On Monday I rode to Shiohamadai 2 Skate Park in Chiba Prefecture. According to Google Maps, this was an 18km (11 mile), 69-minute bike ride away, mostly along the Edogawa river which runs from Tokyo to Chiba. However, I chose an unseasonably hot day to go, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees, so with frequent stops for water and map-checking, it took me nearly 2 hours to get there! A few BMXers and skaters were there when I arrived, so I introduced myself, padded up and checked out the park. A mixture of concrete and pre-fab, Shiohama has various features including ramps, hips, table tops, quarter-pipes, a half-pipe and a few boxes, ledges and rails. I’d never ridden pre-fab features before, so had fun trying those out though scared myself on the half-pipe, not being used to the slippier surface. Whilst perhaps not the gnarliest of parks, there was plenty to keep this beginner happy and most other beginners and intermediate level riders too, I reckon. The locals were also very friendly, which helps.
Overall, a good albeit exhausting day. I wanted to stay and ride there longer but needed to save time and energy for the ride home. I will therefore definitely go back to Shiohama but preferably by car or train, as riding that far on top of a park session was not so easy, especially in that heat. My knees would definitely agree with that too!
Weather (and knees) permitting, I'm planning to hit up another couple of parks withing the next fortnight. Watch this space!!
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nice big pic would be good 
I'll google that now and check out the park
