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 […]

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 […]

Held in Brisbane, in the eastern Australian state of Queensland, Tour de Brisbane 2026 goes well beyond the bounds of a typical mass-participation ride. Taking over the entire city, it’s an event of remarkable scale—where speed and cycling culture run side by side. The 2026 edition was held on April 12, drawing crowds of cyclists to the City Botanic Gardens from early morning. According to event organizers, participants came from 19 countries and regions, with around 7,000 riders in total—making it one of Australia’s largest urban gran fondos. A defining feature of this event is that it also serves as an official qualifier for the UCI Gran Fondo World Series. The 110 km category is clearly d […]