I’d only intended to ride out to see the autumn colours and thought I’d maybe grab a burger at GranPrix in Tsumagoi. But when I had to turn west for Tsumagoi, the coast seemed just as close and snow on the distant peaks was more alluring. Then I remembered it was salmon season on the other side of those hills, so to the sea of Japan it was.
Weather Gods: Lenient
(more…)After 14 years of the original spring Coast to Coast Twistybutt, we now have a proven fall/autumn Coast to Coast Twistybutt, too. It’s still from the Pacific to the Sea of Japan, but in the Chubu region. We held our first one this past Sunday and here’s how it went down.
Eight riders met by the mouth of the Tenryu River in Shizuoka on the Pacific coast with typhoon whipped swell crashing and tubing in the distance. The typhoon had scared off more than a few of the 22 registered entrants with threats of rain all week. But those that did rock up at the start were keen and the atmosphere was great, despite the overcast weather and dark brooding clouds blanketing the mountains to the north, where we were headed.
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The 4am alarm went off, but I’d stayed up watching the MotoGP Sprint race the night before and decided to grab another three and a half hours shut eye. Finally got on the road just before 8am, almost 4 hours behind schedule but feeling well rested and ready to roll!
(more…)With the Mountain Day Twistybutt just over a month away and route possibilities still swimming around in my melon, it was time to check off two gnarly passes that traverse the ridges separating Yamanashi and Shizuoka.
(more…)The sun shone all day and the breeze stayed cool, though a little gusty northwest of Fuji. Still, the Road Gods were smiling, keeping our path clear and perfectly twistilicious!
Being delayed a week by rain meant fewer than half of those who’d registered made it to the start, but for those who did, what a great day for a ride, right?!
That was quite a day and what a great route. Was overcast all day with a bit of drizzle from Atsugi to the gas stand in Sagamiko, then similar around the south of Fuji but fine and dry at altitude except…
(more…)Hillclimbing Fuji is always fun and often frought with weather challenges. September is typhoon season but still has a decently long day of sunlight at 12.5hrs. so with a long weekend to allow for prep and copious salutations to the Weather Gods on Saturday, riding on Sunday and recovering on Monday, it was go for the first Fuji 500. 32 signed up, but…
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The very first ‘Mountain Day Twistybutt’ was an ambitious endeavour in the planning but due to some road closures, it got less ambitious but still plenty twisty. Here’s how it turned out…
Some days you spring out of bed chomping at the bit and some days you wish you’d never gotten up. This was both of those days.
Turning the key over at 4:20am, it was already 28° and forecast to scorch on up to 36°, so some high altitude, cool mountain river valleys and forested freshness was the plan.
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A good long day in the saddle traipsing through Kanagawa and the Southern Alps of Shizuoka.
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