・So, What Exactly is OMM BIKE?
I first started thinking about entering OMM BIKE back in the autumn of last year. It was when I visited MODERATE, a famous shop in Yokkaichi where Kyohei-kun—whom I met through RIDEALIVE and various mountain adventures—works.
This race tests a rider's "total mountain ability"—experience, physical fitness, navigation skills, and camping techniques—all essential for moving through mountainous terrain safely and accurately. As the concept "Face Your Challenge" implies, while confronting the vastness of nature and facing your own physical strength, running ability, and mental limits, each participant must grasp their situation in real-time to determine their route to the finish. You have to decide: Do I move forward? Do I turn back? Do I quit in these harsh conditions? You are constantly forced to make choices as you proceed.
Kyohei-kun, who has competed in the main event, caught wind of rumors that a bicycle version of the OMM was going to be held, and it all started when we said, "We should enter that." Having already been great at combining cycling and mountain adventures, he didn’t actually own an MTB at the time, but after some prodding from me and others (lol), he ended up getting a Cielo MTB earlier this year. We joked that "we have no choice but to enter now," and recruited Teke-kun, who had started mountain biking at the same time, thus establishing Team Cielo for OMM.
・A Treasure Hunt Unfolding on Hakuba Iwatake
OMM BIKE and OMM LITE were held in Japan for the first time, hosted at Hakuba Iwatake—a place still fresh in our memories from last year’s SSWC. We arrived a day early to set up our booth and held a strategy meeting while poring over the course map that had been distributed in advance.
The rules were simple: visit as many control points (checkpoints) scattered across the vast area of Hakuba and Otari—which includes trails, dirt, and asphalt—as possible within the time limit to compete for points. The points assigned to each control are different for the two days and are announced just before the start each morning, making advance planning crucial.
Furthermore, teams consist of 2–5 members, and a key rule is that you must always stay within earshot of each other—meaning you must act together. Additionally, as mentioned in my previous post, you must carry all necessary gear on your person at all times.
The day of the event finally arrived. At the starting grid, where BIKE and LITE participants stood side-by-side, score sheets were handed out while we waited for the starting gun. The tension at that moment was exactly the same as when receiving the manifests for alleycats I used to do in the city during my courier days; I felt nervous, yet I found myself enjoying the situation.
At the same time, when you hear "start" at a bike race (especially in cyclocross), you often feel a sense of impending chaos due to being so close to other riders, but what impressed me about this OMM was seeing runners and bikers mixed together, all yielding to each other and starting without a single incident. There's no place for that competitive friction here, after all! (lol)
On the first day, our strategy was to focus on high-point controls in the north, moving efficiently, and then expand into the southern points in the latter half. The controls were equipped with SI stations (as seen in the photo) and marked with flags. You record your visit by punching your SI chip (only I know how excited I got by the "beep-beep" sound, which felt like a survival game).
Some controls were hidden in bushes or hard to see depending on the angle. We actually struggled with this one. We checked the map over and over, saying, "It should be around here, right?" and when we finally found it, we kept our voices hushed in our excitement so other teams wouldn't notice.
With some controls at ski area peaks or beyond pools of water, tackling such a diverse variety of points felt truly like a treasure hunt.
On the second day, which started in the rain, we decided to focus on the southern area where high-point controls were clustered, keeping in mind that the race time was one hour shorter than the first day. Since some controls overlapped with our first day, we used our memories to move quickly.
By the way, this control was marked as "Road Ends." It was true—beyond this point, the road had been washed away...
The rain-soaked trails were perfect mud conditions, and there were times when we got unexpectedly muddy and the bikes just wouldn't move. We even had a scene where we ventured onto a trail to reach a control, strayed from our intended route, and had to bushwhack through pathless terrain to get back on track.
Since you can't ride while looking at a map, the race demands that you stop to figure out your current location, read the terrain from contour lines, and navigate precisely from point to point. I was incredibly grateful for Kyohei-kun, our mountain specialist, in this regard.
In the end, we finished in 10th place overall, with 420 points on the first day and 440 points on the second, totaling 860 points.
I was happy to narrowly beat the Lotus team led by Nobu-san, but I think I might have completely flipped on his "motivation switch," which makes me scared for next year! (lol) Competing against unseen rivals is also part of the fun of OMM BIKE. The top team scored 1110 points over the two days, so we're still not quite there, but I’m aiming for a top-tier finish next year. I’m already planning on participating again! (lol)
Jus and WellDone Inocchi’s gluttonous team wore matching team bags and enjoyed themselves with an even more comprehensive food supply than required by the regulations, from hiking snacks to emergency rations and treats.
SimWorks’ Monjya-san participated as a mixed-gender pair with Aki-chan, who he hastily teamed up with for the shakedown of his brand new Rew10 bike. True to his former courier roots, he navigated the points efficiently and made a stellar finish just one minute before the cutoff (points are deducted if you're late). There were a few mixed-gender teams, but no all-female teams entered this time, so I really hope to see that next time.
・The Appeal of OMM Beyond Just the Race
What I think makes this event so wonderful, more than anything, is that you can enjoy camping after the race. With campgrounds and auto-camp sites provided, it’s a rare event where participants can spend a relaxing time not just with each other, but with their families and friends too.
And our interactions with hikers and runners, whom I would usually just exchange a quick greeting with on the trail, were different over these two days. I was personally impressed by the way we were able to support and encourage each other and share information with LITE participants when we crossed paths. This might be taken for granted, but I realized that it would be interesting if such events could serve as a catalyst to break down the barriers between all mountain-loving communities.
Personally, I want to take my teammates, Kyohei-kun and Teke-kun, to trails they’ve never ridden before, and conversely, I’d love for Kyohei-kun to guide me through the mountains of Suzuka. In any case, it was a wonderful event that made me want to keep breaking down those barriers little by little.
I want to send my highest praise to my teammates, as well as to OMM JAPAN, the organizers, the staff, and all the local residents. It was three days packed with discoveries, from the interesting perspectives of people who enjoy mountain life beyond just cycling, to ideas that provided great inspiration. I definitely want to participate again next year with even more friends from Nagoya!
For anyone interested in OMM, I’ve posted the actual course map we used at the shop, so please feel free to ask me anything!