With the rainy season arriving a few days earlier in every recent year (though the official weather gurus won't admit 露 has already started), this was a bad weekend for cycling. How much I liked the winter season for cycling - predictable weather and little rain. Luckily, over the weekend, my Monday meetings got cancelled and I was able to reserve the day for what I couldn't do on the weekend. Or so I thought, joyful about a forecast of lots of sun this Monday.
Alas, when I got up at 6am, the sky still looked threatening and the road was still very wet. I gave it another two hours. Not much improvement at 8am, but I decided to hope for the best and left at 9:15. Indeed - rays of sunshine reached the earth as I turned onto the Tamagawa. I was tempted to execute my original plan for the early start and ride all the way into central Gunma. But then dismissed the thought and headed for Otarumi and hopefully Yabitsu thereafter.
Had good wind until Takao and thought this would give me a good chance of breaking my best time up Otarumi. But as soon as I started the attack, the wind turned against me, and so did lots of trucks coming down the opposite way. 13:16 - same time as a week ago drafting Tom on the Itoigawa ride.
As I was making my first pit stop at a convenience store at the turn for David's secret ride along the backside of the lake, drops of rain emerged. Undeterred, I went on towards the turn for Doshimichi. But as I got closer, I saw a wall of rain in the mountains ahead. No point in going further, so I retreated direction of Hashimoto.
Finally, reaching Hashimoto, no more rain drops. I went up to the eastern entrance of the famous "tank road", also shown on this map:
With the rain gone, I though it might be nice to explore where I would get if I just continued westwards, beyond the designated park. Well, the road continues, for many more kilometers, lined by beautiful trees , always running on the ridge of the hill, and through lines of very nice and expensive looking houses, if not to say villas. What a nice discovery! Has anyone been here?
Eventually all good things come to an end, and I went on via routes 57 and 3 to Tsurukawa, Yurigaoka, Noborito, eventually in light rain, which became again ligher as I headed across the river into Setagaya-ku and disappeared as I got close to home (as always).
112km in all, with just one climb, and even that quite short. Not quite the ride I was hoping to do, but better than nothing, and at least I discovered a nice place to retire on the edge of Machida-shi.
Yes ... in fact I more or less live on the Tank Rd, but in a danchi, not a villa! Those villas get quite tacky in December, when they all compete to have the biggest, and most vulgar, xmas lights decorations.
ReplyDeleteAt the hottest time of year I go for 3am rides up and down the Tank Rd, when it's still dark, and not super hot yet. However, half the old folk in the area are having their morning hike at the same time - so powerful lights are a must.