Bookends

Always the Tamagawa

The 2018 cycling year began with a Shizuoka 200km brevet that Jerome and I did out of Numazu, to Fujieda and back (with a detour up Nihondaira ... the isolated hill north of the "Strawberry Line" along the Shizuoka coast.

Mt Fuji, sponsored by Tokyu Railways, Tokyo Corporation, Tokyu Real Estate, and Rakuten

So it was only fitting that the year finished with a ride with Jerome on the last day of the year, though a much shorter spin out Onekansen Doro, along the "tank road", and back in Yaen Kaedo. Our rendezvous was along Meguro dori at Yakumo 3-chome crossing.

For once, I arrived before Jerome, and was amused to notice that the Denny's now (sometime in the past few years) has had an upscale makeover, with a "Yakumo Prestige" name attached to it. What does this mean ... other than fancy lettering and perhaps a few hundred yen extra tacked onto various menu items? Well, I guess it must be a Denny's upscale brand for fancy Tokyo neighborhoods? Having been to Denny's in Santa Cruz at 5AM last summer before 3CR, and being the only non-homeless person in the place, and also having experienced some pretty awful food AND service at a Denny's in Paso Robles, California when it was one of the only choices in town at 11PM during 3CR ... I guess anything they can do to rebrand can only help.

And the first real ride of the New Year was another spin on January 2 with Jerome over Hospital Hill ("Byoinzaka"). ... then as we turned to start the climb of nearby I-Ro-Ha Zaka, I broke a shifter cable on the Sky Blue Parlee (3 years and 9 months since I installed these cables ... and they DO break eventually with Shimano or SRAM brifters). So the first ride of the year was only just over 60kms. That cut at least 40-50 kms off the planned trip, but still felt like enough as we returned, me riding in 36-11 gearing on the path along the Tamagawa, in fading daylight.

Of course, Jerome, who is traveling most of the time for work these days, is on a crash program to get back in shape for PBP, also rode 175 kms on January 1 (over Kazahari Pass no less). He plans to ride again today (Jan 3).

I will try to focus on other things today -- bike maintenance, for one -- since I am slated for a 200km brevet on January 4, the first 100km+ ride of the year.

Happy New Year to all!

Wada in Winter ... and the Women of Jimba Kaido!

The Renovo poses at Wada Toge in the usual place

Today was a balmy late-January day. I had to get some work out of the way before heading out, and did not leave home until after 11AM. Still, I was determined to get in a decent ride as I cannot ride next weekend, and I've got the Yakushima hill climb coming up next month.

130 kms and 1700 meters of elevation gain (if you believe RidewithGPS and Strava).

I hopped on the Renovo, my most "fun to ride" bike for longer distances. The ride qualities of the wood frame, the DI2 shifting, hydraulic disk brakes, and tubeless Schwalbe 1 tires on wide rimmed Velocity Aileron rims ... makes it one sweet ride.

I headed for Hachioij, then onto Jimba Kaido toward the hills. I realized that it has been a LONG time since I have gone the main road up Wada. Too much traffic, and shorter (if steeper) than the Daigo Rindo alternative (which is plenty steep, and actually climbs 35-40 meters higher, to boot). Today, I thought there would not be much traffic, mid-winter, and I was a bit worried about debris and perhaps ice on the rindo, so I decided to go straight up Jimba Kaido. On the approach, I was not disappointed. The weather was spectacular and there was almost no traffic.

On Jimba Kaido!

As I turned left and headed the last stretch toward the base of the steep climb, a touring rider darted out of a pulloff. He was fully loaded and young. I figured he must be a college student (final exams just ended, and only students, homeless people, crazy foreigners and a few Audax riders do that kind of thing in winter.  I asked him where he was headed. "Kobe".  Impressive.  "Nairiku route?"  "Yes!" Just like Jerome, but he looked as if he were planning to spend at least a week on the ride.  I got a photo later as I took a rest at the bus stop before the climb.

College student heading for Kobe via the inland route

I realized as I headed toward the stretch to the base of the climb that I had not seen the Women of Jimba Kaido in a long time. Were they still there? Still unclothed? Did they miss me? Or had someone else taken them away. I was delighted to see that the Women were still outside, unclothed and beautiful. But there clearly had been activity.  I think a major change in the troupe--fewer massive reclining bodies and more diversity. Still plenty of headless bodies though!

Some of the Women of Jimba Kaido

One on the far side of the group was a bit demure, facing away from me.

For the first time ever, I could hear the sculptor at work, even see him through an open window along the road.

Anyway, I did the climb slowly, and needed to get off the bike twice because of traffic -- once when a cyclist coming down tried to go around me on my left/his right, and I needed to put a foot down and walk a few meters to somewhere with enough room to remount and lock in, cursing him for not passing on the left. Then there was the classic traffic jam -- Honda Odyssey going up and similar car trying to come down. They were facing off each other and the Honda was starting to back down, but there was not room for me to ride by, so I dismounted and walked around both cars. Next time I will take the rindo.

Some snow near the top, but not much!

Near the top

Mikan, Palm Trees, and Tea Bushes!

At the top it was warm enough to chat with an American named Jim who said he was in Japan in the 1990s and came back recently, is riding with Half Fast, and came up the Ura Wada climb. Eventually his riding partner Andre (riding a GS Astuto carbon frame bike) appeared.

I headed down to the west since my sweat was starting to get cold from chatting at 700 meters elevation. The west side was great, a beautiful valley as usual, no traffic, only a bit of slush and ice near the top--but always a clear path through on dry pavement.

I had forgotten that getting from the west side of Wada to Fujino does include one short climb. Then I was on Route 20. Instead of continuing over Otarumi, I headed SE and took the high forest road on the North side of Lake Tsukui.

Tsukui field -- I have photos all seasons. But this does not look quite like I remember previous winters.

On the north side of Tsukui. Just beautiful today.

Shadows getting long as I leave Tsukui behind

I took the Tank Road and Onekansen Doro. Uneventful, but at least I still felt okay, not pushing too hard. At Yanokuchi I decided I would take the Kawasaki side and stop by C Speed. A group of 7-8 sharply dressed Japanese road cyclists was heading out from the Yanokuchi Lawson as I passed. I ended up in the middle of their group. It was a "Rapha" ride. Anyway, it was nice to ride with a group for a change, stop by C Speed to see Hiroshi, and then head home, finally in the dark, but not an issue for the Renovo with its SD-8 dynamo hub and front/rear lighting!

January has been a good start to the cycling year, especially in comparison with the past two years!

No Festive 500 - Festive 2017!

This year for the first time in quite awhile I am not joining the Rapha "Festive 500" challenge.

Of course, as always the timing (December 24 to 31) does not match Japanese New Year vacation, which usually starts on December 29 or so and goes until January 4 or 5, details depending on the calendar.  Rapha really needs a Japanese version of this, an "oshogatsu (New Year's) challenge".

More important, my sons are visiting Tokyo from the U.S. this week, and so it is not the most convenient time to disappear onto the bicycle.  Instead, we went (without bicycle) to Nagano for two days, and even drove part of the Venus Line (around Kirigamine, up above 1700 meters elevation) with a light snow pack on the road. Most of the places we went by car the two days I knew well from traveling by bicycle at a different time of year.

Nagano welcomed us!

From Kirigamine - was here during SR600 Fuji by bicycle during warmer weather.

Shirakaba-ko  ... usually come here by bicycle

Hot spring hot water at one of the Suwa Taisha shrines

And unlike last year, when I took a monumental ride on December 31 to get in over 500kms for the week, this year I really need to rest on December 31.

Why?  I signed up for the first brevet of 2017, which will be held from that Midnight on New Year's Eve (12:01AM, or maybe 12:00AM and a few seconds on January 1, 2017.

This is a 200 km event sponsored by Tamagawa Audax, with a start at Futako Tamagawa, within a few kms of my house.  We will ride SW through Kanagawa, get to the coast around Ninomiya/Oiso area, then loop counter-clockwise along the Shonan coast and Miura Peninsula.  If all goes well I should see the first sun rise from the coast line, and finish my first brevet of 2017 on the morning of January 1.

Unless there are events scheduled in Australia or New Zealand, the first finisher of this Tamagawa event might be the first finisher of ANY Audax ride in the world for 2017.  There really ought to be a special prize for that -- there seems to be for just about everything else in Audax.

Anyway, just because I am not joining the Festive 500 does not mean I am not riding at all this week. I did get out on Saturday with the Tokyo Cranks, go for Yomiuri-land loops Sunday and Monday, as well as a ride this morning (67 kms) out the Tamagawa, then Onekan/Tank Road and back, and hope I will be able to do another morning ride tomorrow. The weather has been dry most days at least.  So maybe I can end up with a Festive 300 and a good start to 2017? 

Santa Claus garb? Worn on 12/24 and 12/25

Tamagawa on 12/29

Solar project at end of the Tank Road on 12/29

Takao - Shiroyama Saturday Spin

On Saturday I took a short (~95km) trip with Jerome and Didier in not-too-hot but stiflingly humid weather.   We started late, amid heavy traffic, and needed to return early. At Takao, an overheating Jerome took a dip in the Asagawa.

Many passersby chuckled.  A few applauded.

Orange cosmos hide the Parlee Altum-R and Gokiso wheels.
Fun to ride a zippy road bike after lots of randonneuring the past month! 

Then we took Machida Kaido and did the climb to Shiroyama Dam, finally a route without traffic on the climb and descent.  Then back to town via the "tank road" and Onekan. As Jerome warned from a recent trip, two-thirds of the length of the "tank road" was mobbed with zombies staring at smartphones playing "pokemon go".

I pinch flatted near the bottom of the last descent on Onekan going over a big gap at the beginning of the last bridge ... Too late I realized that I had high rim wheels, short/mid-length valves on my spare tubes and no valve extender.  I patched my flat tube ... and made it another 4~5 kms.  There followed a number of attempts at a fix, none successful, and in the end I rode a few kms on the flat tube with JJ and DD to Seo Cycles north of Komae, got a valve extender, and was able to ride home.

I cannot wait for cooler, dry weather. But Sunday and Monday has been rainy, and the next week looks like more of the same.

Sunday Ride to Lake Tsukui -- without Garmin -- and review of iPhone GPS cycling apps - Strava, Mapmyride, RidewithGPS, Runtastic, CycleTT

On Sunday I went for a ride out to the Tsukui-ko area.  Out Onekansen Doro, along the Tank Road, around the north side of the lake via the forest road, then a loop and back over a different bridge to the North side, and home a slightly different route.

It was a relatively short (97.5km) and easy ride.  Saturday I had conflicting commitments; Monday we will have rain later in the day as a typhoon approaches.

Nothing unusual, except that I left my Garmin Edge 800 device at home.  No, I did not forget it, I just left it at home.

Early fall near Lake Tsukui

Mysterious weather ... still far ahead of a massive typhoon

Watch out Garmin.  Your days are numbered, at least for recreational use!

It is a commonplace observation that Apple and its products, especially the iPhone, have been like a mass extinction event for parts of the consumer electronics industry.  Sony Walkman and other MP3 players?  Gone.  Record and CD retail shops?  Gone, when most buy the same music on iTunes for instant download. Cable TV and broadcast radio talk shows?  No need when you can get the same content customized via podcasts. Digital cameras and videos?  I think I bought my last digital camera about 5 or 6 years ago.  The photos taken on my iPhone 5S are much better, plus when I need to I can use the free "Theodolite" app and get a photo stamped with time, GPS coordinates, elevation and direction and vertical/side-to-side angles on the photo.  Train timetables?  Weather forecasts?  Filing receipts?  Personal video conferencing?  Foreign language dictionaries and phrasebooks?  Maps, and more maps?  All gone.  There's an App for that (as they say).

I tried some of the cycling GPS apps back when I got my first iPhone (4S)  in 2011.  I found that they would eat up battery life, so I could not imagine using them on any full day ride or longer brevet/randonee.  But with subsequent versions of the iOS and a newer phone (5S), I now rely on Google maps instead of a car Navi and find the power usage acceptable.  So I figured it was time to try again the cycling apps.

A month or so back, I started using Strava and RidewithGPS for recording some of my commutes.  Last week also MapMyRide.  They record the 30+ minutes each way (with the screen turned off much of the way) without a noticeable drop in the battery, so I thought it was time to try them on a longer ride.

They all work great.  Each app is using the same underlying data and GPS sensors from the iPhone, and each is going into a "sleep" mode when the phone's screen is switched off (but still capturing and recording the GPS data), so it is not surprising that the results are similar. The interfaces are each different, and everyone will have a favorite.  I rode for almost 5 1/2 hours, and used about half my iPhone battery life.  I also sent and received/checked emails and SMS messages, plus used Google Maps navigation for about 15 minutes to find a shop.  So these apps are now just nearing the point of being usable for an all day ride.

Please note, what follows are just a layman's impressions.  You can get much more detailed, technical information and guidance elsewhere.  And just go to the TCC site for lots and lots of discussions about these services.

Strava.  I like the clean Strava recording screen, ... but I need to go to another screen to access a map and that page lacks the cyclecomputer data, whereas the others have a map on the "main" page.

Strava has the best integration with its website and its social media-style features -- you can see your "feed"on the iPhone app, and upload quickly to your friends when you finish a ride.  And if you ask the App will find you a "route back to the start".  It chooses this based upon the popularity of various potential roads with cyclists.  So when I was out near Hashimoto and asked for a route home, it directed me down Onekansen Doro -- by far the best choice I know of as a cyclist, and not the choice that Google Maps would have made.

I am not a "premium" Strava member, but the service seems to just get better and better.  I just tried their route drawing sub-application, and it seems to work very well now.  I do not know if it even existed the first time I tried Strava.  Also, way back then Strava had a limit on the number of monthly rides recorded for non-premium (non-paying) members.

RidewithGPS.  RidewithGPS uses the screen "real estate" very well -- with both cycle computer info and a map on the main page.

RidewithGPS iPhone app does not seem very customizable (though it was possible to switch the map from a "pointing North" orientation to a "pointing the same way as the bicycle" orientation, and the app nicely pulled in my basic choices from the website (e.g. metric system).  Then again, with 5 key pieces of data on the main app screen, I cannot think of much I would add (or subtract).   And it does offer numerous background map choices, as with the website version.  Plus it features tight integration with photos -- great if your trip report consists of the RidewithGPS data and photos you took along the route.

I long ago joined RidewithGPS as a paying member, since I really valued their route drawing/export-friendly site, and also they were the only site with clear instructions about the differences between GPS data formats -- GPX (and GPX track), TCX, FIT, etc.  and recommendations on what to use for which Garmin Edge device.  Plus, as far as I can tell RidewithGPS is mainly a young guy named Zack in Portland, Oregon.  He would send personal responses when I had a question, so I felt I owed him my business.

And what RidewithGPS lacks in customization at the App level, it more than compensates for on its website, with a wide range of views, tabs.  RidewithGPS generally piggie backs on existing social networks -- Facebook, Twitter -- rather than trying to create its own.

MapMyRide.   This app toggles between two data sets ... good if you think of your GPS as more of a calorie counter, but useless for the rest of us.  And there is a screen pulldown tab so you can see all 4 data items at once -- distance, duration, speed and calories.

MapMyRide annoyingly asks me to upgrade to MVP with prominent notices.  Strava has much more tasteful, subtle upgrade requests -- more effective.  Then again, the Mapmyride App seems to have more customization possibilities.  And Mapmyride has lots of social network features as well.

Comparison of the 3 apps website views.

Strava -- clean, slick design, focus on segments (just below this screen capture).

RidewithGPS -- lots of data and selection tabs, and plenty of menu choices all the top as well.

MapmyRide -- another nice interface, but that annoying MVP upgrade request.

And the Winner Is.  This review barely scratches the surface, but I guess I still rank RidewithGPS and Strava ahead of Mapmyride.  If you like the Strava social media features -- the segments, activity feed and challenges, you will find them unmatched.  I find it quite satisfying to do the Strava "Eddy Merckx 1969 Challenge" to ride 700 kms in 20 days ... and end up #11 out of 850 riders in Japan, #773 out of over 55,000 worldwide.  Yes, I may not be fast, but I do go far.

As for the rest of the App, I prefer the RidewithGPS App's "single screen", especially when I want to see a track along which to navigate.  So I guess I will probably use RidewithGPS when riding on a Brevet or an unfamiliar route, and Strava for commuting or familiar rides.  Or I can try the same as this ride -- and just turn on both apps at once.

The key point, for me, is that ANY of these apps works great for a 5 or 6 hour ride.  And with a USB charger/battery, that time can be doubled or tripled.  Plus with a dynamo hub driven charger, it can be extended indefinitely.

The Garmin Edge (excuse the pun).  My Garmin Edge 800 still has some advantages over these iPhone apps.  Actual battery life is still around 14-15 hours.  Plus if the battery should happen to run out ... I can still pull out my phone and use it. If the phone battery runs out ... then I am really stuck.  Of course, the answer is to carry a small supplemental battery.  Plus the Garmin data screens are highly customizable and work with all kinds of additional sensors -- power, heartrate, etc.  I have not used those lately, but could be tempted again.

And in pouring rain, I do not mind the Garmin being exposed on the bike.  The iPhone, even with case and all ports plugged, I will probably still put in a plastic bag!  Then again, the Garmin has died on my in the rain before, and though the USB port eventually recovers, it seems to take some weeks.

I will keep using the Edge 800 on longer rides, as long as it functions.

Audax riders in the U.S. note that they go through many areas without mobile phone coverage. Without mobile data, you cannot access the map information via iPhone in Google or Apple maps, so lose significant functionality.  And financially not viable when "roaming" and incurring high data charges.  But as has been pointed out to me, it is possible to load OpenStreetView maps onto an iPhone for "off network" map coverage.  ... and this surely cannot be much more difficult than doing so on the Garmin, since Garmin gives no instructions on such things and just expects you to buy one of their Micro SD cards with proprietary map loaded.  I will need to try loading some maps and using the iPhone apps with mobile data turned off ... but GPS on ... and see if it works.

With a dynamo powered charger and a plastic bag to cover my iphone in streaming downpours, and some maps loaded in advance, I should be ready to go.

Garmin the Company.  Of course, sometimes I will stay loyal to a company because of things about the company, or just plain inertia, rather than the strength of a product.  (Note my mention of Zack's great customer service at RidewithGPS).  I got a Garmin Edge 205 long ago, switched to a 705 with its more readable screen and maps, then around 5 years ago when the 705 stopped downloading to my PC upgraded to the Edge 800.   But Garmin never has seemed user friendly.  The models I own are not adapted to Japan -- will not work with Japanese characters.  The Japan-specific versions were outrageously priced. ...  And the proprietary maps were an expensive add-on.  So I figured out how to use OpenStreetMap alternatives.  What kind of business builds itself around selling expensive add-ons when the educated, tech-savvy customer can find a free workaround?  A business that views its customers as cash registers, even chumps.

Of course, I could be wrong.  Maybe Garmin is a great company?  After all, it does sponsor a pro tour cycling team, and so it is supporting racers!  And it is a U.S. company, right, started and built up in Kansas.  Indeed, its entire business is based on a series of satellites bought and paid for by the U.S. government, and its first customer was ... the U.S. Army.  My tax dollars at work.  And Garmin is part of the Standard and Poors 500!

Err, at least Garmin WAS a U.S. company.

Then it did a "tax inversion" so that a Swiss entity is now its parent, even though its headquarters is still in Kansas.  No more U.S. taxes on the non-U.S. business.  When Allan Sloan of Fortune Magazine asked them about the inversion, Garmin apparently responded to Fortune that it never was a U.S. company.  Maybe they did not understand the question.  Well, I guess they will need to remove those "Oregon", "Montana", "Colorado" and "Dakota" lines from their handheld GPS models.

So now Garmin is a "top 10" company.  Top 10 corporate tax avoiders.

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I should mention that Japanese cyclists tend to use a Yahoo Japan-affiliated site, Route Labo, for drawing routes that can be exported to Garmin/GPS. These routes are visible on the Safari browser on a page designed for mobile use, though I do not think there is a specific iPhone app.  Then again, more and more Japanese riders seem to use Strava.

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Nov 2, 2014 update:  Another GPS iphone/computer application was recommended to me -- the road bike pro version of "Runtastic".  It has the major benefit of offline OSM map integration.  If you trace your route and download maps ahead of a ride, you will be okay even if you do not have (or, if roaming internationally, want to pay for) mobile data during the event.  I paid the $4.99 and downloaded the app.  On first impression, it tries to do too much -- too much marketing, too many email messages, too much attempt at social media integration.  Too commercial.  But I hope I will get the settings right since the offline maps are a great option.

On my Nov 2 ride with Jerome, I used the Garmin Edge 800, plus set the RidewithGPS on from the start around 7:45AM.  Both ran uninterrupted (only "auto pauses").  The total elapsed time was 9 hours and 10 minutes.

• The Garmin still showed almost 50% battery remaining -- perhaps a benefit from running it with a timer page -- not a map page -- visible the entire ride.  Maybe it is recalculating the map screen that burns up Garmin battery life, such as on the Nishi Tokyo 200 brevet?  
• I also used my iPhone for photos and emails/messages at times during the ride.  The battery had gone down to 16% so I turned off the ridewithgps application at just under 8 hours elapsed time -- 152kms travelled.  If I had not wanted to preserve the ability to use the iPhone for its core telephone (and email) functions, I could have just made it home on the last 16%.  Next ride I will try the same experiment with the Strava iPhone app.

Nov 10, 2014 update:  At Cyclemode there was a display for a Japanese iPhone app -- CycleTT.  It is available on the iPhone App store (at least the Japanese app store), and has a free version and a "premium" mode for 500 yen per month or 5000 per year.  I have not yet tried it but will do so.  Zenrin Datacom is the provider -- a major Japanese map data supplier for "Navi" systems and Google maps.  I will try the free version in due course.

Jerome's Ride to Otarumi on a Wet Sunday

Jerome planned Sunday's ride (hence the mid-ride beers).  He had a visitor in town on business this week from Singapore, Sean, who borrowed Jerome's Look and joined us.  Jerome rode the "Bette Noire."  Guillaume, Jerome's friend, and Frank, Jerome's brother-in-law, also joined us to make it five.

It was wet early Sunday morning, raining steadily.  But the forecast suggested the rain would taper off by mid-day.  And this year in Japan, if we stayed off the bike just because there is rain in the morning ...  we would almost never ride.   And by starting a ride in the rain, one can always take solace in Rule #9.

I confidently declared to the group that the rain would stop by mid-day, and this time, for once the weather obediently followed the forecast, even though our ride took us into the wet, misty hills to the west of town.

We rode out One-kan, then the "Tank Road", and then took Machida Kaido to Takao, then finally the climb up Otarumi out of Takao on Koshu Kaido.  For 3 of the 5 members it was the first time they had done this climb by bicycle (Frank is at times a serious runner and has been through these hills before on foot).  Sean, from Argentina but living in Singapore the past year, has not ridden in the hills for some time, but managed Otarumi without problem.  He did go slow on the descent, as the triple front derailleur on Jerome's Look seemed stuck on the lowest (30-tooth) ring, forcing him to essentially coast down the hill.

The rain stopped definitively as we were heading through Takao and onto the Otarumi climb. At the pass we were able to sit outside for a lunch of ramen and gyoza at the Fujimi cafe, and even enjoy a view between the clouds at the hills across Tsukui-ko/Sagami-ko.  No views of Mt. Fuji today.

Heading back we took the path along the Asagawa, not very crowded for a Sunday afternoon given the continued cloudy weather, and then the usual route home along the Tamagawa.  Somehow it seemed much more scenic than the trip out of town, now that the rain had stopped and we were away from the car traffic.

All-in-all, a good ride with new friends, 100 kms covered on a day when many would have taken one look at the window, turned off the alarm clock and gone back to bed.

Body Heat

A report came out last week indicating that, by the end of the 21st century, climate change could make it too hot on many days to engage in strenuous exercise outside in large parts of the United States without death.  With the air temperature over 95 degrees fahrenheit and high humidity, the body cannot cool sufficiently, heat stroke or heat exhaustion and death result.

Beautiful clear air after much rain.  The Tamagawa path.  Air like a brick.

Of course, the group behind the report is just a bunch of crazy left wing environmentalists with Risk Committee and Co-Chairs such as George Schultz (Secretary of State to President Reagan), Hank Paulson (ex Goldman Sachs CEO, Secretary of Treasury to George W. Bush), and Olympia Snowe (former Republican Senator from Maine).

It has been cool and wet recently in Tokyo, but today, just as I headed out for a mid-day spin, the sun shown through clouds, temperatures soared and humid air was like a brick.  If this is what Risky Business is predicting for much of the world during much of the year 50~75 years from now, I don't like it at all.

But I needed to get in a decent ride.  Two weekend "make up" classes for each of the two courses I have been teaching at Keio, and lots of rain, have kept me away from the bike far too much.

Also, I just did a major makeover of Voyage Voyage (the Ti Travel Bike to get it ready for Hokkaido 1200 -- finally moving over my Shimano 7800/6600/6700 and "Retroshift" components, redoing the bar tape, etc.  I rode it to work on Thursday, made some significant Retroshifter adjustments, and was glad to find the adjustments worked and shifting is smooth.   I can understand why Hiroshi does not like the Retroshift, but now that I have gotten used to them, I do not mind them at all.  I think having large hands, which can envelope the shifters and brake lever, helps.  I have no worries about shifting vs. braking -- it is easy to do both.  And if I should ever break a cable, it will be easy to replace.

Voyage Voyage is ready for the Hokkaido 1200.  2 x1 liter water bottles and tool kit in the 3rd bottle carrier.  

I made it down Onekan and the "Tank Road", and back again.  There were plenty of other roadies out, taking advantage of the rare sight of dry pavement and blue sky to get in a ride.  At a convenience store stop just after the turn-around, a number of us shared complaints about the humidity as I ate some ice cream and refilled my bottles (with the remainder of the water going onto my head or down my back for cooling effect).

Hydrangeas along the tank road

End of the (Tank) Road looking out to the NW

Of course, a few hours after I returned home, a thunderstorm rolled through, the streets were damp again and the temperature mercifully cooled.