{"id":2763,"date":"2017-01-03T20:08:49","date_gmt":"2017-01-03T11:08:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2017-01-03\/2763"},"modified":"2017-01-03T20:08:49","modified_gmt":"2017-01-03T11:08:49","slug":"reflections-on-my-2016-cycling-year","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2017-01-03\/2763","title":{"rendered":"Reflections on my 2016 Cycling Year"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
<\/a>\nSC-04E at an effective 31mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>450 sec, f<\/span>\/2.2, ISO 50 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nFake “<\/span>Action Shot”<\/span><\/span>\nat Hiyoshi Dam (\u65e5\u5409\u30c0\u30e0), Hiyoshi Japan\nfrom this ride<\/a> in June with Gorm and Manseki\nphoto by Manseki Kanemitsu<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\niPhone 6+ — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1900 sec, f<\/span>\/2.2, ISO 32 —\nmap & image data<\/a> —\nnearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMore-Realistic Representation<\/span>\nof my normal cycling\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

So 2016 is over, making it my first full year of cycling, having been bitten by the cycling bug in the spring of 2015.\nLike last year's summary of my 2015 cycling<\/a>, this post looks back\non my 2016 cycling with my geeky-data eyes.<\/p>\n\n

I titled the post with the word “<\/span>Reflections”<\/span> so that I can<\/span> sprinkle these kinds of photos throughout:<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\niPhone 6+ — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>680 sec, f<\/span>\/2.2, ISO 32 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nLow-Slung Roadside Mirror<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

So, in 2016 my cycling year was eight months long, and during those\neight months, I rode to<\/span> some extent or another on 102 days, totaling\n8,459km (5,256mi). On average<\/span> that's about 83km (52mi) each time, twice a\nweek.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

My longest ride was the 260km (162mi) “<\/span>Coffee in\nNagoya<\/a>”<\/span> round trip, followed by the 225km\n(140mi) loop of this silly\nride<\/a>. Overall, I did four<\/span> rides of at least\n200km, and nine “<\/span>century”<\/span> rides... rides of at least 100 miles (161km).<\/p>\n\n

My Eddington Number<\/a> for 2016 is 50.\n(My lifetime Eddington Numbrer currently stands at 58.)<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\niPhone 6+ — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1800 sec, f<\/span>\/2.2, ISO 32 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nDetermined<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Four of the year's twelve months were spent away from cycling, helping\nout my folks in America after my mom had a stroke.<\/span> The lessons<\/span> I learned<\/span>\nduring that time came in handy on this October ride<\/a> when, in a\ntiny<\/span> village in the middle of nowhere, I came across<\/span> the lady above just\noutside her house, struggling to move from a walker<\/span> to a wheelchair.<\/span> In the momentary<\/span> glimps I saw<\/span> as I rode<\/span> by, I recognized<\/span> the signs in her movement\nof someone who had survived a stroke<\/span> and wouldn't take “<\/span>no”<\/span> for an\nanswer from her own body.<\/p>\n\n

I returned and offered assistance, which she accepted. The stroke<\/span> had robbed her of speech\nand impaired her movement, so communication was difficult, but she could\nrespond to yes\/no questions, and combined with some gestures, I understood<\/span> that she wanted to get into the wheelchair and head off. Once we\nwere underway, she took over, not wanting further assistance. I watched<\/span> her head down the road toward rice fields, where I suppose<\/span> family or\nfriends were working. I was scared<\/span> to death that she'd lose control on the\nslight slope of the road and find herself upside down in the ditch, but it\nseems this was something she had plenty of experience with. I took the<\/span> photo\nand continued on my own way.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\niPhone 6+ + front camera — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>470 sec, f<\/span>\/2.2, ISO 32 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nGroup Ride<\/span>\n(I don't have many group-ride shots that I'm actually in)\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I had a lot of fun social group rides, including (among many others) this cold January ride in\nShiga<\/a>, October visits to Miyama<\/a> and Onyu Pass<\/a>, a large NORU ride<\/a>, and epic “<\/span>Rooftop of Kyoto”<\/span>\ngravel ride<\/a> and this even-more-epic Mt. Norikura\nloop<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

Those last two rides deserve the “<\/span>epic”<\/span> label in my\nworld. Both were about 164km (102mi), each with just under 4,000m (13,000')\nof elevation gain. Each was the most climbing I've ever done in a single<\/span> day.<\/p>\n\n

Overall in 2016, I climbed 140,965m (462,484') of vertical ascent. (These values\nare real, and not Strava's voodoo elevation gain<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 33mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n(from “<\/span>Grueling \u201cRooftop of Kyoto\u201d Ridge Road Gravel Grind<\/a>”<\/span>)<\/small>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

But most of my rides were solo exploration rides. I like exploring<\/span> new areas, going at my own\n(usually slow) pace, usually straying too far for too long. (Then I have<\/span> to rush back at a breakneck<\/span> pace\nto make it home in time, which is not so fun.).<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 1250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n“<\/span>Curve #23”<\/span><\/span>\non Mt. Rokko, Kobe Japan\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

All my rides start\/end at home, except for visits to Mt. Norikura and Mt. Rokko.<\/p>\n\n

The visit to Mt.\nRokko<\/a> in Kobe was a lovely<\/span> ride with Manseki,\nthough it's close enough to Kyoto that I should<\/span>\nbe able to make the round trip in a day.<\/span> A goal<\/span> for 2017.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 58mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>640 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nKobe<\/span>\nfrom early in one of the roads up Mt. Rokko\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Mt. Norikura, which hosts Japan's highest paved road at over 2,700m (8,900') elevation, is a five<\/span>-hour drive from Kyoto,\nbut was quite worth it for three days of spectacular cycling<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/6.3, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 45mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/9, ISO 560 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 24-70mm f\/2.8 @ 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/9, ISO 140 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I got plenty of flat tires early in the year...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/4, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nChanging a Flat<\/span><\/span>\non this cursed ride<\/a>\nphoto by Manseki Kanemitsu<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

But things got much better when I switched<\/span> to Continental Gatorskins...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 4500 —\nimage data<\/a><\/span>\nDependable Tire<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Since switching in July, I've gotten only one flat in the 5,341km (3,300mi) ridden with them. I did swap<\/span> one tire out after 3,000km as a preventative<\/span> measure, since I had<\/span> apparently done too much\nsliding on a locked<\/span>-up rear wheel, burning off a layer<\/span> of rubber...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>50 sec, f<\/span>\/11, ISO 6400 —\nimage data<\/a><\/span>\nOops<\/span>\nbut it's not as bad as it looks\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Voigtl\u00e4nder 125mm f\/2.5 — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>320 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 4500 —\nimage data<\/a><\/span>\nInside is Fine<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

The protective mesh under that “<\/span>hole”<\/span> is perfectly fine, so the tire is probably fine, but I swapped<\/span> it out\njust in case, moving the front tire to the rear to replace this one, then putting on a fresh<\/span> tire on the front.<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nReflecting In Gorm's Glasses<\/span>\nfrom this ride<\/a>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nReflecting in Manseki's Glasses<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 24mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>800 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nReflecting on the Go<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 75mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>200 sec, f<\/span>\/5.6, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nReflecting at the Fallen-Leaf Shrine<\/span>\nat the Iwato Ochiba Shrine (\u5ca9\u6238\u843d\u8449\u795e\u793e)<\/span><\/a>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nPanasonic LX100 at an effective 28mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>125 sec, f<\/span>\/2.1, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nReflecting Among Tea Fields<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Okay, these “<\/span>reflecting”<\/span> photos get old quickly. I'll stop.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\niPhone 6+ — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>30 sec, f<\/span>\/2.2, ISO 32 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nCornered<\/span>\nNot the kind of party this young stag was hoping for\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

On this ride in\nDecember<\/a> I was<\/span> happy to make some significant PRs (personal records)\nfor myself, but what was most noteworthy was this stag, which I first<\/span> saw\nwhen it bolted from the forest above me onto the road just in front of me,\nskittering with two vaulting steps across the road, then launched itself down\ninto the boulder-strewn river below.<\/p>\n\n

It definitely got my attention.<\/p>\n\n

As I watched it leap to the boulders far below, I thought<\/span> he was a\ngoner,<\/span> but this is what wild deer do. He was fine<\/span>. He climbed<\/span> up the other\nside and stopped, looking back at me. Or so I<\/span> thought. It turns<\/span> out that he\nwas looking for the dog that was stalking him, which I noticed<\/span> a few<\/span>\nminutes later wandering in the very small village (half a dozen<\/span> houses) I\nwas<\/span> checking out.<\/p>\n\n

Eventually the dog found the stag, which had gotten himself into an\nenclosed area he couldn't figure out how to get out of, and the dog (two\ndogs by now) kept harassing the poor thing. I tried<\/span> talking to the dog in\nEnglish and Japanese (and by barking at it), but it never gave any\nindication that it even sensed my existence, so I went<\/span> back to try to track\ndown its owner.<\/p>\n\n

It turns out that the owner was a hunter,<\/span> and the dogs were trained to track prey. As someone<\/span> who enjoys a good<\/span> steak, I felt an<\/span> obligation to watch as the hunter felled the stag,\nbut he would wait for his partner before doing it, and I didn't<\/span> have the time. I continued<\/span> on my ride with an appreciation of life and death and the part it plays\nin my diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a>\niPhone 6+ — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>160 sec, f<\/span>\/2.2, ISO 32 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMy Favorite Tobidashi-kun<\/i> of the Year<\/span>\na concept explained here<\/a>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n
<\/a>\niPhone 6+ — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1000 sec, f<\/span>\/2.2, ISO 50 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nAmazing View<\/span>\non my last 100+km ride of the year<\/a>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\niPhone 6+ — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>120 sec, f<\/span>\/2.2, ISO 40 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nRusty Start<\/span>\nto the new year\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I had planned on riding early in the morning of Jan 1, 2017, to a mountain<\/span> about an hour away, to see the first sunrise of\nthe new year. It's a Japanese<\/span> thing. But I came<\/span> down with a cold<\/span> just before that, derailing my plans for both New Year's day\nand New Year's eve.<\/p>\n\n

Apparently I have very “<\/span>sensitive”<\/span> tonsils, which seem to pick up bacteria easily. Even just too much cold air on them\ncan give me mild cold-like symptoms the next day, which is why during the winter I can't<\/span> really put in heavy cycling efforts...\nI can't<\/span> risk heavy breathing when the air's cold.<\/p>\n\n

If it's really cold, I can wear a mask<\/span> that keeps some warm air around...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\niPhone 6+ — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>15 sec, f<\/span>\/2.2, ISO 250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nReady for the Cold<\/span>\na year ago, with a mask to warm the air before I breathe<\/span> it in\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Despite the ill-timed illness, 2016 did end on a very<\/span> high cycling note for me.\nWhile sick at home on Dec 31, the post office dropped off a package<\/span>\nfrom Mike Bennett<\/a>, the\nguy who hired me into Yahoo! almost 20 years ago.<\/p>\n\n

Those who weren't around at the time might not know how huge a force<\/span>\nYahoo! was... it was<\/i> the Internet for many folks. It was relevant<\/span>\nand innovative. As a software<\/span> engineer, it was the<\/i> place to be;\nit was an amazing eight years of my personal and professional life.\nAmong employees from that time, I'd guess<\/span> all feel as I do.<\/span>.. we\nstill bleed purple and yellow (Yahoo!'s colors).<\/p>\n\n

Anyway, Mike had Yahoo! cycling jerseys made up for an annual charity bike ride he and others took part in.\nBack then I had<\/span> no interest in cycling whatsoever (\"What kind of idiot rides\na bike<\/span> when they can drive? Or, even better, just stay at work<\/span> and get stuff done!\"), but now that\nI have<\/span> interest, I asked<\/span> whether he might have an extra one lying around. He did, and that's what arrived.<\/p>\n\n

I was really looking forward to it, but wasn't prepared for the emotions\nas I opened<\/span> it to see the Yahoo! logo and colors. I was swept<\/span> back\nto those heady years of exhilarating innovation and camaraderie, and tears\nwelled up in my eyes.<\/p>\n\n

It's a summer jersey, so I won't wear it until I can<\/span> wear it without a jacket<\/span> covering it up.\nI can't<\/span> wait.<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

So 2016 is over, making it my first full year of cycling, having been bitten by the cycling bug in the spring of 2015. Like last year's summary of my 2015 cycling, this post looks back on my 2016 cycling with my geeky-data eyes.<\/p>

I titled the post with the word \"Reflections\" so that I can sprinkle these kinds of photos throughout:<\/p>

So, in 2016 my cycling year was eight months long, and during those eight months, I rode to some extent or another on 102 days, totaling 8,459km (5,256mi). On average that's about 83km (52mi) each time, twice a [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[30,1,2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2763"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2763"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2763\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2763"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2763"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2763"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}