Nice to meet you! My name is Riho Ueda, and I’ve started working here at Circles.
Everyone calls me “Dariho” or “Da-chan.”
I’m looking forward to working with you all!
To get started, I’d like to introduce myself.
I’m from Ogaki City in Gifu Prefecture, and my hobby is mountain climbing.
The mountains I’ve visited so far include Mt. Tsubakuro, Mt. Sugoroku, Karasawa, Goshikigahara, and so on.
For nearby mountains, I occasionally go to Mt. Miroku or Mt. Sanage for a trail run followed by breakfast at the summit.
It’s a mystery even to me now why I got so hooked on mountains, but it might just be because the food and beer you have at the summit taste so good! Haha.
My climbing style is UL (ultralight) hiking.
(Though I say that, my pack is always stuffed to the brim when I go camping.)
When I first started climbing, I enjoyed the act of “climbing and eating mountain food,” but now I also look forward to “testing out new UL gear on the trail.”
UL gear looks so cool, doesn't it?
Because of that, I often end up buying things with the same functionality...
As much as I love the mountains, I only go in the summer.
There was a time when I thought about trying snowy mountains,
but the gear is expensive and I really don’t like the cold…
However, I wanted something fun to do outdoors during my time off, and the answer I arrived at was “cycling.”
How I got interested in cycling
The reason I decided to buy a bike was that I wanted something to do during the off-season, but the reason I became interested in cycling was when I saw the Doppo on the Circles website and thought, “What is this cool bike...!?”
At the time, the only bikes I knew were city bikes (mama-chari) or sports bikes like GIANT and Bianchi, so seeing the Doppo, which had a different vibe from the sports bikes I knew, was a shock. From there, I learned about the gravel bike genre, and my interest in cycling grew and grew.
Time to choose a bike!
When I finally started seriously thinking about buying a bike,
I ideally wanted to ride a Doppo,
but unfortunately, it didn’t fit my height (153cm)…
(Not to mention it was over my budget, haha.)
I looked into many others, but almost none of the ones I liked fit my height…
That’s when this “bike refugee” found “SURLY.”
I was drawn to their wide range of frame sizes, their toughness—which seemed like it would handle any adventure—and their accessible price point even for complete bikes.
And so, I chose the “SURLY PREAMBLE.”
Since I wasn’t yet sure what kind of riding I’d be doing, I decided on this bike because I felt like it would help me find those answers. (The name “Preamble” felt perfect for someone just starting out, too, haha.)
I wanted to ride right away, so I bought it as a complete bike.
Now, I’m gradually customizing it to my own taste—pedals, bar tape, tires, and so on.
Choosing parts while thinking about how to make it look cute is so much fun! I love cool colors like light blue and green, so I’m keeping my bike color-coordinated.
Since I bought it last November, I’ve been really enjoying my cycling life, from everyday errands to riding to see the autumn leaves in Seto City and even taking my bike on a plane to Kochi.
I’m a cycling beginner, so I hope to grow alongside my PREAMBLE! Looking forward to working with you all.