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Moving to Tokyo - where should a triathlete live?
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Is there a neighborhood or area that is particularly good for access to pools, running trails and somewhere to bike train? I do long course racing, so looking for a place that I can at least get on a train to take my bike out for longer distance rides.

I'll be working in Chiyoda. I hear that the Imperial Palace is a good run loop. And there's a pool in Shibuya. But where do people bike train? And is there a particular train line that I need to use to take my bike out?

Any suggestions helpful!!
Last edited by: nychel: Oct 11, 15 19:25
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Re: Moving to Tokyo - where should a triathlete live? [nychel] [ In reply to ]
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The Shibuya pool is/was closed to non-clubs. I think it's being demo'ed apart of Tokyo Olympics prep. The two main public competition pools are in Setagaya and Yokohama. There are lots of private gyms which have warm, but usable pools. I used the NAS Sports Club in Oosaki.

There are lots of running routes everywhere, I would typically run along the riverside paths during the week and then use do 3-4 laps of the emperors palace on the weekend. Namban Rengo is an awesome group, I would definitely suggest going.

Riding is significantly more difficult in the city, there is a bike loop around the port west of Shinagawa on weekends, the path along Arakawa? river, and a trainer in your apartment. If you get just outside of the city in any direction, there is lots of epic climbing.
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Re: Moving to Tokyo - where should a triathlete live? [nychel] [ In reply to ]
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You can take your bike onto any train, but it needs to be in a case. It also needed to be in a case inside my apartment common area. Tokyu hands sells them or there is an English speaking bike shop in Hamatscho or maybe meguro that sold the cases, they're 5000-10000 yen and required seat post and wheel removal on my 57cm BMC.

Obviously, a bike on a train during rush hour would be completely rude and aggravating.
Last edited by: owen.: Oct 11, 15 19:46
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Re: Moving to Tokyo - where should a triathlete live? [nychel] [ In reply to ]
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I rather live somewhere with as short a commute as possible. I'd probably look around Daikanyama. You are close enough to run Yoyogi Park/Meiji in the morning. Komazawa Dori is a straight shot out to the Tamagawa River for an early morning bike when sunrise is like 4 a.m. in the summer. It is also a short hop out to the port - Oifuto (right past Tokyo Keiba, Horse Track) where you can spin loops (but this is really only on weekends. During the week, you may get run over by a container truck).

There is still a community of ex-pats who are renting beach houses down in Shimoda during the summer. If you can find a group to split the rental, you are set for the spring/summer/fall. It is an easy train ride plus the cycling is superb. You can open ocean swim to your hearts content. (great thing about Japanese Summer is the big high pressure system gives you calm water. )
Last edited by: vertical_doug: Oct 12, 15 2:24
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Re: Moving to Tokyo - where should a triathlete live? [owen.] [ In reply to ]
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Thank you for the suggestions!

couple bike questions - if you bring your bike (in a bike bag) on the train, where do you leave the bag when you ride? And where are you taking the train to? I've heard that there are good hills, but I'm not entirely sure where they are. This is such a confusing move!
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Re: Moving to Tokyo - where should a triathlete live? [nychel] [ In reply to ]
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I saw many people riding road bikes in Hakone on weekends. Most were riding solo. It is a bit scary as roads are narrow and there are buses going up and down (it is a tourist spot/weekend destination). But Japan is quite civilised, the buses will patiently wait behind you until they can pass. If you want more info, ask Haruki Murakami! You might see him running in Tokyo.
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Re: Moving to Tokyo - where should a triathlete live? [nychel] [ In reply to ]
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I picked all my routes based on Strava segments. There are hundreds of HC-graded climbs within a 2 hour train ride of Tokyo.

The bike bag's used for trains scrunch up into something about the size of a waterbottle. Just stuff it in your jersey pocket.
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Re: Moving to Tokyo - where should a triathlete live? [nychel] [ In reply to ]
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There's two Olympic pools, one here and one here. Worth noting that some weekend days you may encounter whole pool closure for swimming competitions, thus it's worthwhile checking the calendar.

The Arakawa and Edogawa rivers have bike routes along side them where you can really ride hard if you're up early. At some places there are width restrictions to slow down bikes/obstruct vehicles, but it's easy to work hard there in the week before work if you work office hours.

The Imperial Palace loop is the best running loop you can do if you're central. Failing that again the rivers.

The trains are brilliant (goes without saying really) and if you have a bag (rinko bukuro) then you will be able to reach lots of hills. Strava is best. Sadamine. Shiraishi. Kasayama.

Also if you want to get away for a weekend of epic riding head up to Gunma Prefecture (easy on the Joetsu Shinkansen) and get your ass to Blue Monkey Lodge

Useful links:

http://www.e3-fit.com/
http://www.tokyocycle.com/bbs/

Y's Road (good place to go for bike parts and your rinko bukuro, more options than Tokyu Hands in my experience. There are several branches, if you go to this one there are two entrances, one upstairs and one downstairs - don't enter the small downstairs bit and miss the huge shop above)

Enjoy Tokyo, I loved it.
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Re: Moving to Tokyo - where should a triathlete live? [Ing.] [ In reply to ]
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There are some great recommendations here for you. Living anywhere central is good. For what ever reason, there seems to be a bunch of triathlete friends living around Shirokane, Hiroo and Ebisu. Most do long course.

For a bike bag, I can recommend a Montbell Quick Carry bag (L size will fit a tri bike) that you can buy here. So small and light that you can shove it in a back pocket or a bottle cage.

http://en.montbell.jp/...php?category=4603000

A good bunch of triathletes run with Namban Rengo:

http://www.namban.org/

There are a couple of Japanese tri/OWS swimming squads that swim in the early mornings. But all are run in Japanese. I go to a squad on Monday mornings at NAS Osaki. All of the local wards have their own 25m pools that you can swim at as well.

But I can recommend Coach Lisa from E3 Fit who's link was posted above by Ing. Lisa speaks English and is the best swim/tri coach in Tokyo. Her Saturday morning swim sessions at Shirokanedai are fully bilingual. You can contact Lisa through her website.

http://www.e3-fit.com/

There is a "Triathlon in Tokyo" Google Group forum/mailing list with lots of good info on it about training and racing etc. You can either join the group yourself, or PM me with your email address and I will add you.

https://groups.google.com/d/forum/triathlon-in-tokyo

Tokyo is a great place to train and live!


Keren
https://www.triathlonintokyo.org/
https://quintanarootri.com/ https://en-jp.wahoofitness.com/ https://www.worldtriathlonstore.com/
Last edited by: astroman: Oct 14, 15 0:25
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