The three days of NAHBS flew by, and we headed off to Portland, where the winter-like cold was the complete opposite of the summer-like warmth in Sacramento. (It was like going from Okinawa to Hokkaido.) Portland is renowned as a cycling town. True to its name, it was well-equipped with bike stands, bike lanes, and everything else needed, giving the impression that bicycles are deeply integrated into society. We stayed at the Ace Hotel, which is steeped in history and culture, and enjoyed some sightseeing during our brief stay in Portland.
Of course, when you think of enjoying America, there’s also the food (I’ll leave that report to Keiita-shi from Ariba, naturally), but in addition to hitting up the bike shops I’d been looking forward to in Portland, the trail running meetup with The Athletic—a brand we also carry at Circles—was one of the events I was particularly excited about this time.
The Athletic is a sock manufacturer known for their cool, stylish sports socks, which are popular not only for cycling but also for running and casual wear. For us, since we enjoy running in our daily lives just as much as cycling, this was a rare chance to run with them.
Once you leave The Athletic’s shop and head through the residential area, some superb trails greet you. They told us that when they have time or feel stuck at work, they’ll go for a bike ride or, like this, get together for a run. They guided us on a nice 10km total route, and while it was hard with intense ups and downs, it was such an enjoyable day.
We have been taking in a lot of information during this trip, but it reminded me that it’s also very important to hit the reset button and get your body moving like this. It’s interesting how new ideas can come to you that way, too. We talked about all sorts of things while running, and we promised each other that when they visit Japan, we’ll be the ones to guide them.
Rest assured, we didn't just come here to say hello. We’ve placed an order for some new models that haven't arrived at the shop yet, so please look forward to their arrival!