September 28, 5:45 a.m.At Kapiolani Park, along Waikiki Beach in Honolulu.Less than 30 minutes before the start, the area around the start zone was filled with cheerful greetings — “It’s been a year! How have you been?” “Let’s take it easy again this year!” — as if old friends were reuniting.There were also conversations celebrating new encounters: “He’s finally joining for the first time this year!” Though it was still dark and faces were barely visible under the event lights, the atmosphere was bright and full of energy.It felt like everyone was celebrating the chance to set off on their annual reward — riding through Honolulu. This year’s weather was on their side.Daytime temperatures rea […]

Hello, and welcome back. Early summer already seems to be in the air, and the rising temperatures have been making my head spin a little. I hope you’re doing well wherever you are. The first time I rode in Honolulu was in September 2023. Since then, I’ve only attended as a member of the media. Time and again, I found myself having the same exchange with riders: “Are you riding this year?”“I’m here to cover the event.”“Why not ride while you’re covering it?” Fair point. Maybe I should. That thought was lingering in the back of my mind when I recently took part in my second TD Five Boro Bike Tour, a ride of about 65 km. What struck me most was how many new things I noticed on a cou […]

I started feeling anxious due to the tough feedback from former pro rider, Ishizuka-san. I thought, “I need to start training right away…”