• Strine Sports

    More Climbing

    Continuing on from yesterday, today was another day of climbing through the mountains on the beautiful Belladonna (a Cervelo R5 road bike). Kangaeroo is too exhausted from the energy-sapping ride and a rush to get out to go into much detail. But he is eternally grateful to cycling for giving these opportunities that have been unimaginable for most of his life, and to his wife for allowing him to pursue these dreams. And, of course, to his bikes for carrying him there, and the cycling mates who help and encourage him. Related posts: Strine Dictionary Strine (オージー英語)Dictionary Beating Jobsworths with…

  • Strine Sports

    Climbing

    Kangaeroo loves cycling. He cycles a lot. And I mean a lot. The line between a moderately good rider and a strong rider can largely be drawn at climbing; specifically, how fast a cyclist can make it up the hills. The best cyclists are all good hill climbers. The key to strong climbing is having a good power to weight ratio, which basically means weighing little but still having lots of power. Look at most pro cyclists and they all look like skeletons with disproportionately huge legs. Unfortunately, the only thing disproportionally huge about Kanageroo is his belly. He has…

  • Strine

    Ideal Workday Weather

    Today is bleak. Weather is debilitating. It’s drizzling, bleak, wet and cold. Perfect for work … if you have to work indoors. (Not too good for those who earn a living outside, though) It’s too wet to ride, to do much outside to be honest, but not wet enough to fully rule out any activities under the skies. This kind of weather does my head in. Kangaeroo has also just switched employers, so there is a massive amount of stress and the fear of the unknown. Transition is not moving altogether smoothly, either. One bonus of not being able to…

  • Strine

    Spring-Heeled

    Spring is such a delight in Japan. One reason for that is the blooming of cherry blossoms. For a week or so, much of the company is given a glorious pink carpet as the national flower blooms, transforming often bleak landscapes into spectacular vistas. Kangaeroo spent the weekend cycling Tokyo’s central districts and suburbs, taking as many photos of the blossoms as possible. Related posts: AFL – Modern Australia’s Religion and Failed Proselytizing in Japan Aussie Kit Maker Perfuro Storming Onto the Scene Aussies Exposed to Radiation in Japan – 65 Years Ago Spring in the Step Neighborhood Stroll No…

  • Strine

    Spring in the Step

    This has been a strange kind of week. Meetings kicked off the week, continued throughout and were punctuated by work and lots of cycling and photography. Oh, yeah. And looking after the pet dinosaur. Amid that, feelings went up and down. Mostly down. Now, as the working week draws to a close, it feels like things are getting better. The next couple of weeks are going to be demanding. The next few months even more so, actually. But for today, things are comparatively calm. And that contentment has put a spring in the step, appropriate considering the season. Related posts:…

  • Unknown Nichigo

    Glorious Greeting

    Waking early is never easy, especially as the nights get longer and the temperature cools. But nature sometimes does its best to reward those who drag themselves out from under the covers as the birds begin to sing. The photos here come from one of those times. Related posts: Campbelltown Forest of Wild Birds A Slice of Oz in Sleepy Saitama Shear Fluke! A Rare Aussie Cultural Hit in Japan Nissan Bluebird Oozui: When Australia (Briefly) Exported Cars to Japan A Second Bite of Biwaichi Japan’s Favorite Aussie is Not Quite Who She Seems Lyre, Lyre, Pants on Fire A…

  • Strine Sports

    Riding Along the River

    Summer is not always the most pleasant season in Tokyo as it’s stinking hot, humid and frequently raining. Sometimes, though, nature turns on the charm and you get some delightful goodies. This week’s sunrises have been precisely that. Blessed (?) by a series of bicycle mechanical failures, Kangaeroo.com got a day to take it nice and slowly along the banks of the Tama River forming the boundary between Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture, resulting in these delightful pictures. Related posts: Tour de Kagoshima-Kyoto Day -1A: Tama Hills to Haneda AFL – Modern Australia’s Religion and Failed Proselytizing in Japan Picking Up…

  • Strine Sports

    Biwaichi Takes the Wind from Our Sails

    Having completed about two-thirds of a circumnavigation of Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake, the final day was supposed to be an easy jaunt to the train station and a comfortable ride home to Tokyo for the Kangaeroo crew. “Ha, ha,” laughed the devil. On paper, the last leg of the Biwaichi circumnavigation was a mere 60 kilometers on a flat course, nearly all of which was isolated bike tracks. For the first hour, that was precisely what Kanageroo and the missus got as they headed out of Seta and off toward Hikone. The bitter taste of a terrible time at…

  • Strine Sports

    Rounding Biwa, Japan’s Largest Lake

    Blessed with a long weekend and loads of motivation, Kangaeroo and Mrs. Kangaeroo got out the foldups and built up the resolve to circumnavigate Biwa, Japan’s largest lake. The 235-km shore length is not for the faint-hearted, though plenty make the trip in a single day, courtesy of the almost completely flat course. Nonetheless, it’s a demanding distance for irregular cyclists, so Kangaeroo had cause for concern regarding the missus, who admittedly cycles day, but does so on an e-bike and not an old foldup with no track record of triple-figure journeys. Anyway, putting aside the concerns, Mrs. Kangaeroo remained…

  • Unknown Nichigo

    Tour de Kagoshima-Kyoto Day 10: Nara to Kyoto

    Our tour has reached Kyoto, remarkably with only minor injuries and not a single puncture in the more than 11,000 kilometers the cyclists covered collectively since setting out from Izumi, Kagoshima Prefecture, on the morning of October 1. The group battled a barrage of rain on the most prominent of climbs on Mount Aso and Koyasan, but got through unscathed each time. The tour drew to a close in a journey between the two ancient capitals of Nara, where participants frolicked with the deer roaming freely through the city and saw its lauded Great Buddha at Todaiji, and Kyoto, where…