As announced previously, we will be holding a ride tour, "Bike to Mori, Michi, Ichiba," to cycle to the Mori, Michi, Ichiba 2016 festival.
This idea came to fruition not just because we wanted to go ourselves, but because the festival will be providing a designated parking area for those arriving by bicycle.
The name of this parking area is "CYCLE CLOAK." As the name suggests, it is a bicycle version of a coat check service. Since "cloak" is Japanese-English, it is known as a "cycle valet" overseas. The idea is to set up a bike parking space near the venue, keep attendees' beloved bikes safe until the end of the event, and allow them to enjoy the festival with total peace of mind.
It was originally a hit at the "Akigase Forest Bikelore" cyclocross festival held annually in Saitama Prefecture, and we have since set up and operated it at cycling events like "Cyclocross Tokyo" and the Tweed Run. We have also implemented it at smaller urban events, such as gallery and shop openings. The operations are managed by Monja from SimWorks.
For the bicycle, a mode of transport that plays a versatile role in all aspects of life—from daily commuting to weekend fun and adventure—not only "riding" but also "parking" is a critical function. While the benefit of being a daily tool lies in the fact that anyone can ride and easily park one, this creates issues like abandoned or stolen bikes. Furthermore, from an event organizer's perspective, unlike automobiles that require large parking lots, bikes are often just left to be parked "somewhere around here."
As anyone who owns a favorite bike knows, there is an underlying sense of anxiety when you leave your bike out of your sight—even for a short time—and a sense of relief when you return to find it still there. Deep down, that nervous feeling shouldn't be necessary.
While this type of bike parking is becoming the norm at bicycle-focused events, being able to implement CYCLE CLOAK at Mori, Michi, Ichiba—a festival of music, craftsmanship, and food—is of great significance. There are still almost no festivals in Japan that provide a secure bike parking area and encourage people to arrive by bicycle. We are truly grateful for the understanding of the Mori, Michi, Ichiba organizers.
Beyond the Circles ride tours from Nagoya and Okazaki, I hope this creates an environment where locals from Gamagori and Toyohashi can simply ride over, park in the facility, and enjoy the festival at their leisure.
In any case, the best part about arriving by bike is that the delicious food at Mori, Michi, Ichiba tastes even better. The Circles ride tour includes an Aliba ticket as part of the set. Please do come by bike and make use of the CYCLE CLOAK!
Details for the "Bike to Mori, Michi, Ichiba" ride tour
We are planning to set up and operate the service this coming weekend, March 26th (Saturday), at the Ageo Smart Cycle Festa in Ageo City, Saitama Prefecture. This will be operated in a style where you can park freely without needing to register. Please be sure to lock your bike. Details can be found here.
Cycle Cloak can be operated anywhere in the country. If you are an event organizer who wants to provide hospitality for those arriving by bicycle, please feel free to reach out to us.
http://cycle-cloak.com/