*This page contains a promotion in collaboration with Jetstar Airways. In September 2025, the Global Ride editorial team arrived at Cairns International Airport in Queensland to cover the ride-and-run event, the Port Douglas Gran Fondo. Arriving just before 5 a.m. local time, we passed through the immigration gates to find the airport bustling with visitors from Japan, all eager to see the UNESCO World Heritage-listed coral reefs and tropical rainforests. Jetstar’s direct flights, which allow passengers to sleep on the plane and arrive early in the morning, are especially popular. After landing, travelers can take a bus or rental car to their destination and enjoy a relaxed first day. With o […]

*This page contains a promotion in collaboration with Jetstar Airways. On September 14, 2025, the Port Douglas Gran Fondo came to a successful close. The course was filled with spots that truly captured the essence of Australia—from the Pacific coastal highway surrounded by diverse vegetation to roads lined with towering ant hills and peaceful farmland offering glimpses of local life. Unfortunately, the cycling event ended this year, but the running event is set to return next year, bigger and better.The day after the event, our editorial team—who had completed the 100 km ride—set out on another cycling trip around Port Douglas together with Ayano and Youhei, an architect couple from Brisban […]

This is the second installment in our series featuring trip notes from riders participating in the Honolulu Century Ride 2025.Our guest this time is Kinuyo, a passionate cyclist who has joined the HCR many times and loves Hawaii so much that she often visits with her family. As a tour support staff member for Tobu Top Tours, she is admired by many riders for her wealth of cycling knowledge and warm communication.Every year, she rides the full HCR course on her road bike—but this year, she decided, “I want to ride with my daughters!” Her plan: to place her 7-year-old on the back seat of an e-bike and have her 12-year-old pedal on her own. Joined by her husband, who would tackle the full round […]

*This page contains a promotion in collaboration with Jetstar Airways. In September 2025, our editorial team headed to Cairns in Queensland, Australia. The purpose? To take part in the “Port Douglas Gran Fondo” ride-and-run event (https://portdouglasgranfondo.com.au/). Now in its fourth year, the highlight of this event is undoubtedly its stunning highway route that runs along the Pacific coast—home to the world’s largest coral reef, the Great Barrier Reef. In this series, we’ll bring you a three-part story of cycling in Cairns—before, during, and after the event—featuring the exclusive highway ride, the vast natural beauty of Queensland, fresh local cuisine, and fascinating historical landm […]

To everyone still basking in the afterglow of the Honolulu Century Ride (HCR), and to those cyclists who couldn’t join this year—this month we bring you a special series of first-hand ride journals written by the participants themselves. Five groups of riders, each crossing the finish line in their own style, share their experiences of the HCR along with stories from the days they spent in Honolulu before and after the event. How did they make the most of their stay? What did they eat, see, and feel throughout their trip? The first story comes from Naohiko Matsumoto, who is approaching seventy and has completed the HCR 100-mile course—160 km—seven times.A former classmate and long-time frien […]

While Japan has been enduring days of heat that feel hotter than midsummer, far to the west on the European continent, France too is under an intense heatwave. And just recently, the grand festival no cycling lover can ignore — the Tour de France — had been in full swing there. Watching the riders circle the country under the blazing summer sun, who wouldn’t feel the urge to ride in France themselves? However, the vast farmlands blooming with sunflowers are scorching, and the legendary Mont Ventoux is known as “The Mountain of Death.” For beginners, such rides may seem a bit too demanding. Yet, there’s no need to give up so soon — France is full of cycling routes made for leisurely rides. Am […]

Are you familiar with “Rail Trails”?A Rail Trail is a path developed on the former tracks of disused railways, designed for cycling, walking, jogging, horseback riding, and other recreational activities. There are said to be thousands of such trails worldwide, particularly in Europe and North America. In Japan, a few examples exist, such as the remnants of the Ioki Forest Railway that once ran between Tokushima and Kochi Prefectures. However, their number and length are nothing compared to those in Western countries, where railways played a major role in opening up the land. The concept of Rail Trails began in the United States in the 1960s and 1970s. Following World War II, as air travel ex […]

The Tour de France, a 23-day journey that circles France by bike in the peak of summer, is finally heading into its decisive final stages. This is the second part of a two-part series reporting on cycling in France directly from the ground. This time, we dive into a hands-on investigation of renting a performance road bike—seriously planning as if we were going to ride ourselves.Is it easy and reliable to arrange a rental? How much does it actually cost? And what should you keep in mind if you really end up riding in France? The route I planned is the finish of Stage 16: Mont Ventoux. There’s no doubt this mountain will play a major role in determining the overall winner. Let’s take on this […]