今日のサイクリングは奥さんと一緒にロードバイクで愛知県の有名な紅葉スポットに行ってみました！香嵐渓です！

Most people go here by bus, and it can get really busy with traffic jams since most roads over here are single lane. Fortunately for us, it’s only about a 30 km cycle away and we can go most of the way on the cycling path along the Sanage mtn Green Road path. If you’re interested in seeing our route, here’s our ride on Strava.
https://www.strava.com/activities/1968967286

November is in my opinion the best time to cycle in Japan. The weather is nice and cool. Not too hot and not too cold, and the colorful leaves (red, yellow, green) are absolutely stunning. Having no humidity after a long hot & humid summer is also pretty great.

We also grabbed some gohei-mochi, a must eat snack while cycling around Japan. Popular any time of the year, but especially in the Fall.

We also just got our new Taiyaki cycling knee warmers in today, and they look awesome!

The post Autumn Cycling in Japan at Korankei, Toyota ロードバイクで 香嵐渓 紅葉 サイクリング appeared first on Two Wheel Cruise.

今日のビデオでは愛知池のサイクリングロードへ行ってきます！

It’s rainy season in Japan, which means rain & clouds almost every day. I’ve also been sick with a cold for the last few days, but there was a break in the rain and some daylight remaining after work, so I decided to maximize this time and go out for a quick spin around one of the cycling paths nearby us at Aichi Ike (愛知池).

The course is only a few km ride from our home in Japan, and it is blocked off from the main road, so it is nice and protected from motorized vehicles.

The course follows around Aichi Ike (Aichi pond), and there are a bunch of scenic views along the way.

It is only a few km long, and you also need to be careful with your speed. Fast riding is not allowed on the course, so you should not use it for hard training. Only for casual / recovery rides. It’s also a nice place to come for a cycling date 😉

There’s also a nice roadside cafe along the cycling path, so you can stop for a quick snack.

One of the downsides of the course is that there are 3 barriers that you need to navigate around. In the past, they were not rideable, but currently all three are rideable.

This path is very close to Aichi Bokujo (愛知牧場) or Aichi Farm, which has some pretty great ice cream. Hopefully we’ll come back on a sunny weekend for another ride and get some ice cream then. Unfortunately today we had little time and the rain started to come down, so we were only able to get one lap in.

愛知池 サイクリング Aichi Ike Cycling Video

The post 愛知池 サイクリングロード Aichi Ike Cycling Path, Japan / Rainy Season Has Come appeared first on Two Wheel Cruise.

Time to get started with today’s ride!

Today is the first big cycling ride with the new TWC Cycling Kit. Looking pretty good if I do say so myself 😉

恵那市 (Ena) is located NE of where I live in 岐阜県 (Gifu prefecture), which is famous for mountains. That means today is gonna be full of climbing..

I love cycling in this direction, as there are a lot of beautiful sights along the way.

This looks like a nice place for a break.

八王子神社 狛犬 (hachiouji jinja koma inu)

This is the front of Hachiouji Shrine with the guardian Shinto dogs known as koma inu.

Here’s hoping they also protect me on my ride today 🙂

Drone Time

As if climbing through the mountains wasn’t already hard enough, I was also carrying a backpack full of camera equipment, and.. my drone!

Completely worth it to be able to get some beautiful shots of this area in 瑞浪市 mizunami city.

小里城大橋

Even more worth it to get this awesome view of 小里城大橋 (orijou oohashi)

This road is crazy high off of the ground and just looks plain awesome! It’s even more fun to ride down, which I did later in the day 🙂

For now though, it’s up up up!

Finally, I arrived at my main destination, 道の駅 おばあちゃん市 山岡 (michi no eki obaachanshi, yamaoka)!

I was pretty hungry, so this was a perfect chance to fuel up on some good food. One of my favorite foods on long rides is 五平餅 (gohei mochi), which is a grilled rice stick covered in salty miso.

200 yen for pure deliciousness.

I also spoiled myself with some ice cream (350 yen).

The End

That’s it for today’s ride. I was pretty cooked by the end, and stopped for some coca cola on my way back for some extra energy.

Today’s ride on Strava

Be sure to watch the full video for all of the awesome views at 恵那市 and 道の駅 おばあちゃん市 in 岐阜県

The post 道の駅 おばあちゃん市 山岡 Cycling to Michi No Eki in Ena Japan appeared first on Two Wheel Cruise.

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.

We searched for quite a while without any luck, but eventually found a scooter shop that had some old “new” mountain bikes in the back corner collecting dust.

We were able to get 2 bikes for about $300, which was a bit pricier than what I was expecting, but I was desperate to have something to ride. They cleaned up the bikes for us and delivered them back to Thuong’s home, so we were able to go for a quick ride later that day.

Also can’t forget to mention these awesome blue aero spokes on my new bike 😉

Once we were back home, we quickly set out for a ride on our new bikes to explore the nearby Vietnamese countryside.

There were lots of farming nearby, as well as some rivers and pretty interesting bridges.

We decided to ride to Thuong’s old high school, and her commuting path was a pretty bumpy road filled with buffalo poop, watch out!

We ended up having a pretty fun ride, but didn’t have much time remaining as the sun was starting to set.

Very happy to finally get some wheels here in Vietnam, and excited to go on some longer rides from now on 🙂

The post Cycling in Vietnam Countryside With “NEW” Mountain Bikes appeared first on Two Wheel Cruise.

Joukouji 定光寺 is in Seto, Japan 瀬戸, which is just north of where I live. Even so, it still took me almost a good hour to get to this area.

I first arrived at Joukouji Park 定光寺公園, and took in the sights there.

Seriously, these fall leaves are beautiful. Cycling around Japan this time of year is by far the best in my opinion.

The temple is at the top of a mountain near this park, so there was one last little climb to get there before I could relax. I rewarded myself with one of my favorite Japanese snacks, gohei mochi 五平餅, which is a miso covered grilled rice stick (if that makes sense at all).

I then made my way to the temple, where I was photobombed by a monk while talking to the camera haha.

All in all, it was a beautiful day of autumn cycling in Japan, and the video turned out great. Make sure to check out the vlog for today to see even more beautiful sights around Joukouji Temple 定光寺.

定光寺 Joukouji Cycling VLOG

The post Joukouji Temple Autumn Cycling 定光寺 紅葉 サイクリング 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.

Most of the area filmed is from along the beautiful Yahagi river in Toyota, Japan. Only about 2 weeks remaining until we attempt the Lake Biwa Challenge!

僕の友達が最近サイクリングをやってみたいなと思ってます。で、たった一か月だけのトレーニングで琵琶湖一周を挑戦するつもりです。
その友達のサイクリング経験は２０分の毎日の通勤しかありません。このライドはたった二回目のロードバイクライドなのに80キロは余裕でした(約琵琶湖の半分)。

写ったところは豊田の矢作川です。
琵琶湖一周挑戦は後２週間ぐらい！

The post Training for Lake Biwa Challenge at Yahagi River Japan 矢作川 サイクリング appeared first on Two Wheel Cruise.

The race was held at the Hirata Riverside Plaza, which is the same location as the local monthly training crit (平田クリテ) is held. There just so happened to be a race this day as well, which I was planning to enter, and then enter the sfiDARE Crit afterwords.

Because I wanted to participate in both races and I don’t have a car, I had to ride over with my road bike as usual, and Kodama-san lent me one of his spare track bikes, a Giant Omnium.

After a solid top 10 finish in the Cat-1 race of the regular crit, it was time for the main event!

The first lap was supposed to be a “free lap” for people to get used to their bikes and riding in a pack on fixed gears on the course. One person didn’t get that memo and decided to attack. Other people went with him, and that left me dangling off of the back trying to get used to my new bike. Luckily, after a few laps of getting used to the bike and the course at speed, I was able to put in some hard attacks on the long back straight and eventually catch up to the front group and then attack off the front.

I was able to get a gap briefly, but was brought back into the group by Kodama-san and Jasmin, who were fresh on form from travelling to the Red Hook Crit in Brooklyn, NY. Eventually, it came down to the three of us, with Jasmin taking a last lap flyer, and Kodama and myself playing cat and mouse to see who would chase and lead out the sprint. He ended up leading it out, and I was able to come out around him at the very last second in a very narrow sprint finish.

Needless to say, I had a blast and was really happy to be able to perform well in my first fixed gear criterium race.

This race wouldn’t be possible without Kodama-san and his wife, who have both made significant strides in bringing fixed gear racing culture to Japan through the sfiDARE Crit.

Thanks to everyone who participated, and I’m excited to see how this race will grow in the future!

みんなさん、お疲れ様でした！

sfiDARE Crit Race Day VLOGS

Full race day, Hirata & sfiDARE Crit

sfiDARE Crit Full GoPro Race Footage

The post Victory at sfiDARE Crit! Japan’s First Ever Fixed Gear Criterium appeared first on Two Wheel Cruise.

SPYDER BUKAK Race Day

The race format was a hill climb done in similar fashion to 4-cross. Groups of 4 riders would start together, and the 4 riders with the overall fastest times would qualify for the final heat, which was where all of the prize money was. Normally, I am more of a sprinter and not so much a hill climb kind of rider, but I can usually do pretty well on climbs up to about 5 minutes. Looking at previous times from this race, a winning time was a low 6 minute, so I felt that there was still a chance for me to do somewhat well.

I was very impressed at how professionally this race was put together. From the glass racer sign in board, to the starting stage, to the portable restroom playing classical music, to the live results board, everything was just overall very smooth and well thought out and put together, which was great to see.

I particularly enjoyed this rider sign in board made from glass. I’ve signed numerous rider sign in boards before, but this was definitely my first time doing it on a glass one! Fancy!

Right before the start of my heat, they conducted a mini interview with me about my cycling history, which was apparently broadcast live in Korea (which my other friend in Korea just so happened to watch).

My heat finally was underway! Derek told me that the guy in green was the winner from the previous year and to just follow him. My strategy was to just try and sit on and save energy for the first half, and then see if I had anything left for the finish. Luckily, the pace wasn’t too bad for the first half and I was feeling confident I could sprint out the second half of the climb. Unfortunately, when the guy in green started his attack, the other rider in between us did not react, so my chase was a bit delayed and I wasn’t able to catch him before the finish line.

I ended up with a time of 6:48, which put me in 5th place overall.. Which was one spot out of the final round, the podium, and the money.

Chris Uburti ended up having the fastest qualifier time with a 6:17.

He then went on to win the final round by dominating the sprint, which was a sight very familiar from our collegiate racing days together..

Fun random fact: Derek, Chris, and I all used to race in the MWCCC (MidWest Collegiate cycling conference), and all used to race for the same US domestic elite team, RGF/Panther. Thought the team split into two teams when I joined, and we ended up as rivals rather than teammates.

The SPYDER BUKAK race continued to impress with the level of quality of the awards ceremony. There was a proper awards stage, DJ, professional announcer, and even a KOM jersey for each race winner.

These trophies were also pretty massive and weighty. I think Chris had to check another bag on his flight just to get this home and add it to his trophy rack.

There was also a pro Men’s division in today’s race, but apparently the pro racing and amateur racing is completely segregated in Korea. If you’re curious about why all of these professional cyclists are showing off their legs / cycling tans, be sure to watch the full day’s video here:

SPYDER BUKAK CLIMB CHAMPIONSHIP 스파이더 북악 스카이웨

Race GoPro Footage

More information

http://www.spyderbukak.com/

The post SPYDER Bukak Climb Championship Race in Seoul, Korea appeared first on Two Wheel Cruise.

I was really impressed with all of the cycling options in such a large city. There are a bunch of cycling paths, cycling lanes in most major roads, and a bunch of good hills and mountains very close by. It really is a great city for cycling. Just wish the air quality was a little better.

STRAVA Link – https://www.strava.com/activities/932420653.

The post Cycling in Seoul (Mt. Namsan Seoul Tower + Bukak) 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.