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Ride Thursday, August 3rd (150+km, early start)

YamanashiLiving123

Maximum Pace
Dec 9, 2015
820
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Well it is that time of year! Vacation time for all university teachers!

Anyone want to join me for an early morning start ride from the Tamagawa side?
Weather looks good, cloudy and cooler than usual.

Route - TBD, but looking at 150+km and quite a bit of climbing. Thinking Tamagawa side then working my way to Chichibu returning along the green line.

Reply or PM if interested and we can work out the details.
 
Hope you have a great time......you uni teachers are on Easy Street.
Been pretty good weather recently for riding.
Is it really summer,lol?
 
How was it?
The weather was awesome today,almost Autumnal,lol.
Hope you had a good one and enjoy the rest of your hols.
The plan was to do Wada and Kazahari, but halfway up Wada I flatted. I had two spares, but whenever I ride alone, if I flat in the middle of nowhere I turn around and head back the same way I came. So I ended up continuing on to Takao and did the front side of Takao and some other shorter climbs. All in all 130 km. Great weather for riding. I do not recommend Wada. It is pretty messy up there. Going up would be ok, coming down if there is that much in the road it would be pretty tricky.

Off to the US tomorrow. Rented a bike and will be doing some riding there.

Thanks!
 
The plan was to do Wada and Kazahari, but halfway up Wada I flatted. I had two spares, but whenever I ride alone, if I flat in the middle of nowhere I turn around and head back the same way I came. So I ended up continuing on to Takao and did the front side of Takao and some other shorter climbs. All in all 130 km. Great weather for riding. I do not recommend Wada. It is pretty messy up there. Going up would be ok, coming down if there is that much in the road it would be pretty tricky.

You went up the north side of Wada, which is covered in debris. My advice is to try the much more popular east side or even west side, which have clean roads all year round. No chance of puncturing then.
 
The plan was to do Wada and Kazahari, but halfway up Wada I flatted. I had two spares, but whenever I ride alone, if I flat in the middle of nowhere I turn around and head back the same way I came. So I ended up continuing on to Takao and did the front side of Takao and some other shorter climbs. All in all 130 km. Great weather for riding. I do not recommend Wada. It is pretty messy up there. Going up would be ok, coming down if there is that much in the road it would be pretty tricky.

Off to the US tomorrow. Rented a bike and will be doing some riding there.

Thanks!
Awesome.
Thanks for the update and I hope you have a great time in the US.
 
The plan was to do Wada and Kazahari, but halfway up Wada I flatted. I had two spares, but whenever I ride alone, if I flat in the middle of nowhere I turn around and head back the same way I came.

This comment was reverberating in my mind yesterday. About 7km into my ride, I realized I'd left my pump at home. For some reason, the thought of turning back around and retrieving it was a major turnoff, so I just keep riding -- along with my two useless spare tubes and patch kit. I ended up riding out to a pretty gnarly rindo near Wada -- probably sketchier than Wada north -- and then did the debris-free Wada west, before riding back home to Setagaya. Not exactly a conservative approach. I figured the odds were in my favor, but I could very easily have found myself doing the walk of shame.
 
This comment was reverberating in my mind yesterday. About 7km into my ride, I realized I'd left my pump at home. For some reason, the thought of turning back around and retrieving it was a major turnoff, so I just keep riding -- along with my two useless spare tubes and patch kit. I ended up riding out to a pretty gnarly rindo near Wada -- probably sketchier than Wada north -- and then did the debris-free Wada west, before riding back home to Setagaya. Not exactly a conservative approach. I figured the odds were in my favor, but I could very easily have found myself doing the walk of shame.
You are brave. I never would have taken that kind of a risk. Out in the middle of nowhere. It would be one thing if there are other people riding, but alone, no way. I would have turned around. But glad it worked out. It is just a matter of time that it will not though.
 
You are brave. I never would have taken that kind of a risk. Out in the middle of nowhere. It would be one thing if there are other people riding, but alone, no way. I would have turned around. But glad it worked out. It is just a matter of time that it will not though.
Yeah, it was pretty silly, really. But I weighed the risks and figured they were worth the gamble. I've ridden (and gone trail running) out there so many times over the past decade or so that it feels more like my backyard than "the middle of nowhere." Worst case, I get a flat and am forced to walk 30-40 minutes to a point where a cyclist will inevitably roll by. From there, maybe an hour wait, max, or maybe five minutes. It was a Sunday, and my wife and kids were out of town for the day, so I had all the time in the world. Next time I'm bringing my damn pump, though!
 
You are right, any of these local mountains you generally would be able to flag someone down in an emergency before too long. Or walk a bit and be on a decent thoroughfare. Nothing too much to worry about if you have time anf a positive outlook!!

Yeah, it was pretty silly, really. But I weighed the risks and figured they were worth the gamble. I've ridden (and gone trail running) out there so many times over the past decade or so that it feels more like my backyard than "the middle of nowhere." Worst case, I get a flat and am forced to walk 30-40 minutes to a point where a cyclist will inevitably roll by. From there, maybe an hour wait, max, or maybe five minutes. It was a Sunday, and my wife and kids were out of town for the day, so I had all the time in the world. Next time I'm bringing my damn pump, though!
 
I also did the gamble a few weeks back, headed out in more remote areas alone with only 2 co2 canisters. Got a puncture on the first big hill, thought about turning back but decided to keep going, got puncture no2 on a very remote climb (even rode past a dead deer in the middle of the road).... my big mistake was not having mini pump. Long story short I could ride all the way home in the end, but it was a serious hustle for a few hours.
Got my new mini pump delivered today :)

1 spare tube, quick patches, tire boot and a mini pump I would be pretty confident making the same gamble again.
 
I also did the gamble a few weeks back, headed out in more remote areas alone with only 2 co2 canisters. Got a puncture on the first big hill, thought about turning back but decided to keep going, got puncture no2 on a very remote climb (even rode past a dead deer in the middle of the road).
Oof, that's rough. Glad you got your pump. I'm curious: Are you going to carry it in your jersey pocket, or attach it to your frame? I know attaching it to the frame is practical, but the aesthetics, man. Also, what did that "hustle" entail?
 
I always put my pump on the bike. Aesthetics are comprised but it's better than having a 20cm pole in your back pocket. I think @saibot meant to say a "hassle" @Deej ;) . I blame his fat thumbs on an iPhone keyboard.
 
I always put my pump on the bike. Aesthetics are comprised but it's better than having a 20cm pole in your back pocket. I think @saibot meant to say a "hassle" @Deej ;) . I blame his fat thumbs on an iPhone keyboard.
Ha ha! That makes more sense. I was trying to picture what kind of crazy deals @saibot was making with locals to make it back home. And yeah, @leicaman, I agree about the pole in the pocket, though my pump is pretty small. I think I started carrying it in my jersey after reading somewhere years ago that it was very Euro to do that, which greatly appealed to the noob Deej, who very much wanted to look pro. However, last week's ride got me thinking that with the pump on my frame, I'd never forget to bring it. I asked @saibot because I figured if attaching it to the frame is good enough for that dandy, it's good enough for me. :)
 
I'll mount the pump it to the frame for sure. My weight weenie days are over anyway.
The small size lazyne road drive is very small and mounting it to the seat tube bottle cage it's more or less invisible when you have a bottle in there. ( @leicaman 's set up convinced me)
I use to have the pump in the pocket, but I'd rather use that space for other stuff.

I actually meant hustle but it was definitely more of a hassle. Time trialing back to civilization on a slow leak, chasing pumps and inner tubes in unstaffed but door wide open motorbike shops etc. in the end a gas station ojisan had nice track pump hidden away in the garage. That and my quickpaches took me all the way home.
 
I actually meant hustle but it was definitely more of a hassle. Time trialing back to civilization on a slow leak, chasing pumps and inner tubes in unstaffed but door wide open motorbike shops etc. in the end a gas station ojisan had nice track pump hidden away in the garage. That and my quickpaches took me all the way home.
LOL. That's a hustle supreme. Well done!

I'll mount the pump it to the frame for sure. My weight weenie days are over anyway.
The small size lazyne road drive is very small and mounting it to the seat tube bottle cage it's more or less invisible when you have a bottle in there. ( @leicaman 's set up convinced me), I use to have the pump in the pocket, but I'd rather use that space for other stuff.
Another vote for frame mounted. And it is indeed nice to have the extra space in the pockets. Hmm.
 
Another vote for frame mounted. And it is indeed nice to have the extra space in the pockets. Hmm.
I saw this super tiny pump at nalsima a month ago or so, it was seriously super tiny, would easily fit in a medium sized saddlebag. Or disappear in a jersey pocket. Question is how effective it is though.
(Not the infamous iPump btw, but they stock that as well)
Reason I went with the lazyne road drive it the built in hose, no risk janking the valve to pieces while pumping.
 
That's good thinking One of my first mountain rides ended before it started when I sheared the valve stem off getting a little exhuberent with a pump at the spaceship. I've used co2 ever since then. Can't see myself changing anytime soon but I don't ride the kinds of debris laden roads you guys do very often.

Reason I went with the lazyne road drive it the built in hose, no risk janking the valve to pieces while pumping.
 
I've used co2 ever since then. Can't see myself changing anytime soon but I don't ride the kinds of debris laden roads you guys do very often.

I'll still use co2 like I've done for years. So much faster than standing there masturbating a pump for 10 minutes. But on a solo ride once thay are gone then you stand there empty handed... like I did :p
 
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