“It’s the largest event of its kind in Japan and the only one where participants ride on a highway,” announced Governor Tokihiro Nakamura of Ehime Prefecture. With his opening remarks, the starting horn sounded. Around 1,750 riders set off in waves from the Imabari Highway Interchange (Ehime Prefecture) toward Onomichi City (Hiroshima Prefecture). At the same time, an equal number of riders began their journey from the Mukai Island Interchange in Onomichi, aiming for Imabari. Sunday, October 27, 8:08 AM, under cloudy skies. This joint cycling event between the two prefectures is globally recognized as Japan’s largest cycling event, celebrated for showcasing the natural beauty, tourism resour […]

This time, I am convinced.The Honolulu Century Ride (HCR) is the best ride on Earth. This is my second time riding in Hawaii, following last year. I’ve been pondering how I should be involved as the Communication Director of Global Ride (GR). Last year, I was so focused on completing the 160 km ride that I just gave it my all. It was my first time riding a road bike overseas, and everything felt exciting. However, this year was my second time. I didn’t expect to feel the same excitement as before. So I intentionally decided not to view the event from a rider’s perspective. Instead, I planned to ride in the GR editorial team’s car and focus on capturing photos of the HCR and the b […]

The Honolulu Century Ride (HCR) is just around the corner again this year! The 100 mile (160 km) course, filled with ups and downs, is an absolute thrill. But since you’re already in Honolulu, you’ll want to make the most of the city as well, right? That’s why I suggest exploring the city by bicycle. A light 10 km ride will help shake off the fatigue from the long flight, allow you to get used to riding on the right side of the road, and help you feel more confident heading into the HCR. Even if you’re just visiting Hawaii for sightseeing, there’s more to the city than Waikiki and Ala Moana Center. By hopping on a bike, you can enjoy the real Honolulu. Share bikes, which ar […]

The Shimanami Kaido isn’t the only bike route in Ehime for serious cyclists and bicycling explorers alike. This weekend we venture south from the entrance to the most famous biking route of the prefecture, in the city of Imabari, to the capital of Matsuyama, ending at the oldest bath house in Japan and possibly the most famous in the world. This route is called the Imabari-Dogo Hamakaze (Sea Breeze) Cycling Road.Although this course is mostly utilitarian, with views of the coast for only about half the way, it is a vital path between many great historical sites, quaint and quirky lunch spots and a good night on the town. Table of Contents 　1. Scouting Expedition and Imabari Castle　2. Lunch a […]

Everyone has a place they dream of visiting. For me, that place has always been New York. It’s the city where Andy Warhol and Lou Reed lived, where John Lennon was tragically shot, where breakdancing was born, and where countless films have been set. In that very city, there’s a long-distance cycling event: the Five Boro Bike Tour, commonly known as Bike New York. The course spans 64 kilometers, taking riders from Manhattan through the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and finally to Staten Island. With traffic restricted, the streets are cleared of cars. The tickets sell out instantly, and with over 30,000 participants, it’s the largest cycling event in the Northern Hemisphere. Jus […]

After cycling through Central Park and becoming impromptu New Yorkers, we had our next plan ready. We decided to go shopping in SOHO by bike. When traveling in an unfamiliar city, you often rely on the subway, buses, or Uber. However, this makes it difficult to take detours or get a good sense of the city as a whole. That’s why we decided to explore Manhattan by bike this time. I brought my Brompton from Japan, and my friends decided to rent Citi Bikes, a bike-sharing system with stations all over the city. That aside, there was something we had to do as impromptu New Yorkers: Have bagels for breakfast. It has nothing to do with bicycles, haha. New Yorkers and bagels go hand in hand, r […]

I headed to New York with my Brompton in tow.However, I had some trepidation about cycling in NY. After all, New York is a pioneering city in cycling, known for its messenger culture. Unlike Japan, cycling on the road is strictly enforced. Additionally, bikes follow the opposite rule of riding on the left side. I had ridden a road bike in Hawaii before, but this is New York, the greatest city in the world. It would be strange not to feel a bit nervous. This time, accompanying me to New York are Karen-chan, the runner and cyclist Karen Maruyama, and a friend who was a renowned cyclist during his university days. Originally, Osamu Suzuki was supposed to be part of this group as well, but for s […]

In preparation for Five Boro Bike Tour, I had already reached out to several people, including influencer Karen-chan (Karen Maruyama), who had articles up on Global Ride (GR), inviting them to join me. Osamu Suzuki-san was also among them. Through the connection of appearing monthly on Mr. Osamu’s radio program ‘Shin Radio Humanista’ on BAYFM, I extended the invitation. It seemed a pivotal moment in his life as he considered stepping down from his role as a scriptwriter, and I thought he might want to challenge himself with something new. From Osamu-san, I received an immediate response: ‘I want to go!’ Despite not usually riding bicycles, he felt a certain &#82 […]