Shonan Coast Beauty

Today I did my 4th ride of the "Festive 500". Ride 500kms from Dec 24 to Dec 31. As of evening of Dec 28, I am at 419 kms. So should be easy peasy from here ... as long as I can avoid injury of last minute mechanical failure.

Nils, Andrew and I planned to meet at Minami Machida station on the Denentoshi Line at 8AM. I left home around 640-645am and made very good time, arriving around 8:05. They took the train from Futako Tamagawa and arrived a few minutes later. Andrew had picked Minami Machida because it is very close to the Sakaigawa, a river that has a bike path along it 95% of the way to Enoshima. This is as good a way as any to get to Shonan Coast - train to Minami Machida (to avoid racing trucks on Route 246 as I did early this morning), then down the riverside.

After a few kms we joined the route that I once rode on my commute to teach a weekly class at Keio SFC campus. I was leading the way this morning, knowing each corner, where there was traffic or not, where a rider needed to slow or even unclip from one cleat to get through a barrier, having ridden this probably 50 times over a 3-year period. 

The first stretch was nice and semi-rural, lots of fields. Then there was a more suburban section. Then there was a section of depressing public housing. And more variety, then we were in the town of Fujisawa, across Route 1, in an urban area, and finally to the water! Wow! It was glorious today.

We snapped plenty of photos, then headed west, trying to ride the sandy-but-paved path along the beach as much as possible, instead of the faster, but less scenic, road. I have never seen the Shonan coast as beautiful as it was today. Dramatic clouds and sun, waves, surfers, Mt Fuji partially visible in the distance. What a scene!

Anyway, we stopped for lunch about 14 kms before Odawara Castle at one of Andrew's regular haunts for a delicious, reasonably priced lunch, then continued on to Odawara and toured the castle grounds by bicycle (no other cyclists riding around ... but no one stopped us).

Andrew and Nils continued on toward Atami. I rode up to Hakone Yumoto and checked out the beginning of the Kyu-Tokaido, just to think about using it on upcoming rides out of Odawara this Winter/early Spring, when weather permits. Then it was back to Odawara 103kms total, and a quick (27? minute) 3000 yen shinkansen trip back to Shinagawa. Almost too easy, too glorious.

GPS track is here.

Map below.

Happy New Year Ride - Gantan (January 1) Miura 200kms!

First Sunrise of the New Year

The past few months I have not been riding as much as I would like. Yes, commuting daily and in-town errands give me a more-than-decent mileage count, but do not really build endurance or much of anything else even if they keep me from getting stir-crazy.  The longest weekend rides I have done have been a few half day trips with Jerome -- Daigo Rindo/Iriyama Pass, Tsuru Tsuru Onsen and the like. Too many weekend commitments, too much on my plate, too much lethargy. I hope that with Fall classes ending I can catch up on everything, including cycling.

So it was a great relief to start 2017 with a bang and complete a 200km brevet on January 1.  In fact, the event was done by midday, so I could get "on the scoreboard" in the New Year as early as practical.

Riders prepare and wait, with Futako Tamagawa Station visible in the background

Over 120 riders showed up at Futako Tamagawa between 11PM and midnight to ride the AJ Tamagawa event. There was a long line at the check-in table -- I showed up by 11:30PM but did not get my brevet card until almost midnight.  I needn't have worried, since I was assigned to "Wave 4" of riders (with Wave Zero going at Midnight, and with 5 minute intervals, that meant a 12:20AM start.) At least I could chat with some friends and see others while waiting in line (though, frankly, it was difficult to recognize people in the dark and with everyone bundled up in winter garb). I was glad to be wearing warm clothes so that a half hour standing in the cold and dark did not leave me shivering.

Our route, counterclockwise

This 200km took almost entirely familiar routes, but mostly ones that I use no more than a few times a year. The exceptions were the beginning -- which for a brief time tracked my former Keio SFC weekly commute route, then at about 6.5 kms into the trip, as we headed out Route 246, almost no traffic at 12:45AM on New Year's day, turned left at the Arima Hospital crossing, and went down an unfamiliar road (Kuyakusho Dori?) for around 10kms before meeting Nakahara Kaido.  I will try this route again, as it seemed a more pleasant way to get well out into Yokohama than Route 246, though not easy to judge its suitability based on one trip in the middle of the night.

Anyway, there is not so much to report about this ride. I tried not to push too hard. I often would get together with a group of riders, and lose them as they accelerated from a traffic light. Then after 500 meters or so, I would gradually start to close in on them.  When they would get stuck at another light, I would roll in, sometimes catching them just as the light changed. This happened many times on the outbound leg near Isehara/Hiratsuka, and again on the return leg in southern Yokohama - Kanazawa area by Kanazawa Hakkei sea paradise and Route 357.  I just did not have fast acceleration after a midnight start, on the somewhat heavier Oregon Randonneur bike, and I refused to waste the energy to act like a jack rabbit at the start after each red light. In the end, I covered the distance just about as quickly as the jack rabbits on their carbon framed bikes.

As I headed east along the coast road after the first checkpoint, through Oiso/Chigasaki, I noted how quiet it seemed. Where were all the youth, staying up all night in celebration of the New Year? Japan really must be aging quickly, I thought.  I need not have worried, since the partyers were out in numbers around Enoshima and Kamakura. There were even some minor coastal traffic jams, now after 4AM.  It was relatively quiet again through Hayama, Zushi and toward Misakiguchi. I felt sorry for the guy at the cash register at the Family Mart in Miura, working at 5AM on January 1. At least he looked like he might be the owner of the store, if it is a franchise operation.

Cars lined up on a side road ready to watch the sun rise over the bay and Chiba. This field with a gradual slope from the hilltop down to the bay always gives a nice vista

As I came around to the eastern side of the tip of the Miura peninsula, just after 6AM, I could see many people had driven out to watch the sunrise.  It got more and more crowded as I continued along the coast.  I pulled off a little after 630AM, knowing the sun would be up in 10-15 minutes, and was rewarded with a beautiful sunrise over hills and low clouds across the bay in Chiba.  Continuing up the coast, there were lines of cars, full parking lots and many local traffic jams created by the sunrise viewing motorists.

A few sunrise watchers in the foreground on the beach.

Many more sunrise watchers waiting in traffic a bit further up the coast.

My energy was flagging as I entered Yokosuka from the South. I found a Denny's and stopped by for breakfast, feeling sympathy for the waitresses who had duty on January 1.  I was pleasantly surprised to get two eggs, a slice of bacon, Japanese sized single sausage, small salad, 2 pancakes with syrup and whipped butter, water, and refillable coffee, all for 592 yen (inclusive), or just over $5. Impressive. And I seemed to remember past Japanese Denny's as pricey.

The Oregon Randonneur bike rests at Kannonzaki. Tsunami warning sign.

Mt. Fuji peeks over the hilltop as I pass through the Oppama/Kanazawa Area. It was visible much of the daylight portion of the ride.

Entering the Minato Mirai ("Harbor Future") area of Yokohama on the return trip.

Anyway, it was a great way to start the New Year. I was at the finish in Futako (a 7-11 at the foot of the hill below St. Mary's International School) just a few minutes after Noon, and could sleep all afternoon into evening, then again all night, and feel ready to face the challenges of 2017.

*Of course, doing a 203km ride on January 1 qualified me for completing Strava's January Gran Fondo challenge (a ride of 100km or more during this mid-winter month).  So I signed up on Strava and uploaded the ride data (after cropping the first few recorded minutes of the GPS track, as I had started recording on my iPhone just before midnight).  I was in good company completing the challenge on the first day, my name appearing with on my Strava feed alongside a real ultra-distance cyclist, HAM'R contestant Steven Abraham, who in October 2016 set the record for most miles ever recorded on bicycle in a single month (7104 miles or 11433 kms). What a great sport.

Festive 500 ... Makes it 13941 kms for 2014

It is again time for the Rapha "Festive 500" challenge.  Unlike the other Rapha challenges, which just entitle you to an "opportunity" to buy commemorative cycling gear, this one actually has a prize -- a small sew-on patch!

500 kms to ride from December 24 to December 31.

I am off to a good start, as today I rode to my office, then to Keio Shonan Fujisawa Campus to teach a class, then home from SFC -- 98 kms total.  Tomorrow no riding plans, but I hope to get in another 100 kms or so on the 26th.  And on the 28th I plan to ride out with Jerome as he heads for Nagoya ... I should be able to get in well over 100 kms before hopping a train home.  So that would leave under 200 kms left over the 27th, and 29th, 30th, 31st.

I was on the Canyon Shark today with the Gokiso wine red hubs/wide carbon clinchers.  So I set a bunch of "personal records" on the Fujisawa commute.  The bike is fast, and the wheels are really fast, I think my fastest yet for this kind of rolling ride.

I was especially pleased with this one segment.  Ranked 15 out of 369 riders over a 5.6 km TT, one second ahead of professional rider James Machin, aka "Far East".

Yes, I had a bit of tailwind on the trip home ... but that does not explain the other fast times on the way out of town with a bit of headwind!

UPDATE (Dec 31):  With another 201 kms ridden on December 28 ... to Shizuoka over Atami Pass, the Festive 500 was within easy reach, except I caught a cold and was off the bike (except for errands) the next two days.  On the morning of the 31st, I rolled up the Tamagawa to Hino-shi and back, with a few minor loops added in, to stretch my legs and clear 500 kms without, I hope, delaying my recovery from the cold.

Total riding for 2014 -- 13,941 kms.  This is consistent with the past several years.

The basic 4 or 5 days per week bicycle commute of almost 24 kms round trip to Azabu has given me a base of 96-120 kms per week, which adds up over the full year.  The year started slow, with my 2 early season brevets cancelled due to snow and its aftermath, and January through March each below 1000 kms.  April and September were big months, over 1600kms/1000 miles each.  April featured MOB's visit, the Fleche and Nishi Tokyo 300 Brevet.  September featured the R-Tokyo Ise 1000 Brevet.   But really each month from July to December I rode more than 1150 kms.

For 2015, I will get in plenty of mileage, so need to focus a bit more on actually training a bit for specific events.  That said, my main goals are endurance focused:  (1) PBP in August and (2) an SR600 in June.  I would like to add something more speed focused -- if I can get set for Giro delle Dolomiti with MOB and friends, then I will add that at end of July.  Otherwise, maybe some domestic Japanese races with JCRC ...

74 Km Commute

Today was a beautiful day, and it also happened to be the day of the week when I go out to Keio SFC to teach a corporate law class in the public policy management faculty.

So I enjoyed a really, really nice 74 km round trip commute.  My legs are not quite fully recovered from this weekend's brevet, so I took it easy and no records were set, but it was a great day for a ride, even a ride including 15 kms each way on Route 246.  as well as other sections along a river, through neighborhoods, etc.

A few detours as I looked for the shopping center en route with QB House.

One of the nice parts of the ride home!

With 3 commutes to SFC this month, the Fleche (380+kms), the Nishi Tokyo brevet (350+kms), my regular commutes into town, and a few shorter rides, I am now at 1395 kms for the month.  And we have yet to enter Golden Week.

Yugawara

My wife planned an onsen ryokan (hot spring inn) trip for our family, just an overnight on Christmas Eve/Christmas Morning with our two sons back in town from university for the holidays.  She found a place in Yugawara.  Yugawara is a town on the coast between Odawara and Atami, just at the gateway to the Izu Peninsula from the eastern (Tokyo) side.

As the weather was nice, and I needed to stop back at the Keio SFC campus to teach a class on Wednesday afternoon (Christmas is NOT a public holiday in Japan), of course, I decided to ride my bicycle.  I had wanted to take Yabitsu Pass, but my start was delayed until just before 1PM, so I headed straight out Route 246.  This meant I would traverse the entirety of Kanagawa Prefecture and its sprawl in each direction.  Not my favorite place for riding, but if I need to do it, best in winter.

I turned south off Route 246 somewhere around Yamato as 246 got completely clogged up, with the shoulder too narrow at places to pass the cars and trucks at anywhere near full speed.  I hunted and pecked my way to the coast, through Samukawa and to Hiratsuka, names I recognize but cannot quite place.

As I rode along the coast, at one point I saw a sign for the "Pacific Coast Bicycle Path" and headed about 200 meters off Route 1 to find a bike path adjacent to the Seisho By-Pass.  I had seen the sign before, on ekiden rides, but never tried it.  The bike path was passable, but only continued for 2 kms and ended in a sandy cul-de-sac.  I needed to dismount through the sandy patch, then remount and head back up a neighborhood street to Route 1.  (On the way back, I also took this path, and managed another 500 meters or so in the eastern direction to confirm the entire length.  The eastern end also dumped out into a bit of sand.  Slower than Route 1, pathetically short, but good to know of.

Mikan orchards between Odawara and Yugawara

Route 135, the coastal road from Odawara to Yugawara offered its benefits, despite the traffic volumes.  The fresh air and views were a relief, both in late afternoon and the following day.

The last surprise was finding the onsen.  I got to Manazuru, just north of Yugawara, around 430 or 445PM.  Only then did I try to identify the exact location of the onsen.  It was not in Yugawara, but at the far edge of "Oku Yugawara", more than 5 kms beyond Yugawara station and at several hundred meters elevation.  I arrived in the dark, after 515PM.  The attendant took my bicycle inside and to a luggage room, no questions asked.  I wanted to go straight to the room and meet my family, but was told "no", the correct order was that I first rest in the lounge and be served a bowl of "macha" tea.  This happened very quickly, I downed it in one gulp, and was led to the room.  Greetings, then off to a hot bath and a gorgeous meal.

Trying to get a photo without a car in it ...

Was a bit of a challenge.

Yabitsu Pass in December

Most places in the northern hemisphere December 1 is long past time for riding over passes.  Not in the area around Tokyo, where we are blessed with relatively dry, sunny weather and fall foliage in late November through December.  Today was no exception.

My tire went flat here on the lower Yabitsu climb. I could enjoy the view while I changed the tube!

I took one of the shorter classic Positivo Espresso routes, just under 120kms -- out Onekansen Doro, the "tank road", Machida Kaido, the south to briefly join Route 413, then looping around the North side of Lake Tsukui, winding my way to Lake Miyagase, then up and over Yabitsu Pass (Elev 760m -- approx 2500 feet), and down the South side to Hadano.

Instead of taking the slow Odakyu train home, I rode in another almost 20 kms on Route 246, then hopped the Denentoshi Line train from ChuoRinkan Station.

Often photographed -- the Michi no eki and park at Lake Miyagase.

Both bike and rider rest at the top of Yabitsu.

Today's ride.  118 kms distance ddddand 1400 meters climbing logged.