All packed

Bike and bags all packed. In less than 12 hours we're off for the
Japan Alps. Arrivederci baby!!

Japan Coast 2 Coast Countdown: 5 days

Countdown 5 days left before the Japan Coast to Coast tour. Lowell, Mark and I met today to review the route. We've learned that some of the roads we planned on cycling will be closed for construction (including the Norikura Skyline road which we were all looking forward to cycling on). This leaves us with a few extra challenging tunnels to navigate through. No worries. We're men dammit! There is still time to show your support for our ride through the alps by pledging a donation today. Below is a video which helps demonstrate how your donation will be used. Take a moment to watch it. You won't be sorry.

Hope Realized from Mackenzie Sheppard on Vimeo.

Chasing The Cherry Blossoms - Audio Book

My riding companion in next week's tour across the Japanese Alps, Lowell Sheppard has just released an audio version of Chasing The Cherry Blossoms, a book he wrote ten years ago detailing a 2000 mile journey across the length of Japan. As in the printed version, the audio book paints a serene yet challenging account of the 6 week Cherry Blossom season starting in the southern most part of Japan all the way up to Hokkaido. The audio book is available for download at CDBaby.com.

And now for something totaly different

Thanks to my man in Brooklyn, Bike Snob for this little gem of a find. I dare you to keep a straight face while you watch this video.

Japan Coast 2 Coast Blog

Just one week left before the start of our epic ride across the Japan Alps. Lowell and Mark have been busy prepping their bodies for the arduous climbs. I've been busy marking all of the Mos Burger joints between Hamamatsu and Hakuba on my maps. In case you're not aware, we have a blog site up dedicated to the tour. We'll try to keep it updated with photos and details of the trip as it's happening. Visit www.japanc2c.com .

Groovy Bicycle Posters

Over Grown by Brian Turner

I just got word from Lad of Poster Caberet that their 2010 Bicycle Print Set is now available for $25 each. All 16 prints designed by 15 artists commemorate National Bike Month taking place this month. My favorite is the print entitled "Overgrown" by Brian Turner. A trippy illustration that reminds me of a dream I once had. Groovy. Click here to see the full line up.

Rie's New Ride

Sassy gal Rie shows off her new ride: A Giant Omunium frame set with a sweet customized paint job by Shinya Tanaka of Circles Bike Shop in Nagoya City. Rie rode the Giant to Kyoto with us a few weeks ago.

"It's sooo FAST!!!", she said in her Japanese-San Diego accent.

Rie is off this week to the ECMC 2010 15th European Cycle Messenger Championships. Looking forward to seeing her ride her new bike around town this summer.

Low angle shot

♥ Frame and Forks: Giant Omunium
♥ Color: Rie's special flower (hand painted by Circles kyutai works)
♥ Chainring: Candy Cranks
♥ Crank Set: Sugino RD-2
♥ Wheel: HED 3
♥ Stem: DEDA Newton
♥ Handle: FSA Riser
♥ Seat: SanMarco Regal
♥ Seatpost: Miche SuperType
♥ Tire: Panaracer pacella BL
♥ Pedal MKS Touring Premium
♥ Clip: Brooks
♥ Strap: Brooks

Frank van Rijn - World Cyclist

As part of my regimen to mentally prepare myself for the upcoming tour across the Japanese Alps, I thought I should watch an interview with Frank van Rijin as he discusses some of the challenges he faced cycling around the world.

Crankee Does the Alps

Stay with me. I want to throw out a few names and see if you can guess what they have in common (ah ah! No Googling allowed) Ready? OK, here are the names: Frank Lenz, Thomas Stevens and Allen & Sachtleben. If you guessed that they all lived in the 19th century and likely sported long handlebar mustaches, you're partly correct. These men, like many after them, have felt the uncontrollable need to travel vast distances on a bicycle. Thomas Stevens circled the planet on a friggin Penny Farthing if you can believe that. And since I am a blogger that writes about cycling topics, I would be remiss if I didn't attempt some kind of grand feat of cycling daring-do. So I would like to announce to all 6 of my blog readers that generalissimo Crankee along with close friends Lowell Sheppard and Mark McBennett, will set off on June 1st from the Pacific Ocean coast of Hamamatsu City Japan on a eight day journey across the Southern Alps of Japan to Itoigawa city on the Sea of Japan coast. The trip is part vanity, part charity and a little mid-life crisis thrown in for good measure. We'll be raising money to help poor farmers obtain access to water and help them become self-sufficient. Something I've been striving for unsuccessfully since my 20's. If you'd like to donate to our cause, just visit the Hope International web site and click on the SPONSOR US banner. For more info about our trip visit our blog here.

Three guys, a mountain range and one bike

There you have it. Crankee does have a heart. And to prove it, I plan not to drop dead cycling up some of the highest peaks in Japan while raising money for poor Cambodian farmers. Take a moment to pledge a donation and I promise to think kindly of you. Really, I will.

Nagoya to Kyoto in a Day!

Wasn't sure what I was getting into when I agreed to join the Love Wheels Nagoya Calendar Girls for a ride to Kyoto city from Nagoya. After all, it's only 45 minutes on the Bullet train right? Well, what takes 45 minutes on a super fast locomotive took us 15 hours on a mixture of road, touring and fixed gear bicycles. I've cycled across France so I'm no novice to long distance cycling, but 15 hours on the saddle (even if it's a Brooks saddle) is just inhumane. When we finally arrived at the Kyoto guest house at 9:00 PM, we had just enough energy in us to soak up at the bath house and grab a quick bite before passing out on our futons. Needless to say, I will never try that again.

5:00 AM early start and no idea what awaited us.

Crossing the Kiso River

Mmmm. A quick mid morning snack.

Justin & Señor Crankee

A little bicycle CPR

Maki trying to fly to Kyoto

A late night stop at a popular cycling cafe in Kyoto

Breakfast: Brown rice and veggie curry

Contemplating the day's ride

Cutie Emi posing in front of the guest house

Riding the streets of Kyoto

Stopping for directions

A nice little fixer-upper

One of many temples in Kyoto

Unique cycling shoes in the fashion of Japanese Jikatabi shoes

Sou Sou le coq sportif cycling fashion shop

Two Kyoto beauties waiting to enter a restaurant

The youngest member of the group: Keisuke celebrates his 17th birthday

Kyoto, land of the geishas

Almost there

This is the longest my sore ass has been on a saddle. Over 13 hours.
26km more till destination.

First big hill

Taking a rest after our first big hill climb. We're near Maebara town.
Less than half way to Kyoto.

Crossing the Kiso River

Nagoya to Kyoto

The start!