What is with this beautiful weather in the second half of Golden Week (though it started raining at the very last minute)? I'm happy about it, of course, especially since I headed out for a ride under blue skies on my day off recently, but I also feel a little regretful.
We held our "Bike to Hike" event, one of our GW Ride plans, last Monday. It was initially forecast to rain and we even considered canceling it, but the rain icons disappeared from the forecast, so we decided to go ahead with it.
On the day, even though we didn't get rained on, the cloudy skies persisted, and when we changed our shoes and stepped onto the hiking trail, our destination was covered in mist. We took a short break once we reached the "Kasane-iwa" rock, which is a key waypoint, but visibility beyond that point was only a few meters at best. Because we were also running behind schedule, we had no choice but to turn back. Afterward, we had a bath, dinner at Kamiki Shokudo, and then headed home by train.
I can't claim we saw any spectacular views, but the scenery shrouded in a white curtain felt magical. We felt satisfied after using up all our energy, were soothed by the hot spring, and filled our stomachs and hearts with delicious food and drinks, making it a very fulfilling day.
Still, it is regrettable—there's nothing like good weather. Hopefully, it will be sunny next time...
I used a brand new pair of BEDROCK SANDALS / Cairn 3D Pro for both the ride and the hike this time, and I was able to experience their high functionality from start to finish, including a fit and cushioning better than anything I've used before, and the excellent grip of the Pro series.
And besides the Cairn 3D Pro, another piece of gear that demonstrated excellent functionality was the RAWLOW MOUNTAIN WORKS / Bike’n Hike Bag. It's a bag truly made for "Bike to Hike," as it can be attached to your bike while riding and carried on your back when you leave the bike behind.
【RAWLOW MOUNTAIN WORKS】
Bike’n Hike Bag
Price : ¥16,000-(excl. tax)
Color : Amber Brown, Oatmeal
With a maximum capacity of 10 liters, it can securely store your belongings during bikepacking tours, and you can use the drawcord on the top of the bag to strap down a jacket or sandals.
On this day, Ryotaro-san from RAWLOW MOUNTAIN WORKS and other participants were also taking the opportunity to strap their Bedrock Sandals to their bikes. Once we arrived at the trailhead, we changed out of our cycling shoes into our sandals, put on the bags containing our warm layers and food, and headed up the trail.
It was my first time using it, and I was surprised by how comfortably and securely it sat on my back, even if it wasn't packed to the brim. It’s definitely a bag that will come in handy in many situations, not just for Bike to Hike, but also for touring and rides involving train transport.
By the way, while the Bike’n Hike Bag is easy to carry on its own, you can also use the optional harness kit for an even more secure hold.
As it gets hotter, carrying a pack might become more stressful. Conversely, I think the amount of gear you carry will decrease, so you should be able to handle various rides with just this one bag. If you're looking for a saddlebag, please consider adding this to your options.
This was our third Bike to Hike to the summit of Mt. Ryu, and we’d like to keep hosting it as a regular event, so please join us next time. We’re also planning to host some that are a bit easier to participate in, such as ones where you take the train for the outbound journey as well, so please stay tuned!
