Hello, hi, and how are you! Nice to meet you!
I’m Chan-Mai, and I’ve just joined the team here at Circles!!
I previously worked at an outdoor shop, spending my days surrounded by camping gear. I love mountains, camping, and late-night radio. My latest obsession is playing melodies I’ve heard before on the recorder!
I love experiencing different cultures and travel abroad from time to time. The photo above is from the Namib Desert in Namibia, Africa, which I visited over the New Year's holiday last year. I got to play in the world's largest sandbox!
The power of excitement is infinite...!
It’s a little embarrassing to say this at my age, but back in my student days, I used to say this out loud all the time.
During my student years, I was deeply involved in "Naruko Odori" (Yosakoi) dancing, and I realized many times that the greatest creativity is born when a team is brimming with excitement... (If I start talking about this, I’ll never stop, so maybe another time.)
It’s a phrase I still keep in my heart as a creed, and I’m sure it’s the same for individuals too. When you’re imagining, "It would be so fun to do this!" or "What should I do if I go to that place?", your heart fills with energy and it feels like you can take on anything.
When in doubt, choose the path that makes you excited!
I’ve had a few experiences that came about from taking that feeling a bit too far.
A 300km round-trip on a "mamachari" (city bike)
One of those experiences was a city bike trip I took as a student. Living in a town near the ocean, I often looked out at the sea with my friends. After talking about, "I wonder what kind of town is on the other side?...", we suddenly decided, "If we're curious, let's go!" We checked Google Maps and saw it was about 150km one way from Mihama-cho, Chita-gun. I didn't really grasp what 150km on a bike felt like, but looking at the numbers alone, it felt totally doable.
At the time, I was riding the cheapest city bike I could find at a home improvement store.
Without knowing my own limits, and fueled by the kind of momentum and "let's just do it" attitude typical of students, my bike trip began.
It’s good because you pedal it yourself
Since it was a city bike, it didn't go very fast. Plus, we set a bizarre rule that we couldn't look at maps (we had to rely on signs and the position of the sun) and we made detours to parks and beaches, so we definitely didn't take the shortest route—I’m sure we wasted a ton of time. I just focused on pedaling hard along the road ahead.
The exhaustion and exhilaration of riding until you’re sweating buckets and feeling like you’re pushing your body to the limit. I think that was the first time I truly realized how "fun" a bicycle can be when it’s your own legs doing the work.
When you get tired, your body stops, and once you refuel and rest, you can keep going.
It’s a primitive and obvious thing, but honestly, there aren't many opportunities in daily life to experience that near-limit state (since I usually eat before my stomach even starts growling).
I think that’s the true charm of cycling, and exactly what I love about it.
The city bike was the best, but maybe I can go even further
After I started working, I bought a Bianchi road bike. I remembered being captivated by the vibrant Celeste Blue I saw at a bike shop when I was a kid, so I didn't hesitate to choose an entry-level Bianchi model.
My first impression was that it was incredibly light... (it wasn't exactly a lightweight model, but the difference from a city bike was night and day). Even with the city bike, I had that "feeling that I could go anywhere under my own power," but with this, I simply felt, "I can go faster and further than this."
I took my bike on the train to my hometown in Chiba and rode around the Boso Peninsula with my father, who used to ride road bikes when he was younger, and tried riding from my parents' house to the Disney Resort and Tokyo Tower. Riding on local roads, even though the scenery was familiar, felt somehow fresh and wonderful...
Shifting from cycling as transportation to cycling as play
I had done some cycling before, but I mostly used my Bianchi for commuting. Since I don’t own a car, I’ve always had to rely on public transportation or my own two feet to get around for fun. Car sharing is an option, but it lacks that sense of spontaneity... But what if I could go to the mountains or go camping on my bike...? If I could move whenever I wanted and enjoy the travel time itself, wouldn’t it be even more fun!? As someone whose hobbies are the mountains and camping, I realized that what I wanted from a bike wasn't "speed," but "toughness and cargo capacity."
"Ride x Hike," "Ride x Camp"—what a luxurious way to play! (So exciting...!)
Thankfully, whenever I ask my seniors here at Circles, "Can you teach me?", they almost always respond with, "With pleasure!"
After consulting with those knowledgeable seniors,
・Something I can use for both commuting and fun
・A size that fits me perfectly
・Something cute
They helped me pick out a bike that met these three requirements, and that’s how I found the "BASSI Rachel". It’s a lovely bicycle with a cute logo, an exquisite color, and a frame shape that reminds me of a city bike.
As you’ve probably guessed, even though I’ve only just joined Circles, I decided to build a Rachel!! I’m so happy!
It doesn't take long to write this down, but deciding to make such a big purchase was definitely something I had to agonize over. It’s a major purchase, and I was choosing my future partner, after all.
Still, the fun I want to have is waiting there...! In any case, nothing beats experience!
For me, starting with almost zero knowledge of bicycles, the experience of building one myself is a goldmine of learning.
※ Look forward to the next Chan-Mai blog: "I built my own BASSI RACHEL"!
You can usually find me on the 2nd floor.
Upstairs, we have a great selection of apparel perfect for cycling and hiking, as well as helmets, bags, and eyewear. When you come to Circles, please be sure to stop by the 2nd floor too!＾＾ That’s me with the short bangs!
Someday, I’d love to organize day-trip camp rides or girls' rides. Let’s have fun and expand our circle together!
I look forward to working with you all♪
I’m looking forward to meeting you all!
