The final cyclocross season of the Heisei era has officially entered its second half.
For this season, SimWorks CX Racing is not only active in the Tokai Cyclocross series, but we are also participating in and hosting booths at Kansai Cyclocross races. Given its deep history, the Kansai series attracts many participants and features high-level racing, which always serves as a great source of inspiration for me. Just recently, I decided to go for a ride with MAAP ambassador and racer Aya Ejima, who competes in the same category as I do.
Beyond sharing the same race category, we also share the name "Aya," but more than that, I was struck by how fast she rides, especially on technical courses. Watching her, "skilled" felt like a much more fitting description than just "fast," and I found myself wanting to learn to ride just like her. I also felt we would get along well because of her frank attitude—she’d rather enjoy the ride than worry about the competitive results of the races.
With that in mind, we quickly set a date for a ride, and she kindly offered to guide me through her home course.
For this session, it was a group of four: Aya, Okamoto-san from IN THE WOODS who often rides with her, Gishi from our SimWorks CX Racing team, and myself, for an Aya Ride.
Shortly after we started, a steep hill appeared before us, and as I was riding and catching my breath, we passed by some hikers. They remarked at how amazing it was that we could climb such a place, but it’s quite rare to find a spot where hikers are so understanding and friendly enough to strike up a conversation like that.
It was different from where we usually ride—the landscape, the environment, everything felt fresh, and that’s something you can only truly understand by riding there. Although it was a short time, I felt the joy of being able to share that experience with others, and as I look back at the photos, I realize just what a wonderful day it was.
After we finished riding, I asked her why she was so aggressive on the descents, and she told me she used to do downhill racing—which made perfect sense. She even says that the worse the course conditions are, the better she performs, which I think is just incredibly cool.
She guided us through a course that was rideable on a cyclocross bike, but since it was a tough ride featuring sections where we had to carry the bikes, stairs, and technical descents, I’ve decided to start incorporating MTB and trail running into my training to become a better rider. She told me she’d guide me through a course that would be fun on an MTB next time, so I’d better get an MTB built soon!
After the ride, we filled our stomachs with burgers at FRANK -Ride and Eat-, located at the base of the mountain we had just ridden.
This cafe is in such an exquisite location. It was opened last July by Kenji Takamatsu, a former Japanese national representative in BMX and MTB, who renovated an old traditional house himself. He wanted to create a "station-like" cafe near riding fields where people could enjoy burgers and sandwiches while exchanging information about mountains or just chatting about their hobbies. I really hope you all visit this place after your next ride—a spot where people from all walks of life, whether you're into cycling, mountain climbing, or neither, can gather and enjoy a delicious and fun time while feeling the pleasant breeze from the mountains.
With that, we are planning to host more events that everyone can enjoy this year, including Girls Rides, MAAP Rides, and Aya Rides. We will be holding an Aya Ride on Sunday, February 17th, and we’ll post the details soon, so please stay tuned!
Also, we are holding a Cyclocross Clinic this coming Saturday, which we planned ourselves, so please feel free to join us!