Category: The Ride

  • Five Alarm Chilly

    Five Alarm Chilly

    I’d planned an earlyish start today, out the door before 8 a.m. But our sleep was interrupted about 1 a.m. by a fire that broke out on a lower floor of the tower. Lots of sirens and alarms ringing, and conflicting instructions. By the time we’d dressed and grabbed our wallets and bags, they were…

  • Catch-up potpourri

    Catch-up potpourri

    I’ve been quiet over the past couple of weeks as I’ve struggled with the aftermath of a self-inflicted mechanical, something that I really should know better than to have allowed to have happened. I was able to get home with no trouble, but when I hit a roadblock in sorting out the problem, I got…

  • Edogawa overcast

    Edogawa overcast

    After weeks of bad weather, mechanicals and prior commitments, the stars aligned today for a long ride with José. I wanted to stretch my legs a bit more than I have been recently, but without committing to too much effort. With those parameters in mind I decided on Edogawa. When it’s not too windy, it’s…

  • Baptism

    Baptism

    It’s less than a month to the Tour de Tohoku, and I’ve been desperately awaiting gaps in the heat to get in some practice rides. José let me know he’d be ready for an early ride today, to get out and back before the forecast high of 33C. We planned to meet at 7:30 at…

  • Sunday I’m In Love

    Sunday I’m In Love

    Following last week’s debut and my realization that the Corner Bar wasn’t working for me, and then yesterday’s trip to the bike shop for a replacement, today was the day for Hornsby’s second debut ride. And it went wonderfully. Dailing in After reaching the Tama River, I stopped at the first opportunity to dial in…

  • Hornsby Debut

    Hornsby Debut

    After months of preparation, Hornsby finally made her debut today. There was some last-minute preparation: aligning the rear wheel and pumping up the tires. And then the Garmin mount was oriented wrong, so the unit was sitting crosswise atop the stem. I fixed that only to find the Garmin wouldn’t fit, with the stem cap…

  • Before the heat rolls in

    Before the heat rolls in

    We’ve been having temperatures in the mid-30s for a week now, so when the forecast for today was a high of 33C, I decided to get an early ride in. At first José said he would join, but he begged off at the last minute so he could sleep in. I planned my departure for…

  • Take-it-Easy Ajisai

    Take-it-Easy Ajisai

    I had plans to cycle to Kawagoe today, but got a late start after going back to bed after breakfast. Instead I set out on the Tokyo Landmarks ride. Right from the start I knew I was tired. My thighs were OK, but I was fatigued overall. It’s been quite a week. There are not…

  • Something to do

    Something to do

    After finishing two of Nana’s world-famous onigiri, I rose from the bench and started preparing for the remainder of the ride. As I was sorting out bandana and gloves, a young man (American from his accent) asked if he could sit at the bench I was vacating. “Yes, I’m just leaving.” He took in my…