Good evening! It’s Kamo-chan, a.k.a. Kamo, from Culture Club.
Today was the long-awaited first Portland Living of 2017. Thinking the cherry blossoms might still be in time, we headed out on a Bike To ride with some customers.
With 11 people on single-speeds, road bikes, touring bikes, ATBs, cyclocross bikes, fixies, and one little princess in a Burley child trailer, a group of 12 started our ride!
For the first half, we connected side streets to quickly escape the traffic-light-heavy streets of Nagoya.
There was a trap at the entrance to the embankment on our side route this time. But we urban riders don't just turn back in silence. We had one of the strong guys carry the Burley, and we cleared it easily. Helping each other out is important when things get tricky. (By the way, the Burley frame pipes are made of aluminum, so even a mom can carry them easily.)
The goal we were aiming for via the backroads was the Tenpaku River, which flows through the eastern side of Nagoya.
Renovation of the embankments and riverbed along the Tenpaku River is underway, making it recommended for cycling and running. There are slopes to get down from the embankment to the riverbed, and since you can go under bridges, you're freed from the stress of being caught at traffic lights.
Renovation work is still ongoing, so there are dead ends in some places, but we pushed forward, crossing over to the opposite embankment on footbridges.
There were even some mischievous people who went ahead on the single-track gravel roads before the renovations. Riding through the city can be boring with all the traffic lights, but when you find a shortcut or an odd road like we did earlier and ride along thinking, "Where does this lead to?" you discover all sorts of things, which is part of the fun.
And this is the road I discovered when I was scouting the ride and thinking, "This might be a dead end..." A tunnel of cherry blossoms where the extended branches formed a dome and the fallen petals created a carpet. When I discovered this road, I decided, "I absolutely have to have everyone ride this!" I thought about the route, considering this way and that, wondering how to get there.
I really love the fun of "planning a route" as well.
Finally, we headed north along the river and arrived at Sweet of Oregon, where Portland Living is held!
With a route that detoured through the city of Nagoya, our hunger was well-earned, and we were thrilled to have PFM's today-only koppe-pan (hot dog bun) and colorful tomatoes and mozzarella cheese from Ishihara Farm. Of course, we also gobbled up the eggplant meat sandwich using eggplants from Mr. Tange.
We got caught in a passing shower in the afternoon, but it was a perfect Saturday for a ride—not too hot and not cold during the morning or after the rain. Thank you to everyone who participated! I'll be planning a different route next time, so look forward to it.
With RIDEALIVE Vol.1 Mie / “Bike To Hike & Bike” coming up next week, and Bike To Mori, Michi, Ichiba 2017 a month later, it's a great season for everyone to eagerly get their bikes out. For those who find a ride a bit high of a hurdle, you can also start with commuting to work or school or running errands by reading the 10 Rules for Comfortable Bike Commuting written by Mako-san.