On Sunday, September 29th, the 41st edition of the Honolulu Century Ride (HCR) came to a close. While chatting with many of the participating riders, the GR editorial team received this question from a few people: “What kind of organization is behind such an amazing ride event?” With that in mind, we conducted an interview with Travis Counsell, Executive Director of the organizing body, the Hawaii Bicycling League, and an avid cyclist himself. We also received a message from him for all participants, so please read on! GR Editorial Team (hereafter GR): Could you give us an overview of the event? Travis Counsell (hereafter Travis, without honorifics): This event is the largest lon […]

I also consulted with Mr. Ito, the initiator of TURE DE TSUMARI, who had just completed the event recently. When I mentioned that I needed advice, he said that he would first like to hear about my current situation. A true architect, I couldn’t help but admire his attention to detail. He also looked up the elevation differences for the HCR in advance and suggested that I should ride for the expected duration to get a sense of my stamina and riding style. It does make sense…!

*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 […]