{"id":2636,"date":"2015-10-20T12:36:53","date_gmt":"2015-10-20T03:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2015-10-20\/2636"},"modified":"2015-10-20T12:36:53","modified_gmt":"2015-10-20T03:36:53","slug":"the-new-bike-is-fast-im-just-going-along-for-the-ride","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2015-10-20\/2636","title":{"rendered":"The New Bike Is Fast; I’m Just Going Along For The Ride"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 46mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>100 sec, f<\/span>\/10, ISO 500 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nSouthern View from Onyu Pass<\/span>\nis starting to show a bit of color\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I took a long bicycle ride into the mountains north of Kyoto on Saturday. It was my<\/span> first long outing since recovering from what I thought<\/span> was a mild<\/span> but\npersistent cold, but turned out to be a respiratory<\/span>-tract infection. Once I got<\/span>\nantibiotics, I felt better<\/span> almost right away.<\/p>\n\n

Since I was mostly out of commission for three weeks, I knew I<\/span> was out\nof shape and wouldn't be particularly fast, but at the same time, I was on<\/span>\nmy new bike<\/a>, which\nseems to let me go faster for the same effort, so in the end I didn't<\/span> know\nwhich competing effect would win.<\/p>\n\n

To start my ride, I joined Andy Clark on a trip<\/span> up to Hanase Pass, 710m\nhigher than where I live,<\/span> and the first big climb I ever<\/span>\ndid<\/a>, so it has a special<\/span> place in my heart. It was my<\/span> first to try it\nwith the new bike, so I hoped<\/span> I could<\/span> shatter my old record, but I could<\/span>\nfeel right away that I just<\/span> didn't have the energy. Three weeks being sick\nhad just made me too soft.<\/p>\n\n

And it's just as well that I wasn't on track for a killer<\/span> time, because\nI stopped<\/span> to assist a pair<\/span> of boys — maybe 10 or 11 years old —\nthat I came<\/span> upon on the deserted mountain road looking at a big<\/span> map book of\nJapan, wondering where they were. Wanting to go to Hanase Pass, they were on the correct\nroad, but didn't know how far along they were. I helped<\/span> them with directions and\ninfo on where to get beverages. According to my tracklog, I spent<\/span> 1:54 with them.<\/p>\n\n

A young, fast Japanese cyclist had passed me not long before I came<\/span>\nacross the boys... I wonder<\/span> why he didn't stop to help them. Even if they\nwere not standing looking at a map,<\/span> I'd at least<\/span> touch base with kids so\nyoung in such a place.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Anyway, Andy and I made our slow way up to the pass and all the way down the other side.\nAndy didn't have time for a longer<\/span> ride, so we parted ways and he retraced his steps.<\/p>\n\n

I was dead tired, but from being out of shape and not from the cold, so\nI wanted<\/span> to continue along, slowly, to see where the day would take me. <\/p>\n\n

It first took me north to Nomi Pass, where I met<\/span> a construction<\/span> worker at the top. He told me<\/span> to take\ncare with my descent, because there would be some big construction equipment moving up. He wasn't kidding.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nWide Load<\/span>\nthe huge backhoe almost fills the width of the road\nand it looks like it was an ordeal making this hairpin turn\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Emerging from the mountains to the edge of a small<\/span> village, you're\ngreeted with a quintessential<\/span> old farmhouse that just naturally begs to be\nphotographed:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 25mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>80 sec, f<\/span>\/10, ISO 250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

The same house covered in snow was seen in this photo<\/a>\nfrom my first big ride in February, and in the spring<\/a>\nwhen recreating that first ride three months later.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 27mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>80 sec, f<\/span>\/10, ISO 250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nAnother House in the Village<\/span>\nwith their rice at right, hanging to dry like this<\/a>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

The front of the house looks like a field<\/span> of weeds...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>60 sec, f<\/span>\/10, ISO 320 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

... so it's hard to believe it's the same house that\nwas fronted with a lovely<\/span> sea of flowers<\/a>\nwhen I went<\/span> by two months ago.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 25mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/10, ISO 800 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nA Bit<\/span> of Fall Colors<\/span>\nat this house in the village\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1600 sec, f<\/span>\/1.7, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMud-Roofed Storage Building<\/span>\ntaken while cycling at 23 kph (14 mph)\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Normally the roof is finished and painted, like this one<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nSmall Stream<\/span>\nfrom a bridge crossing over it\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLooking The Other Way<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

On the long and pleasant Route 783 up to the start of Onyu Pass, there's\na turnoff<\/span> that I'd been wanting to check out....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nUnassuming Turnoff<\/span>\nlooking from the north\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

When peeking in, it dives up the mountain in an inviting way:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 67mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 3200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n“<\/span>You Can't Shortcut Through Here”<\/span><\/span>\nthe sign at left\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

The road is not marked on Google Maps (and it's on\nOpenStreetMap.org<\/a> only because I added<\/span> it), but looked inviting on\nGoogle Earth. But with the<\/span> aforementioned dead tiredness, I paused<\/span> for a\nwhile<\/span> and took a nap,<\/span> using a log<\/span> by the side of the road as a pillow.<\/span>..<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 38mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>80 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 640 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nNap Time<\/span>\nI didn't have the slightest worry that a car<\/span> would come along... ever\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

After about half an hour, I took off up the unknown road. It turns<\/span> out\nto be about 1.4km (0.9mi) long, rising at an average grade of 10.6%, ending\nunceremoniously into the face of the mountain:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>60 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nRoad to Nowhere<\/span>\nthe end of a nice 1.4km 11% climb\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

To be clear, this is not a road that had been sealed off by a rockfall.<\/span>.. the road construction just stopped here.<\/p>\n\n

Also, unlike the Bridge\nto Nowhere<\/a> that I posted<\/span> about nine years ago, it doesn't appear that\nthis is an ongoing project that I just<\/span> happen to have caught in this\nuseless state.<\/p>\n\n

The road does not appear to have any reason to exist... there's no dam\nor cell tower it's allowing access to, and it's not supporting forestry or\nfarming or anything else I could<\/span> see. It's just a<\/span> beautiful road\npainstakingly cut into a very<\/span> steep mountain, never to be used. I can only<\/span>\nimagine what the construction workers thought as they painted the\nhighly-reflective white lines right up to the blunt rockface.<\/p>\n\n

The best I can guess is that the road was intended to be continued over\nthe mountain to join up with where Route 783 has looped back down, cutting\noff a 14km<\/span>-segment of Route 783 for those just wanting to move east. If\nthat's the case, the project seems to have been abandoned.<\/p>\n\n

Anyway, it makes for a nice 150m climb. The road surface<\/span> is nice for all\nbut a short<\/span> section where it's become warped and buckled, though it's\nlittered with rocks here and there. On the climb<\/span> I'd concentrated on just\nnot giving up, but for the ride down I pulled<\/span> out the camera.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 28mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>80 sec, f<\/span>\/8, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nRoad Stuck Onto The Side of the Mountain<\/span>\nlots of effort for little apparent gain\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>60 sec, f<\/span>\/10, ISO 400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nGreat View<\/span>\nokay, I guess a great view is one apparent gain\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 41mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>80 sec, f<\/span>\/10, ISO 250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nTypical Section of Road<\/span>\ncut through the mountain, lightly littered with rocks\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I ended up making a segment for the climb on Strava. Unsurprisingly, I'm the only<\/span> one who's done this section of road before....<\/p>\n\n

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