Category: The Ride
-
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
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
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
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…
-
First Commute of 2025
I can’t believe it’s already 1 May and I’m just now getting in my first commute of 2025. There certainly has been a raft of days with bad weather and days when I had something on which implied a train day (such as a doctor’s appointment after work or a dinner engagement), but to be…
-
Too Late, or Too Early?
Sakura season is drawing to a close, with delicate pink petals falling like stock market indices. I thought this might be a good chance to catch the dogwood blooming along the Asakawa, but it seems I was a week or two early. I know they are in bloom when the koinobori are flying over the…
-
Teganuma and Back
After working straight through spring break, I took a couple of days off to enjoy a ride with José. Because José had the entire month off, I’d considered a number of options, including a London-to-Paris reprise (which he said he’d love to do). The need for me to work through the spring break put a…
-
Doin’ my best to get back to you
Nana asked me last night where I’d be riding today, and I said Kawagoe. When I say that, I mean specifically Koedo, the “Little Tokyo” that I’ve visited on a number of occasions. The ride is generally flat and has a long section of cycling course along the Arakawa river, and the lovely Meiji-era warehouses…
-
2024
The Year in Miles After Thursday’s aborted attempt — I’d just made a run to the office when Nana messaged me to come home to help her — I was just a few miles short of my goal of 2,024 miles for the year. I set out Saturday morning hoping for an easy 60 kilometers…