05 January 2017

New Year Week rides

Today at Shiroyama Lake/Dam. It felt like a gale force wind
This week has been typically good early January riding weather in Tokyo.  The first five days of the New Year have seen highs of at least 10 degrees C (50 F), lows above freezing at least a few degrees, sunny days and swirling, gusty winds.  The 6th and 7th should the same, and much of next week after some potential clouds and rain even late Sunday and early Monday.
Today at Shiroyama Lake/Dam
Anyway, after resting on the 2nd to recover from the brevet, I have gotten in short but gradually longer rides daily.  31 kms on the 3rd (cut short because of an equipment failure), 55 kms on the 4th, and almost 90 kms today.  If all goes well I will get in at least one more longer ride, on the 7th.  And these are actually training rides, subject to my not wanting to push too far or too long since I really need to focus on getting some work done otherwise this week.

On Tuesday, January 3.  A wintry afternoon's pastel blue sky.
Tuesday short ride

Wednesday slightly longer ride

Thursday (today) decent ride

4 comments:

Richard said...

I am often at Shiroyama lake these days, but on foot. I have a crazy walking route (from near Machida Cherubim), which takes me along the Sakai river to Hashimoto > horrible walk (or bus if I'm lazy) to Shiroyama > walk along a mountain path to near Mt Takao > walk mainly along rivers back home (or take an urban route via Aihara). Sometimes I include the entire length of the Tank Road (including the extension to route 16) on the way out, or back.

That fact that I can do this (or an endless number of variables) just by walking outside my front door, makes me content to live in the boonies :-)

Somehow these days I walk much more than I cycle ...

Matt said...

Hi - love the site! I'm travelling to Japan soon for the first time and plan to do a lot of riding around Kyoto. Can you recommend any resources for bike rental and route planning?

Richard said...

Matt,

For starters, have a look here for info about renting: http://www.tokyointernationalcyclists.com/search?q=rental

It's Tokyo-centric though ,,

David Litt said...

Thanks Richard. I was also going to suggest Matt try that group, or TCC (tokyocycle.com) BBS for recommendations as I do not know much about Kyoto routes.
As for shiroyama hikes ... I was looking a bit longingly at the big houses in the area and thinking ... if only the elevation was a couple hundred meters higher so that it was cooler in the summer ... it might be a good 3- or 4- day a week location on the edge of the countryside. But I think I would miss the urban experiences and my next move is probably closer bit further from the middle of town?