Riding the 1000km Around Shikoku:
An Ultra-Distance Journey by a Gravel Enthusiast

What’s the farthest you’ve traveled by bike so far? Maybe it was the coffee shop two stations away, the office an hour away by train, or perhaps just across the prefectural border. Likely, readers of this article are thinking, “No way, that’s way too close. I can ride much farther than that!”

When you get a road bike or any kind of sport bike, there’s this urge to go farther and farther. Before you know it, you’ve broken through the 50km, 100km, and even 200km barriers, and you find yourself thrilled as your world expands with each new distance.

So, how about 1000 kilometers? Does that sound like an impossible distance? With 1000 kilometers, you could reach Hokkaido or Kyushu from Tokyo. Thinking, “That’s way too far”? Don’t worry—I’m about to show you a world where covering a four-digit distance over a few days is entirely possible.

Table of Contents

1. What is the “BRM1012 Kinki 1000km Tokushima Shikoku Circuit”?
2. Ontama Negitoro’s Ride Schedule
3. Finally, Setting Off on the 1000km Journey
4. The Most Challenging Spot
5. The Most Outstanding Moments
6. Foods That Were Incredibly Delicious
7. What It Means to Ride 1000km by Bicycle

1. What is the “BRM1012 Kinki 1000km Tokushima Shikoku Circuit”?

The 1000-kilometer circuit around Shikoku, known fondly as “Shikoichi,” takes riders through Kagawa, Tokushima, Kochi, and Ehime. While course routes may vary slightly, this journey offers an ideal distance for a rewarding sense of accomplishment.

This time, I entered the “BRM1012 Kinki 1000km Tokushima Shikoku Circuit,” organized by Audax Kinki, which holds more brevet events than any other organization worldwide. This particular course is held only once every seven years, and this is its third occurrence.

The route is straightforward: it starts in Tokushima Prefecture and loops counterclockwise around Shikoku. The goal is to complete it within a time limit of 75 hours. Naturally, it’s a no-support ride, meaning there are no aid stations or support vehicles. Occasionally, the organizers offer local treats as a courtesy, but that’s about it.

2. Ontama Negitoro’s Ride Schedule

To give an example of a 1000km ride schedule, here’s mine. I started on day one, with two overnight stops: once at the 500km mark in Sukumo City and again at the 780km mark in Kochi City. The plan was a four-day, two-night schedule.

You might be wondering, “What do you mean by four days and two nights?” Well, to make the most of a tailwind, I rode continuously for about 28 hours right after starting on the first day, covering 500km without stopping at a lodging. As a result, the trip ended up being a four-day, two-night ride.

During each overnight stay, I took around a five-hour break, with three hours dedicated to sleep. The remaining two hours were for showering, eating, and other preparations. Moving forward, I see reducing those two hours as a key area for improvement.

Of course, this is just an example of my schedule—each participant’s approach is unique.

Other participants I met didn’t book any accommodations at all, opting to sleep only in short naps during their ride, while some completed the course in three nights and four days. The amount of sleep and the choice of accommodations can vary greatly depending on factors such as an individual’s stamina, environment, and physical condition, so there’s no one-size-fits-all answer. That said, the key to success often comes down to how much sleep you can get and how well you can recover during each break.

The 1000km Shikoku circuit ride comes with strict entry requirements. Participants must have obtained certifications for four distances during the period from November 1, 2023, to October 1, 2024: 200km (or more), 300km (or more), 400km (or more), and 600km (or more). Only those who have met these challenging conditions are permitted to start the event.

3. Finally, Setting Off on the 1000km Journey

The start check-in was set up in Tokushima City. Around 100 determined participants, who had met the strict entry requirements from across the country, gathered. Each rider had prepared their top-quality bicycles and gear, waiting for the start time. The atmosphere was like a festival, and my heart raced in anticipation of the grand journey that was about to begin.

4. The Most Challenging Spot

It may sound like a complaint at this point, but I have to be honest(laugh). Of course, a 1000km ride isn’t something you can just enjoy and finish easily.
If I were asked about the hardest part of this 1000km ride, I would say it was the Sada Misaki Peninsula. Located at the western tip of Ehime Prefecture, this peninsula stretches about 50km from east to west. The steep ups and downs seemed endless, and when riding around Shikoku, you need to make a round trip through it.
When I rode through, I had already been riding for over 300km through the night, and as I approached the Sada Misaki Peninsula in the early morning, I struggled with heat during the climbs and cold during the descents.

5. The Most Outstanding Moments

Struggling with the fluctuating temperatures, the moment I saw the sunrise as I challenged myself on the Sada Misaki Peninsula, I felt truly “saved.”
My body, soaked in sweat, had grown cold, and I was exhausted from the lack of sleep and fatigue. But when I saw the sunlight coming from behind me, I couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of gratitude for being alive.

6. Foods That Were Incredibly Delicious

One of the joys of bicycle travel and long rides is definitely the food. Some people even say they ride just for the meals.

For the 1000km brevet, the highlight was the “Amego* sushi” I had at the 950km point near the end of the ride. It was served at a checkpoint set up by the organizers, and the protein-packed Amego, with its yuzu vinegar, was incredibly soothing for my tired body. I ate it from the face so quickly and eagerly that I got a few laughs from those around me.
*Amego is a freshwater fish native to Japan, found primarily in western Japan. It is a specialty of Shikoku, particularly in Kochi and Tokushima.

7. What It Means to Ride 1000km by Bicycle

Riding 1000 kilometers by bike…
It may be a journey of constant dialogue with oneself.

In the mountain roads shrouded in darkness at midnight, or on the quiet countryside paths wrapped in mist and rain, if you suddenly hear a voice speaking to you in the solitude, it’s likely the voice of your own heart. The small voice, often drowned out by the noise of daily life, becomes the one that encourages you during a challenging journey.

It may also be a journey of encounters and farewells.

The road to the finish line feels endlessly distant. Even as you continue your inner dialogue and keep pedaling, there are times when you have to get off the bike. In those moments, when you meet other riders heading toward the same goal, you unconsciously find yourself pedaling together, moving forward. It’s a shared battle with companions you wouldn’t normally meet in daily life, encouraging each other as you progress.
It’s a short-lived alliance, lasting only until the journey ends and everyone returns to their own lives. I can hear the saying: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”

References
https://audax-kinki.com/24brm1012_1000/

Text_Ontama Negitoro

The four prefectures of Shikoku—Ehime, Kagawa, Tokushima, and Kochi—are currently hosting the “CHALLENGE 1,000km Project.” If you complete a full circuit around Shikoku within three years of entering, you will receive a “Completion Certificate” and a “Commemorative Medal (Buckle-style)” from the Ehime Cycling Life-style Promotion Association. For more details, please visit the official website.

Shikoku Circuit Cycling
https://cycling-island-shikoku.com/en/index.html

🚲Articles by Ontama Negitoro

The Bike Travel Professional’s Guide Series
● Domestic Japan Edition 01
● Domestic Japan Edition 02

Gravel Enthusiasts Ride Ancient Routes
● Kii Mountain Range, Kumano Kodo, Off-Road
● Kumano Sanzan Pilgrimage, Exquisite Tuna, Cycle Train

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Ontama Negitoro
Hailing from Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture, Onsen Tamago Negitoro is a company employee, writer, and the administrator of the blog “Bicycle Travel Research Society.” They have been involved in bike camping tours from a young age, having traversed almost all of Japan’s prefectures. During their university years, they were part of a bicycle club and visited over 10 countries solo by bicycle. With extensive experience in bike travel, they undertook an extreme bike camping tour across Hokkaido during the harsh winter of 2023. Recently, they have focused on long-distance rides, earning the SR title in a brevet in 2023 and completing a 1900km brevet during the 2024 Golden Week. They aim to complete PBP and LEL in the future and are also planning to actively pursue overseas bike camping tours.