Sunday, May 24, 2009

Photos

are great. I got back up on the trail mentioned in the last post on Thursday after school, this time with a camera - unfortunately it was cloudy but I got a few pics that are worth sharing. I also used a program called 'Autostitch' to make some panoramas - will have to make more in the future, it's so great!



Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Ahhh....

that's better!

I got out of school early today, and headed for local hills. Picked "point X" on the map, drove there and started riding. Sometimes you get lucky, and today was definitely one of them. Amazing trail along a ridgeline from peak to peak, not a soul in sight, warm weather, lots of sunshine, dry, grippy trail (nothing better than that first run...).

Should have taken my camera - next time. This was an impromptu ride because I got an early mark, I didn't even have any riding clothes in the car. I was up there in my white t-shirt and business pants, that made it all the more fun.

I've also tried for the first time to plot it on Google maps, and it's very rough, but not too far off the mark. At least the start point is correct!

View Asuke Ride 12 May 2009 in a larger map

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Critters

Seen on recent rides.


Wednesday, May 06, 2009

Golden Week

Is the traditional May holiday in Japan, where three public holidays fall in a row, giving people a five day weekend. This is the first year in eight that I have NOT gone to Nagano to ride DH since coming to Japan (with the exceptions of 2005 and 2007 when I was out of the country). I almost went, but the new financial reality combined with the new physical reality meant that I needed a quiet time. Funnily enough, it also coincided with a new meteorological reality - it's rained steadily for the last two days. I might have gone to Fujimi yesterday if it weren't for that.

Anyway, I DID still ride, both DH and XC - DH in Shinshiro on the Sengen course with local rider, ALT supervisor extraordinaire and all round fast guy Mike S. No photos sorry, coz, well, I didn't take any. Maybe next time. Maybe. I'm starting to get the Goose (my orginal DH bike, come back to the nest six years later) dialled and starting to remember how to ride DH, ie. go really fast and jump off lots of stuff. It was fun.

Today I rode a little bit of XC locally on the SS, headed out in a brief gap in the rain, and found another new track in Kura-ga-ike which is super narrow singletrack and a bit of fun. Again, no photos, as it was not camera friendly weather, but here is a photo of my SS taken a few minutes ago, because as we all know, a post without a picture is no post at all...yes those are pink bits...not that there's anything wrong with that...

As you can see, my writing skills are only exceeded by my photographic flair. Certain readers of this blog may recognise this frame...

Tuesday, May 05, 2009

Updated Shop List

I went to a cool shop in the middle of nowhere yesterday (or the middle of MTB heaven, maybe they are one and the same). I have updated the shop list below with their information - please czech them out!