Nishi Izu 200km brevet on the RAMAX. Sakura paradise ... then rain, wind, and dark. And climbs.

A quick rest at Dogashima while heading south. The RAMAX rests.

Vista south of Matsuzaki, just before Ishibu Tanada viewpoint

In foul weather after Heda, looking down at Ita, on the return leg.

After a cancelled/postponed 300km brevet last weekend, on Saturday I finally got my first "points on the board" toward qualifying for Cascade1400 with a 200km brevet. The event was held by AJ Nishi Tokyo, whose rides usually start from Machida, at or near the Cherubim (hand made bicycle) shop. 

This 200km event was highlighted online months ago by Joe Wein, who regularly rides Nishi Tokyo events, who loves Nishi Izu, and who has done a similar event several times before. When I checked in before the start, I told the organizers I was very happy to ride a 200km brevet on a course that I LOVE to ride, even if there is not a brevet. I would rank this as one of the best road cycling routes IN THE WORLD and one that rivals iconic locations such as Cap Formentor or Sa Calobra on Mallorca, or passes like the Stelvio or Galibier in the Alps. I have ridden this coastline North to South many times. But I never have tried the full coastline North to South, then South to North, in a single day. 

I was expecting a crowd ... but there were only a handful of people at the start area when I exited the north side of Mishima Station. There were 2 ride choices -- a route that went south along the western spine/ridge of Izu (the "Daruma-san") route because it went via Mt Daruma -- and the Matsuzaki route, that went along the coast in both directions. I had chosen the Matsuzaki route because it had a later 8AM start time. The Daruma-san route had been listed initially with a 7AM start, too early to arrive by train from Tokyo, though I saw now it had been switched to a 730AM start.

The organizers had capped the two routes at 20 riders each. And at least half of those registered had reported "DNS" (did not start). Indeed, the weather forecast showed rain was expected from mid-day and get heavier and heavier. The tenki.jp website did not look too ominous -- only "weak rain" until evening. But the Apple iphone weather site suggested we might get rain as early as mid-morning. The TV weather report on Friday night warned of typhoon-like wind gusts and heavy rain across all of Japan (though the worst of it seemed on the Sea of Japan coastline), with two low pressure systems moving from west to east and bringing potentially severe weather. I guess people were scared off. 

Anyway, I arrived around 730am after the Daruma-san riders had left. Only 6 (or so) riders were at the briefing for the Matsuzaki ride. One, Yo Okumura, was one of the organizers, who I have ridden with before. Joe Wein was there as well, with his Elephant NFE. They let us start early -- the briefing done and all riders signed in or reporting DNF. 

I really appreciated even 10-15 minutes early start, given the weather forecast for later in the day. And I knew that this would be one of the hardest 200km brevets I had done, if not THE hardest. (The other one that comes to mind was also a Nishi Tokyo 200 -- in October 2014, up around Mt. Fuji. The typical Audax 200 in Japan I have done is in January ... around the Miura Peninsula, or to Atami and back, or from Numazu west along the Shizuoka Coast -- all with no more than 1000-1500m of elevation gain. 

On Saturday, we would never exceed 300m elevation, but were going up and down constantly, and my Wahoo GPS recorded nearly 2900m elevation gain by the end. (Strava "adjusted" data showed just over 2700m climbing. When uploaded to ridewithgps, the summary shows 3027m elevation gain. The ridewithgps "route", which does not reflect tunnels, shows over 4500m climbing. Thank you, tunnels!) 

Indeed, a Spring 2015 R-Tokyo 400km brevet that went from Tokyo to Minami Izu (arriving on the Nishi Izu coast at Toi and leaving at Matsuzaki to ascend Jaishi Pass, and returning the same way), was as close as I have ever gotten to hitting the 27hr time limit for a 400km brevet. 

On the path along the Kamogawa

On the path along the Kamogawa (2)

On the path along the Kamogawa (3)

We reach the coastline at San-no-ura

I liked the route the organizers had chosen leading from Mishima station to the Kamogawa and its cycling path. There is no perfect way through Mishima and western Numazu to the Izu coast, but this was a pretty good one, especially the first few kms from the station. I will use it again. We started with nice weather -- cool, cloudy, but still dry.  Four of us started together and I tried to push ahead. Joe caught me at a couple traffic signals along the way and we rode together some, until I pushed ahead as we got to the cycling path. I know that Joe usually starts out slower than me and does not push quite as much, and this day in particular I wanted to bank a lot of time early in the ride.  The RAMAX is well-balanced for a TT style solo effort, and I could make good time with fresh legs over the first segment. It also gives me plenty of confidence on the descents. 

The route left the cycling path to cross the Kamogawa and cut East to pass near a historical iron furnace from the 1860s, then continued South up the valley to Shuzenji. The checkpoint opened at 8:42AM, and I relaxed the last few kms as I saw that otherwise I might arrive before it opened. I got there at 8:43AM and my receipt shows 8:46AM. I was leaving at 8:52AM as Joe and another rider (Hirano-san) were pulling in. 

No Fuji today

Imagine the rest of the mountain ... or don't need to imagine. 

Riding under a canopy of flowering sakura trees!

The climbing starts ... at Osezaki

The route crossed the river again and looped back North to Izunokuni then climbed a short (~75m elev) slope to the West, through a tunnel, and down to the coastline at San-no-ura. From here we followed the coast all the way South to Matsuzaki. From San-no-Ura, after 10~15kms of mostly flat riding, the route climbs above Osezaki and then goes up and down along the hill before descending into Heda. From Heda it climbs again, with more up and down high on the hill, until it descends into Toi Onsen. From Toi Onsen there is a flat stretch of 3-4kms, then a more gradual but long uphill, then a swift descent with some tunnels down to Nishi Izu-shi. In between Nishi Izu and Matsuzaki, there are more tunnels and all the up and down is quite short. 

More sakura between Heda and Toi

Toi Onsen

RAMAX leaning, just south of Toi

The entire way it seemed there were sakura along the road, there was little traffic (especially Shizuoka Rte 17 north of Toi Onsen ... a bit more as always on National Rte 136 south of Toi), the temperature was ideal, and I felt as if I had better stamina than even a few weeks ago, the result of a hard one-day ride each weekend, supplemented by a few shorter mid-week morning rides. 

This route was all familiar territory for me, until the area South from Matsuzaki. We headed up the familiar road for Jaishi Pass, but quickly turned off and took a parallel local lane past the Iwashina School, a building from 1880 that blends western and Japanese elements in what was, at the time, a novel design, and that symbolizes Japanese architecture's westernization.

Then we crossed the road to Jaishi and headed up a hill on a mountain road. This road was steep at times, but led through some very nice countryside. Eventually, there was a lovely vista, and then a parking area with an observation deck and a signboard -- looking down at the Ishibu Tanada tiered rice patties. This was our 108km turn-around checkpoint -- a photo of the signboard with brevet card.

Flowering trees and yellow rapeseed outside of Matsuzaki

Iwashina School

Near the Ishibu Tanada

Matsuzaki Coastline, on the return.

Lots of these or similar sculptures at intervals 

After a short descent, the route turned right onto Rte 136. The descent continued ... and brought back memories of climbing this hill in the other direction long ago. You get to it just as your fatigue tops out, legs in pain with lactic acid. There was an AJ Nishi Tokyo rider resting at a bridge at the bottom of this hill. He said he had come via the Daruma-san course -- even more climbing. We leapfrogged each other a few times. (I saw only one other audax rider, who passed me on the big hill before the Heda checkpoint, where we met a second time. He also had done the Daruma-san course. He was at the finish as well.

But to get back to Matsuzaki, there were more short ups and downs, and ups and downs. The view was spectacular, but my legs were not. In Matsuzaki I stopped at a Family Mart to get a nama-pasta ... but the relevant shelf was bare. I guess their afternoon delivery had not yet arrived. Not to worry, I found what I was looking for at another Family Mart within five minutes to the North. The food and short rest was what I needed.

I could count on my hands the number of rain drops that fell on me before the Ishibu Tanada checkpoint. There the raindrops started to fall in earnest. I put on my thin Endura rain shell for the descent. In Matsuzaki while stopped to eat, I added my shoe covers. Later on I unfurled my "Rain Legs" rain chaps. Then I switched to my warmer, water proof (err, resistant) gloves. What had been a "light rain" had, by Toi, become a "steady rain".  After Heda, I would call it even a "hard rain" -- certainly as I approached the finish. There was water in the road, puddles in places. As it got dark, I saw a big frog sitting in the road, in my headlight's beam.  Ten minutes later, there was a medium-sized frog, hopping left to right.  And later, a small frog hopping energetically. There was even what looked like a little sand crab sliding across the road.  On the descent into Heda, there were even some pretty violent wind gusts ... just as the TV weather had predicted. I had images of the recent pro peletion crash during the Strade Bianca where a cross-wind gust had taken down one rider, sending all those behind him flying. Fortunately, the wind quieted a bit for the next section.

Ashi no yu (foot bath) at Toi Onsen. 

Tourist info at Toi Onen

RAMAX leaning. Up a hill just North of Toi

The nearly two hours from Heda were just a long wet slog. I felt okay, no serious fatigue or specific aches or pains. As I entered Mishima I started to bonk a bit, so pulled off where there was an awning to offer a bit of a shield from the rain, to eat an onigiri from my back pocket. Before I knew it, I was at the goal. Soaked through, I bought a nice bath towel at the 7/11 where I needed to get my last proof of passage, and then dried off a bit at the Toyoko Inn in front of the station where the organizers were checking us in. 

How many finished? I don't know, but I guess not that many. There were a few riders packing bikes in rinko bags when I got to the Toyoko Inn, including the rider from the Heda checkpoint. Okumura-san was there, with suspiciously dry cycling clothes. He told me he had just ridden part of the route and DNFed before the rain hit. Joe reported Sunday that he and Hirano-san missed the time cut off by a few minutes in Heda, and slogged back to Mishima in the dark and wet. Did anyone else complete the Matsuzaki course other than me? I'm not sure. Indeed, this is a hard 200km. But it was just what I needed, following my last two weekend hard rides of Yanagisawa Pass and Mitsumine Shrine. If I can keep this up, I will be ready for Cascade1400.

Attack Mitsumine Shrine -- RAMAX Maximum Adventure Ride (and Hike); Served by a Robot

Bike & Hike

Jerome (in road shoes w/ cleat covers)

Nice view ... from 1200 meters elevation.

Saitama Audax brevets are usually named "Attack [place name]". Jerome's first 600km ride was, I believe, the 2011 version of "Attack Nihonkai" -- we rode from Iruma-shi (Saitama) to the southern outskirts of Niigata-shi on the Sea of Japan, and back. Yesterday, we were scheduled to ride the Saitama "Attack Ashitaka" (アタック愛鷹) 300km brevet. Mt. Ashitaka is on the southern shoulder of Mt. Fuji. The route for this event heads SW from Iruma through Oume, Takao, and Sagamihara cities, then climbs up to Yamanakako via Doshimichi, over Yamabushi and then Kagozaka Passes, descends to Gotemba, then goes around the large volcanic cone-shaped Mt. Ashitaka by climbing up to Fuji Safari Park and then descending the far side down to the Sagami Bay ... before returning all the way to the start in Iruma. Indeed, this was the same course that Jerome and I rode last October.  I was definitely out of shape then, and there was a lot of climbing (and a couple hours of cold hard rain). It took me 19 hours out of the 20 hr time limit to finish. I was hoping we could shave an hour or more off that time.  

This weekend, Jerome had done another long ride on Saturday (200km plus more to/from the start/goal), so he was hoping to string two one-day rides together as preparation for a multi-day event like Cascade 1400.

We got to the start under Toyomizubashi in Iruma around 630AM via Jerome's car ... and no one was there. Checking the organizers' website, we saw a notice from nearly two weeks ago that the event had been postponed ... just like last weekend's 200km brevet by a different organizer, and Jerome's 400km Chiba ride last month. Other audax events have gone ahead without postponement ... indeed, I had checked the event's webpage, even downloaded the most recent cue sheet, just the day before, but I had not checked the general Saitama Audax "news and events" page where I would have found the notice. After apologizing to Jerome, we discussed what we would do. There we were in Iruma, 50km NW of our typical starting point, before 7AM on a Sunday of a 3-day holiday weekend. We quickly dismissed the idea of riding the 300km Mt. Ashitaka course. It passed many areas that are within riding distance of our homes. If instead we headed further west or northwest, we could ride territory that is out of reach for a typical day ride from west central Tokyo.

I suggested we head west toward Chichibu, go over one of the passes that avoids the tunnel on Route 299 (Shomaru Pass or Karibazaka Pass), then try Mitsumine Shrine to the far WSW of Chichibu City. If we got through with that string of climbs quickly (midday) and the weather held ... we might even try Saitama Route 210 through the wilds of deep western Saitama to Shigasaka Pass, and return back. We had never done Mitsumine, nor Route 210, by bicycle. (I had been to the shrine once by motor vehicle, as 99% of the arrivals travel).

Leaving Rte 299 for the climb to Shomaru Pass

RAMAX leaning

Jerome arrives at Shomaru Pass

Jerome was slow starting out, no doubt due to his long ride on Saturday. I had the rare experience of easily leading him up the Shomaru climb and waiting at the top. We quickly descended into Chichibu City and found a Gusto family restaurant for breakfast along our route. We ordered a "volume" breakfast set from a touchpad at the table. A robot brought our food. It thanked us after we took our trays from its shelves, then happily returned toward the kitchen area.  This was a new experience for both of us. Wow, I thought, I had no idea Gusto was using robot servers. I felt out of date, behind the times. The only human interactions were when we entered the restaurant (someone told us to sit anywhere we liked), and when I paid.  I asked the employee how long they had been using the robot. She hesitated and seemed to be considering carefully the right response. "Nine days", she finally said.  Okay, at least I did not feel so behind the times anymore.

Serving robot leaves after thanking us.

We headed WSW taking a parallel road to Route 140 through much of SW Chichibu City. It had almost no traffic. Eventually the road ended and we rejoined Rte 140. A bit further on we pulled into the Arakawa michi-no-eki for a restroom break. As I returned to the bicycles, Jerome was talking with a woman cyclist. she had an Audax reflective vest, and a reflective triangle "slow vehicle" symbol as well. She told Jerome she had just come from Mitsumine Shrine. She was doing a Nihombashi Audax 300km ride that had NOT been cancelled. (Instead, they stretched out the start times to avoid any crowd or gathering at the start/goal.) She had started alone or nearly so in the middle of the night, ridden from central Tokyo, climbed Mitsumine Shrine (elev ~1000m) in what must have been quite cold temperatures and was on her way back. Respect. 

We saw a few other Nihombashi audax riders headed back as we continued toward Mitsumine. But we had a different plan. Mitsumine can have heavy traffic on a narrow road. So some riders take a different route on the other (NE) side of the mountain all the way up to around 1220m elevation, through a short tunnel, and descend to the shrine at just over 1000m.  Indeed, this route has even been used for a hill climb race at times in the past. Our plan was to take this rindo, then after a quick lunch at the shrine, to descend the main road.

Onto the climb - beautiful and empty road.

We found the turnoff and started the climb. Jerome lagged -- unusually -- his fatigue from the day before still showing. It was a lovely road -- wide, empty, and not TOO steep -- all the way up a valley to a "fishing spot" (釣り場) that had a parking lot full of cars. From there, the road turned up steeply and was blocked by some "no way through" signs and pylons. On the left side, however, there was a note that visitors to Taiyou-ji temple should move the barriers and proceed. 

Lots of these signs up here.

On the left side is the note that visitors to Taiyou-ji may proceed.

A nice spot to rest and wait a bit for a tired Jerome

I rode to the next switchback, where there was a babbling brook and I could wait for Jerome in the sunlight. The next segment was to the turn off for Taiyou-ji. Here was another gate across the road we would take. There was a helpful sign that the road led to a trailhead for the climb up Mt. Kirimogamine. 

We continued, but soon found sections where the road was covered with snow, only tire tracks exposed. We could ride in the tracks, but needed to be careful and watch for icy patches. In some places, the snow was a bit deeper and crustier, and so riding into the edge of the track would be dangerous. We proceeded slowly, walking at times.

No more tire tracks ... only an animal.

Finally we passed the Kiromogamine trailhead, marked by a small gazebo/picnic table. The tire tracks ended here and the road headed around a bend so it was on a north facing slope that did not get sunlight. On the next snowy section there were only ... animal tracks. Deer? I saw three further up the hill. Bear? We saw MANY bear warning signs but no bears... perhaps the local bears were still hibernating. Or else they had awoken and were very hungry?

From here, the last 2+ kms to the tunnel through the mountain, we would walk the entire way, sometimes pushing and sometimes carrying our bikes where the snow got deeper.  

More animal tracks

I was glad to have MTB shoes. Jerome, meanwhile, had road shoes with rubber covers on his Look Keo cleats. Not ideal for this long a walk! But we made it. It was a long traverse, it was cold at 1200m elevation in the snow, it was not so easy to walk carrying a bike. But it was never so far, nor so cold, nor so hard that we considered turning back. The vista was spectacular, its own reward. I am afraid that the average speed for our ride ... dropped pretty precipitiously on this climb. On Strava I could see that I was the third fastest to do the climb this year ... out of three. The other two were recorded in early January, before the snowfall, and must have just ridden up at a good pace.

Once through the short tunnel, we could quickly descend the rindo to Mitsumine. There were plenty of snowy stretches still, but on this side the snow on the road was wet and at most a few centimeters deep. We could ride through it downhill being careful not to go too fast, nor to brake or turn suddenly. We knew we were approaching the shrine when we came to another closed gate ... and a huge parking lot full of cars. 

Outer gate to the Mitsumine Shrine complex

We went up the path toward the shrine entrance and found a cafeteria full of visitors. There were three bicycles together out front. No audax rear-triangles, but they looked as if they might be part of our extended Audax family.  Sure enough, we entered to find Messrs. Minoda (Aoba organizer), Tachibana (Gunma organizer) and Shimura. Shimura-san's bike was a beautiful titanium SEVEN, with his name painted on the top tube. Minoda-san we have known a long time from Aoba rides and as a local -- I would come across him on his daily commute down (then up) the Tamagawa Kawasaki occasionally when I lived near Futako Tamagawa. Tachibana-san I've also met before on rides. I follow him on Strava and am always amazed to see him racking up 200km+ rides on a typical weekend. He has already gone over 9,000 kms this year ... a significant share of that on Zwift.

Messrs Shimura, Minoda, and Tachibana

On the veranda

I think Jerome and I burned a few more calories than they did on the climb!

Jerome and I could only get a seat quickly on the veranda outside ... but we could warm ourselves by the wood stove inside then sip hot tea as we waited for our food, and were relieved that the glass wind barrier kept it quite warm even on the veranda outside of the restaurant. The other three audax riders said farewell and headed down the hill and we relaxed and finished our meal. 

We got on our bikes and started down the hill ... first passing what seemed like at least a kilometer long line of cars waiting patiently to enter the parking lot. I was glad we had come up the rindo, and very glad not to be arriving there by motor vehicle. Most of the descent was fast ... switchbacks that were long enough to gather up good speed yet still brake in plenty of time for the curve.  On the RAMAX, I could descent with confidence, the disk brakes working like a charm. After we were more than halfway down, the road narrowed. At points we waited behind a car that had stopped to let opposing traffic pass. Jerome said "they need a more powerful politician." Indeed, this route gets enough traffic so it would seem to merit some sky bridges like Yanagisawa Pass on Route 411! 

I'm thankful I did not drive here.

In any event, at the bottom of the hill, there was a red light and a line of cars, just before the road narrows to a single lane to cross over the spillway of a dam. Jerome went ahead and I followed. We were almost across when the line of opposing traffic came at us ... but there was plenty of room for two bicycles to slide by without inconveniencing them. We saved at least 5 minutes right there. Further down the hill we can to another long 3-way traffic signal ... and were able to move by the cars, to the front of the line ... and there we met the three riders who had left at least ten minutes ahead of us. 

I'm on the drops in front.

The five of us rode together to Chichibu. Jerome and I could hang with them well on the gradual downhill ... but we lost contact on the flat stretch going into town, riding along a line of cars. Those guys are all very strong riders! We caught them again ... as they waited at a light, and said our farewells. They were heading back to town via 299 and Yamabushi Pass. We were heading in a large arch to Yorii and then down along the east side of the mountains back to Hanno/Iruma.

The rest of the ride was ... around 25 kms arching to the north/east, parallel to the Arakawa as it flows from Chichibu City through Nagatoro and to Yorii, then another 40+kms to the southeast via Ogawamachi, Ogose, Moroyama, Hidaka, Hanno, and finally to Iruma. By far the longest stretch was heading southeast on Saitama Route 30, a very familiar road. Finally, we turned off onto Saitama Route 262 for the last stretch into Iruma ... the short ups and downs on this stretch reminded me of past Saitama brevets starting at Toyomizubashi, even that 2011 "Attack Nihonkai".  

Across the road from our convenience store food stop in Chichibu City

Near dusk, passing Yorii

We made excellent time on the last 65kms ... with Jerome pulling or at least leading much of the last 40 from Yorii back to Iruma, because he had his iphone attached to his handlebars and had the route visible, whereas I did not have it in my Wahoo. But other than a brief stretch where I felt as if I were "riding-while-digesting" after food stops in Chichibu City in both directions, I felt pretty strong the entire day. The RAMAX is now officially dialed-in and is very comfortable. With the Panaracer Gravel King 700x28 tires, it both climbed and descended very nicely. With a 120mm stem, my body position is just right. Nothing ached after 185kms and 2300m of climbing. The bike continued to feel comfortable for the long cruising stretch back to Iruma.  The only pain I suffered alld ay was some "hot foot" later in the ride, but a minor tweak to the location of the right shoe's cleat seemed to resolve that entirely.

The RAMAX model name means "Randonneuring Adventure MAXimum" ... and today we did our best to live up to that.