It’s just a week to go for the Tour de Chiba and I haven’t been on the bike since the Heat Wave ride in June. (I did get in a few commutes on Dionysus.) I got the new fork and headset sorted out just last weekend, and meanwhile between the heat and the rain there hasn’t been a good time to ride.

I’ve had my eye on the weather forecast all week. At first it looked like Sunday might be good, then it was rain straight from Friday through Monday. Later in the week Sunday emerged as a good chance again. I messaged José that Sunday was a possibility. And then this morning I awoke to find the forecast reversed: today was cloudy and mild; rain tomorrow.

José was not available, so I let Nana know I’d be off for a short ride. She asked when I’d be back and I said 2.

Famous last words

It took me a few minutes with the small hand pump that I carry on Kuroko. In the process I discovered that filling one tire was about my limit before I needed a rest. (More upper body workouts in my future?) The rear had only about 15psi in it, and it took all I had to bring it up to 35psi. As I was about to put the cap back on I noticed the valve core was slightly loose. OK, that might explain it. I tightened it with my new minitool. The front was a more expected 25psi, and came up to pressure more easily.

And then I was off, with Garmie happy to record the ride and with a good feeling from the rubber below. I usually bring the tires up to 40psi with the floor pump, but riding with 35 today showed me it was totally adequate.

Toto / Kansas

Not far into the ride, I encountered a detour. I’d noticed on Thursday’s commute that the pavement here was new, and I was glad they’d completed it before riding season started again. I guess it wasn’t fully complete. I continued onwards to Rte. 413, then turned on Kannana Ave. I rode right past my turn without realizing it until I was fighting traffic into Sangenjaya (where I usually don’t ride).

From Sangenjaya I could take Rte. 246 directly to Futako, but I preferred Setagaya Ave., which would get me to the Tama River without having to dice with the traffic on 246. And then within a few blocks, I recognized where I was and turned back onto my regular course. In all I think I added a couple of kilometers to the ride.

Hungry

Between the late start, the low tires and getting lost on the detour, it was 11:15 before I reached Futako. As I entered the cycling course I decided to ride as far as Gas Bashi and stop at the convenience store there. It was a good choice as I sat down in the park by Gas Bashi with two pork buns and a bottle of Pokari at 11:50.

After the rest and with a bit more fuel in the tank, I continued southeast towards Haneda. And it was very slow going, with a strong, steady headwind. I kept at it — I was making progress, but not as much as I’m used to.

I did reach Haneda, after a big fight with the wind, about half an hour later than I’d expected to. I’d already eaten, so after a brief rest I messaged Nana that I was on my way back.

As might be expected, I made much better time on the way back upstream. I was flying! On the way downriver, into the wind, I hadn’t been making 20km/h, and now I cruising along at 25-30. That said, I didn’t set any personal bests, so I’m guessing I’ve had an even stronger tailwind in the past.

As I approached Futako I felt a headache starting in my left temple. I squared my shoulders and straightened my neck and continued across the river and up the hill to the rest spot before home.

There’s not much to report about the rest of the ride. I tried stretching my shoulders and neck at every opportunity. I got around the detour without getting lost, for a change. At the last stoplight I was neck-and-neck with a Porsche until the traffic cleared.

On a moving time of 3:31:51 I averaged 19.2km/h, which is not bad considering I got lost and mucked about in traffic around Sangenjaya.

A plethora of little details

As mentioned, I had issues with the Garmin and with low tires. The new fork and headset were working fine, and the front brake was good, too — just a tad softer than the rear.

I soon noticed a worrying rattle each time I passed over a bump. What was lose on the bike? After a few kilometers I realized I was keeping a bunch of rattly stuff in the saddle bag — the minitool, the saddle tensioning wrench, my keys — that had previously gone in the cockpit bag. By the end of the ride I’d hit on a solution: socks! I’ve got some nice thick ones I don’t wear anymore. They don’t weigh a thing, they’re the right size to hold the rattly bits, and they’ll help secure things.

On a few shifts the rear derailleur took an extra half-second to get into gear, with a clunk before finally settling down. It might need adjustment, or the chain might have worn out enough to need replacement (although I had measured it at some point between June and now and it was fine). I might bring the bike up to the Workshop in the Sky in the rain tomorrow and have a look, or I might leave it until after the Tour de Chiba. It’s not a really big issue yet.

Shedding light

And what about the forking dynamite project? Not a hint of light out of the headlight today. (I pulled out the wires of the taillight accidentally when I was sorting out the fork and headset, so I wasn’t expecting anything there.) I’m going to pull out the wires where I’ve soldered them together, snip them off and have another go at getting them soldered right (and protected with shrink tubing). But I’m going to do that sometime after I get back from Chiba. This will involve removing the stem cap, and that will risk messing up the headset spacing that took me so many tries to get right.

Meanwhile I’m charging up my old taillight and headlight. Regardless of the weather on the day (still iffy in the forecast), there’s probably going to be a bike inspection before the start and lights will be a requirement.