UPDATE: The Sunday ride started according to plan. Tristan, Graham and I headed out on dry pavement, Jerome caught up, and we met Tom and Ludwig at Tamagawahara-bashi. 6 people -- not bad for a group of expats on an early Sunday morning in mid-summer, with a questionable weather forecast. We decided to head for Takao and then, if all went well, over into the low hills around Sagamiko. The sky was very dark.
As we headed out the river to the WNW, we could see rain and very low clouds, and soon we entered the precip -- real tsuyu (rainy season) or September typhoon season weather, with tiny drenching droplets of warm rain.
Ludwig quickly said he wanted to head back, not favoring a ride in the wet. But he kept with us to the bridge over the Tamagawa, where he and Tom decided to head out Yaen-kaido toward Onekansen, rather than Takao (an easier "u turn" if the rain did not let up). Somehow I was expecting that even if Ludwig and Tom showed up, they would probably head off in a different direction, since they like to ride solo and have finally become a good fit for trips together. Graham, Tristan, Jerome and I pushed on toward Takao, starting up the Asagawa.
The rain got heavier and heavier, the closer we were to the hills surrounding Hachioji. We were still a few kilometers short of Hachioji Station, at a place where the route along the Asagawa involves multiple turns and road crossings, when Tristan slipped and went down -- I heard a "bam" of someone hitting a guardrail behind me. He banged his thigh hard, but fortunately nothing broken, just what looked like it will be a nasty, painful bruise.
We continued on into Hachioji, found a Denny's and sought shelter and breakfast, to see if the weather would improve. It did not, so we headed back. (Except for Jerome who, having had at least 3 cups of coffee and 4 of cola, decided it would be a shame not to at least go up to Otarumi Pass and back, having made it this far).
By the time we got back across the river the rain had almost ceased and we were on dry pavement again. We did a short detour, one trip up the Yomiuri-V-Dori to show Tristan and Graham the location, then Tristan and I did a semi-team time trial along the road on the Kawasaki side back to Futakotamagawa, Graham not far behind.
When I got home, my wife and son reported that it it had not rained at all in Tokyo while we were getting soaked just a bit closer to the western hills.
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ORIGINAL POST: It has been awhile ... but is anyone else in town (Tokyo, that is -- not Bremen, London, Grenoble or one of the other branches) and interested in a social ride on Sunday, heading out relatively early Sunday morning? I think Jerome is also in.
Maybe a 7:30AM start from Kaminoge (my house), or 7:10AM Ebisu, or 8:00AM from Tamagawaharabashi (the bridge that crosses the Tamagawa just after the Keio-kaku keirin stadium and leads to Onekansen)?
No detailed route plan -- depends on the weather and the group.
The forecast is for cooler, cloudy weather, with a chance of rain showers -- could be worse.
Leave a reply in the comments or drop me an email if you are interested.
I might join, but it all depends on the weather. The rainy season has returned... Let's see what the forecast is in 24 hours from now.
ReplyDeleteWill be on top of Tamagawarabashi (right side facing the mountains) @ 8:00 (but not if it is already raining from the start - rain mid-ride = noprob). Looking forward to seeing David, Jerome & other PE folks and to doing a social gentleman's pace ride for a change (for a change, cause when with Ludwig, he's always trying to (out)race me) :D !!
ReplyDeleteHaha, if only! I'm never trying to race you, just trying to keep up with you and not make you wait for too long! If you want a real race up a hill, I can do that too, once in a while.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, weather permitting I will be at Tamagawarabashi at 8:00am. I'll e-mail if I'm not leaving the house (on time). Let's hope for the best (weather).