• Daily Life

    Glorious In Nearly Every Direction

    7 March 2023

    This morning was an absolute ripper, with a fantastic full moon setting on the ride upstream and the rising sun resplendent in its glory as it came up over the Tama River when heading downstream. In-between, mists formed over the river, making it feel like I was cycling above the clouds at times. It was truly breathtaking, yet again. The day was also reasonably pleasant, cool rather than cold. It was truly a morning to savor. Of course, things are never that easy. I woke in the middle of the night, full of anxiety and fear yet again. I’m in…

    Related Posts

    Angels Without Wings

    23 March 2025

    Seed Of An Idea

    22 March 2025

    Crack A Jaca For A Cracker Jaca

    20 March 2025
  • Daily Life

    The Inspirers

    12 February 2023

    Actions by many people give Kangaeroo to give life a go, and they almost certainly don’t know it, and Kangaeroo doesn’t even know nearly any of them. One of the benefits of the dark period of the COVID-19 pandemic has been the gift of being able to go for a bike ride, usually along the Tama River in the western suburbs of Tokyo, and nearly every morning. These rides are a crucial part of Kangaeroo’s life because they provide routine. Kangaeroo has been able to learn that routine is essential for his wellbeing and the pandemic threatened that when his…

    Related Posts

    Angels Without Wings

    23 March 2025

    Seed Of An Idea

    22 March 2025

    Crack A Jaca For A Cracker Jaca

    20 March 2025
  • Strine

    Costly Bloody Crash!

    29 January 2023

    Kangaeroo’s accident this week continued to have reverberations. Although both Kangaeroo and the bloke he collided with rode away apparently unharmed from their predawn collision, costs have since mounted. The crash gave greater urgency to updating the chain and gear sprocket on La Cangura, which had been showing signs of wear for a while, and there was also a sneaking suspicion that the gear wire could probably do with replacing. That proved to be precisely the case with a visit to the Y’s Road bike store later in the day. The good news was the sprocket and cassette are still…

    Related Posts

    Wattle Y’Know

    11 March 2025

    Foot And Mouth

    6 March 2025

    Enshittification

    3 December 2024
  • Strine

    Ouch! Taking a Tamagawa Tumble

    27 January 2023

    「Ouch!」 「バカヤロー!」 「ごめんなさい。」 「日本は左通行だよ。バカヤロー！何考えてんかよ？バカヤロー！」 Kangaeroo took a Tama River tumble today and it was entirely his fault. Taking his normal pre-dawn ride along the Tama River Cycling Road, Kangaeroo caught a glimpse of an oncoming runner just late enough to be able to swerve away from her and avoid striking her…. ….only to slam straight into another cyclist coming from the opposite direction. The immediate aftermath was the aforementioned conversation. It seemed like the other bloke and his bike were OK. We rode off in opposite directions. La Cangura is scratched and her wheels wobbly. The Wahoo mount destroyed beyond…

    Related Posts

    Wattle Y’Know

    11 March 2025

    Foot And Mouth

    6 March 2025

    Enshittification

    3 December 2024
  • Strine Sports

    Some of the Cycling Camerawork that can be Expected

    13 January 2023

    These are the types of shots that I’ve been able to take of bikes. Related posts: Foot And Mouth No Time to Paws No Wonder the Wallabies Were Wallies in RWC2019 Rav-AGE! Tour de Kagoshima-Kyoto Day 4: Kurokawa to Beppu A Pheasant Makes Things Pleasant Winter is Here Slice of Heaven Craving Procrastination, But Will Procrastinate Tomorrow Bird-jacked! Powered by YARPP.

    Related Posts

    Bye-Bye Brompton in Pal-ace

    8 March 2025

    Velodramatic!

    10 February 2025

    Willow Worlds

    30 November 2024
  • Strine Sports

    Nature’s Double Delight and Not a Skerrick of Proof

    6 January 2023

    Nature turned on a absolutely glorious morning – albeit a freezing one. There was a huge moonset in one direction and a delightful sunrise simultaneously in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, the only camera Kangaeroo was carrying was on a smartphone. This rarely takes decent pics at the best of times, let alone trying to get a lunar shot, which is challenging at the best of times with the most sophisticated equipment. Then, blessed with a delightfully colorful sunrise and otherworldly cloud pattern on the return journey, positioning and timing rendered photographic evidence impossible. Kangaeroo was not in a good spot…

    Related Posts

    Bye-Bye Brompton in Pal-ace

    8 March 2025

    Velodramatic!

    10 February 2025

    Willow Worlds

    30 November 2024
  • Strine Sports

    Doing Something Better than Nothing

    4 January 2023

    Kangaeroo had a rare late night, typically torrid sleep and woke with great reluctance when it came time to take a customary morning cycle. Eventually, Kangaeroo did get up and drag himself out of bed thanks to the events of the previous day. For much of December and continuing on into the new year, Kangaeroo had been gutsing himself daily. Pigging out is a traditional way to greet Christmas and the new year. And this year was no exception. With a year of substantially reduced inactivity and greatly increased stress and pressure (that resulted in damaging emotional eating as an…

    Related Posts

    Bye-Bye Brompton in Pal-ace

    8 March 2025

    Velodramatic!

    10 February 2025

    Willow Worlds

    30 November 2024
  • Strine

    Kicking Off 2023 With Central Tokyo Loop And Super Sunshine

    1 January 2023

    If nothing else, 2023 sure started far better than the awful year of 2022 did, and eventually led to a wonderful ride focused on a central Tokyo loop. Just as had happened 12 months ago, Kangaeroo headed off on the first day of the year before the dawn. Unlike 2022, when sleet and snow had been the order of the day, 2023 was bright and clear, a much more attractive prospect even if it was still equally as cold and dark as it had been the previous annum. The objective for the day was to take part in the Half-Fast…

    Related Posts

    Wattle Y’Know

    11 March 2025

    Foot And Mouth

    6 March 2025

    Enshittification

    3 December 2024
  • Strine Sports

    Enjoying the Cycle of Life

    20 November 2022

    Kangaeroo is not a young marsupial. He is old, fat and lazy. Exercise is not his thing. Yet, thanks to the humble bicycle, this exercise-averse old codger can enjoy a relatively healthy lifestyle. Every morning, almost without fail, Kangaeroo wakes, dresses, has a cup of joe and gets on his bike. For the most part, it’s not a long ride, but it’s a ride. Kangeroo has got a lot of cobwebs in his head and these rides usually help to clean them out. They’re back soon after the rides are finished, but even so, they would be much worse without…

    Related Posts

    Bye-Bye Brompton in Pal-ace

    8 March 2025

    Velodramatic!

    10 February 2025

    Willow Worlds

    30 November 2024
  • Strine Sports

    New Roads

    27 September 2022

    Kangaeroo won’t be doing much riding along the Tama River for a while. For the next few weeks, it will be back in the homeland again. Riding will be a bit of a challenge while there. But also a bit exciting! Oz is far stricter on policing road rules than Japan. It will be interesting to see whether Kangaeroo can adapt to the differences. Kangaeroo grew up in the Dandenong Ranges, which are apparently a cycling Mecca for Melburnians, though it wasn’t the case back in the day (at least to the author’s knowledge). For the time being, though, it’s…

    Related Posts

    Bye-Bye Brompton in Pal-ace

    8 March 2025

    Velodramatic!

    10 February 2025

    Willow Worlds

    30 November 2024