What kind of impression comes to your mind when you hear about Hawaii? I’ve disliked it for as long as I can remember. I thought it was a place where celebrities go to frolic, where people ride banana boats and make a lot of noise, and it was filled with “ignorance-based prejudice.” I’ve never been a fan of glitzy things. I originally studied literature, and I’m actually quite introverted. I thought I’d never go there in my life. However, life is unpredictable. I was invited to participate in the Honolulu Century Ride for an article on this website. At 54 years old, I unexpectedly found myself embarking on my first trip to Hawaii. When I wrote on Facebook […]

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 […]

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 […]