Much as I would love to have been tiptoeing, I’m way too fat to do that, so when Mrs. Kangaeroo and I headed off to the Hamura Tulip Festival, it was stomping heavily through the gorgeous flowers. Mrs. Kangaeroo and I had done some cycling tours together in the past, but not since before the COVID-19 pandemic. I’d been pushing all week to go as the return trip is largely flat and a distance I thought Mrs. Kangaeroo would be able to handle despite not having cycled for many years. But the visit seemed unlikely yesterday as our dinosaur fell…
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It looks like the last of the cold weather might finally have left us behind in Tokyo, allowing the final few days of the glorious pink cherry blossoms to be enjoyed in warmth. Sunshine might be a different matter. But I think we can finally wave winter goodbye. Temperatures are set to top 20 degrees every day for the next week. Mrs. Kangaeroo and I have got a weekend together. I’m hoping to visit a tulip festival in Hamura. Every year a number of fields are used to create a patchwork of colorful tulips. It’s quite spectacular. It reminds me…
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Several years ago now, I was very fortunate to stumble into buying a Brompton folding bicycle that has fundamentally changed my life and continues to have countless unimaginable effects. I’d already shown signs of developing into an avid cyclist and was using a Dahon foldup bike to slice my then two-hour each way commute into thirds when a Brompton-riding co-worker inspired me to get a Brommie of my own. I didn’t realize that I should be caring for it and putting effort into maintenance, which is really dumb and naïve, but totally on brand. So, after finally getting gainful, permanent…
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Today was something of a landmark occasion: Kangaeroo made his first century ride on a recumbent bike. Owning and riding a recumbent has been a long-held dream for this blogger. And the dream finally became a reality earlier this year. But the dream turned into a bit of a nightmare as Kangaeroo discovered how difficult it is to ride these bikes. It took over a month of steady practice to learn how to ride. Even then, a sense of unease persists. Early plans to name the bike Lay Down Sally gave way to Death Machine. If nothing else, the recumbent…