Hello, I’m Kousei, the newest member here at Circles.
End-of-year busyness had me run off my feet, but I managed to persuade them to give me some time off, and on December 20th, I took part in Hamamatsu Horizon, organized by Tokai Tracklocross.🫡
Ever since I was invited to try a "grassroots" race on a fixed-gear bike—known as Tracklocross, or "tracklocross" for short—I’d been making all kinds of excuses to myself about why I shouldn't enter. But about a week before the event, another side of me suddenly got really fired up about it, and that’s how I ended up signing up.
Tracklocross, with its deep roots in street culture, is the perfect playground when you’re looking to do more than just ride your track bike around town—when you want to actually have fun with it. It’s open to anyone, so I’ve put together a little Q&A based on my experience.
Q: Were you used to riding a track bike?
A: No. However, I did have a track bike that had been given to me. I felt bad because I hadn’t ridden it for months, but around the time I started preparing, I suddenly fell in love with it.
Q: Did you know the tracklocross rules?
A: I understood them right away.
- Fixed gear
- Wear a helmet
- Remove brakes
Those are the only rules (lol). It's incredibly simple, isn't it?
Basic requirements also include a lower gear ratio, wider tires, and using either pedal straps, clipless pedals, or toe clips.
Once I decided to enter, I committed to doing all the prep I could. To lower the gear ratio on my bike, a DURCUS ONE MASTER, I installed a cog as big as a rice cracker, and for the front wheel, I equipped a Gravel King SK 26c to ensure I could make it through even if it rained on race day.
As a complete beginner, I was excited to see how far I could get, but the result was somewhere in the teens out of 16 participants...💦
Even so, it was fun to think and strategize in my head while riding such a simple bike—figuring out how to navigate gravel and mud with these skinny tires, and telling myself that if I adjusted my legs on the next lap, I could take that turn more cleanly.
The race started Le Mans-style, where you dash to your bike. The course was about 1km per lap, and the race lasted around 30 minutes.
Even if it's just "playing around," there's something great about a "race" format where rankings are involved. It doesn’t just end with fun; you feel a little bit of frustration too, which ignites an energy to ride your fixed gear more and upgrade your parts.
And it's not just about the race—people bring their own interests to the table, like brewing coffee, playing music, or performing, which makes it all the more fun.
Reading this blog, I hope you think,
"Oh, so you can join even with such a laid-back setup,"
and that more people will want to participate.
It’s always nerve-wracking to try something new, but the older you get,
"Let me join in!"
is such an important thing to say.♪
The next one is on Saturday, February 21st under the Toyota Ohashi Bridge! Entries are now open!
Also, under the name TRACKLO BASTARDS, we’re planning a practice session on the night of Saturday, January 31st at a spot in Nagoya. Check the two posts below for details!
There are so many ways to enjoy this, so before you give up because you don't have a fixed gear bike or you can't fit thick tires, come talk to us!!
Let’s enjoy some local tracklocross fun!!