Hi! My name is Kondo and I live in Tokyo, Japan. What kind of image do you have of Tokyo? A modern image like Shinjuku or Shibuya? Yes, the central part of the city is modern but most of the areas are quiet, residential and rich in nature.
This time, I’ll be riding alone for 170km, starting from Kasai Rinkai Park near Tokyo Disneyland, heading north along the Arakawa cycling road, famous among Tokyo cyclists and climbing up small mountain passes.
“The ride started at 6:00 a.m., before the sun had risen and although the temperature was quite freezing in early January, it was a perfect day for a ride no clouds in the sky. Since it was a mix of up and down ride, I chose a combination of lightweight and aggressive TIME vxrs and lightweight wheels. I arrived at the cycling road while warming up. Feeling the pleasant morning sun all over my body, I rode for about 45km on the plain. At this time of year, there is a strong headwind along the river that pushes you back even when you turn the pedals. If I lose heart because of the difficulty, I lose.
So I’m going straight ahead, using my aerofoam to cut through the wind. The OUTWET jersey doesn’t flap at all thanks to its size and compression performance, so I don’t feel any uncomfortable resistance. Also, you can feel the wind flowing around your shoulders and waist.
After a long and hard ride, I stopped at a convenience store for a coffee break. I warmed up my cold fingers, replenished my energy, and restarted. And here we are at our destination, Shiraishi Pass. This is a popular pass for hill climbers with an average gradient of 8.6% and an elevation gain of 540m over a distance of about 6.4km.
My legs were ready for the climb and I started climbing lightly standing on pedals. We passed several cyclists along the way. The conditions were so good that I felt as if I had grown wings and was climbing at full power. During hill climbs, my upper body also moves a lot with repeated sitting and standing on pedals but the OUTWET jersey doesn’t shift at all, so I can concentrate on the ride. My legs are already worn out from the headwind on the bike path and my knees are at their limits.
I arrived at the goal out of breath and to my surprise, I was able to hill climb at one of my top five speeds! I’m so happy. As I was taking a break, a cyclist who passed me also finished and talked to me. We talked about various things, and he complimented me, “That jersey is stylish and cool, and the design is timeless”. In Japan, most jerseys are relatively loose-fitting.
After some chit-chat, it was time for a downhill run, and the OUTWET jersey is windproof and highly insulating, and the wind resistance flows very well, so you can safely go downhill while staying on the edge. Afterwards, I enjoyed a warm meal and went home.
It was another productive and very enjoyable ride. It’s always nice to meet cyclists who are riding for the same reason and get to know each other. That’s another nice thing about cycling!”
Text written by Kondo Yuji
