Riding Mt Fuji - Riding the CROWN

Doing business in Japan was always a favourite thing in my business career. I like the japanese mentality and needed to build up a distributor network for SP Connect. When i say Japan normally you mean Tokyo and this was also the starting point for my most exciting ride.

I left the hotel downton at 5.30 am as i had to pick up my bike approximately 1 hour away by train. I found in the internet a contact that was abe to communicate in english - no wonder, a guy from the UK that lives in Japan and trained local guys on th ebike. So therefore he also did rent bikes. So my train station to go was in Nishiikuta. But from there it was challanging as needed to tak a bus and from there no signs in english - just japanese signs. At the end i could make it and rode the bike back to the train staion as my real target that day was Mt Fuji.

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Another 1 1/2 hours with a bike packed in a bag which was obligatory for public transport. But coming closer and closer offered first views onto the holy mountain. Finally i landed in Gotemba and prepared for the ride leaving my not needed stuff in a locker at the train station.

The planned routing was easy: around Mt. Fuji and then up to Station 5 and returning again to Gotemba. Said so i started the first part which surprisingly offered itself already quite as a climb with max 11% and a total of 1000 m altitude. Purley motivated i pushed to be in time. It was a long ride and still alot to do.

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I transferred south of the mountain and hoped to keep the altitude but was proofed wrong in having a nice downhill with a lot of long turning switchbacks, but also reaching the level i started from. After 40k i had a bit of a flat section until reaching the next climb on the westside of Mt. Fuji. This one wasn´t that tough as the first but it was time to do a break afterwards as the main uphill was still to come.

So i had a break at a convenient store after which i still had som k´s before entering the toll road up to Station 5 on Fuji Subaru Line. In the meantime i was on the northside and was kind of unsure how long it will take.

I passed the cars in front of the toll gate to just ride through not knowing that i needed to pay also for the bike. So the formal officer made me understand in a mixture of japanese and talking with his hands that i need to pay - which i did immediately getting a shit storm from all the cars i passed before.

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The climb started and after a ride of 80k after a while i could feel loosing my power. I came here so i have to do it. But more and more it became heavier and it took ages to do the climb. Starting from around 500 m it also more and more became colder. The final destination was at 2305 m and the temperature went from nice 23 degress celsius to about 10. As i swedded pretty much and i had not enough additional layers with me i started already in riding up to freeze.

On top it was almost impossible for me to do pictures and so some chinese tourists helped me to get them done. I was looking for a place in the sun, also watching a guy that just came down from the top with touring skis, but i did not get any warmer. I decided to roll down as i also started to becaome a time problem.

Never in my life again i did not enjoy a downhill like from there. I froze and my feet cramped a lot. Finally i reached the bottom of the pass road and looked for a warm place to do a break and stretch my legs. According to my informations the sun was almost leaving the day and still i had a ride of about an hour in front of me.

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I had already 140k and approx 3500m in me and just wanted to reach Gotemba Station again. Luckily the last part went down but also it was dark already. I had the luck that i had a back light on the bike which was helpful in riding in traffic the same speed inbetween 2 cars down to the city. I was really tired and threw myself into the train calling Tim the rental guy asking him if he can pick up the bike at the train station what he did thankfully.

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It was late already and i reached the hotel at about 11.30. With almost nothing in the stomack i still could find a place to get some beers, good food and Sake.

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rental bitch: Specialized Rubaix
starring: Gerry Samer