Don and I are booked into the Hotel Route Inn in Tsuruoka, Yamagata, for the night of July 31.
There are vacancies as of today (May 20) should you opt for the same accomodation. http://www.route-inn.co.jp/search/hotel/index_hotel_id_207 The hotel offers an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet. The evening before Don and I will have dinner and drinks at a nearby pizzeria. To contact me on the day, my cell is: 080-8724-8539. The "Instructables" site has published a report on cycle touring in Hokkaido by one Diane Whitmore. Diane claims to have cycled Japan's northernmost island for 28 days for $1000, including roundtrip airfare from the US west coast; this in the year 2010, when the yen was about 30% stronger than now.
Diane's report reads like a "How-to" in moochery. She instructs the reader in the best way to get freebies from shopkeepers: "Look for small stands and taste the farmer's food in front of them. It's not uncommon for them to load you up if they see you enjoying their fine fresh food. " Apparently, Ms. Whitmore spent as much time scrounging and foraging as riding: "Food can be found in the woods, parks, and on the road in Hokkaido's ripe September. I also picked up countless potatoes and onions that were dropped by trucks. I gathered nuts, fruit, mushrooms and herbs." This section of Diane's report is my favorite: Here is a list of edibles I found-
Wrong, Diane, concerning fishing licenses and rules. And really, carry all that fishing kit on a month-long tour? Just go to the damn supermarket and spend a couple hundred yen. And nettle? If picking this "nice green vegetable" poses a pricking risk, how is it to be eaten? Do I have to remove the thorns first? I think I'll just spend 100 yen and buy a nice green head of lettuce and save a few hours, maybe pedal on down the road. I'm curious to know whence the competition for chestnuts in Asahikawa comes. Bears? The locals? Laundry can be a challenge for the cycle tourist, and even here, Diane finds a way to save a few yen: "I did my own (laundry) using a sturdy plastic bag as a sink, but they may be hard to find.The mountain supply store in Asahikawa gave me the one in the picture." Diane, plastic shopping bags are not hard to find and when not free will cost you 3 yen at most. But clearly, our cyclist considers this small savings a major score. Not surprisingly, Diane does not inform her readers of her route or daily mileage, matters that might interest the serious cyclist but which Ms. Whitmore considers too mundane to mention. She's too busy hunting for bargains to let cycling get in the way. I'm not making this stuff up. For Diane's priceless report, see here: http://www.instructables.com/id/Bike-Touring-in-Japan-on-a-shoestring
Even though both Brian & I are big fans of Revelate bags , the bicycle shop were I work sells a number of bags from various makers , today I had a chance to take a close look at one of the newer bag makers who offer a full selection of bags , UK based Epidura . Most of the top riders in the recent Race across America seemed to be using this brand . The bag that I have in store is their large seat pack which at 17.5 ltrs is a monster compared to my 14 ltr Viscacha from Revelate Designs , the buckle system is slightly different but the straps hold onto the bike in the same manner as most bags . The seat post straps are very long and offer plenty of adjustment with a non slip fabric which grips the seat post. There is a hard plastic base supporter that is fully removable for cleaning and a nice bungy tie down on the top for extra gear. It's a little bit cheaper than Revelate , but this bag is not manufactured in the UK so that would be the reason for the price difference, overall a great looking seat pack for a good price.
A great video of a 3-day bikepack in Arizona , check it out
When you first get into bikepacking it takes a while to slowly piece together all of your kit and many people start off with cheaper bags or back packs until they have decided if bikepacking is for them or not. I too did that when I started bikepacking a few years ago but now I have a fantastic set up using the ever popular Revelate Designs bags which are hand made in the USA and have stood the test of time being used for bikepacking adventures across the globe in various conditions. These days there is a wide variety of bags available from off the rack solutions to makers that offer a full custom service to get bags to fit your bike. One of the most popular questions I get is how do you carry all that stuff. Most of the time my bikepacking adventures last about a week but I will use a similar set for an overnight / weekend ride as well. Listed below is the full list of stuff that I carry whilst bikepacking .
Front bag - Revelate sweet roll Main bag compartment OR 10ltr Dry bag containing the following - Montbell Spiral burrow no. 7 sleeping bag, Montbell UL comfort system air pad 150cm , UL comfort system pillow, tent pole & peg set , , Spare clothes fitted into small stuff sacks at each side , containing rain pants, spare shorts , socks , underwear etc Front pocket - Pack towel , Diary & pen, Black Diamond headlamp , Toilet kit, , diary etc, Revelate Gas Tank Camera , wallet & phone, plus soy joy fruit bars Revelate frame bag for El Mar 17 inch frame 2ltr Camelbak , small lightweight bicycle lock , small mesh pocket top - spare tube & finish line oil Side pocket Shimano bicycle pump, bicycle repair tools in small Montbell pouch, cleaning rag Revelate viscacha Saddle bag Serria designs stash 1 lightweight tent Cooking set - 1 x Alloy rectangle set containing the following items Trangia burner & base lighter & matches , pot scrub, KFS set, first aid kit OR rain jacket, Uniclo down jacket ,45 North merino cap Note : Extra food supplies can either be stored in either side of the handle bar bag or the Viscaha , Alloy fuel bottle is fixed to the bottom of the down tube , everything I need is on the bike and I advise not to carry a backpack , your back will thank you for that on a long ride ! I do not carry a lot of spare clothing and do not use any lycra cycle tops as a good merino wool cycle top is far more useful and does not require washing on extended tours. If the weather is bad I have a full set of waterproof cycling clothing , jacket and 3/4 rain paints and if it gets cold I have the down jacket to use as well. It will take several overnight test trips to figure out what you really need and once you have figured it out write down the entire pack list to make your trips much easier the next time around. Happy Bikepacking Don This is of course not in Japan , but in my home country of New Zealand which is a mountain bikers paradise with fantastic trails everywhere. This fantastic new course was build with NZ Govt funding allowing cyclists and hikers to enjoy this famous historic route. And with a large new mountain hut situated half way along the course it's the perfect weekend adeventure. If you ever get the chance to go cycling in New Zealand you should as the riding is fantastic.
|
AuthorHi Everybody Archives
June 2016
Categories |