Tokyo/Kanto Long Rides and Brevet

'Billy' and I have something in common: we are both not making enough use of our bicycles.  This post is for me as much as for him, but also for the public: information for rides and for Tokyo cycling clubs.

I am no joiner, but for those who are, there are these clubs in English.  You can also look to my side-bar links for more cycling information around the city.

Most of the major rivers have great to poor 'cycling roads' along them.  What they lack in variety they make up for in less traffic, but be careful of witless plodders and holiday crowds.  I have a good (Japanese) app showing all of the cycling roads along major rivers, though it can be slow.  I haven't tried this (Japanese) app yet, but might.  Android both.  There are (almost) no bike lanes in the city, so put them out of your mind.

What I have been meaning to do for a few years now is brevets (really fucking long rides), and this is the (Japanese) link you want.  If you mean to do any, or foot races, Japan needs booking early or there are no spaces left for you.  I have to decide on the 200km ones by 4/01, and the 300 by 3/17 (which is back-assward).  Since I've already bodged doing a half or full marathon this spring or summer, I am on the fence to committing to doing the following, not least because of having to meet up with some organization's schedule, which I have never found pleasant in this country.

- a 200km brevet in Chiba, 5/10
- another 200km brevet in Gunma, 5/24
- a 300km brevet from Utsunomiya, 6/14

Other routes I hope to do before I leave, now that I have used up three and a half years and not done them, are in order of easiest to hardest:

- down the Tonegawa cycling road to the sea


- bottom of Boso after getting the Kurihama-Kanaya ferry (or the other way, and get sunset on the boat)


- down the green heart of Boso


- Chichibu


- Izu Oshima


 The better parts of 'Japan Romantic Road' done in two days, which includes climbing the 'Irohazaka' if done east to west.