99 Kilometer Commute

This fall, I am teaching a class at Keio University's Shonan Fujisawa Campus (SFC) on Wednesday  afternoon.  SFC is a beautiful campus built in the 1980s, designed by Fumihiko Maki, Pritzker Prize winning architect.

Since the campus was planned and built back when Japanese land prices were very high, it is sited far from central Tokyo.  From my house it is a long train/bus trip, or just under a 1-hour drive via Daisan-Keihin, Yokohama Shindo, then local roads, without traffic tie-ups.  Or it is a 37.5 km bicycle ride.

If I ride in to work for the morning, then back home (24km round trip), then out to SFC and back (77km round trip), it works out to almost 100 kilometers.

SFC commute -- 37.5 km each way, via 246

I cannot manage it every Wednesday, but at least if I can do this every other week, perhaps I will notice the difference in terms of regular conditioning by the start of next year?

In town commute -- 12 kms each way, via Komazawa Dori (or faster but less pleasant Meguro Dori)

As for the route, after consultation with former and current Yokohoma residents (MOB, James M. and others), I am using Route 246 to get out to Minami Machida, then taking local roads and bike paths (e.g. the Yamato-Fujisawa bike path) the rest of the way.  246 is ugly, but fast.

Once I tried to go straight from my office via Nakahara Kaido, into stiff headwinds the whole way, and it was a disaster.  Way too many red lights, way too many hills, too many narrow stretches with lines of traffic and no room to pass by at the shoulder.  The ride took an additional 45 minutes.

Bicycle-Pedestrian Accidents in Japan

I opened up a local English language paper on Saturday morning and was surprised to see a FULL PAGE devoted to the issue of bicycle-pedestrian accidents.   It highlighted a recent court judgment awarding 95 million yen (almost $1 million) to an elderly lady now comatose as a result of head injuries from a bicycle accident in which she was struck by a 5th grade boy zooming down a hill and around a corner.  The boys parents were held legally responsible -- nothing unusual for other countries such as the U.S. or Europe, but a high verdict for Japan.  The article also notes that there were 5 pedestrians killed in 2012 in Japan by cyclists.

An online version of the article is here.

The article was not directly anti-cyclist in tone, and highlighted educational efforts, the need for bike lanes, etc. so that people can continue to cycle without threatening pedestrians.  I could not agree more.  Indeed, I used to ride out the Tamagawa bike path, but now stick to the parallel streets on most stretches since I would rather not be in potential conflict with pedestrians (or other cyclists).

And only last week did someone recount to me the story of a cyclist who was riding around the area near Jingu Stadium and passed through a red light, misjudged the progress of an elderly pedestrian and ended up knocking him down (with a resultant serious injury).  Unforgiveable.

But I also could not help but wonder, where is the full page article highlighting each cyclist who is the victim in an accident with an automobile, truck or motorcycle?

A quick check of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police statistics page revealed that yes, there were more than a few cyclists killed in 2012.  Indeed, 563 killed in traffic accidents nationwide, of whom 34 died within Tokyo.

Where are the newspaper articles highlighting their fates?   How may were injured and lie sick or comatose?

And what is this? 1634 pedestrians were killed in traffic accidents in 2012 in Japan.  Presumably 1629 of these were caused by vehicles other than bicycles ... as opposed to 5 caused by cyclists.

Maybe the bicycle-pedestrian accident was newsworthy because such accidents are, indeed, so rare?

Welcome back, Nishibe-san

The weather forecast for Sunday was grim -- rain, then more rain.  So I planned to get in a ride on Saturday.  Jerome was not available, but I was delighted to hear that Nishibe-san, who returned home to Kobe last year, is back in Tokyo for the month, and would be available for a short ride.

We planned to meet at Sekido-bashi at 830AM.  I was late, as the rear tire on my Canyon had gone flat since last weekend.  The Vittoria Open Pave tires had made it over 2500 kms without a single flat -- including all of LEL, the week in Spain, and the second SR600 try and more.  But this was the 4th flat in the last 3 rides, none with an obvious trigger, and with a careful check for wire, nail etc. embedded.  So time to bid farewell to the Open Paves.  I sent an SMS telling Nishibe-san I would be 10 minutes late, then changed to another pair of tires (Vredenstein Fortezza Tricomp 700x25, bought on sale awhile back).

We rode out toward the base of Wada, stopping at the usual 7-11 on Jimba Kaido.  Nishibe-san seems happy back in Kobe.  His son is in high school and doing "ju-ken" for university and, more importantly, in the high school cycling club, riding competitively.  He will try for the "kokutai" (national athletics meet) next year.  We reminisced about the Positivo Espresso/Beeren Pyrenees trip in summer 2012.  The members delighted to see this summer's Tour de France passing some of the same climbs.  He said Beeren wants to hold a similar trip to the Alps in 2017, making it a once-in-five-years tradition.  (I am not so patient!)

Nishibe-san in pristine white Beeren kit; with his beautiful Colnago which has had a recent Dura Ace drivetrain upgrade

Nishibe-san did not have time or inclination to head into the mountains, so we said farewell at the Jimba Kaido entrance to the Wada approach, with Nishibe-san heading toward Itsukaichi.

The roads were a bit damp from sprinkling rain earlier, and got more so as I reached the base of Wada.  I did not want to climb Wada -- either the frontal assault or the Daigo rindo -- on wet roads.  I opted for Bonbori rindo and Iriyama Pass, the now entirely paved road through the hills that takes one from the base of Wada to Itsukaichi.  Compared to Wada, this road is a bit less steep, tops out a bit lower (at 625 meters elevation), and is more open (and, I hoped, would be dry) on the upper stretches.  Nevertheless, the road surface was covered in many places with debris -- a dramatic contrast with last weekend's Kazahari rindo, and the result of Wednesday's passage of Typhoon 26 with its heavy rains.  For the entire stretch, I passed 2 other cyclists and 2 hikers.

I took the descent very slowly, then enjoyed a tailwind a good part of the way home, for a 110km ride with one good climb, some shopping at Y's, and a return home before 2PM.

Upper section of Bonbori Rindo -- after Typhoon 26

Northern section of Bonbori rindo -- after Typhoon 26

The Canyon, amid the clutter of signage at Iriyama Pass.

Typhoon 27 is heading slowly north as it strengthens in the ocean north of the Philippines.  It is expected to arrive in our area late in the week, perhaps on Thursday, maybe on Friday, and maybe it will drift off toward one side and miss eastern Japan entirely.  In any event, it is great now to be in a typhoon pattern where at least the big storms do not hit on the weekend, unlike last month!

Tour de France event at French Embassy October 24 7PM

Jerome has forwarded this information -- Looks like it could be fun!!

Special event with LE TOUR DE FRANCE's organizers

CCIFJ is very pleased to announce the organization of a special event about Le Tour de France.

Come and join us to attend a presentation of Mr. Amaury about the development strategy of Amaury Sport Organisation (A.S.O), in charge of several sports events among which the famous international race Le Tour de France. They will share with the audience their international development strategy where Japan has its improving role.

Best illustration : the Saitama Criterium by Le Tour de France that will be held on October 26^th in the city of Saitama. This criterium will gather 20 local Japanese pro riders and 20 international racers, key riders of the 2013 Tour, starting with its clear winner, Chris Froome, plus green jersey Peter Sagan, the new king of sprint, Marcel Kittel, the two famous Japanese riders Yukiya Arashiro and Fumiyuki Beppu and the French winner of the Alpe d'Huez stage, Christophe Riblon.

Bernard Hinault, 5 times Tour de France Winner, and Jean-Francois Pescheu x, technical director of Le Tour de France, will also be joining the presentation on October 24^th to share their past experiences as professional cyclists.

You’ll also have the chance to discover a teasing of the 2014 Tour de France race.

A Q&A sessions will also be organized, followed by a cocktail.

For the fans : some autographed Le Tour de France jerseys, caps and books will be offered and one famous French and Japanese riders will join this festive event.

Language : English

Date & time : October 24^th, from 19:00 to 21:00

Place : Atrium at the French Embassy

Important Notice : Identity Card/Passport is MANDATORY to enter the French Embassy

Participation Fee : 3000 yens

Reservation Deadline : October 21st, 2013 (Monday)

For registration, please use the following link : http://ccifj.frenchchamber.com?event=public.events.ev&EventID=52

Eroica 2013

The London chapter of Positivo Espresso again joined the Eroica classic bike event in Italy this year, the first weekend in October.  While we await the full report when their busy schedules allow, we did get one photograph of them hanging out with a cycling celebrity.

Who is it?

He used to look like this back when he was winning sprints:

Nokogiri! Kazahari Rindo!

On Sunday morning Jerome and I headed up to the Positivo Espresso Oume base.  We met Stephen and, after a breakfast of fresh persimmon from the garden, grapefruit, bananas, yogurt and rolls (Juliane would have been proud of us), we continued up Yoshino Kaido and Route 411.  It was a beautiful morning in Oume, the air clear and crisp ... the next forecast typhoon still 3 days away.

The Oume Base

We made the left turn just a kilometer past Okutama Station and were onto the the Nokogiri climb. Stephen and I attacked, out of the saddle, for the first few hundred meters, then all 3 of us settled in for the 6.7km, 597 meter elevation gain category 2 climb.  We each climbed at our own pace, Jerome suffering from Friday night (into Saturday wee hours) entertainment with junior colleagues.  Stephen crested first, with me just 15 seconds or so behind.  Jerome followed up -- incredulous that he was 6 minutes 30 seconds back.  As he said "no spring chicken".

At the top, Stephen and I waited amidst a large group of men setting up some tents and covered areas that appeared to be a checkpoint for a 70 km. trail running event -- must have been scheduled for the next day (today as I write), Monday, Oct 13, which is a holiday and "Sports Day" in Japan, as trail runners like to go along the crest to the west of Mitake-san, passing Nokogiri-san en route.  Some of the men had "finisher" t-shirts on, while others had "staff" shirts on.  One of the "staff" was smoking a particularly harsh brand of cigarette, the smoke immediately bothering Stephen and me as our lungs tried to recover capacity from the climb (and Stephen from his Friday night red-eye flight HK to Tokyo).

My climbing bike at the top of Nokogiri, at the trailhead.

I was very glad to have my lighter-frame bike (the Canyon), outfitted with compact crank and SRAM WiFli rear cassette and Ultegra 6600 series long-cage derailleur.  I could climb the steepest parts in 34-32 front/rear gearing -- as forgiving as Jerome's triple setup.  This allowed me to stay in the saddle and spin, standing up only for a change of muscles/pace.

Warning -- Don't slip of the road on the South side descent!

Then it was down the south side of Nokogiri, a quick stop for curry at the "Hinohara Woodie House Mura", which seemed to have a good business -- fully rented cabins -- at least this one long weekend.  At the bottom of the climb, we debated whether to try Kazahari Rindo, one of the toughest climbs in Kanto ... or maybe just try the much shorter Chaya (teahouse) climb.  Of course, we opted for Kazahari Rindo!

Jerome and Stephen went ahead, much more aggressive on the approach than I.  They waited at the start of the really steep section, the sharp "V" intersection.  From there, I pulled ahead.  Stephen stayed with me for the first kilometer, as we climbed at 15% or more grade.  But he was riding a bike with, at best, 39-25 gearing.  Almost impossible for this climb, especially the fairly long 18% section up to the Hinohara Mushroom Center.  I went ahead, alternating between spinning and standing, and was up it before long.  Not surprisingly, with this gearing, he needed to dismount and walk for a bit, and Jerome did the same, if only to shift his derailleur into the lowest gear by hand.

I was pleasantly surprised that I did the climb only a few seconds slower than in late April 2011, well into my Transalp training ... and this on the second big climb of the day.  As I waited at the top, I talked with a spirited group of Japanese "ojisan" cyclists who had climbed from Okutama-ko on the main road and were suitably impressed that I had done the rindo.  They were even more impressed when I mentioned that Kazahari Rindo x2 equals the Mortirolo!

A classic Positivo Espresso ride on a beautiful day.  Over 2000m of climbing in total and 170 kms+.

Saturday Ride - Wada Pass

Saturday offered some of the best weather since Spring, and so Jerome and I headed out for a half-day ride.  I tend to have an advantage over Jerome when we ride on Saturday morning instead of Sunday, and today was no exception.

Bright sun and dark shadows at Wada Pass

I pulled most of the way out to the base of the climb.  Riding the Canyon with mini aero bars, I feel as if I can ride for quite awhile at a sustained pace at least a few kph faster than normal.  The aero bars force my arms and shoulders inward, my torso more horizontal, and my rear end up in the air.  The result is speed.

Jerome did pull ahead on the climb up the forest road (Daigo Rindo) approach to Wada Pass, but he was still breathing heavily when I arrived at the pass, so he cannot have gotten too far ahead.  The Canyon still has the "granny gear" 11-32 cassette on the wheel I added for the SR 600 attempt 2 weeks ago, plus compact 50-34 cranks, so I could spin up even the 15-16% grades of the Wada forest road. (UPDATE:  Jerome tells me he reached Wada Pass 10 minutes ahead of me ... so I guess even if I was pulling him on the flats he still has a big lead on any climbs.)

Jerome spent last weekend with Positivista Stephen C., at his Oume training base, and they discussed the idea of perhaps a team training week in Japan next summer. ... Indeed, it would be great to get other members of the team back to Japan, as long as we can find someplace cooler -- the high passes of Nagano, or cooler, drier northern island of Hokkaido?

Yamabushi -- Back from The Swamp

The Yamabushi is back from Above Bike Store and its paint shop, The Swamp.  With this, the bike is complete.

I tried to snap some photos of the new painted lettering ... but then found they have already put some photos on the Above Bike website better than any I could take.

We talked through the lettering for the bike name -- Yamabushi -- and my name at the base of the seat post, but for the head badge I just asked for something with my initials and said "omakase" -- leave it to you.  The result is a bit nautical, which goes well with the blue powder coat in the background.

UPDATE:  One element of the paint details NOT captured by AboveBikeStore's photos ... the painter's signature, at the base of the left chainstay just behind the BB.  Here:

FGMT

The Yamabushi is in the shop this week for a modification/upgrade ... so I have been riding my Bianchi Pista Concept 2006 fixie around town for the first time in awhile.  I had forgotten the joys of the fixie, but it all comes back quickly with some nice weather in the mornings following last weekend's typhoon.  If one of MOB's favorite blogs is the Fixed Gear Girl Taiwan (FGGT) site, then dare I lay claim to be, at least temporarily, "Fixed Gear Man Tokyo" (FGMT)?

My fixie as commuter bike, at the bike parking near my office.

UPDATE:  One commenter rightly noted the ugly addition of a kick-stand.  I reflected upon this, and realized that the kick-stand has not even really functioned effectively since it lost its bottom attachment.  And the bar tape is completely shredded.  And the seat is worn out, leather coming off around the tip.  Plus, with the dynamo hub-powered light, the other battery light on the top of the bars is unnecessary.

I need the brakes and a front/rear light, and bell and reflective tape, to use the bike as a commuter, but why make it any uglier, any less clean, than it needs to be?

Minus the kickstand and light; new bar-tape, matching saddle, and generally cleaned up

Another angle.  Still 2 rear lights. ... for safety.  Chain needs more tension ... 

My second fixie, now 7 years old ...

Saddle is a bit off-center ... will fix that now.  And tilt the bullhorn bars down a bit more parallel to the ground.

SR600: The Challenge ... Remains

Jerome and I planned yet another attempt at the Fuji SR600 this weekend.

This time, we would NOT be riding in stifling mid-summer heat, as Jerome had when he tried it last month.  And we would NOT start at night, with inadequate rest, as at end of June.  And we waited for a 3-day weekend, allowing time to start very early Saturday, finish very early Monday, and largely recover by Tuesday morning.

The nice thing about a "Permanent" Audax course is that one need not conform to the organizer's schedule.  No need to ride it in pouring rain or sweltering heat.  Instead, the course awaits us, whenever we choose to ride.

What we had not planned on was this weekend's typhoon, #18, which dumped some of the heaviest rainfall amounts in recent decades over much of central Japan.

Yet another photo of bike with Yamabushi Toge sign in background

We slept Friday night at a business hotel in Hachioji, were on the bikes by 3:40AM and were off from the start at Takao Station by 4:10AM, nearly as planned.  We made decent time, despite intense humidity, through western Tokyo, Chichibu and Gunma, and were at Karuizawa by 1PM.  The traffic was heavy on old Route 18 up to Karuizawa -- a road I had always thought was deserted.  Apparently a significant portion of the nearby population had decided to get a photo of Megane Bashi on the long weekend, as the parking lots nearby were at full capacity.  Of course, Karuizawa itself presented a long line of sitting traffic on Route 18.

Yet another photo of bike with Megane bashi in background

Someone puts a face on the "end of construction zone" sign up the hill from Megane bashi

By the time we left Kusatsu and started up Shirane-san toward Shibu Touge, it was dark.  Only a few hundred meters elevation about the town, we entered the clouds.  The clouds got thicker and I could no longer see Jerome's tail light ahead.  I spend the next 90 minutes or more completely alone, in the foggy dark, climbing with the edge line and dashed dividing line of the road the only visible markers.  Every 5 or 10 minutes, a vehicle would pass, creeping up or down the mountain -- its lights creating a glow as if it were a submersible moving through the deep ocean.  It was an otherworldly experience.  As my altimeter reading exceeded 2050 meters, I decided to cross the road and ride along the right hand edge, worried that otherwise I would miss the turn off into the checkpoint at the summit.

Road construction pylons add a bit of a guide on the climb up Shirane-san to Shibu Toge

Finally, I reached the Shibu Pass, 2176 meters, and found Jerome lying down at rest in his rain gear, waiting for me.

A bit different photo of Shibu Toge -- the highest point of any national highway in Japan (2176m elev).

The fog lifted after we descended a few hundred meters on the western side of the mountain, offering us a fantastic high-speed, clear-and-dry road, night-time descent all the way down to the valley, ending up at lower than 350 meters elevation.  

More convenience store food; more resting lying down on the pavement while digesting; then a 900 meter climb up to Sugadaira Kogen (1321 meters), followed by another spectacular night-time descent to Ueda.

Sugadaira sign and Dydo vending machine, at 2AM

We arrived at Shinano Kokubunji (Checkpoint #6), just past Ueda, around 2:45AM.  We had traveled more then 300 kms and climbed almost 6000 meters.  Jerome suggested we rest at the nearby "michi no eki" (rest area) he thought he had seen on a previous trip.  There was none, but we quickly found a real "eki" (train station) just up the road, with a nice veranda and generous roof overhang.  There was plenty of room to lie down, with our bicycles, and not fear the rain.

Entrance to Shinano Kokubunji, at 2:45AM

When we awoke a little after 5AM, only a light rain was falling.  We were on track and ready for the second half of the event.  But a note from a worried spouse about massive downpours in Tokyo, and closer to us along our intended route, caused us to think twice about the climb up to Utsukushigahara and back into the high mountains.  We checked the weather forecasts online.  Yamanashi Prefecture, through which we would pass on Sunday evening, was predicted to be a disaster area.  Rivers would overflow their banks; hillsides would slide down.  Evacuation preparations were being made for Doshi-Mura, a 20-30km stretch that we would pass in the wee hours of Monday morning, around the same time as the typhoon.

So instead of heading up the mountain, for once we adopted the more prudent course and hopped the bullet train home.

SR600 Fuji.  The challenge remains.

41 year old Oregonian with trick knee wins the Vuelta!

In case you did not notice, the Vuelta a Espana, last of this year's grand tours, finished on Sunday in Madrid.

The winner: Chris Horner, a pro cyclist for over 20 years, winner of many races in the U.S.A. before moving to the European scene and riding mostly as a domestique during his 30s.  Native and resident of Bend, Oregon.  The first North American winner of the Vuelta ever, and the first U.S. grand tour victor since ... Greg Lemond.  Horner is more than 5 years older than the next oldest winner of any of cycling's grand tours (Fermin Lambot, winner of the 1922 Tour de France).

Now, at age 41, after skipping the 2013 Tour de France due to (yet another) knee injury, Horner somehow managed to be defeat (28-year-old) Vincenzo Nibali, the favorite and winner of this year's Giro d'Italia, out-climbing him on each of the last 3 stages to regain a lead he had held once early in the race.

Informed commentators say that Horner seemed to catch fire only during the last segment of his Stage 10 victory in the Sierra Nevada, from Torredelcampo to Alto de Hazallanas.  Indeed, Horner seemed inspired just as he passed through Pinos Genil and briefly crossed the route taken by the gracefully aging team Positivo Espresso a few weeks earlier on their ascent of Pico de Veleta.  He flew away from Nibali and the others in the leading group on the following climb, dancing out of the saddle, "grinding a huge gear and making light work of a gradient that topped out at 18%, and regularly hit 15%."  After that, no one could have been surprised at his climbing on the last 3 stages.

Alejandro Valverde, who returned to the pro peleton in 2012 from his Operacion Puerto-related suspension (blood doping, Dr. Fuentes), and over the hill though 8 years younger (age 33) than Horner, rounds out the podium in 3rd.

Incredible.

Insect Gears

We all know about cyclists who turn a "monster gear" as they stomp the pedals.  And some of us like to have a "granny gear" just in case the hill gets a bit too steep or long.  Now, we find out about a newly discovered kind of built-in gear used by one animal, the lowly planthopper nymph.  Insect gears!

Watanabe & Watanabe - P.E. Approved

Since Jerome mentioned our new "approved" P.E. stop on the Venus Line, I thought I should give a bit more information for the benefit of the uninitiated.  The restaurant is at Tobira Pass (扉峠), a few kilometers to the NW of Wada Touge.  It is off the highway above a retaining wall, and its real name is the catchy "Japanese Restaurant Tobira" (和風れすとらん扉). 

When Jerome and I pulled in for lunch on the June-end weekend, Ms. Watanabe saw our SR600 frame badges and said "you must be doing that crazy 600 km thing, right?" We were not her first Audax customers that weekend, and the SR600 seems to be generating a regular flow of business.

They offered good, filling lunch food, reasonable prices, a very nice view, and the service was friendly.  What more could one ask for?

The New Kids in Setagaya (and across the river)

Today was very hot -- 36 degrees celsius in Tokyo.  Too hot for me to want to ride.  A day to grumble about what a miserable place Tokyo can be at times.

Then again, maybe it is not so miserable.  I was looking online for a place in Japan that I could get Chris King Ringdrive grease to do annual maintenance on my Chris King Classic rear hub, since World Cycle mail order shop did not have any in stock.  ... and I came across the website for SimWorks, the import business of Shinya Tanaka (Circles shop in Nagoya) that sells in Japan bikes by Mike DeSalvo, Rick Hunter, Cielo (Chris King) and others.

I started to drool as I looked at the list of products.  Everything is aesthetically pleasing, authentic and interesting.  It all shows a love of bicycles.  And the blog was fun too, with a post from yesterday about a DeSalvo belt drive bike, a look at some beautiful Sykes wood fenders and a post reporting on CharRie's Cafe, a Japanese woman (Rie Sawada -- with "char" or "chari" slang for bicycle in Japanese, hence "Char Rie") riding across Europe this summer and beyond on her Rick Hunter-built "coffee bicycle" -- serving coffee to thousands of cyclists around the globe from a moving cafe.  Simworks has a strong connection with Portland -- my hometown.

Then, it was on to the page listing dealers carrying Simworks brands. Not surprisingly, there were lots of them within 10 or 20 minutes' ride of my house.  I will stop by Above Bike Store -- just across the river in Kawasaki -- to see if they have the Ringdrive grease.  They have some beautiful bikes in the gallery.  Maybe I should get a custom paint job for a frame, or stop by the "wheel bar" for a new pair while I am there:

Or maybe I should make an appointment to visit Rew10, a Setagaya-based framebuilder.  Or stop by Blue Lug in Kamiuma.  Or visit one of the several CyPara (Cycle Paradise) shops in Setagaya.

I have been living here for 9 years, and thought I was following what was going on nearby at least when there was something interesting related to bicycles.  But I have never been to any of these places.

Some people think there is no future Tokyo ... but I am not so sure.  I resolve to get out and roam around a bit more.  It was just such a stroll looking for good bike shops that first led me to Positivo ... and eventually to Positivo Espresso.  Who knows what the future holds?

SR FUJI 600 / 2nd Attempt / Failed

After the 1st failed attempt to reach Takao in 52 hours due to unsufficient preparation & wrong timing, I was obsessed about it & decided to give it another try before David return to Japan (I was really upset not to be able to join him for LEL & positivo traditional summer training camp in Spain / See David previous blog)

After spending 4 days at Stephen paradise resort located in Oume, I decided to give another try even under such a hot weather. I started from Takao station on August 20th / 18h00 and rode back to Stephen chalet (on the course) to spend another night before the big challenge. As I was a bit nervous & the weather very hot, I enjoyed a good dinner with many beers & went to sleep early planning to wake up at 4 am the next morning....

As it was too hot I decided to sleep outside but forgot to bring my alarm clock... & woke up 2 hours later. As a result I left Stephen place at 6h30 under an already hot I should say suffocating & humid weather (already around 30 degrees). It was so hot that I needed to stop again at the magic fountain before Yamabushi climb where I sept another 2 hours...

I felt much better & cruised at a good speed until Fujioka where I had some chinese food before the climb to Karuizawa. briefly stopped at Megane bashi. By the time I reached Usui toge it was already close 2pm... 

The climb towards Karuizawa went smooth despite extremely hot weather & traffic jam. I was wondering why I could not see any other cyclist but soon understood that because of extreme weather conditions all Japan cyclist might have decided to stay home. 

Next climb - 8 kms to Kusatsu - was much harder as I was getting tired & dehydrated. My dream of enjoying a good italian dinner in this winter famous ski resort ended up with an Izakaya style one... the only restaurant opened after 8pm...

After leaving this Ghost City which I recorded as Dead City, I attacked the long climb up to Shirane Pass. I cycled through the ropeway start where I had a nice sleep during my 1st attempt & finally reached the top at 22h28 after a short rest mid course in order to change batteries & enjoy the view. By this time the temperature had dropped to acceptable levels

I really enjoyed the long descent in the darkness even if I could not go as fast as usual (was worried about animals suddenly crossing the road or stupid tanuki zooming on my front light), 

I finally met some colleagues (mountain bikers) at the next PC where they were sleeping deeply.

Since it was getting late I decided to stop & slept outside a circle K convenience store. I felt aslept soon after finishing a beer & woke with day light. Even the light rain could not wake me up....

The climb towards Sugadaira (18 kms) was really exhausting because of extreme temperature again but I fortunately found another magic fountain where I could cool down just before reaching the top.

Another long descent toward Ueda & next PC.

I felt strong until I had to start climbing again toward Utsukushigahara visitor center where I had to stop for fresh food (make sure to order their fresh juicy tomatoes if stop by this place). 

I had to stop many times & even rest 30 mn before reaching the top.

 I cycled through the Venus Line Roller Coaster & of course stopped at Watanabe & Watanabe wada pass inn. By the time I reached Shirakabako it was already 4pm. As I was exhausted I decided to spend the night in this other Ghost city. I found a nice hotel around the lake which was offering a all you can eat / drink dinner. I was respeeting my plan for a light meal / drink when I bumped into a nice couple of retirees whom I had seen at Utsuhigahara Visitor Center. As they discovered I could speak Japanese we started exchanges views (& drinks) about Japan. I finally went to bed at midnight wondering if I could make good of my commitment to start at 3 am<. Guess what? I could do it & soon attacked Mugi Kusa pass. Thanks to the altitude & early hour, weather was cool. I could reach the top before 6 am.

Everything was going smooth until I reached the bottom of Nobeyama when I started to feel really hungry. I had no food since previous dinner & could not find any convenience for the 60 kms between Shirakabako & Nobeyama (CVS opening hours around Shirakabako are regulated as they are located in a National Park - from 7 am to 7 pm) & all other CVS along the road seem to have gone bankrupt. Fortunately I finally found a CVS in Nobeyama as I was worried I would faint... A french man always needs to eat.

I could feel the heat striking back as I was descending from Kyosato (30 kms descent) heading towards Ashigawa. This part, with Chichibu to Fujioka road, is the most unpleasant part of the whole trip as you do not know weather you re in the country side or city. 

Happily the next part up to Kawaguchiko was much nicer although quite long & steep. After a brief stop before reaching the tunnel to Kawaguchiko where I enjoyed local strawberries with mugi cha I zoomed down to Kawaguchiko & Yamanakako

Another short stop at Yamanakako Positivo official 7/11, I headed toward sagamihara along the famous  Doshi Michi road & reached the final destination by 18h00. 

As a result it took me 72 hours (20 hours over the deadline) but I made it to the goal...

I swear I will try again (probably with David mid september) & make it within the time limit (52 hours) prior to challenging the deadly SR 600 Japan Alps with more than 12 000 meters of climb.

Into the Clouds While Avoiding Karuizawa

Tokyo has been unbearably hot the past few weeks.  Sunday brought brief respite, with clouds and drizzle bringing slightly cooler temperatures.

My younger son Henry and I had planned to escape the heat by head a one-day trip to Nagano, hopping an early Chuo Line express, riding up the hill from Chino through Tateshina, and then on to Sakudaira or Ueda for the train home.  Nagano at least would be cooler and less humid than Tokyo, and our route would take us into the upper reaches of Tateshina/Yatsugatake area -- at the least we would climb to over 1750 meters elevation.

We saw lots of groups of deer roaming the forest.

We pull off for a stop.

Starting to get wet!

Me too.

Indeed, the heat was no problem, as we climbed the Venus Line in a very gentle, misting rain.  By the time we got to 1500 meters elevation, however, the mist had turned into steady rain.  Even at this elevation, however, it was a warm, summer rain.

After one stop, we debated our course, deciding not to try Mugikusa Pass, but instead head north over Suzuran Pass, then down to Shirakaba-ko and Daimon Pass, then the 35+ kilometers down to Ueda to hop the Nagano Shinkansen back to Tokyo.

As we climbed toward Suzuran Pass, a familiar rider with Saitama Audax vest descended by us, moving too fast for any greeting, and looking as if he had not shaved in a few days.  This made me realize that we were on the SR600 course now, working backwards along the route Jerome had ridden less than 3 days earlier.  The Saitama rider must have on the same route.

A rider approaches out of the clouds. 

Henry!

At Daimon Pass, just about Lake Shirakaba.  Right turn for the descent to Ueda.

At Ueda Station, we saw that the reserved seats (shi-tei-seki) were sold out for the next 4 hours or more -- the electronic display a sea or red "x" marks, even the more expensive "green car" tickets.  We booked unreserved seating tickets (jiyuu-seki) and joined the snaking line on the platform near one of the boarding spots at the front end of the train.  Cars 1, 2 and 3 were unreserved and 4 through 8 were reserved.

Of course, Ueda is only the 2nd stop for Nagano Shinkansen trains headed to Tokyo, after the start in Nagano City.  We need not have worried -- this train line has been running since the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics, and not since February 22, 1998, the day of Closing Ceremony, has anyone boarding at Nagano or Ueda has ever failed to get a seat in one of the unreserved cars.  Passengers boarding at Sakudaira (3rd stop) also managed to sit down, though some were separated from their traveling companions.  

Only at Karuizawa (4th and last stop in Nagano) did people not find seats.  One lucky and aggressive male traveler at the front of the line managed to grab the last open seat in our car, and the other 20 or so who boarded our car from both ends stood in the aisles or in between the cars.  So if you visit Karuizawa and want to come back to Tokyo on a summer Sunday afternoon, you must get a reserved seat and be sure to catch your train ... or you will be standing for the 70+ minutes journey.

This I can add to my list of things I do not like about Karuizawa.  What else is there, you might ask?

Well, my last complaint was during the SR600, when I arrived at the top of Usui Pass and entered the town from the East at around 5:20AM, looking forward to some breakfast -- at least a convenience store, maybe more -- a Gusto family restaurant or Mc-Cafe.  Unlike EVERY other place I have been in Japan, it seems in Karuizawa even the convenience stores are shuttered until 6AM.  There was no Gusto in town, and the McDonalds I passed had a sign that it opens only at 6:20AM.  I rode through to Naka-Karuizawa and turned onto the Nihon Romantic Kaido, found a 7-11, and took a forced 30+ minute nap, hungry and slightly cold, as I waited for the opening hour.

These just add to the opinion formed when Jerome and I rode to Karuizawa from Tokyo in 2010, and arrived from the south having seen some spectacularly beautiful valleys, streams and mountains, only to join a sea of cars, sitting in the heat, full of people -- even leaving their cars to buy ice cream for the wait.  My wife tells me that Tokyoites like Karuizawa because it offers an opportunity for a "big city lifestyle in the countryside".  Indeed, if the traffic jam I witnessed was at all representative, it does just that!