*TOP Photo / The Tour de France Uses One-Lane D Roads (Equivalent to Prefectural Roads in Japan) © A.S.O. Pauline Ballet The Tour de France, which takes 23 days to circle around France in the middle of summer, gained attention in Japan after being featured in the documentary program ‘NHK Special’ in 1985. Riders race across the harsh Alps and Pyrenees, striving for the single yellow jersey, the Maillot Jaune. Like the Hakone Ekiden, there are both good and bad sections, which creates drama. Naturally, it captivated the hearts of Japanese sports fans and had such an impact that it sparked a road bike boom in Japan. I am the writer in charge of this article, and I have been reporti […]

Cyclist Ayaka, who lives in Brisbane, together with her partner Yoshi, will share the charm of the city and the “Brisbane Cycling Festival” from a local cyclist’s perspective. In this first part, we will report on cycling along the Brisbane River and the Cycle Expo. Table of Contents 1. The Sunshine State: Brisbane2. Access from Japan to Brisbane3. Enjoy Cycling on the Water with the Riverwalk4. The Cycle Expo Comes to Brisbane! 1. The Sunshine State: Brisbane Brisbane, the third-largest city in Australia after Sydney and Melbourne, is located in Queensland, which is known as the “Sunshine State” due to its high number of sunny days.This favorable weather condit […]

I took part in the TD Five Boro Bike Tour held in New York on May 5, 2024! The weather that day was far from ideal. At the start, the temperature was just 10°C, with winds around 20 km/h—freezing cold—and heavy gray clouds overhead. Still, considering the forecast had shown a 91% chance of rain up until the day before, it almost felt lucky that it wasn’t pouring from the morning. Even layered in long-sleeve jerseys, the cold was relentless, and I was still shivering despite wearing a rain jacket. Hoping the ride itself would eventually warm me up, I first headed to Battery Park at the southern tip of Manhattan to pick up my rental bike. As fierce sea winds swept through before sunrise, I cou […]