Bloody Beauty! Back on the Bike!

After months of near inactivity, Kangaeroo was finally able to indulge regularly in the pursuit that brings probably the greatest pleasure in life: cycling!

So far, 2022 has been a series of calamities in terms of cycling, starting with poor weather then moving on to poor equipment, poor health and poor luck!

But things slowly slotted back into place and have finally allowed for a week on the bike that is as good as it gets now!

And some of the results were stupendous, as can be seen in the gallery.

What sheer delight!

Cop A Gander At These Rippers Too...

  • No Better Time To Ride In The Land Of The Rising Sun

    Now’s about the best time of the year for me to cycle in Japan. Being an early riser, I hit the road just before the sun rises in the sky. The upshot is that I get to see some beautiful skies to start off most days. Today was a bonus as there were some delightfully whispy clouds, plenty of color and gradation to greet me and my bike. I stopped in a few different places to capture what I thought were increasingly beautiful scenes as I moved on. It was a bright start to something of a bright day. My finger has healed as well as it is going to….

  • Oops, I Did It Again! (Sorry Britney!)

    With deepest apologies to Britney Spears, I have managed to ‘do it again;’ the ‘it‘ in this case being an extremely pricey bike crash. Fortunately, perhaps, with typical self-absorption I’d forgotten how badly my ASTUTO VASARA bicycle was affected by the accident. The crash occurred in early November 2025. Following the crash, I rode the bike roughly 100 kilometers, and took it on the train, but hadn’t focused on its damage. Subsequently, I was so caught up in my pain, recovery, and then the holidays, that I basically forgot all about it. I broke my leg in the accident and finally started rehabilitation last night. As the physiotherapy clinic is…

  • Tripping on the Tama River

    Kangaeroo cycles pretty much daily. Due to a number of time constraints, nearly all the rides are along or near the Tama River. This river is one of the main waterways in Tokyo and has been supplying the city with water for centuries. River-side cycling is on bike tracks and really isn’t demanding (except for the requirement to be constantly wary of pedestrians). But it’s still great fun. Being able to wake up, get on the bike and shake off the cobwebs and let life rip is a blessing for this old man. And Kangaeroo is even luckier by being able to ride the absolutely gorgeous La Cangura, who heads…

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    Wharfie Time: From Pavlich’s Pep Talk To A Grand Final Heartbreak

    「ワーフィー・タイム」は動機から悲劇へ “Wharfie Time” has become one of the most recognisable pieces of Fremantle Dockers culture. Its history, however, goes back much further than the spectacular stadium production now associated with it. 「ワーフィー・タイム」は、今やフリーマントル・ドッカーズを象徴するものの一つです。しかし、現在の派手なスタジアム演出につながる歴史は、それよりずっと前に始まっています。 The phrase was first heard in 2009, when Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich was picked up by television microphones during a pre-match team huddle. Trying to fire up his teammates, Pavlich called out: “Put on your Superman capes boys, it’s Wharfie Time!” この言葉が初めて登場したのは2009年でした。当時フリーマントルのキャプテンだったマシュー・パブリッチが、試合前のチーム・ハドルでテレビ中継のマイクに拾われました。チームを鼓舞しようとしたパブリッチは、「Put on your Superman capes boys, it’s Wharfie Time!」と叫びました。 The phrase took on a new life in 2024, when Fremantle introduced Wharfie Time as an official stadium experience. When activated, a gong, flashing lights, AC/DC’s “Hells Bells”…

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    なでしこジャパンvs豪州マティルダズ戦

    　日本の世界チャンピオンなでしこジャパンが11日東京の国立競技場でオーストラリア代表「マティルダズ」とロンドン五輪壮行試合で対戦する。 　試合が午後５時でキックオフする。なでしこジャパンの方が圧倒的に強いなので、オリンピックの練習になるかどうかが疑問だが、日豪サッカー伝統のもうひとつの例となれればいいな。 　フジテレビが試合を生中継する。 　日本国外にいれば、オーストラリア放送局（ＡＢＣ）のウェブサイトがストリーミングで中継する（英語解説）。 　ちなみに、なでしこジャパンの「なでしこ」は日本の花の一つとして名づけられたが良く知られているが、マティルダズの由来は分かる？マティルダ(matilda)は、英語で「雌カンガルー」を示す言葉だ。（雄はブーマーというが、豪代表サッカーチームはサッカールーズといい、ブーマーが全豪バスケ代表に使われている）。