Bridge.... Now this is a bridge

Here is a pic from a bus going over to northern Shikoku Island from Kobe...
Its a fucking big bridge!!! Thats a bulk carrier about to go under it...


Hey wake up Pete..!!!

Heres part of the elevated Hwy from Osaka to Kobe ...off the ground all the way with the odd bridge or tunnel ...

The Long and Winding road !!

After the Shimanami Bridge Ride what better ride could you have than the 2,000m high run on ‘Ishizushi Mt Skyline Drive’
The photos don’t do it justice… a little too much attention was needed getting up the thing !!! But I’m pleased I did it …. And pleased that the hotel at the top was open and had a room for us.

I've seen the light ...

Where's my holiday??

Sweet roads ....

Hope you like switchbacks ??

The closest thing to heven ...

Those lower Mt ranges are probably 1000m high...

Shimanami Bridge Shuffle

This is quite an amazing ride if you have time.
Its a succession of bridges linking a bunch of islands across the Japanese Inland sea between mainland Honshu and Shikoku Island…

Don’t quote me but its about 80km across and comprises 5 or so bridges. The bridge in this pic is actually 3 bridges linked together several kilometers long. You can see the massive pylons off in the distance.
It has its own cycle way and carries little traffic… the views are amazing and just check the cycleway ramps to get on and off the thing …now that infrastructure !!!



Shimanami Cycling road... linking some of the bridges

One of several bridges linking the islands.

Somewhere on the way ...

The blessed ferry ...

Somewhere else along the way...

On one bridge the cycleway is under the road deck...the lane on the right is for >125cc motorbikes

This is the cyclist Hotel at the Shikoku Island end ...well worth a stay.... it has a great onsen and you are welcome to bring your bikes into your room ...how civilized.

Another bridge

Toy Land

The 'bridge' on the right is actually the on /off ramp to one of the Shimanami bridges!!! That's amazing cycling facilities don't you think?

Another clover leaf for cyclist and walkers....

The girls at the cyclist hotel...

The worlds out there ... Ride all over it !!!

Cycle Mode Osaka 08

Cycle Show time again.
This time in Osaka.

Attendance is recommended !!!


2 areas of displays and a several test ride tracks to try out the next possible addition to your stable.

This is the que for a spin on a Colnago....

This is the test area for wrong bikes....

Nice touch - Gold

The Won Bok - Bike connection....???

Couldn't help to slip this real world pic in here...

Nice unit !!

The paint job goes all the way to the rims...

Found this ... needs a bit of work on the display , but it was good to see some Aussie inspiration ...

Spinning it up in Osaka.

Flat Bars ...its a slippery slope...

Heres my support vehicle I use on all my rides...I wish !!!

Colnago supporter ??

Green !! Doest it come in Orange ??!!

Ready to roll !!!!
I'm ready ...

Road ART

It's not quite Road Art but it's round and beautiful, particularly after a 1000m climb to get to the restaurant at Harkone Lake ...Izu.

Here are just a few of the many many road plates that just amaze me...
Each area has a different design which depicts something about the area.
Not only are thay beautiful, they manage to get them almost perfectly flush to the road surface.

It took me a while to stop dodging these plates, a fear reaction from years of conditioning riding in Australia where they can all too often be wheel destroyers... life endangering...or even worse.... Uninspiring !!!

Only in Japan....!!!