I'm in cycling heaven!

[Bluman]

I have moved to the island of Shikoku in Japan and I really need a GoPro or some other action cam. I swear these have to be some of the most beautiful cycling roads in the world! To make things even better, recent bypass construction means that the mountain and coastal roads see almost no car traffic. I've gone upwards of three hours without seeing a single car. The only downside is that there are no flats near me. Everything is either 7%-12% up or down. So my first few days biking have been rather painful, but it didn't stop me from putting in over 170km the first two days I had my bike. The hills and mountains are killer for a weak cyclist like me but, hopefully, I'll improve all the faster for it. Until I get a video camera, here's a couple images of the local roads I've been biking:

 

[mrron2u]

Very nice! I am very jealous!

 

[Fergnago]

Looks good, what sort of temperatures are you having, would be an interesting country to travel by bike. Enjoy

 

[CAMPYBOB]

Wow, that is some mountainous terrain. Kochi is not all that large and there look to be at least two peaks near 6,500' ASL. It looks like everything other than the coastal road are straight up. The secondary road network looks well developed, but I guess with over four million people on the island that's to be expected.

Enjoy the roads! It does look like great cycling and I look forward to your videos.

 

[mpre53]

Nothing is going to make you better in a shorter period of time than hills. I'd love to ride there some day.

 

[Bluman]

Sorry, I kinda dropped off the face of the earth for a while but hopefully I'll have some updates by Monday. I've hardly put in 1000km in two months... so this weekend I'll be biking inland to Mt. Tsurugi (1955m) along a 125km route with nearly 4km in climbing (and not including the return trip). I should have a GoPro for this ride along with an extra battery or two and there should be a couple stops for pictures as well. The only question is can I find a hotel or will I have to camp? Though TBH, I might cancel if I have to camp. I'm getting conflicting weather reports that range from highs around 17°C and lows around 4°C all the way down to highs of -3°C and lows of -7°C. The low end of the spectrum is probably reporting from the mountain top and I won't be there very long... but -7°C (20°F) is pretty friggin' cold.

Basically my packing list is the following:
* spare tubes x 3
* tools - patches, levers, wrenches, screwdriver, etc... basically a tool to fit every screw, nut, and bolt on the bike
* fluids - 2 bottles and an extra 2 liters insulated in my backpack
* food - fist fulls of granola bars and some candy
* clothes - I'll be wearing my cycling clothes but I'll have warm pants, shirt, and jacket for stops, as well as gym shoes (boots are too heavy)
* spare batteries for phone and cameras as well as extra memory cards for the GoPro

At that point my bag is about full.... but in the event of emergency I have several friends on stand-by (and the full route has cell coverage!). If I have to camp, I'd have to buy a frame bag, larger seat bag, etc. because the tent will have to go on my back. (Another reason I don't want to camp.)

 

[Bluman]

Well... that entire trip was a failure. A failure that I completely enjoyed and might just have to ride again next week... but still a failure. I'd planned out a 3-day trip of 250km plus over 4km of climb. The mid point and high point (in more ways than one) was the 1955m ASL peak of Mt. Tsurugi but I find out just the night before that the road I'd planned to use was closed and that the detour changed my route from ~250km round trip to over 370km. Given my current lack of conditioning and there only being ~10 hours of light each day, there is no way I could cover ~185km in a day, climb a mountain the next, and ride the same 185km back home the final day.... just not possible.

So I turned my 3-day trip into just a 10 hour day trip just shy of 140km. I basically just rode the first half of my original planned route at an easier pace than I would have otherwise. The whole idea of challenging myself went out the window with the original route and I just went to enjoy the scenery... which is why my just over 10 hour ride only has a moving time of ~8 hours. I forgot my HRM and my power meter is still in the States... so it was always a struggle to keep a consistent (and low) effort. I have this bad habit of sprinting on fun stretches of road or even just trying to keep up with traffic... and when it's not a safety issue, I needn't be doing it. I also kept stopping to take pictures and breaking my rhythm seems to kill endurance for me.

Most of the route is on Google Maps Street View, if you want to check any of it out based off of what you see on Strava. There were essentially three planned climbs on the way out and one unplanned climb on the way back. There's a relatively easy ~100m climb out of my village that drops back down into a beautiful little valley, then something like a 150m climb out of my district and into the interior of the prefecture. Those first two climbs aren't so bad though the second one always feels so much bigger that the telemetry suggests. Then I followed a long valley with very few steep grades. The big climb was just after biking through what felt like a 2km tunnel (not doing that again)... or at least that's where I consider the climb to start... but from that point it's some 650 vertical meters over the next 10km. It's not that bad of an average grade but when it never seems to level out for any distance, you just don't get any rest. After the big climb, I took a 20 minute rest and headed back... then I remembered the long tunnel and that's where my unplanned 300m climb came in. That one hurt. 300m up in 3.5km... I'm dumb enough to do it again but after that climb I coasted as much as possible on the ride home.


Here's the Strava link: http://www.strava.com/activities/221805063

Sorry for no video but local sources were all out of stock on GoPro... here's a link to a bunch of pics I took w/ my cellphone instead: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0BxYYJZJyopPPTHp6Yk5iR2RXRFU&authuser=0

 

[CAMPYBOB]

Nice pictures! Thanks!

 

[Bluman]

Thanks for the comment, Bob.

I've been a little sick but got out on Friday with my new GoPro Hero4 Silver... used the wrong mount and the angle might be a little low and I've yet to even investigate exposure settings etc... basically slapped it on my helmet and pushed record. I rode a short, 1-hour route with a smallish climb at the beginning (125m over 2.0km according to Strava)... it was cold and my bad knees don't handle cold climbs very well. The climb took nearly 15 minutes when my best is under 10. Despite being so close, I've not done this climb enough for any average time to be meaningful but the 14-something minutes it took me this time was my 2nd slowest attempt. So that basically explains why the entire route is so slow. (I think I've done it in under 45 minutes before.)

Anyway, here's a slightly cut down version of my ride:

(The video seems to be stuck on "processing" atm... so if it's not working, check back later.)

 

[Bluman]

Still haven't been feeling well and only have 13 miles down for 2015 despite being a week in already. (That means I'm already ~180 miles behind on my mileage goal for 2015 and it's only been a week.) Ever since I've gotten my GoPro, I've been recording every ride and I finally got around to uploading two descents that looked slightly interesting. (Ascents are boring from my PoV because I'm slow and I don't want to hear me being out of breath for 15+ minutes every time I watch me climbing.)

This first one is from New Year's Day (2015) and it was freezing and I don't have shoe covers and so I just wanted to get home ASAP. I don't usually ride this fast on the twisty roads. There are safety mirrors at most corners but, even though I'm thankful to have them, they tend to provide little more than a false sense of security. For every time they've helped me react to a car when entering a corner I've been surprised by a car that I didn't see until after turn-in. That said, I really want to get someone to scout for me so I can hit this stretch of road hard. It would be a blast to hit these corners on the limit and hit 65+ kph on the straights.

This one is a little less interesting... it's more scouting out a seldom used road to hit up when I feel like going fast but not really in the mood to get killed... that said... I don't really check my 6' enough on this pass. So maybe I am out to get myself killed even on the more open stretches of road.

Is there any interest in me posting full rides? OTW I'll stick to clips to keep the upload size down... I like watching descents (because they're easy speed) but I should maybe post some of the more interesting climbs when I get the chance.

 

[CAMPYBOB]

Wow! Nice sidewalks they have there! That first road is narrow.

It looks like even with all the retaining walls and drainage they have trouble with them slipping off the side of the mountain. That is some beautiful terrain, but stay on your toes. Kissing one of those miniature pickup trucks or a K-car head-on would hurt!

It's 7° F and snow is falling in a 15 MPH wind here in Ohio on this bleak January morning. Even if you need shoe covers in Japan, it looks a LOT warmer than here! Thanks for posting the videos.

 

[jdd]

Bluman--what part of shikoku? I've heard the west end is all up and down.

I'm in kanazawa and would like to do some riding there someday. (kyushu, too)

There are some mirrors here that I know and semi-rely on regularly, but I'm really cautious with anything unfamiliar. Sometimes the only reliable thing is if there's movement visible.

If you haven't happened across it, google "Tokyo Cycling Club" for Japan-based discussion. While it does have Tokyo in the name, those people ride all over.

 

[Bluman]

I'm currently in Tokushima Prefecture, just south of Anan City. Actually, just to make it clear where I'm riding... here's my Strava heatmap:
https://www.strava.com/athletes/5059726/heatmaps/5080e796#10/33.88625/134.56203

Thanks for the tip on finding more local discussion. I might need it this summer to try and find riding buddies & or some support for a possible cycling tour of Japan (a ride from Kyushu to northern Hokkaido). Though that's only happening if I don't sign a contract for a second year at the end of January... and if I can budget enough funds. The current plan is to do as much couch surfing as possible but I'll have to set aside enough for a reasonable number of hotel stays, 2 months of food budget, emergency funds, etc., etc. I've also got to check with the friends and acquaintances I've made in Japan and see if I can get some car support for at least portions of the ride. Unless I can somehow live off of what I can fit in a small backpack (including laptop, camera, and batteries), I'll need either support or a proper touring bike with racks.

Campy, I'm a Cinci native and still have family there... so I've been bragging about the weather to family while cursing it under my breath (I hate cold weather). Hopefully I'll be able to get out and ride some tomorrow though.

 

[Damien Lee]

Sounds awesome. Japan is one of those countries that I would love to do some cycling in. I know that it has some incredibly scenic routes and it's a predominantly bike-friendly country. Those two factors are a huge plus in my book, let's not forget that it's also one of the safest countries in the world. I would like nothing more than to have complete peace of mind as I take in all that gorgeous scenery as I'm riding my bike. Thanks for sharing this and am looking forward to read more from you.

 

[Susimi]

Those roads look beautiful.

Japan looks like a country really suited to cycling. Like you Damien Lee, I'd love to go on holiday there one day and do some cycling around.

Big problem is money though so it will always be but a dream, unless I win big on bingo or something!

 

[Keyan]

Looks like a quiet place perfect for cycling indeed. Is the air as fresh as it appears on the photos? You took some good ones I must say. I thought I will be seeing more of the city but you went to the suburbs I think.

 

[LinB]

Very nice. I could almost grudge you. Except for the part where you mentioned that you feel pains every now and then.