I headed out to the mountains again on my last day off. This time, I linked up with Inocchi from WELLDONE for a quick morning ride, choosing an easy route that’s just a 40-minute drive away and offers about two hours of riding. It’s a great plan where we can meet at 8:00 AM, finish by noon, and still have the whole afternoon to do other things.
This route is beginner-friendly, even for someone as unskilled as I am. It’s basically a series of gentle climbs and descents. There aren’t many technical sections, making it a perfect course for novices. I imagine a skilled rider could even tackle it on a cyclocross bike without any trouble. While I love riding bikes, I’m not particularly good at downhill, nor am I fast at hill climbing. Lately, I’ve realized that what I really love is just riding my bike and spending a relaxing time in the woods.
Because of that, the term "MTB (mountain bike)" often carries an image of aggressive, hardcore riding, but the way I like to enjoy the mountains is much more laid back. Haha. When I get tired, I want to take a break and have a coffee. I want to take photos in scenic spots. I want to enjoy chatting with the friends I came with. Sometimes, I want to challenge myself a little on a descent. That’s what I like. I ride my bike in the same way one might go for a hike.
I enjoy both on-road and off-road, I like both hill climbs and descents, and above all, I love just being surrounded by the vast nature of the mountains. So, I’ve decided to call this style of riding "ATB (All-Terrain Bike)" for myself (a personal interpretation, anyway). I think being able to enjoy any place or any terrain really broadens the possibilities for bike play.
My CIELO had been a singlespeed for a long time, but I recently added gears. It has changed the way I ride completely, giving it a totally different feel. I can now handle those steep climbs I couldn't manage before without any trouble.
I’m out there in the mountains shouting, "Gears are amazing!" Haha.
I really want people who are thinking about trying mountain riding for the first time to know that this kind of experience is possible.
And now, here is some info on an upcoming pop-up from my riding partner, Inocchi from WELLDONE. WELLDONE has built quite a following among the CIRCLES crowd and is becoming known nationwide, with users popping up everywhere. This time, they are landing in Kumamoto, Kyushu, followed by stops in Hakata and Kobe.
Here are the details for the Kumamoto exhibition:
Form Follows Field._02 @Kumamoto
Dates: January 27–29, 2017
Location: Dendensha
Exhibitors:
・Atelier Blue Bottle
・EYL
・Okataoka
・TORAYA equipment
・ripa
・WELLDONE
This is a joint exhibition featuring six brands that draw inspiration from various outdoor fields. All of them are highly individualistic, and our own WELLDONE is definitely keeping up; they are currently hard at work on the bags and caps they’ll be bringing to the event. Personally, I’m eyeing the Thai pants from TORAYA equipment and the backpacks from Blue Bottle... Be sure to check out their respective links.
If you live near Kyushu, I highly recommend you stop by. And for those who make the extra effort to travel from the Tokai region to Kumamoto, you might even get a "little something" from Inocchi (I just decided that on my own, by the way). I’ve heard from so many people that Kumamoto is full of fascinating people, things, and experiences. I’d love to go there myself someday.
It’s getting quite cold in January, so please take care of yourselves and get out there to have lots of fun.
Best,
PS. We have a new staff member at Early Birds! Her name is Acchan. She’s a sports-loving girl who played basketball for over 10 years. She’s still getting used to things, but she’s very enthusiastic and works hard, so please give her a warm welcome. I’m looking forward to seeing her grow.
ATB RIDE & WELLDONE expanding to Kumamoto
