Betting on Bikes
The day before our trip to Tokyo ended, Hiro and Ichi surprised Tim and me with a trip to Keirin racing in Omiya.
Ichi was pretty pumped for the trip.
But Tim was concerned for his health.
It was close to a one hour drive, and from what I could tell, the Japanese were not accustomed to driving such a long distance. Tim and I didn’t care, as we just tried to repeat the Japanese commands coming from the GPS Navigation.
Hidari. That means left.
Upon arriving, we found the Keirin track situated in a relatively large sports complex, where they also hold soccer and baseball events. We parked in a surprisingly crowded parking lot and walked to the track.
It felt a little like going to a NASCAR event.
We had been told that Tim was a special guest at the event, so we were walked down a private hallway where we were given special passes that afforded us our own private suite looking over the track.
There were TVs to watch replays. The rider on the ground was taken away by ambulance, we were told.
Before we got down to business, Tim presented Hiro with a team jersey for the Cannondale Japan office. I suspect this jersey is in Hiro’s closet and he is waiting to wear it in his next race.
The name of the game in Keirin is gambling. According to Hiro and Ichi, many people in Japan have made careers of gambling on Keirin, but the younger generation is less interested, so Keirin is a dying sport.
Like we have for horse racing in the US, there are all sorts of statistics available for betting on Keirin. Every 20 minutes or so, there is a race with anywhere between 7 and 9 racers, all in easily identified colors. The colors always match the same number, and the racers only do one race a day. The odds are displayed on screens in the suite and the newspapers offer their predictions that typically match the odds on the screen.
You have a few options for how to bet…again, this is very similar to horse racing in the US. You can pick the exact finishing order of the top two or three or just the top 2 or 3 at random.
You mark your predictions on what looks to be a mini SAT sheet.
Before their race, the riders do a few laps, slowly, to let you take a look at them. They ranged, in age, from 20 years old all the way to 48 years old. According to our host, we were not to be discouraged by the age differences, as Keirin was as much about brains as it was legs.
Once you had decided on your bets (up to five on one sheet), you took it down the hallway to the automatic machine that would process your bets and provide you with a ticket that could be used for payment if you won.
“Big Gamblers!” as Hiro liked to call us as we bet $.75 per race.
After placing my bet, I needed to use the bathroom.
We went back to the suite and waited for the first race to start.
Tim started a ritual the Japanese had never seen.
When the race started, there wass a pace setter (we called him the rabbit) who led the racers around the first two laps. He was there to break the wind so no one was stuck leading.
At some point in the second lap, the riders began to attack and fight for position and when they heard the bell at the start of the third lap, it was no holds barred. Using elbows and your body to fight for position is standard practice in Keirin.
While we each won at least one race, we all still lost. Maybe next time.
Eat the Head.
After our visit to Bonsai Cycle in Sendagaya, we made our way to the train with Kaiko Shimura, better known as the girl who is polluting the internet with images that would best be kept off the internet.
Thanks, Kaiko.
The train was crowded.
And unbelievably quiet! Seriously, no talking. Silence. Except for the click of my camera shutter. Whoops.
We got off the train in the hip neighborhood of Tokyo called Shinjuku. There is a mix of fine shops and sketchier streets here.
There is also a famous department store called Setan.
They had shoes.
And light bulbs.
The basement level of this department store is amazing. It’s all food goods, particularly confections and candies.
And whiskey.
Suntory Time.
On this occasion, it was ridiculously busy with women rushing to buy their men Valentine’s gifts. Yes, you read that right. Take note, America. Take note. Tim broke the mold and purchased items for his wife.
The customer service was outrageous. Each confection was delicately wrapped and placed in a special box. After paying, the clerk came around from behind the counter and handed Tim his receipt to confirm the price and then hand-counted the change due to ensure Tim received the proper amount.
And then with a bow, we left for Tempura.
There was pickled eggplant.
Tuna Sashimi.
And shrimp faces.
I balked at those beady little eyes, but the consensus at the table was to eat it. So I did. I ate his little head.
As seems to be the case at every meal, we finished off with Miso Soup and Green tea and then we headed back out into the bright lights of the Shinjuku neighborhood.
And then back on the train, where Tim refused to sit next to me.
Crazy Americans
One thing we vowed to do while in Tokyo was to eat as the Japanese eat.
So far, I have shared Hotel Breakfasts, Sushi, Shabu Shabu, and now it’s time for a meal from Osaka called, “Okonamiyaki.” They call it the “Japanese Pancake,” but I can assure you, this ain’t your standard breakfast dish.
Yaki, in Japanese, is Grill. So when we were brought to our tables, we were greeted by a large grill embedded in the table.
The server lit the propane fired Yaki and then proceeded to mix and mold a combination of cabbage, bacon, beef, onions and some other unknowns into two piles.
After the piles were sufficiently built, they were left to cook for 15-20 minutes on the yaki.
While we waited, our hosts decided to continue playing a little game they like called, “What will Tim and Chandler eat?”
This time it was something they had a lot of difficulty describing. They were able to say, “Stomach and tendons.” I think Tim added tripe to the description.
Some things were chewy. Some things were not. Some things were tasty. Some things were not.
Either way, we polished off the bowls and our hosts were left in a state of disbelief.
After the bowls of entrails the server brought out a kind of omelet. I never was able to get a name for this item, but it was basically an omelet wrapped around pork and some sort of cheesy, milky substance.
It was interesting watching it cook on the grill, since it almost appeared to jump and dance as it cooked.
I think the topping of this omelet was either seaweed flakes or fish flakes. I couldn’t really tell, but as I brought it closer to my mouth it smelled a little like fish, but it didn’t taste like fish.
This was not my favorite dish, but I ate it.
In the meantime, the Japanese Pancakes were still cooking and the server came to add some additional ingredients…
The sauce was hard to describe, except that I think it’s called okonomiyaki sauce. It’s gooey and sweet, but not that sweet, almost like a bland caramel.
After a few more minutes of cooking, the pancakes were then chopped into individual servings for our table.
Some noodles were added to the grill.
I don’t really know how to describe the okonomiyaki. There is so much going on with it that it’s hard to identify one real taste. The texture is definitely enjoyable, since the cabbage is crunchy and then there are the grilled noodles. I wish I could describe it better, but I really can’t.
As we were eating our pancakes, we were then given some raw squid to grill and eat. Shame on me for not taking a photograph.
This was, literally, one of the most delicious things I ate while in Japan. It didn’t appear to be seasoned in any way, but it tasted so. It was salty and less chewy than expected.
Much to the dismay of our hosts, when Tim and I took a bite of the squid, we both reacted the same way. With full mouths we tried to say, “It’s delicious.”
Their response? “Crazy Americans. They like squid but they don’t like McDonald’s.”
How About Some Hardcore
Before the Cyclo Cross Tokyo 2012 race on Saturday, we were introduced, by Daisuke Yano, to the owner of Bonsai Cycle, a special bike shop in Tokyo.
Upon meeting the owner, he told Tim Johnson he made “replica helmets.”
“This one?” Tim asked, pointing to his Red Bull helmet?
“Yes,” he replied, “This one is very difficult.”
We were intrigued by this and looking forward to the opportunity to meet him at his shop, especially since we had also been told, via THE INTERNET, to visit this shop for it’s coffee. Coffee, mmmmmmmmm.
Two days later, our hosts, Hiro Ito, Hideyuki Suzuki, and Koichiro Nakamura, brought Tim, Kaiko Shimura, and me to Bonsai Cycle. It would turn out be a more amazing experience than we could have ever expected.
I am pretty sure that says, “Bonsai Cycle.”
When we had first met the owner, he was dressed in street clothes and a traditional cycling cap. He looked like a bike messenger. When we met him again, this time in his establishment, he was dressed to the nines, in a fine white shirt, sweater vest and bow tie. The pride he took in his business was obvious.
Upon entering Bonsai Cycle, we were welcomed to cyclocross-themed muffins and espresso drinks made by the shop’s barista.
In broken English, the owner explained that, to him, cyclocross was all things brown; Mud, Coffee, and Chocolate.
The muffins were tasty. And brown. And chocolatey.
I am a fan of hyperbole. I do not use hyperbole when I say that I had the best macchiato I have ever had at Bonsai Cycle. The Barista was more skilled than I have ever seen, as was evidenced by her cappucino art.
After sitting with our muffins and drinks, the owner then gave us a tour of his shop.
He then led us to the replica helmets he had made. BY HAND.
First, we saw his Jeremy Powers Team Rapha Focus Edition helmet.
And Tim tried to steal it.
Then he led us to the Tim Johnson Red Bull Edition helmet.
We saw the inspirations for his creation.
And the materials he used to create it.
The visit to Bonsai Cycle was yet another amazing experience in this visit to Tokyo. After finishing off what remained of our coffees and muffins, we headed into the streets of the small neighborhood that housed Bonsai Cycle with Koichiro and headed to Shinjuku for Tempura with Kaiko.
Cyclo Cross Tokyo 2012
I didn’t realize this, but this was the first ever Cyclo Cross Tokyo, and to say it was a success is an understatement.
We all woke up early to be at breakfast in the hotel by 7am. We were at the course with bikes, wheels, trainers and other supplies by 8 for the 40 minute course inspection, since Tim and Erik had not yet ridden the course.
There was still roughly 1.2km of sand on the course, so there was that. Knowing that, I took great pleasure in not racing.
Crowds were already starting to fill in and there were tents already raised for manufacturers and vendors.
The guys were immediately bombarded by requests for autographs, photos, interviews and introductions.
The prevailing mood for this event was excitement; not just for the fans and spectators, but for the competitors as well. The local, Japanese racers seemed thrilled at the opportunity to race along side some of the World’s elite cyclocross racers.
Cannondale’s Japanese MTB rider, Kazuhiro Yamamoto, and the local Cannondale guys offered their tent, tools, and anything else we needed to make the race go as smoothly as possible. Here, Kazu has his number pinned by his wife, Erina Yamamoto.
Our hosts from Champion System were very busy with the days duties, particularly Ryoji, who was promoting his first ever cyclocross race!
Chiharu was also busy and kept us on task with where we needed to be and when, since we understood none of the instructions and information sent out over the loud speakers.
Before we knew it, it was time to race. Hiroki Ito, Watase Yoshiki and the Cannondale crew helped out immensely by running the spare bikes to the pits while I met the guys to take their gear at the start.
The whistle blew, and the guys headed down the start stretch, immediately into a double set of barriers. On the pavement. Tim almost killed himself, but didn’t, and it was off to the pits for me.
I have some video of the race, but that will have to be posted later since internet speed at the hotel makes uploading video very difficult.
To quickly summarize, a local Japanese racer, Yu Takenouchi, took off like a bat out of hell and put a sizable gap into the entire field, making Ben Berden, and every other racer say, “Oh S***!”
Ben eventually caught Takenouchi, who appeared to have gone out a little too fast from all the excitement of the huge hometown crowds.
In the end, only five racers finished on the lead lap, with Tonkin being the first lapped rider. The final results were Berden, Johnson, Heule, Takenouchi, Driscoll, and Tonkin.
After the race, I caught some photos of the women’s podium awaiting presentation.
Spectators.
And the fun on the podium.
Champion System threw an amazing race, and the fact that this was the inaugural event is extremely promising for the future of cyclocross in this great city. This event proved that cyclocross is more than just UCI races and World Cups and SuperPrestige. Cyclocross is what you choose to make it and Tokyo has made something special with this event.
Enjoy these final, few images I think best summarize this great race:
