Fujimi Adventure Race

I had a chance to race the Fujimi Adventure MTB race last weekend, it is a 40 kilometer loop that includes a very hard 15 kilometer climb right at it's start. I was happy to be able to enter this race as it is very close to my home and has'nt been held since the 2011 Earthquake, which also happens to be when I last raced. The climbing is the challenge on this course and once I got my beer gut over the first climb I was able to enjoy the fire road downhill and then the last 7 kilometer ride down Panorama Ski Areas C-course. I highly recomend this race for anyone wanting a good challenging race . The first climb takes you up through private land that is only open for the race giving racers an great chance to see into the Southern Alps of Japan from a great vantage point. The course is not a technical course(one crazy rider rode it on a full carbon road bike) so any reasonably fit rider should be able to ride the course within the time limits. Look for this race sometime next year as I was told they were going to do it again.

HARD CORE MTB RIDERS

I have quite few groups of riders who come for a ride once or twice a year. I really enjoy meeting them again and seeing how much better riders they all seem to be getting. Its also interesting to see some customers meeting and joining into different groups over the years. Once such group sent me this link to a video they made when they last visited us, over the years I have watched them all become realhard core MTB riders, not just Downhill, or XC, they just enjoy riding anywhere, anytime and anyway. Check out their video

Summer- Fall - Summer

 The weather has been very strange this year, it has been very hot in the Mountains and quite dry. When it rains it pours, not very good for the trails or the riding. When  one months worth of rain falls if 2 hours it turns the trails into rivers,  a good time to avoid riding off road. We got caught out last week and were lucky enough to be able to get off the trail and wait for the rain to stop but for 10 minutes it was quite a downpour. It cooled down a bit but once again I am sweating at 1300 meters today as summer wants to hang around a little longer. Soon my favorite riding season should be here but for now

 It cooled down a bit but once again I am sweating at 1300 meters today as summer wants to hang around a little longer. Soon my favorite riding season should be here but for now the mountain is still green.

Summertime Rides !

  It has been a very hot summer this year,
 August has been  the hottest that I can remember here
 in Nagano, we are very lucky to have it cool down at night
 or I wouldn't be able to sleep.  Before I got into the MTB rides I spent a week riding the Noto Peninsula with a family from the USA , it was the second time  that they came riding here in Japan and it was super fun to show them the Japan Sea side of this country.

 This season I have been kept busy with all sorts of riders and rides.  Each day seemed to be super fun, some were with Families enjoying MTB riding with their kids,  groups of Hard Core Riders wanting to get their fix of Adrenaline and also riders who just wanted to ride all day in the forest.

 

  A few people have asked me a funny question recently "Paul-san, What type of rider are you"? Answer-" I am a bike rider" ! It is all good enjoy the ride!
 

 

Time to get some Altitude

 The temperatures are rising above 30 degrees even up here on the bottom of Yatsugatake. Last weekend we rode up to 1800 meters and the cool breeze was fantastic. As  we descended back down to the valley not only was the riding heating up  it felt like the furnace was also cranking. I drank about 2 liters of water during the 4 hours of riding and it still wasn't enough, take care out there this summer