400km with Chiba Audax on the Worst Day of the Year* ... on the Pelso

In order to qualify for the quadrennial Paris-Brest-Paris randonee, to be held this August, I must complete a full series of 200, 300, 400, and 600km brevets by early June. Having done the 300 and 200km events in December and January, respectively, and another 200 in February while visiting the USA, I want to clear the remaining qualifiers relatively quickly, so I have plenty of time in case I need to redo one of them.

After all, things can go wrong: things like a mechanical issue or minor stomach upset that result in a DNF. Or bigger things, like an earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster that stop all train services and result in cancellation of Audax rides for at least a few weeks. Or even a pandemic lockdown that stops all Audax rides for awhile.

Over the years things HAVE gone wrong. At this point in my randonneuring career, I've seen it all, or at least most of it. So I know I should plan ahead and try to consider contingencies.

It was in that spirit that I signed up for the Chiba Audax March 18 400km "GO Shirakawa" brevet. The course started from Abiko -- same location as last year's Chiba 400km around Boso Peninsula -- but it headed in the opposite direction, north through Ibaraki and Tochigi as far as Shirakawa in southern Fukushima Prefecture, then back along an almost parallel North-South route somewhat further east, eventually, reaching the Pacific coastline at Oarai near Mito, then eventually looping back to Abiko.

The course looked relatively easy. It had no relentless climbing, and no high mountains, only one sub-500 meter elevation pass at the Tochigi/Fukushima border, and the usual ups and downs elsewhere. The final 60kms was pancake flat.

But the course looked at least less boring than a typical Kanto winter ride. Heading north from Abiko, the route was mostly in the countryside. There would be traffic lights, but they would not be endless, and there would be no 20-25km straight agricultural road in the midst of flat fields. And the entire return would be on Saturday night into Sunday morning, with light or even no traffic on some highways that I would not enjoy riding during the day. The Chiba Audax website listed the "difficulty" as 2 stars out of 5. Easy.

RidewithGPS showed 3800 meters of elevation gain on the 400km course. But a close examination of the route led me to think the actual climbing would be well under 3000 meters, probably closer to 2000. (In fact, my GPS measured just under 2000 meters when all was said and done). The climb between Nasu and Shirakawa, the one almost to 500m elevation, was very gradual, only the last few kilometers exceeding 5%. Most other climbs seemed to be less then one kilometer long, with elevation gain less than 75 meters. 

As the ride date approached, I started to think ... maybe, just maybe, I could do this event on the Pelso recumbent? I cannot climb well on the Pelso, but I can go fast on a flat course -- faster than on my other "diamond frame" bikes. And I have gone 400km on it before, once. Even if I ended up walking up the last few kilometers of that one bigger climb, and a few smaller climbs later in the course, maybe the Pelso would be as fast as another bike? At least it should be fast enough to complete within the 27 hour time limit. 

So I decided to ride the Pelso.

As the ride date got even closer, however, the weather forecast started to look ominous. By 2-3 days before the ride, the forecast was showing heavy rain throughout the relevant area of Japan on March 18. Andrei O., who was also riding and is also planning to do PBP, mentioned the forecast. 
Worse yet, it would be very cold, nearly freezing, and the winds on Saturday would be steady out of the north.  In Shirakawa, we might be riding in sleet. To sum it up, we would be riding from Abiko to Shirakawa (165kms) directly into the wind, in heavy rain, and near freezing, winter-like temperatures. I remembered a brevet in mid-March eight years ago, when Jerome and I rode with Japanese randonneurs in the wee hours through northern Ibaraki, in weather that was much colder than anticipated. I remembered a slog down the Beef Line, barely warm enough to keep going, knowing that to stop would be even worse. I warned Andrei that it might be colder than expected.

Given the weather forecast, I waffled on whether to go ahead with the Pelso. In the rain, the reclined body position offers full exposure to the elements. Rain hits my face and goes straight into my eyes -- blinding me temporarily if I do not have appropriate eyewear. Sleet would be even worse. And in the rain, my feet tend to slip off of the flat pedals that I prefer for riding the Pelso. 

In the end, I decided to stick with the Pelso. Forewarned is forearmed. I would take a real rain jacket, rain pants, new REI Goretex rain covers for my Amfib Q36.5 gloves, and other appropriate gear. I swapped out the flat pedals for SPD pedals. I would wear SPD/mountain biking shoes. I also would bring spare warm socks, gloves, winter head cover, inner layer, socks, etc., just in case needed during the trip.

Only 23 out of 90 registrants started the ride. Chiba Audax allowed people to switch entries to a 200km brevet on Sunday if they did not want to challenge the difficult conditions. A dozen did so. 

Still feeling jet-lagged and somewhat sleep-deprived from a return to Japan on Monday ...  I removed the wheels from the Pelso and fit the beast of a bicycle into my car on Friday evening. On Saturday I woke at 430AM, still not feeling well-rested, and was driving toward Abiko in the rain shortly after 5AM. I arrived, set up the bike in the rain, and proceeded to the Start area. There were about 25 people there, including the organizers. The vast majority of the 90 registrants were marked "DNS" due to the weather. What was left was a relatively hard core group. The organizer told us that this was an easy course ... except for the weather. He also announced that they would not enforce the time limit at the Oarai Kaigan control point (288kms), to offer more flexibility to complete the ride. These messages, an "easy" course, but a need for more time to clear the control over 70% of the way through the ride, seemed inconsistent to me.

And then we were off. I made it up the first short hill out of the start, my heart racing, and continued making good time over the first hour. One Japanese rider, Kimura-san, passed me with a reflective vest labeled "組長" or "boss".  I kept catching up to him at traffic lights over the next 5 kms until he finally cleared one that I missed in Tsukuba. He told me that he was only fast at the beginning. I took this as typical Japanese humility ... but in fact, now see that he finished at the back of the group. 

I needed a bathroom break so pulled off at a Family Mart where our course turned east in Tsukuba at 31.5km. I also got some food, and could see lots of riders passing me by. A few blocks after I started up again, I turned to go up a curb cut and onto a wide sidewalk ... failing to realize that the curb cut was covered in slick metal. Wham, I went down on my left side as the wheels came out from under me. Fortunately, with the Pelso recumbent, this fall was not much worse than, say, rolling off a sofa onto a floor. No injuries to me nor bike (other than a need to re-set my chain and readjust my handlebars), and so I continued.

Temporary shelter in Tsukuba

By late morning, the rain was, if anything, stronger, and the temperature, if anything, colder. And the headwind had picked up ... not as vicious as some Spring winds in northern Kanto, but steady. We crossed from Sakuragawa in Ibaraki into Mashiko in Tochigi. Mashiko is known for its style of pottery, but there were few people out and about today anywhere. This entire part of Japan was familiar to me from my days locating sites for and developing solar projects. Our team ended up with two Tochigi projects further north and west, but also spent endless hours roaming this part of the prefecture with local partners looking at sites that, for one reason or another, did not pan out. 

NW Ibaraki

By 145PM, I was at 133kms, slowing down, and really cold and wet. The rain was strong (stronger than the forecast, at least tenki.jp's forecast), the temperature was maybe 3-4 degrees celsius (38F?), and the headwind continued. I pulled into a convenience store for some lunch. There was no "eat in" space. Across the road was Otawara City's "Kurashi-no-kan" that seemed as if it might at offer some covered space ... but looked very dark and cold. I decided not to head over. Instead, I went outside the store and adjusted my recumbent, raising the seat back maybe 3-4 cms, to try and get more power on the upcoming climbs and to be a bit more stable starting and stopping. I came back inside and ordered coffee. The staff ignored my presence sipping coffee inside the store by the front window ... against the rules. In the end, it was nearly a 30 minute stop but I did not feel much better as I restarted. Still cold and wet and tired. 

As I continued on, I found that my hands were not moving well due to the cold. I could barely move my shifter using my right thumb, even applying all the weight of my arms from an odd angle. I rode for at most 30 minutes/10km before another stop, this one at a michi no eki in Iono. They were selling some cooked foods ... at a cafe window with seating only outdoors (though at least it was under a roof cover). Eating outside would not help in my current condition. The main indoor area was a vegetable market, selling local produce. I went in and asked if there was someplace warm I could just sit and warm a bit. The woman at the cash register led me to a back area where there was a table and bench, and told me to make myself at home.  It was not toasty, but at least it was a lot warmer than outside. After 15 minutes I got up to leave ... but one foot outside and I realized I needed a bit longer. I had a spare pair of winter gloves with me (forewarned!), that I had wanted to save until after the rain stopped. But I realized I would never make it up the next hill without changing into them.  The Goretex mitten covers ... would not fit, as these gloves were bulkier than my Q36.5 Amfibs.  Anyway, the stop took nearly 30 minutes in total, but at least I headed out with warmer hands and wearing dry, warm gloves. 

Miraculously, the rain started to lighten up a bit after a few minutes of riding. At this rate ... less than 1mm precipitation per hour ... I might make it with my second pair of gloves dry. The road turned up, elevation gradually climbing from 220m elev toward the pass at 460m. I was able to climb okay and make decent time now. This was the climb I had thought I might need to walk, perhaps as much as 2-3kms. In fact, I was doing okay, but I slowed to the point where, for the last 500m or so, I dismounted and walked to save energy. It was already after 4PM, but at least I was at the high point for the entire ride, had done 155kms, and would get some rest on the next section. Andrei O's photo of this stretch from a bit earlier ... as he was now far ahead, is below.

The minute I reached the descent on the northern side of the slope, into Fukushima Prefecture, the rain turned to sleet. The sleet stung as it hit my face. But it was still falling lightly, and the road was not icy. I could descend at decent speed toward the next control point (a photo at Nanko Park in Shirakawa 166km) then to the Tora Shokudo (171km) where the organizers had suggested we stop for food. 

At Nanko Park in Shirakawa

The restaurant's interior was warm, there was room for me to place my wet outer wear next to my seat in a box on the floor, and the ramen tasted better than any I have ever had. I used the toilet and changed from my soaking wet inner layer into my warm, long-sleeved turtleneck Q36.5 base layer. In the end, a 50 minute stop.  If I total the 16 min stop at 31kms, 20 mins at the first PC at 88kms, the 2x30min stops in Otawara and Iono, 7 mins at Nanko Park, the 50min stop at Tora Shokudo, and 10 mins a few minutes later to get new batteries for my rear light,  ... I must have been off the bicycle at least 163 mins during the first 175 kms. 

Best ramen I've ever tasted?!

But the rain had almost stopped, and from here (175kms in, at just after 6:00PM) the route would head east, then south, with the wind at our backs. Indeed, I actually made very good time from here most of the way to Hitachinaka, 100kms further on.  The temperature indicators by the roadside first showed 1 degree Celsius, then 2 degrees, then finally 3.  I could see stars in places now -- my gaze upward as I reclined on the recumbent. By 11PM, I had gone 265kms total. This entire stretch from Shirakawa had started at around 300m elevation, and ended close to sea level. There were a few intermediate climbs, but all of them were short. A few I walked up, if I felt at all unsteady, taking a couple minutes rest from the bike. But most I could ride up. I took one more short stop, then pressed on to the Oarai Kaigan 7-11 control point.

I got a rice w/ melted cheese and sauce "doria" at the convenience store, heated up. Here, the staff person shooed me outside when I tried to eat it just inside the front door. "no eating permitted inside!"  Well, I explained, it was so hot that I got cold waiting for it to cool down to an edible temperature. She was not buying my story, even though it was after midnight and very cold still outside. Ugh. A Chiba Audax staffer had been at the Tora Shokudo, and was here as well at Oarai. I asked if there was any place to rest up ahead ... a coin laundry, internet cafe, onsen, or similar? ... he said there was not much until Kashima, the 337km checkpoint.  Another 25-30 mins off the bike, then I pressed on. 

Finally, around km 326, on the eastern side of Lake Kitaura, there was a 7-11 that had a mini-coin-laundry in its parking lot, a small shed with 4 dryers, enclosed with a glass front door/window. You can see it here with google street view.  

My 3AM rest shed

The space was not heated, but it was protected from the wind. I put all my extra/wet gear in the dryer and set it for 24 minutes, laying down on the floor mat in front. I could feel warmth from the dryer on my hands, and slept immediately, waking to the buzz of the dryer alarm. There was another audax cyclist lying down motionless across in the parking lot in the lee of the 7-11 building. ... it looked cold out there. I added another 100 yen to run the machine another 12 minutes, and slept again until the next buzzer. The rider had moved on by the time I awoke. 

After heading a few hundred meters further and noticing my front light was not working, I stopped to fix the wire  ... and two riders passed me and zoomed up a hill, as our route left the Kitaura lakeside. Including both my rest and the repair work, by the time I was back on my way ... it had been another 50+ minute stop, but a much needed and very effective one. I walked up the hill then remounted. Finally, I made it to Kashima Jingu. The shrine looked huge, and quiet. 

At Kashima Jingu ... bicycle parking

It was now just past 4:30AM, and there were two other riders at the shrine, one of whom had asked questions about the Pelso and introduced himself to me earlier as Warabe (based on the start list, last name Shiraki-san), and was the guy who had been resting earlier by the 7-11, I believe. After the obligatory photo as proof of passage and a short rest, it was on toward the next PC ... and now riding into the wind for the last 65 kms. I reached that PC and chatted a bit with Warabe-san. There were two younger riders as well who had zoomed past as I fixed my light connection, one said he was 31 yrs old, the other 38. They looked like college kids. I headed out ahead of them but stopped when the course started to parallel the road along the Tonegawa. I wondered, ... should we ride up on the levy on the bike path (last year's Chiba 400 had taken that in the opposite direction) or stay down on the road? The two youngish riders passed me and stayed on the road. I followed, keeping to the road, eventually passed them, and did not stop again until I got about 30kms away from the PC, only 20km left to the Goal. I could see Audax riders heading down the road in the opposite direction. Apparently they were from a Nihombashi event, another 400k that started 5-6 hours later than we had (and so had had 5-6 hours less rain!). 

I pulled off to the side of the road and removed some clothing ... my rain jacket, winter cap, and helmet cover. And I switched back to the somewhat lighter weight gloves. It was at least 6-7 degrees C now and warming gradually, the sun above the horizon. Indeed, Sunday looked like a lovely day for a bike ride, even if Saturday had not been!  I could go noticeably faster without so much gear on. Less wind resistance, I guess? In any event, the finish was so close now, I could taste it. I pushed through, puzzled over which of three 7-11 stores within a kilometer of each other was the official end point, finally needed to consult my cue sheet, google maps, and confirm some kanji readings then loop back to the correct one and pick up my receipt. The two 30-something riders came in just as I entered the store.  I checked in at the finish with the organizers, headed back to my car just as Warabe-san came rolling in, packed up my bicycle, ... and napped for an hour before driving home. 

I finished in 25 hours and 33 minutes. There were 23 finishers in all, 6 after me and 16 ahead. Andrei was the first in, in 21 hours and 11 minutes. I think if I had been well-rested, in decent weather, and on a normal bike, this could have been a 21-22 hour event. Amazing that Andrei could do it that quickly despite the conditions (he had similar difficulties in the cold and wet ... and a 90 minute stop to rest and warm up). But then again, if we had had decent weather ... it would not have been an adventure. 

Postscript: I must say that the recovery from this ride, now 3 days ago, has been much tougher than other recent long rides. At the end of the ride, my butt was very sore where it had been resting on the edge of the recumbent's carbon seat. Usually I ride the Pelso laying on top of the seat, but by changing the seat to a steeper angle, I was effectively sitting on the bottom edge and applying more weight on a narrow edge there. I did not notice it until ... after 8 or 10 hours riding in that position.  With the seat elevated and SPD cleats, I could not move around on the seat but was locked in one position. The last couple times I got on the bike ... I really did not want to sit down on it again.  Also perhaps from the single position, my knees hurt just a bit during the ride, but not significantly. Spinning in a low gear helped defray the issues of a single position. But the leg stiffness following the ride was much worse than usual.  Overall, I was exhausted the next two days.  I think I started the ride tired -- both from bad jet-lag and not enough sleep on Wednesday evening, and an early Saturday start with not an early enough sleep on Friday night. Also, climbing on the recumbent I find I am quickly going "into the red zone" -- pushing the pedals at an unsustainable power output. Those repeated "red zone" efforts, trying to get a heavy bike and an overweight rider up a slope, took a toll on my cardio vascular system. I'm being careful to just rest and recover so that now, on Wednesday, I feel ready to re-engage fully. Also, I should add that this Spring the pollen levels in this part of Japan have been off the charts. The rain on Saturday of course kept them down ... but once the rain stopped, and definitely by early Sunday, they must have come back with a vengeance, and pollen levels have stayed high since. I'm on medication, but I think the impact of the pollen has probably complicated the normal recovery. 

I think next time I try to ride the Pelso 400kms or more, I will stick with my flat pedals, and will try to make sure that I am wearing shoes that will not slip in the rain, rather than going with cleats.  And in warmer weather I hope I will be able to avoid the baggy un-aero clothing, and also will be a few kgs lighter!

*Portland Oregon has an annual "worst day of the year" bicycle ride on the last Sunday of winter. This ride, on the last Saturday into the last Sunday, and in these conditions, was close enough.

Addendum:  I next rode the Pelso on April 2, for around 95kms in pleasant weather -- to get coffee with the Tokyo Cranks, view sakura along the Tamagawa, and then a few errands on the way home. It felt faster. And more comfortable. I had ridden the day before so did not push my pace, but still made decent time. I felt far better than I had on the Chiba 400kms.  With flat pedals and some running shoes, and the seat a bit lower down - not "slammed" but not elevated as I had done for the climbing, I could make decent time with less effort and more comfort.  Next, I'm going to get some new tires and do some modest maintenance, and I should have it ready for an ultra distance attempt during Golden Week.