I have no doubt that cycling has changed my life. It has filled a gap that existed in may heart for a long time. The sense of freedom and independence that I feel inside. It have to be free and cycling fills the need.
Great cycling rides can be found in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan A friend whom call my bicycle Jedi organized a hill climb. Lately I hadn’t been cycling and so I felt out of shape. When I had first arrived in Japan for the summer I had been shredding hard. The weather was hot and humid and rainy and I was also having my families bikes overhauled because all of their bicycles were being overhauled.
While we had down time we played hard in the ocean. I started off strong on the Arakawa river and felt new challenges from the time trial riders going so fast. But I put on my own speed and did what I could. It’s important for me to ride as much as I can, like a lot of cyclist know they should. Getting up extra early would have helped but I didn’t do that except maybe twice. Sometimes that’s what it takes.
Nikko is a beautiful area of Japan, complete with amazing lakes and forests. It’s one of the best natural parts of Japan. For cyclists it’s a climbers paradise. There are so many hairpin turns and switchback, I thought I would never make it up the mountain.
So, back on the climbing it was hard plus my road bike has a big crank 54-39 and an 11-28 cassette on the rear. I had some trouble shifting half way up and all the heat and humidity tore me apart. Also, I realized needed more fuel. It was combination of things. So, I saw my friends fly up the hill. They were like rabbits and I was like a turtle.
On the descent I was relentless, passing car that felt was in the way, as I took the hairpin switch back turns as fast as I could. It was exhilarating and exciting and my friend was taking his time filming part of it.
In the middles some good traditional Japanese food. Originally we were we were looking for Nikko Coffee but it was closed.