Notes
Another Saturday long ride, another weekend downpour... Seriously, I've never experienced such consistently shithouse weather in summer... Time to move back to Oz for heat waves and ocean waves me thinks...
Blasted out to the coast along the south side of the Shiribeshi River - this road is beautiful and smooth, even in the torrential rain. Was flying and averaged around 35kph for the 30k out to the turnaround.
Followed the road on the north side of the river and averaged good speed all the way - felt easier than usual. Chico in good TT form!
Back to Rankoshi and grunted as I swung onto the Nimi Onsen climb for the second week in a row - rain still bucketing down. This is by far and away THE hardest climb around this area: 14k winding up to the pass between Mekunai Dake and Chisenuppuri - steep at the bottom (nasty shock every time), mellow for a couple km in the middle, then gradually steeper and steeper all the way to the top. Heart attack material. My TT effort must've taken more out of me than I thought as I STRUGGLED up the majority of the climb.
Once over the top, it was down through the clouds to the back of the Panorama Line, then another climb up to Shinnsei Numa/Nitonupuri Pass.
Was planning to add the Goshiki climb into the mix to turn this into a mondo epic effort, but the rain was now a joke, I was soaked to the bone, so skipped the turnoff and bombed 13k down to Koigawa and climbed up past Moiwa and onto home - just spent.
Pie-holed a shitload of post-ride pasta and bread, but still feeling empty. Watch is telling me I gotta refill the 3000 calories I lost. How many beers is that...? Just cracked a Yebisu!