friday, Oct 29, out over Tsuru Toge via Otarumi, back via Okutama-ko and Oume, with Jerome and Peter J.  Wahoo failed to upload the recording of the ride (though the 202kms was showing in my weekly distance -- from now I am starting up my Wahoo Element app on my iphone BEFORE I click to "end" the ride on the Wahoo unit, which seems foolproof. So I do not have a GPS map of the precise route taken.  But it is a familiar one -- out Route 20 via Takao to Uenohara, then Route 33 and then Route 18 to the NW. Indeed, it is #8 of the Positivo Espresso recommended rides near Tokyo. Route 18 is one of the loveliest, lowest traffic real roads within 100kms of Tokyo, and highly recommended. And this really is the best riding season of the year. Every ride seems precious!

Mt. Fuji visible as we head up the Asagawa toward Takao

View from Daily Yamazaki in Uenohara - more Fuji, barely

On Route 18

We took the local road around Tawa Pass. The hillside field where the little old lady once
farmed -- endlessly weeding and tilling, it seemed -- is now fully overgrown. Sad.

Back on Route 18 and heading for the climb to Tsuru Pass! 

The traditional rest stop on the flat area half way up the Tsuru climb.
Gateball field, picnic table under roof, water faucet, public restroom.

Peter J. (whose start makes it a 23km shorter round trip than for me), wanted to get to 200km, and wanted to get up Matsuhime Pass for the first time on his carbon frame Scott bike. So I went ahead to Okutama-ko for lunch at Watanabe-san's cafeteria, Yakyu-tei, while Peter and Jerome headed up Matsuhime. 

The new town hall at Kosuge has nice exposed wood.

I was tempted by a cafe 3-4 kms up the road toward Kosuge ...
... but went on to our old standby, Yakyu-tei.

Quiet on a Friday. Watanabe-san and Watanabe-san are going strong!

Oyako donburi

About an hour after I left them, I got a text from Jerome that they were at the top of Matsuhime. Let's see ... 35-40 minutes to get down the hill and over here to Okutama-ko, another 20-30 minutes for lunch ... and I realized I would not get back home in time for an evening commitment. 

So I headed out and back down the Tamagawa to Oume, Tachikawa, Fuchu, and Komae, then in Setagaya-Dori and back to Takanawa. Home on time.

On Sunday, Jerome and I joined a Tokyo Cranks ride and got to show off the Seattle Randonneurs high viz kit that I picked up on my U.S. trip in late September.

Now we just need to remember to suck in our guts for photos.

Quite a collection outside the TREX Cafe across from Haneda.