I haven't done much cycling this winter, so I've become slow and lazy and fat, but I'm hoping to kickstart a recovery by heading next week to warmer climates, to Okinawa (the southernmost prefecture of Japan), to spend a few days riding with Jason Eisenmenger. Jason was up in Kyoto earlier in the month (seen here), but a cold kept me from joining him for any rides.

If I were to bring my bicycle on an international flight, I'd have to get a special built-like-a-tank hard case that the disassembled bike could fit in. It's a huge hassle, but at least then the bike would arrive undamaged.

But for a domestic Japan flight, where everyone who touches your luggage along the way is Japanese raised with a sense of basic manners and consideration, I can just put the whole bike into a light zippered bag that I pull out of my pocket, and hand that over to the airline. So that's what I'll do. I'll bring on the trip only what I can carry in a backpack, ride to the airport, hop on the plane, and when I arrive, ride from the airport to Jason's house.

So, I made a test ride to the airport, to check out the route and the timing. The most-direct route is about 47km (29mi) of city riding, so instead I took a longer route (61km / 38mi) so I could enjoy some mountains...

I took about two hours forty mostly-leisurely minutes to make the trip.

I got off the bike right outside the entrance, walked in, and immediately found a couple of Japan Airlines staff, and asked a few questions about how to handle the bike for check-in.

I'll carry everything for the trip in a backpack, including “fresh wipes”, street clothes, and street shoes, all of which I'll use to transform from a stinky lycra-wearing cyclist to a normal hopefully-non-stinky airline passenger....

After having scoped out a place to get cleaned up and change, I was done at the airport, so thought I'd take a spin around its edge.

Continuing on to the side of the airport property opposite the terminal, I was hoping to ride through the lovely airplane-viewing park they've made there, as seen seven years ago in “Itami Sky Park, Next to Osaka Airport”, but it turns out that bicycles are not allowed. )-:

There's a dirt road running across near the start of the runway, and landing planes pass very closely overhead. In the photo above, with the runway out of frame to the left and a large ditch to the right, the concrete construction and bridge are in line with the center of the runway, and are part of the landing-lights system.

Having gotten all sweaty on the mountain ride there, I quickly got chilly just standing around outside, so I moved away after the first plane to the side a bit, for the next one:

Once I got back to the airport, I headed home on the most-direct (but least fun) city route, which is what I'll take on my return from Okinawa so that I can get home before dark.

Today I washed the bike and prepared my luggage. I leave on Monday.

Continued here...