Cycling Tourism: May 2011

Sanomagic "Wooden bike" with Gus

May 29, 2011

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I joined Gus who cycled here from Odawara in Shinagawa, and we cycled to Sanomagic in Shinkiba together. The Sano workshop makes wooden vessels from the Edo era, continuing for more than 200 years. Recently, he started making bikes out of mahogany, using wooden shipwright technology. The weight of the mahogany bike is the same as a carbon frame bike, but it has the flexibility peculiar to wood.
When I push on the pedal, I can feel a deflection as I start to accelerate.
Sano does not compromise with quality. We must wait for three years to obtain a Sano bike.
His mahogany bike is displayed this year in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.

69.34Km

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"The travelogue of the cat town"　猫町紀行　by Yoshiharu Tsuge

May 22, 2011

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In 1969, the bizarre manga artist Yoshiharu Tsuge lost his way and saw "the cat town".
The travelogue was published considerably later in 1982. He wrote in great detail about how he got lost.
"After having lost my way, I crossed a street and suddenly there was the cat town."

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I traced the path where Yoshiharu Tsuge got lost.
The old Koshu main road diverged at an acute angle (forked) past the post town of Tsurukawa, seen in the center. I suppose that Tsuge's group went straight on Tsurukawa street.

The Nodajiri post town was the major candidate of "the cat town", but there was not the way which intersected street.

I was not able to go to "the cat town".

118.22Km

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Cycling in Fukushima

May 15, 2011

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Because my friend bought a BUROMPTON folding bicycle, we cycled around the southern part of Fukushima together.

We went by train from Tokyo to Otsuko Station and began ride heading north.

The news of the disaster in Fukushima was primarily focused on the nuclear power plants. But, the damage caused by the tsunami is a serious matter as well.

We rode up to the 25km safe spot, quite near to the nuclear installations.
The radiation here had a fivefold increase compared to Tokyo, this amount was less than 50 years ago. A nuclear testing in the atmosphere was not prohibited in those days.The transportation infrastructure in the stricken area has been restored.
However, a long period will be necessary to return to former life.

67.88Km

"KHS F20-T2", Japan-north 0 comments |

"Three Stooges" from Australia

May 8, 2011

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The Australian cyclist Gus whom I met at the Misaka Pass in last autumn came back to Japan with his friends.
They arrived at Narita Airport three days ago and crossed Boso Peninsula. He came on a made-to-order wooden bicycle.

Trevor, the expert cyclist, came by "Vvirginablue.com.au" logo bicycle.

It is the limited bicycle with the autograph of Sir Richard Branson. As for young Chipolinni, this is his first long cycling tour. He is an excellent surfer and has good physical strength.

We joined at Yokohama Station and cycled to Enoshima via Kamakura.