Wednesday evening, September 13th. My wife and I realized by chance that we both had the following Thursday off, so we decided it would be a waste not to go somewhere. We sat there, drink in hand, weighing this and that—"This place is nice," "How about there?"—going back and forth.
We couldn't quite settle on a destination, but the drinks kept flowing.
While talking like that, we decided to go hiking. We ended up planning to rent a car the next morning to go hiking at Mt. Komagatake in Nagano Prefecture. The forecast was sunny, and our gear was ready. All that was left was to wake up at 5:00 AM.
We kept on drinking, and before we knew it, it was well past midnight. I have no memory of when or what time we hit the hay, but...
Bam. We both blew it.
I was shocked—when I woke up, it was 9:00 AM. I mean, after drinking that much (I'll leave it to your imagination just how much), there was no way we were getting up at 5:00 AM.
However, according to my wife, "I was up at 7:30!" and "You're the one who wouldn't get up even when I tried to wake you!" Either way, it doesn't matter. We were supposed to be up at 5:00 in the first place, I told her.
But our day off had only just begun. The Jas family isn't one to let something like this get us down. We immediately switched gears and held a strategy meeting over some toast to decide where to go.
Too far. Too close. Don't want the city. Don't want the countryside.
As we discussed these things, we arrived at the answer...
"Yes, let's go to Kyoto."
And so, our day off, which started with sleeping in after drinking too much, turned into a last-minute trip to Kyoto. And since we were at it, we decided: why not cross "first-time *rinko* (taking a bicycle on public transport)" off my wife's "List of things to try this year!"
Once that was decided, we headed to Nagoya Station by bike. To pack the bikes into our *rinko* bags, we quickly removed the front and rear wheels.
I’d like to say that, but since it was my wife's first time, I gave her a lecture on how to release the brakes, remove the quick-release levers, and so on. She said, "I want to do it all myself!" so I didn't interfere. She's actually more dexterous than I am, so she finished it up in no time.
“FAIRWEATHER” Bike Carry Bag / ¥10,000 (tax excluded)
The *rinko* bag we used this time was the Fairweather Bike Carry Bag. It uses ripstop fabric, making it lightweight and compact enough to fit in the palm of your hand. That's right—I only wanted to introduce how easy this bag is to use, but I apologize for the long-winded intro. Getting drunk and sleeping in doesn't really matter.
First, you remove the front and rear wheels from the frame.
You sandwich the frame between the removed wheels and secure them with the included orange rubber cord. This rubber cord is super simple, easy to use, and works great! You can even use it as a trouser strap while riding your bike!
Once you've tied it up like this, just throw the cover over it, pull the drawstring to cinch the opening, and you're done. Finally, pass the included shoulder strap through the frame and you're finished! Once you get used to it, you can pack it up easily in about 5 minutes.
Once packing is done, it’s off to Kyoto on the Shinkansen!
I was just Googling where to go first upon arriving in Kyoto when we pulled into the station about 30 minutes later. That was fast!! Once we left the station and set up our bikes, our Kyoto sightseeing began.
Kiyomizu-dera Temple. The weather was nice and the location was perfect. We were able to breeze up near the entrance on our bikes, no problem.
Goddamn!! The "Stage of Kiyomizu" was under construction...
A classic filming location for suspense dramas? Nanzen-ji Temple's Suirokaku Aqueduct. I was more impressed by the determination of the stylish Instagrammers taking selfies here than by the temple itself.
#Nanzenji
#NanzenjiSuirokaku
#YesLetsGoToKyoto
#PhotoStroll
#WantToConnectWithCameraLovers
#MyWorldThroughTheViewfinder
That's what I call "talking in hashtags"—a secret trend of mine. It's nothing, sorry.
Western Handicrafts Store: Granpie
We were able to visit various tourist spots and shops thanks to the speed and range of the bicycles. It's easy to access from Nagoya, the main sightseeing spots are concentrated within a bike-friendly range, and the roads are easy to navigate, so a quick day trip to Kyoto is highly recommended for your first *rinko* experience.
On the way back, we did *rinko* again, but this time I tried packing it without removing the rear wheel. The Fairweather Bike Carry Bag is made large enough to accommodate this. However... it was difficult to carry, and my wife got quite grumpy...
(She glared at me when I pointed the camera at her.)
As expected, removing both the front and rear wheels makes it more compact, balanced, and easier to carry.
The autumn excursion season is finally upon us. Why not venture a little further than usual with your favorite bike using *rinko*?
And!! Entries for RIDE ALIVE Gifu are finally closing on Friday, September 22nd!! For details, check TAKA's blog from yesterday!! If you've never tried *rinko*, why not take this opportunity to give it a go!?
Overslept, so I'm taking my bike on the train. "That's it, I'm going to Kyoto."
