http://staticrooster.com/blog Feeds, Photos, and Links from a venture culturalist Sun, 28 Dec 2008 13:14:16 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en http://staticrooster.com/blog/archives/194 PlanningIt was time to embark on an epic bicycle ride across Japan.  I had done day trips outside Tokyo, and wondered what existed beyond the concrete and steel structures that seemed to continue on forever. Callum, my buddy from work, and I, decided to spend two weeks biking from Tokyo to Fukuoka.  The trip ... http://staticrooster.com/blog/archives/187 On day two, we awoke to the sunlight shining through the windows of our Ryokan room and rose to meet a delicious breakfast served at 7:00AM.Today, we were to face the most grueling ascent of the trip, up 900 meters.  To give you a feeling for the climb, here's an ... http://staticrooster.com/blog/archives/188 Day three was pure intensity.  Callum's friend had gotten into a nasty wreck when they were riding motorcycles together the weekend before, and the hospital had just opened his room up to visitors.  Callum decided to visit him for the day and meet me that evening in Hamamatsu, 120KM from ... http://staticrooster.com/blog/archives/189 The next day I awoke with a new wheeling fervor.  Slightly disgruntled by the previous day's setbacks, I was exited to assemble my bicycle once again and ride 100km.   I felt bad for the help at the hotel, which had to endure the confusion and terror of looking at ... http://staticrooster.com/blog/archives/190 Callum and I woke up in Nagoya on Day 5, with two days to reach our target Osaka, 200km away.  We didn't have a set destination for this day, and decided to ride until we felt like relaxing somewhere in the less populated zone before Kansai propper.  I woke up ... http://staticrooster.com/blog/archives/191 We awoke in Kameyama ready for a vigorous hill climb, up about 300 meters.  We climbed the hill in about an hour and a half and reached a massive tunnel at the top.  Then we began a 60km slow descent to Kyoto.  The kilometers flew by as we passed wonderful features ... http://staticrooster.com/blog/archives/192 Morning in Kyoto began with a meal and multiple cups of coffee at a restaurant attached to the hotel.  We packed our bags, checked out of El Inn, and mounted on our cycles to find the route to Osaka.  It was a mere 40km away, so we figured we'd be ... http://staticrooster.com/blog/archives/193 You know its time to get out of lompoc when you see a guy with "LOMPOC" tatooed in gigantic letters on his back. However, signs like the one below make you want to stay a little longer and listen to stories of the elderly. So after a deluxe contenental breakfast buffet, ... http://staticrooster.com/blog/archives/184 Today was the longest day of the trip, and the most wheeling I have ever done in one day: about 90 miles. The terrain started as farmland in Cambria and then became beach in Cayucos and Morro Bay. I moved inland from there to San Louis Obisbo, a strange place, ... http://staticrooster.com/blog/archives/183