Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — ¹/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pausing for Photos
on my first NORU group ride this year

Saturday was a NORU group ride with 14 people, my first big group ride this year, I think. (The first NORU group ride was this lovely ride last fall.)

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — ¹/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Vincent's Strange Riding Style

Vincent was doing something that looked quite strange... can you notice it in the photo?

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — ¹/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Exiting the City
through Arashiyama

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 35mm — ¹/125 sec, f/4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Three Musketeers
Joshua, Vincent, and Neil

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 25mm — ¹/125 sec, f/2.8, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Trusty Steeds

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — ¹/125 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Another Photo Opportunity
before the day's big climb
L-R: Andy, Vincent, Manseki, Neil, Minobu, Manabu, ?, Naoya, Minami, ?, Joshua, Antti, Ryota
(I don't know two of the guys)

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — ¹/125 sec, f/3.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Last Full-Group Shot
45 minutes later, after the climb

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — ¹/160 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Loco Descent
Andy flies by while I'm futzing with the camera at 35kph

Vincent suggested we take a short alternate to the planned route, down a lovely descent. I had the camera and so took it slow at first, but still got upwards of a safe 70kph. So fun.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — ¹/160 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Fast Vibe
if not well composed or well focused

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — ¹/125 sec, f/4, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Perfect Timing

The route brings us past a picturesque lake with a cemetery on the hillside opposite. It was pretty hazy so probably not worth it to begin with, but it's an area that can make for a nice shot if you get the timing right.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — ¹/125 sec, f/4.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Better This Time

Not long after this, a few of us split off from the main group, to make the short ride over to Hiyoshi Dam, which I'd visited two days prior on this whim of a ride. That day, Thursday, I'd gotten a lot of work done so decided on a whim to cycle over to Hiyoshi Dam, which I'd not been to since this trip with the family 7½ years ago. Since I got into cycling I'd seen that it was a common destination for friends, so I'd been wanting to try it myself.

I'd also heard that the approach to the dam included a long fast downhill section that sounded quite appealing, and when I'd come across it on Thursday I had fun with it, but was extra careful because it was my first time. Still, it was great fun and I averaged 65kph (40mph) for the 2.2km section.

Anyway, I wanted to do it again today, so I broke off from the main group. Antti Riikonen and Ryota Misuhashi joined me as well. Both are much stronger than I, and I ended up drafting behind them on the descent, but it turns out that we made the exact same time — 2:05 — as I had the first day. Part of the reason for the lack of speed could have been that Antti's chain popped off near the start, though he was able to get it back on and continue without stopping.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 38mm — ¹/125 sec, f/5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
“Hiyoshi Velodrome”
an elevated walkway near the spillway can function as a mini velodrome

On my trip on Thursday I'd made a segment of four laps around this loop, which makes almost 1km distance. I was disappointed to find that no one else (who had uploaded to Strava) had ridden around four times. How can one not?! 🙂

I wanted to try it again, but Antti and Ryota were on the move and my slowness had already kept them enough, so we continued around the reservoir.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 31mm — ¹/200 sec, f/5.6, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos
Random Reservoir View
taken while moving at 30 kph (18 mph)

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — ¹/125 sec, f/11, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
Accidental Frame
just trying to keep up

The shot above was some kind of mistaken shutter press, but somehow it captures the situation I was in, trying to keep up with two guys whose summed ages, I think, didn't yet equal my own.

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — ¹/125 sec, f/11, ISO 640 — map & image data — nearby photos
Pretty (though Hazy) Views

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 28mm — ¹/125 sec, f/4.5, ISO 200 — map & image data — nearby photos

Panasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — ¹/125 sec, f/10, ISO 1600 — map & image data — nearby photos
One of the Cross-Reservoir Bridges

I wanted to try that nice downhill one more time still, so while Antti and Ryota headed home, I slogged back up the mountain. Then I had a little nap by the side of the road, and then hit that downhill hard, giving it everything I had (within my own envelope of safety; I'm not one to take risks on the bike).

And my time was, exactly, what it had been the first two times, to the second. Sigh. I guess I hit some kind of universal constant.

On my return home from the area on Thursday I'd been slogging through unknown roads when I came across this house in the middle of nowhere, and was pleased that I immediately recognized that I'd seen it before. It looked the same now as it did then.

This time I opted for a different set of unknown roads for my return, but that's a story for another time.