I took advantage of an opportunity to head out to the Kanto region to host a ride—a greedy project blending business and pleasure—to see a festival, which is my life's work, while involving customers and friends of Circles and Circles Tokyo in the area. The ride was incredibly stimulating, and it reaffirmed for me that riding with others opens up unexpected new worlds. I carried out this ride called "BIKE to Jumbo Koinobori."
The Avatamsaka World of the Arakawa Outback
Participants gathered at Akigase Park at 7:00 AM on a morning blessed with perfect weather. With everything from the latest carbon gravel bikes to old MTBs and handmade bikes, the fashion and styles were as diverse as the machines. It was a great vibe.
Although many of us were meeting for the first time, we exchanged brief greetings and introductions before setting off, immediately cutting into the unpaved backroads.
The person who attended to our ride route this time was Kako-kun, who embodies the #ArakawaOutback concept by riding it. I’ve asked him to plan various Bikelore rides before, but personally, this was my first time joining one of his rides and exploring the #ArakawaOutback.
The Arakawa River has the widest embankments of any river in Japan. Kako-kun would stop occasionally to explain things, like how there used to be entire villages within them. Even today, it remains a diverse gravel world of forests, fields, and wilderness. It’s hard to put into words, but the strange sensation of riding through an endless loop of superb gravel routes that seem to reflect off one another was a profoundly intense experience.
When I lived in Tokyo, I rode around this area many times, but Kako-kun’s route was full of paths I’d never seen before. Naturally, these aren't the types of roads you'll find on Google Maps, so you can't reach them without a guide. Experiences that can only be shared through people are truly a luxury.
Knowing good roads and being able to chart a route is a special skill born from countless hours of real-world riding and the vision to connect those sequences. The greatness of this skill is hard to convey on social media; it requires a near-obsessive desire for route-finding, repeatedly cutting into fine, obscure paths. I only know two such "perverts" (in the best sense) who possess this: Kako-kun and my senior in Nagoya. It’s interesting that both of them were once hardcore road bike enthusiasts.
Friends Are Essential for Touring Deep Worlds
Group rides are held to suit a variety of levels.
The Papersky Tour de Nippon I participated in recently also toured Saitama, and it was a wonderful tour with thorough ride support that even beginners could feel safe joining, along with excellent guidance on the area's charms.
That, too, is a great way to bring together various participants, but providing such extensive support makes organizing the entire ride quite a difficult task.
On the other hand, group rides for experienced riders like this one—where you have little prior information and are expected to handle your own troubles—have a higher barrier to entry but are easier to host. The members who gathered this time were flexible, enjoyed getting lost, and were simply the best. Thank you all for joining!
An Overly Jumbo Koinobori
After savoring the majestic world of the Arakawa, we moved on to the Tone River for our final destination: the Jumbo Koinobori in Kazo. This, too, challenged our common sense with its fable-like size.
The wind was too weak in the morning for it to fly well, but during the final attempt in the afternoon, it swam magnificently. Catching the wind in its mouth and rippling like a real fish with countless wrinkles along its tail, this giant carp streamer felt almost like a piece of earthworks art that utilizes the natural environment. It looks huge in photos, but it's even more impressive in person.
Saitama is full of other intense festivals. We decided we should definitely do another one in the Saitama #BIKEtoFestival series, so please join us if you have the chance.
Kako-kun’s YANAGI CYCLE, which he ordered with the intent of route-finding rides that cut into narrow paths regardless of road conditions. It has the intimidation factor of a truly utilitarian bike.
His handlebars are equipped with the appropriately named "Outback" handlebar bag, which he co-developed with Tade qui.
