I have been housebound like most of the world for the past two months because of Covid-19. Now that spring has come to Japan I am getting anxious to go on my next trip. It appears that the situation is starting to take a turn for the better. I am hoping I will be able to go on a trip in June. In the meantime, I released a new episode of the Wayfarer Pedalcast. Episode 10 features and interview with my daughter, Pearl. She went on a unique trip in March to visit here friend in the neighboring prefecture of Chiba.
When Pearl asked me how far it was to Kamogawa in Chiba I told 100 kilometers. When anyone asks how far it is to someplace I have two stock answers. 30 km or 100 km. If I feel like it is close I say the former. If I feel like it is far away I answer with the latter. It would probably be better if I just admitted that I don’t know or just told the questioner to go look it up.
Many countries in the world were already in life or death battle with the corona virus. So some readers of this may already be getting into a lather and ramping up into a rant over how irresponsible it was for us to allow Pearl to go on a trip at a time like this. Buy you have to realize that despite Covid-19 being all over the news, Japan was still relatively untouched by the disease. We still had only reported deaths and the number of infected was still well below a thousand people nationwide. Compared to other nations this was no worse than seasonal flu outbreak. Of course, we were concerned but it still seemed like the worst of the disease would pass over Japan. We now know better. But at the time it
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]]>Bike Ride, Bike Race, Bike Porn
2019/11/03 -2019/11/04
I bet that headline got your attention. It’s not as salacious as it sounds. Stick with me for another paragraph or two to see what I mean. Early in November I took an overnight tour to Makuhari in Chiba with my friend, Mario.
Every year there is a huge bicycle convention called Cycle Mode in Makuhari Messe, a very slick convention center in Makuhari Chiba, about a half hour ride or so from Tokyo Disneyland. Hundreds of bicycle and bicycle adjacent companies gather to pimp their wares on the hapless bicycle freds of Japan. If you don’t know what I mean by fred check out the now retired Fredcast podcast. Anyway, there were lots of gratuitous carbon fiber and brightly colored bicycle gadgets. There are quite a few events that occur in conjunction with Cycle Mode. One of those events is a cyclocross race at the nearby mountain bike and BMX park.
Mario and I struck out Sunday morning after kitting out his bike with my spare rack and panniers. We made great time rolling through the Musashino area of Tokyo Prefecture. The second worst thing about riding to Makuhari in Chiba is that you have to cross the breadth and width of central Tokyo. Both Mario and I are veteran Tokyo road warriors so we know all the least worst roads in Tokyo to cycle on. At least, when it comes to the western half of the city. There is a fairly large gray area on our mental maps once we get past the center of the circle formed by the Yamanote Line. I have ridden east of the Yamanote circle only twice before. And there is where we find the worst part of riding to Makuhari. A little section of road that passes through a suburb called Ichikawa. I’m sure (at least I think I am sure) that there are nice places in Ichikawa but the most direct route from my house to Makuhari doesn’t take me through those parts. Instead, it takes through the industrial part where there are factories, malls and bad traffic.
Once Mario and I got out of the snarl that is Ichikawa and Funabashi the ride got more pleasant. Unfortunately, by that time we were almost to our destination. Makuhari Messe is a world class convention center with its modern design, surrounding hotels, upscale restaurants, sports stadium and mid sized train station but you wouldn’t know it from the bike path a few kilometers away. The hotels and office buildings grew in stature above the trees as we drew bearer.
Despite telling Mario the plan for the weekend. he was still pleasantly surprised when we got to the mountain bike park. I should mention that Mario is Italian. I guess that much could be guessed by the name. His mamma and papa didn’t call their baby boy Mario because they met at a Donkey Kong arcade. Mario swears that he neither speaks nor understands English. However, he is a capable speaker of Japanese, albeit with a Kansai accent with occasional relapse into Italian. So, all our communication is in Japanese. No doubt, Japanese who hear us talking find it entertaining; two foreigners speaking Japanese. What’s wrong with them. Why aren’t they speaking English? Anyway, this lack of a common native tongue between us may contribute to Mario’s not fully grasping the full scope of our adventure until it happened. That is it’s own sort of fun.
The races had been going on all day but we only got there just in time to enjoy some exotic beer and watch the final race. A short word about cyclocross for the uninitiated. Cyclocross is not as we’ll known as road racing or even mountain bike racing. It is like the love child of passionate moment between road racing, BMX, mountain bike racing and a parade at Disneyland while parkour ate popcorn and watching on the sidelines. The racers follow a course tha includes pavement, some offroad tracks, up hills and dismounting occasionally to life their bicycle over obstacles.
My plan for camping was to set up our tents in the mountain bike park. The sun set as the winners we’re making their speeches on the podium stage. It was a bit too crowded to set up our camp so we got back on our steel steeds to search for a convenience store to get some food for breakfast and a beer or two to wash down our pasta. By the time we got back to the park it was good and a dark. The race organizers were winding down their clean up activities. We found an out of the way place to cook our pasta. By the time we were done eating we had the park to ourselves. We set up our tents and I enjoyed a bit of hot chocolate (appropriately seasoned with crime de menthe). We talked until about 9 when the rain that was threatening all day told us it was time to retreat to our tents.
Day 2
It rained steadily until about midnight. I hunkered down to watch a video or two on my iPad. Sometime during the night my head started to hurt and I was feeling a bit queasy. This happens to me sometimes while camping. I took some Ibuprofen and donned my raincoat for a stroll around the park. I eventually felt better and got a few hours sleep.
I discovered during my midnight perambulation that we were camped a few hundred yards from the ocean. It was just out of sight beyond some trees and thick brush.
Mario and I ate our breakfast and broke camp while the race organizers showed up to do one more sweep of the grounds to pick up trash.
A visit to Bicycle Mode was on the agenda for the day. But before going to Makuhari Messe we took a ride along the beach bike path to find a geocache.
Cycle Mode is a yearly bike convention that is held in Tokyo and Osaka. Bicycle manufacturers, bicycle accessory sellers and other of purveyors of cycling adjacent goods and services congregate to peddle their wares to the unsuspecting bicycle geeks of Japan. The vendors come from around Japan and even overseas. There is also an indoor demo course where visitors can borrow the latest bikes for a test ride. There is also a bike school for kids where they can get free lesson on two-wheeling and try out a variety of different types of bicycles. I think one of the most interesting displays were by various regions in Japanese promoting their prefecture as a cycling destination. The free cycle maps and brochures prodded my inner desire to travel farther afield looking for adventure.
Mario is an outgoing type and is quick to strike up a conversation with strangers. As we passed a booth displaying bicycles from an Italian brand he suddenly starts chattering with a Japanese salesman in Italian. It turns out, the fellow used to be Mario’s boss a few years ago. What struck me was that Mario was not at all surprised that he would meet someone he knew in a strange city 60 kilometers from home.
Here’s where we come to the not-really salacious part of the trip. Bicycle manufacturers brought their best to the show. I am a sucker for bicycles that are somewhere on the path less pedaled. I didn’t notice any wooden bicycles this year but I saw a bicycle with a frame made from bamboo that was absolutely intriguing. I also saw a bicycle that had a very steam punk-like vibe to it. Looking at it made me image riders with long black coats, aviator goggles and a Victorian London accent. I thought the longbox cargo bike was fascinating. There was a section dedicated to vintage and handmade bicycles too. I will ride almost anything at least once. Unfortunately, the most unusual and unique bicycles were for display only. One brand that both Mario and I found very fetching was Bruno. This European company makes a very attracting small wheel bicycle. This type of bicycle is called a mini velo. In most cases the frame is a regular road bike-like configuration. Perhaps, slightly smaller that average with small 20 inch wheels. The company makes a very a sexy versatile, mobile bicycle. Finally, I would guess that at least a quarter of the bicycle vendors offered electric assist bicycles in their catalog.
Many of the bicycles were priced way out any normal person’s bicycle budget. Most of us can only fantasize and lust over such bicycles from a distance. The show seemed a lot smaller in scope and a good deal less crowded than previous years. It feels like cycling has been booming the last few years but maybe the boom hasn’t translated into more bicycle sales.
We stayed a couple hours at Cycle Mode, ate some lunch in the food court and then hit the road to return. The ride home was uneventful with the exception of a detour to visit Funabashi Shrine. Mario has a hobby similar to geocaching. He visits Shinto shrines to get a goshuin stamp. Many of the larger shrines offer visitors to put their official stamp (goshuin) into a book specifically intended for the purpose. These books are just a fancy cover enclosing blank white pages. The stamps are the official seal of the temple. The shrine priest, caretaker or other shrine official will sign the books in very pretty calligraphy. The stamp and the signature only costs a few hundred yen. After the shrine we hid the road again. We took a break somewhere in central Tokyo at Mini-stop convenience store. Other than those two short stops we pedalled straight home.
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]]>Over a week has passed since I completed my trip and the first blush of the adventure has worn off. Memory Lane is the after action report, the post mortem of the trip. While editing the video I had time to reflect and the images triggered memories and thoughts that I might have forgotten.
Day 1
I have to say that the first day of the trip, which was for the most part down paths and roads that I am already familiar with was, by and large, uneventful. It was interesting riding the Setagaya-ku side of the Tama River. I think the last time I road it was back in 2015. They, (Tokyo Prefecture government? Setagaya-ku government?) Has made some improvements to the cycling path but it still isn’t at the level of the path that is between Komae and Fussa. The park where Nogawa River flows into Tama River is really quite nice. The low point of the day was when I realized I left my waist pouch behind in Tachikawa. It only contained my earphones, some spare geocaches and headlamps, all of which I managed well enough without. I had planned to do some maintenance along the way of my geocaches in Ota-ku and along the river. Without them, I had to change my plans.
Because I was unable to reserve spot in the official camping area at the Jonanjima Seaside Park I was essentially stealth camping at the opposite end of the park from the campground. I don’t think there would have been any significant difference in the quality of the facilities. As there were people night fishing it doesn’t seem to make any difference to the management if people are hanging around all night. The airplanes flying low overhead did not bother me as much as I feared they might. The fact that I slept out under the stars didn’t really impact my inability to sleep either. I didn’t think there would be any mosquitoes on the seashore and I was mostly correct. I was only ‘bugged’ a little by one persistent mosquito that I think I wouldn’t have even noticed if I had been able to get to sleep. I didn’t sleep all that well because of the chatty fishermen that were nearby.
Day 2
There were so many highlights the second day that talking about them all would make for a very long post. The ride from Jonanjima to Ryokoku in the early morning was very pleasant. Normally, riding in the heavy traffic in Ginza and other city areas of Tokyo would be a drag but early in the morning it was hassle free. By far, the most interesting part of the day was the train ride on the B.B. Base train. It probably seems odd to say the best part of a bike ride was riding the train but it was so easy and effortless that I am considering doing again to go to some other part of Boso Hanto. There is no shame in using public transit to get a fast forward to your destination. It isn’t cheating. The ride through the resort and fishing village of Kamogawa was great. The views were great but the memory of buying a bag of green beans and some bananas from an old man selling produce out the back of his truck will stick with me for a long time I think. It isn’t really that rare. But it was such a please surprise it made taking the wrong turn that brought me there worthwhile.
Without a doubt the worst part of the whole trip was the oppressive heat and humidity. I learned firsthand just how much heat and humidity can sap your strength. Because of the heat I changed my route. Instead of following the shore all the way to Kujukuri I took a shortcut that knocked off a few kilometers of distance. I got my second wind because of the long break I took in the afternoon and a change of route. Not only did I get my second wind but my second wind was a tail wind and the last 20 plus kilometers were much easier going.
Yasuragi no Mori Campground where I stay the second night was a typical Japanese auto camping site. Meant for picnickers and people rode in a car for just a couple hours to get there. No showers. But plenty of water for cooking and washing gear at the outdoor concrete water trough. I didn’t have a reservation for this campground either. I knew in advance that a large group had reserved it in advance but I went anyway. I reasoned that even if I couldn’t stay in the campground proper I would be able to stealth camp nearby. After seeing the area I think I could have found a place but as luck would have it the kanrinin was not at all concerned about the group that had reserved the whole campground and neither were the people that reserved it. They didn’t mind if I squeezed my little tent in. For most of the campers, the foreigner on the bicycle was just a curiosity blip on an already fun weekend with friends. As usual there is always someone who tries real hard to speak English with me but is always relieved when they discover I speak Japanese. I had a nice conversation with a youngish fellow named Yoshi. He gave me 2 cans of beer which I drank in addition to the one I had bought at a nearby convenience store. I like meeting him though at times the conversation was a bit awkward. Meeting people along the way is part of journey.
One other thing that remains is the image of the Surly Blue Beast laden with all my gear parked amongst all a row of motorcycles. It reminds me of the Sesame Street Song, “Which One of These is Not Like the Others”. Even when I was really little I thought the question posed by the song was a no-brainer.
Oh yeah, plowing through the sand drift was a blast. I did it twice. The first time I went through the deeper sand and it stopped me dead. The second time, which I caught on video, I went through a shallower part and made it through.
Day 3
I think there are three highlights from the third and last day of the trip. The first was the back alley that took me by the hollyhock bushes. I really like hollyhocks. They always remind me of my great grandma. There are hollyhocks on my commute to work as well and lately I have been thinking about planting some in my yard. The highlight was the park in what I believe is Narashino. The trail on the edge of the park paralleled the road and gave me some much needed respite from the sun. The trees also deadened some of the noise from the nearby busy highway. The only downside was the park was segmented every kilometer or so by a cross road which could only be crossed by pushing my bike over the pedestrian overpasses. This is in the video if you haven’t seen it already. The interruption made it hard to maintain a steady pace. The third thing that really turned my cranks on the final day was passing the farm where the cows were being cooled by large fans. They smelled just like…well they smelled like cow manure which I found was a refreshing change from the ordinary city stinks that I experience from day to day. The smell reminded me of living in Wisconsin when I was a kid.
Of course, low point of the day may have been the puncture I got somewhere on the outskirts of Chiba City. I was amazed at how deep the screw worked its way into my tire and how I didn’t really lose air until I wiggled it back and forth. I tried to take video of the whole tire change scene but my camera was full up and I only captured the very beginning. I will have a follow video about the whole tire situation coming soon. What I will say is that I patched the tire and put back onto the rim but air leaked out right away. I thought I had screwed up the patch job. I was too hot and sweaty to hang around a parking lot with my tools and some of my gear scattered around me so I just took the tire off again and put my spare tube on instead. If I had investigated further I would have found the second hole that screw had made in my tube. Now that I know about it, I am even more impressed by how well the tube and tire held up. Schwalbe really makes great tires even when you choose a less optimal model. Check out the upcoming follow-up video for more about my love affair with Schwalbe tires.
Overall, I have to say the biggest downer of the trip was the heat. I am not a hot weather person. My favorite time to ride is in the spring and fall and I prefer riding in Tokyo during most of the winter over summer riding. There is a limit to how much close you can take off in order to keep cool. I am going to look into some clothes that wick the sweat away better and has some anti-microbial qualities so I don’t stink so bad after a day of riding in the hot sun.
One thing I would like to clarify is that I did make it to Chiba City by noon it just wasn’t the 50 km milestone I was aiming for. The 50k mark was actually beyond Chiba somewhere in the town of Narashino.
I have a confession to make. I don’t like Ichikawa very much. I have passed through it two times. I know I am not being fair to the city because I have not seen very much of it. Both times I took the same route through it. It reminds me of all the worst parts of Newark, NJ. I know I am not being fair to Newark either. My impression of Ichikawa, Chiba is that it mostly warehouse, factories and very busy highways. If I ever have to go through Ichikawa City again I will try to find a nicer route through the city.
I learn something new with every bike trip I take. I think the takeaway lessons for this trip are 1) I don’t need a sleeping bag in the summer if I am not riding at elevation. A sleeping bag in the summer is just dead weight. 2) I need to pack some laundry detergent, dish detergent and a small bar of soap. I realized that I didn’t have any soap at all of any kind with me. Not the end of the world but inconvenient. 3) Drink lots of fluids. I know it’s a no-brainer and not really something I “learned” per se. I am normally not a person who drinks sports drinks but going on a discussion I had with my wife a few days before I left I drank a lot of Pocari Sweat (a very unappealing name from a native English speaker’s point of reference) to replace my electrolytes. I think that and resting during the hottest parts of the day were instrumental in not getting heatstroke or heat exhaustion. The heat made for a potentially very dangerous situation which I did my best manage. The other lesson I am taking away from this trip is to lighten my tool kit. My tool bag has just about every tool I would need for a bike repair which means it weighs at kilo or two. I think I can cut the weight by half if I limit myself to a patch kit, some hex keys and maybe one screwdriver.
The other thing I learned is that it is absolutely okay to change your plans. You do not have to stick with your original planned route and milestones. It is good to have a plan but you have to be flexible because once the rubber meets the road anything can happen.
I can’t wait to go on my next trip. I wonder where I will go next.
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