The first part of the ride was very cold and cloudy as you can see. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop us from taking some selfies.

After about a 45km ride, we arrived to the race venue at Hirata Riverside Plaza Park. The racers had already been doing time trials in the morning to determine race categories and starting positions. We arrived with good timing, right before the main races were starting.

I quickly went into vlogging mode, and started filming the race action.

I actually participated in this race last year, and won, so coming back this year and not racing was a little bit tough. On the other hand though, it was nice to be able to relax and enjoy watching the race and cheering on my friends who were participating (and suffering).

If you want to read about / watch last year’s race, click here.

Unlimited Class Start (Elite)

The fastest class of the day was “unlimited”, which was limited to the top 15 fastest riders of the morning.

The course here at Hirata for the sfiDARE Crit is half technical with some narrow turns, but also requires power with some very long straights and corners that can be taken at full speed.

This was Thuong’s first ever time seeing a race, and she quickly turned into a super fan with her cowbell.

In the end, Kodama-san, who had the fastest morning TT, also won the unlimited category race by riding solo away from the field with a strong attack halfway through.

The pack riders put in a really hard chase, ultimately shattering the pack, with the sprint for second coming down to a group of 3 who couldn’t quite close the gap to Kodama-san.

All in all, it was a really fun race to watch and it was great to see some big growth and interest in the race compared to the previous year. Kodama-san is actually a professional keirin racer here in Japan and together with his wife, they are making big strides to make fixed gear racing popular in Japan. They’ve even started their own dedicated fixed gear racing time that is racing in fixed gear races throughout the Asian circuit (and even Red Hook Brooklyn).

The Long Way Home, To Ichinomiya Tower!

Rather than going back home the same way we came, we (I) decided to take the long route back, and check out the cycling path along the Kiso river and Ichinomiya Tower 138 Park.

This was my first time coming here up close, and I was really glad we made the extra effort to come here, but I think I pushed Thuong a little bit too hard..

Nothing a quick little nap can’t fix..

We ended up getting over 100km in for the day, and the cold cloudy morning turned into a pretty warm day with some strong sun. I hadn’t prepared for such weather, and ended up getting really sun burned. Was going to happen sooner or later though.

Today’s Ride on Strava

Be sure to check out today’s VLOG as well.

sfiDARE Crit 2018 Cycling VLOG

The post 100km Ride to sfiDARE Crit 2018 Japan’s First Fixed Gear Criterium appeared first on Two Wheel Cruise.

You can see a lot of these scenic locations throughout today’s vlog.

About a month before this ride, Thuong (we were not dating yet) decided that she wanted to challenge herself by riding around lake Biwa. Although she had never ridden a road bike before in her life (or any bike other than a standard cheap bike for that matter), she started training for this goal. Her first ride was about 45km, her second ride was 80km, her third ride was 100km, and today was her 4th ride at 150km.

According to her, each ride was easier than the last since she was able to adapt to the bike and become more comfortable. Even crazier, she was riding in regular shoes with flat pedals and never stood up once during the whole ride.

Anyway, huge props to her for accomplishing her goal!

You can check out today’s ride here on strava
https://www.strava.com/activities/1083920909

The post Ride Around Lake Biwa – 琵琶湖 サイクリング appeared first on Two Wheel Cruise.

The entire time, I stayed at the Meander Hostel in Ximen, Taipei, which had reasonable rates, a nice open public space for working, and space for me to store my bicycle.

I ended up making videos for most every day of the trip. While most of them are cycling focused, some of them are not since I did want to experience some regular tourist attractions as well. Here they are in order.

#1: Arrival in Taipei, build bike & ride to Tamsui (台北 – 淡水）

#2: Taipei to Fulong, pepper bun & bubble tea (台北、福隆、胡椒餅、波霸奶茶)

#3: GoPro chest mount test on Taipei river paths to southern mountains

#4: Taipei to Shiding, two peaks ride & beef noodles (台北、石碇、牛肉麵)

#5: Mini “velodrome” in Taipei? (likely speed skating track)

#6: Workout at Taipei Wanhua Sports Center (台北市萬華運動中心)

#7: Yangmingshan national park & Tian Yuan Temple (陽明山國家公園,天元宮)

#8: Hiking Elephant Mountain 象山 + New Logo!

#9: Exploring Taipei’s Attractions + Din Tai Fung & Oolong Tea

#10: Spirited Away in Jiufen

#11: Taipei Grand Hotel + Bento + Portable Toilets

#12: Ride to Wulai Falls From Taipei (烏來瀑布)

#13: My Favorite Bubble Tea + Street Art in Ximen

#14: Last Day in Taipei | Ride to Dongyanshan 東眼山

Final Thoughts – Taiwan Cycling Trip

This trip is easily one of the most memorable trips I’ve taken throughout all of my travels. Taiwan is a paradise for cycling, and dare I say I enjoyed the cycling here more than I do living here in Japan (minus the scooter exhaust in the city).

If you are considering traveling to Taiwan for some cycling, I strongly recommend it! Even though I have not really been outside of Taipei area yet, I hear the other areas are also really great and have some big cycling communities.

One of the things that I really enjoyed the most about cycling in Taiwan was seeing the large number of people cycling all over the place. From large group rides of regular cyclists to regular pedestrians riding on their commuter bikes, it was great to see a country full of people using bikes. Another great thing to see was all of the female rides in Taiwan, which is a bit of a rare sight in Japan in comparison.

I’m definitely planning on going back sometime for Taiwan Cycling Trip Part II so I can ride in and experience the cycling in other parts of Taiwan. Heck, if I can get enough vacation time, I might even try and cycling around the whole country 🙂 One day…..

The post Taiwan Cycling Trip – 2 Weeks Riding Around Taipei appeared first on Two Wheel Cruise.