fender1

Thanks!

darkmoon

Hi, Japan tourism bureau

My Mt. Fuji view point.
Hmmm, the cloud hides her again.





I went to another Buddhism temple, Gonen-ji, founded 1752.
The temple's site is big and it's surrounding area, Enkai Zan, is Yokohama City Nature Reserve.
There are hiking trails to Kamakura area.
The hill to the temple is short but mighty, hard, steep.

The pic was taken when I went down
Japan's typical early spring suburban beauty.
pink : ume plum
white : cherry blossom
yellow : nanohana, or colza






At the summit of the nasty hill.
Went into there.





Front, camellia.
Back, cherry blossom.





The main building of Goen-ji, at last.
Beautiful building.
Hard work just paid off.
The roof is thatched with copper.
Yes, C&Vers' favorite thing, patina.







On the way back home, at Oooka-gawa.
Cherry blossoms on the left bank haven't bloomed yet.
They will bloom the next weekend.

zukahn1

Nice and sunny today but still cold below zero in the morning and only 30 or so later in the day. Took the Nishiki SS out for a nice short local ride.






Looks like it will be another month or more before the trails will be clear. I'm getting really tired of snow.

Still really heavy ice and snow in the shady spots.

curbtender

What is your bike ware for day like that? Guessing it's not shorts weather.

RCMoeur 

As previously threatened, today's ride was in Tucson along the Loop path, 8 miles uphill into a stiff breeze and 8 miles that were slightly easier (and nearly double the speed). No photos of the riders or pedaling, but we did encounter this traffic control device which was offering its opinion:

zukahn1

Still going with long under wear two pairs of socks jeans a hoody and jacket.

Drillium Dude

I love this shot - and the use of 'Mother Nature's Kickstand' was quite inspired

DD

Drillium Dude

Many thanks for the mini-tour, @darkmoon - and I must admit, since I began scrolling up from the bottom, I thought I was viewing a Dutch canal upon first glance at the photo above. Then I noticed the cherry blossoms on the right bank, and all was made clear!.

Looking forward to many more posts of your environs, and I hope you have many safe and enjoyable rides ahead in the near future

DD

darkmoon

You're welcome, DD.
I'm happy you like my pix

darkmoon

It's Monday, between Sunday and Vernal Equinox day, a Japan's national holiday.
Do you think you want to work?
I took a day off.

A happy rec ride today, too!

Kasuga-jinja shrine.
Founded 1099, next to Tokuonji temple.
Some guys must have visited or heard Kasuga-jinja.
Yes, there are 1,000 Kasuga-jinja all over Japan.
Some are big and famous, others are small and nondescript.

The headquarters of Kasuga-jinja is Kasuga-taisha, Nara, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site.

Kasuga means a spring day.
Isn't it a good place for a spring rec ride?

A-shaped gate is torii, which declares a sacred place starts from here.
It separates a sacred place from this world.

Art fans must think "Hmmm? I've seen it somewhere. Oh, a German painter, Albrecht Durer, it's same as his sign!"
In Kurosawa Akira's Red Beard, Koishikawa Youjousho hospital is the main stage.
Its gate is like torii but without the top beam.





At the top of the staircase is the main building.
Shimano shoes weren't designed to climb the stairs.







Mokuren, or magnolia.
Another spring beauty.

Evergreen magnolia is taizanboku.
I love its scent!







Yamazakura, wild cherry, Japan's endemic species, grows naturally.
11 species are known.
It has been used as a board for Ukiyoe woodcut since Hokusai, Hiroshige, Utamaro days.

Wild, yes, so they grows at places like these, too.
They grow crookedly.

ascherer 

Finally returning to the thread after a long winter off. Got my butt on the saddle for my first ride of 2023 on Saturday as the temps climbed over 40 in the eastern Catskills.


I planned to head out on the Ashokan trail but it was still snowed over from last week’s storm so I hit the road around the southern perimeter.
My first choice for trails is my chrome Pro but that was on the stand for a crankset swap (that’ll show up in “What are you wrenching on” soon) but the Shogun was more or less ready. Had I known I’d be on roads I might have taken my Mercian, but I made a bunch of changes to the Shogun over the winter, among others it has new wheels with a 7-speed freewheel and an Arabesque long cage rear so it was a good opportunity to use this ride as a shakedown. Thanks to the Rene Herse tires the ride quality is much smoother, and shifting is way better, almost imperceptible.

The views around the Ashokan never fail. Delighted to be rolling again!

Andy_K 

I took a ride in the High Desert yesterday. I got rained on.

My wife and I were visiting Bend for our anniversary, but because she wants me to be happy she suggested that I bring a bike along. So yesterday I rode the Twin Bridges Scenic Bikeway. It's very scenic, but I didn't see twin bridges.

Drillium Dude

Just curious: did you note any significant loss of fitness after your layoff? I ask because I've been off the bike (excepting a couple short jaunts, never over 10 miles in length) for about a month-and-a-half, and wonder what I might expect when I get going again with gusto (I hope!). I normally ride year-round here, but for various reasons, I've not done so this winter.

I know my butt will complain some, but overall cycling fitness and 'sore butt syndrome' can, in most cases, be mutually exclusive

Thanks in advance for any feedback you might provide!

DD

Drillium Dude

Nice pics, Andy! Some really awesome - and quite different than your normal Portland-area - views. The desert regions certainly do have their special charms.

DD

northbend 

Happy Anniversary, you lucky man!

Andy_K 

Thanks. The Oregon Scenic Bikeways really are a treasure. I think I've ridden five of them (out of 17) and they've all been fantastic routes like this.

Spaghetti Legs 

Happy Anno, Andy!

Yesterday I took the DeRosa out for the first time in a long time. Little bit of wind out but not icy cold like the last few days. I think Spring might be here!



Anybody seen the cows today?

ascherer 

The best answer is always, "it depends." The biggest variable is what activity I've had over the winter. This season, not much beside some hikes. That said, what I generally experience is that my core leg strength is slightly diminished and my endurance more so, neither significantly. I feel ok doing shorter rides on rolling terrain early on and increase miles each time out. Butt, back, wrists and shoulders can take some time to get reoriented too. I'm sure that if I tried some hearty climbs I'd be pretty challenged.

Good luck!

thinktubes 

First ride of the year! Been off the bike since late November 2022. Did 28 miles up to the Bot Gard. Temps in the mid 40s, headwind all the way home.

obrentharris 

Nice to see the iconic orange Schwinn back in this thread!
Brent

SurferRosa

Beautiful 60°f day at Discovery Park.

darkmoon

Full blossom weekend of Tokyo and Yokohama area.

But, it's been raining for 3 days, since Friday evening.
And temp is low.

Hmmm, nobody wants to ride a bike.
I'll ride next weekend.

I went shopping and took the pix, on foot.


Cherry blossom canopies





Wild cherries and bamboo thicket
This thicket is well-maintained.
White dots on the ground are cherry petals.

cooperryder 

I was able to get out today on a beautiful mid 70's Sunday!

Decided to extend the ride a bit and rode through downtown Dallas.

I took a quick snap of the former Texas School Book Depository that now houses the Sixth Floor Museum.

Please excuse the grocery bag.

Spaghetti Legs 

Hot dang, sunny and 70 today! I rode the President's route today, going past Monticello and Ash Lawn (Monroe's home) though southern Albemarle County. It's been a while since I've done this route as it can be pretty trafficky. Warm temps on a Sunday meant I could get out early enough to beat most of it. Warning! Non-vintage content as I took the lightweight plastic to protect a sore knee.



Committing modern heresy by riding a race bike with 26 mm tires on gravel.

Vonruden

45 miles at the Jersey Shore