Last weekend I took a trip to a place I have been wanting to go to for years. Wakasu Island. Wakasu is a manmade island in Tokyo Bay just a bridge span away from the mainland. It’s distinguishing feature is a 100 meter tall wind turbine which can be seen from a long way off. I used to be able to see the wind turbine from my office window on the 20th floor of the Citi Center Building on Tennouzu Isle. I used to day dream about going there. I would look at maps and plan routes to the island when I needed a break from work. I really wanted to see the wind turbine up close. I have been fascinated by wind and solar and other renewable energy sources for a long time. On top of that, the mechanics of generators and electric motors are really interesting.
Day 1
I left late in the afternoon fully aware that I would arrive at my destination well after sunset. I don’t mind at night. In fact, in the summer, it preferable to day time riding in some ways. The traffic is also much lighter. The biggest downside is that it is dark when you get to your destination. I rolled into the campground some time after 10 pm. I wasn’t expecting there to be a campground at all. I thought I would stealth camp somewhere in the park so I was very pleased there was a campground. Campgrounds mean easy access to bathrooms and plenty of water. Like most campgrounds I was supposed to make a reservation. The advantage of arriving late is that all of the management staff has gone home. There is no one to stop you from taking your pick of available spots to pitch your tent. There were a few small family units settling in for the evening but it wasn’t nearly as crowded as I would have expected a campground close to Tokyo to be on a Saturday night. So I set up my tent at the edge of the campground and took advantage of the picnic area to have a sit down at a picnic table to cook and eat my dinner. A most interesting thing happened while I was setting up my tent. I put my headlamp on while pitching my tent so I had both hands free to work. I noticed about 10 or 15 meters away something glowing, reflecting the light in the grass. I thought, “Hmm, that’s interesting. I have to check that out after I am all set.” Then I promptly forgot about it. Later, just as I was getting ready to go to bed I saw two sets of reflecting objects closer by. This time I could immediately tell that the source of the reflections were the eyes of 2 cats. As they came a little closer I saw that one was a kitten and the other an adult. I decided that the first reflection that I saw earlier must have been the kitten. It is not unusual for stray and abandoned cats to take up residence in Tokyo parks. They are usually wary and avoid close contact with people. Of course, they are a nuisance to other wildlife. The other thing I noticed that night that totally took me unawares is that the sidewall of my new Schwalbe Marathon Plus tire that I recently put on my back wheel glows in the dark. I thought the white stripe around the side of the tire was just decoration but it turns out that it does more than just looking cool.
Day 2
As usual I didn’t sleep very well on the ground. As a result, I woke up very early. I had my breakfast then I took a nap in the canvas directer style chairs that were in the picnic area. Perhaps, I should have spent the whole night there. In the light of day, I took a spin around the island. Since I have longed to visit here for so many years I thought I should take my time enjoying it. I think that if I ever go to Wakasu again I will camp on the grassy knoll right under the wind turbine. The whole island seems to be dedicated to leisure. Most of the island is taken up with a golf course, camp ground and fishing area. The only other purpose it seems to serve is as a stepping stone to get to Tokyo Gate Bridge which towers just of shore from the fishing area. I really wanted to take my bike over the Gate Bridge but unlike the Rainbow Bridge bikes aren’t allowed on the bridge even in you get off and push them across. How unfriendly! Instead of taking a more direct route home over the Gateway Bridge I went a longer way around through Odaiba and over the Rainbow Bridge. Bicycles are allowed on the Rainbow Bridge but you are not allowed to ride them. To enforce this rule a guard at the foot of the bridge sidewalk straps a wooden skateboard to your rear wheel. You can see this in the video if you haven’t already watched it.
I enjoyed some geocaching on my second day. I found one cache in Shinkiba Park and did maintenance on a handful of my own. It was pleasant visiting some of my favorite places in Oi Futo Park and Yashio Park. It was cooler riding beneath the trees. Oi Futo Park is a surprising park. It is a long, narrow strip of wild greenery that runs alongside Wangan Doro down the center of Jonanjima. It has a dirt trail and some wooden boardwalks and that is about all it has in terms of civilized trappings.
Sore about Brooks Saddle
The most significant realization of this trip is that my ass told be that Brooks Saddles are overrated. Many touring podcasts and blogs sing the praises of Brooks Saddles. The claim is that the leather saddle will shape itself to the contours of your posterior. I have ridden on it for about 700 km or so not and I ouind that after about 20 km or so the seat feels real hard. The other downside is that the dye used to color the seat has leached out of the leather. Because of the humidity and heat recently and all of the rain we have been getting the seat is getting wet from the rain or my sweat which is causing the dye to stain my shorts. My shorts look like I had the Hershey squirts while riding. Brooks saddles are quite expensive compared to other bicycle seats because they are made from leather and mostly handcrafted. For my part, I think I should have saved my money and gotten something cheaper that is a bit softer and wider. Years ago I got a Brooks saddle when I bought a used Jamis Aurora. I didn’t like it at the time so I swapped it out for the original saddle the seller included. I sold the Brooks for 2,000 yen on Craigslist. I didn’t realize at the time how expensive a new saddle is. I probably could have gotten more money for it. The original owner had kept it in really good shape. I should have trusted my first impression of Brooks Saddles and gotten something else.
When I first got the saddle the leather was polished to such a beautiful sheen that if the seat was attached at just the right angle my butt would slide all around. I remedied the problem by buying a 2,ooo yen padded seat cover. Since there was a cover on the seat I assumed it would be protected from the elements so I didn’t apply the included leather dressing. I assumed incorrectly, the aforementioned rain and sweat soaked the saddle cover and the saddle beneath. The moisture made the leather soft and pliable. It shaped itself to my bum and the seat cover and lost its beautiful finish.
The other downer of the trip is that my iPhone holder broke. At about the same time that I got the Brooks saddle I bought a Rock Bros. multi-function Smart Phone holder. It combines a phone holder that attached to the handlebars with a bluetooth speaker and light. A cool concept that is not well executed. I will have separate product review later on. Let’s just suffice it say, “Buyer beware!”. The phone holder clamp broke so I was not able to use it hold my phone. All the other functions work but for the main purpose of the product it was useless. I needed to keep taking my phone out of my pocket every kilometer or so to check my route. Plus, geocaching, by the nature of the game requires heavy use of your phone.
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