Today I brought along a colleague (N-san) for a ride starting from Tabata Station by rinko — route: Nishi-Nippori, Senju Ohashi, Oji, Nishi-Nippori, Tokyo University, Tokyo Tower. (The return trip to Ota Ward was self-propelled.)
Cycle Base Asahi had just opened in Omori, so we headed there first.
Rinko from Omori to Tabata — taking a bike on the train really does take up a lot of space.
With two bikes, we were probably pretty noticeable.
While we were reassembling the bikes at Tabata Station, a “bicycle safety instructor” came walking over and struck up a conversation.
“I found a great bike yesterday! There’s one that folds and then rolls on casters!” — complete with a printed-out photo from his compact camera to show us. That’s dedication.
He told us he uses a bike with a GPS navigation unit for night rides. Apparently police have stopped him for questioning, and they’re just as surprised as everyone else.
Something like this maybe:
So today’s ride got off to a memorable start. Off we went.
· “Senju Ohashi Bridge”
Getting here was harder than expected.
The streets around Tabata are narrow, and the roads don’t run parallel to the train tracks — easy to lose your sense of direction.
· “Arakawa Cycling Road”
A marathon was being held that day, making it particularly crowded.
This cycling road is noticeably wider than the Tama River path, with almost no elevation change — incredibly comfortable to ride. Someday I want to ride the whole length from one end to the other.
Beautiful weather.
· “Toei Streetcar Depot at Arakawa”
I’d read about it in a cycling magazine and was curious. A type of train that’s rare these days… though it was so matter-of-factly just there that it felt slightly anticlimactic.
· “Tokyo Dome”
The Dragons had just lost a game in the Climax Series the day before.
Pre-sale tickets were on display and I wanted to buy some, but I wasn’t sure how far the Dragons would go — so I passed.
One way or another we’d made it all the way from Arakawa to Bunkyo.
· “Tokyo Tower”
Glowing golden.
First time seeing Tokyo Tower up close at night. (Yes, I was also near it last week — no need to point that out.)
Night cycling has a different feel from daytime — a good kind of different.
Additional photos from today’s ride are here.
Worth a look.
Today’s stats:
Distance: 51.7 km
Riding time: 4 hours 38 minutes
Average speed: 11.1 km/h
Calories burned (including BMR): 1,560 kcal