Hello! This is Yoshimoto from Circles Tokyo. Last weekend, we held our first "Ride To Ride" event, a new ride series utilizing cycle trains! For "Ride To Ride vol.1 Tsuchiura," we took the train from Ueno to Tsuchiura to ride along the southern side of Lake Kasumigaura.
Just as the cooling weather was fueling everyone’s desire to get out and ride, we were met with a stretch of endless, dreary weather. This time, however, we were blessed with the perfect window of opportunity to break through the overcast skies. Many of you joined us, eager to vent all that pent-up energy from wanting to ride your bikes.
Today, I’d like to share how "Ride To Ride vol.1 Tsuchiura" went!
Board straight from Ueno Station! A super comfortable cycle train
We met at the Ueno Station Park Gate at 8:00 AM. Usually, for a ride event, this is the time when everyone is scrambling to disassemble their bikes and pack them into bike bags. But today, arriving right before departure was no problem at all. That’s because we were using a "cycle train," which allows you to bring your bicycle directly onto the train!
Usually, we’d have to endure the hassle of lugging heavy bike bags and shuffling sideways through narrow ticket gates, but today we cruised right through. Seeing everyone pushing their bikes through the ticket gates and onto the platform really is an extraordinary sight.
While JR East does offer the "B.B.BASE," a dedicated cycle train, the route we took between Ueno and Tsuchiura is the style where we simply hop on the empty cars of a regular train with our bikes. (Just keep in mind that you can only board and exit at Ueno Station and Tsuchiura Station!)
Upon arriving at Tsuchiura Station, we met up with the group who had traveled independently. Here, the benefits of the cycle train were even more apparent. Normally, you’d be assembling your bike in front of the station, and after spending 30 minutes on that, you’d finally be ready to go. This time, we just stored our extra luggage in the station’s coin lockers and were off without a second of wasted time.
From the Rin-Rin Road to a classic race!? Topography rich in variety
Time to head out on our ride! We started by getting onto the "Tsukuba Kasumigaura Rin-Rin Road," which is recognized as a National Cycle Route, and enjoyed a brisk ride along the beautiful shores of Lake Kasumigaura.
However, we only spent about the first 7km riding along the flat and peaceful lakeside. We then parted ways with the Rin-Rin Road and headed into a course that felt like a classic race, featuring continuous rolling terrain with a total of 700m in elevation gain and occasional sections of gravel.
While riding, I noticed that the characteristics of this terrain were very similar to the Higashi-Katsushika area of Chiba Prefecture where I live, which I wrote about in a previous blog post. Although the distance is a bit far, I really felt that we were all part of the same continuous Kanto Plain.
In the lowlands, there were vast rice paddies and lotus root fields. Once we climbed the hills, developed new towns and small villages appeared, with farms and pastures growing crops like scallions, sweet potatoes, and corn, taking advantage of the well-drained volcanic ash soil. It was a nostalgic and lush landscape, as if we were riding right through a textbook on "suburban agriculture" from elementary school social studies.
The other face of Miho.
As we continued on after lunch, another unique industry of this region came into view. You might recognize the name "Miho." That’s right—along with Ritto in Shiga Prefecture, this is one of only two locations in Japan that houses a JRA (Japan Racing Association) training center.
Various horse farms of all sizes are spread out around the training center, and there are even rare road signs on the roadside urging caution, such as "Horses exercising" or "Beware of racehorses." Although there was a bit of light rain and we didn't get to see them running like we did on our pre-ride, some horses popped their heads out of their stables to greet us as we passed by.
From the vast landscapes that could almost be Hokkaido to the subtle shifts in townscapes revealing the daily lives of local residents, the scent of animals like cows and horses, and the smell of fertilizer, to the humidity you feel as you enter the woods—this was a ride packed with the very essence of cycling: feeling the land with all five senses.
Incidentally, we had a bit of time at the end, so I attempted to push through a thicket that looked like it might have a faint route, but it turned out to be a dead end—neither a traversable path nor ridable. I ended up covered in spiderwebs and had to beat a retreat. That, too, is part of the charm of a ride. I hope you all were able to get a sense of how exciting routes are built through this kind of trial and error.
Tsuchiura Station: An oasis for cyclists that provides everything you need
We finished the 75km ride strong, wrapping up on schedule just past 4 PM! The return cycle train is set up just like the outbound journey, and with services running every 30 minutes starting at 4:30 PM, you can ride with peace of mind.
Moreover, the area around Tsuchiura Station is beautifully designed as a cycle resort centered around the "Rin-Rin Road." Inside the station, there are free changing rooms and clean coin showers available for just 300 yen! I highly recommend arriving at the station a bit early, washing off the sweat, and freshening up before heading home.
This time was just a day trip, but the station is also home to "BEB5," a hotel managed by Hoshino Resorts that welcomes bikes (and even has a maintenance space!). I couldn't help but fantasize about a weekend plan where you stay here for a night, ride the gravel around Lake Kasumigaura on the first day, and then head out for hill climbs or double-track trails around Mount Tsukuba on the second day.
Connecting people through bicycles
For this event, we had 14 participants with a wide variety of bike types, riding styles, and ages. Many were joining a Circles Tokyo event for the first time, and some looked a little nervous at the start.
But once we gathered, we had that ultimate common language: "bicycles." Seeing the way the circle of conversation spread so quickly in those moments before departure, sparked by admiring each other's bikes, was a truly heartwarming sight for me as an organizer.
And once we started riding, that sense of distance vanished even further. From the peaceful lakeside start to breathless moments climbing hills, encounters with horses in a stable, and finally, trekking through spiderweb-filled brush (haha). Sharing the same route and turning pedals together transformed a group of strangers in the morning into a cohesive team of "ride buddies" by the time we reached the finish.
This is exactly why we organize ride events, and it reminded me once again of the incredible charm that cycling holds.
Yoshimoto’s Ride Essentials
Customers often ask me, "What kind of clothing and gear do you take on your rides?" and I feel like it's something many people struggle with. So, today I’ll be introducing my own gear for rides involving trains (rinko)!
First, about bags. Handlebar bags are the most convenient when it comes to accessibility, but they can make the steering feel a bit heavy. I change which bags I use depending on how much gear I'm carrying, but the very first one I attach is the OUTER SHELL Half Framebag.
Since I want to compromise the bike's natural ride quality as little as possible, I believe it's best to place the load as close to the center (the center of gravity) of the bike as possible. By the way, when I use a rinko (bicycle storage) bag, my style is to remove one water bottle and put the rinko bag in its cage.
And regarding clothing for rides that incorporate trains: even if you can store luggage in a locker, you want to keep bulky items like changes of clothes to a minimum. But at the same time, it can feel a bit awkward to board a regular train in tight racing jerseys. That's why, for these "train + ride" situations, I love wearing this RAL Merino Coolmax S/S Tee.
This t-shirt is truly exceptional. It's knitted with merino wool against the skin and Coolmax on the outside. It keeps the best strengths of merino wool—its odor resistance and prevention of chills from sweat—while Coolmax brilliantly overcomes the wool's typical weakness of being slow to dry, making for a high-spec piece. I often pair this with POC cargo bib shorts, and this balance provides both a casual look and functionality, meaning it doesn't feel at all out of place when riding the train. It's a setup I wholeheartedly recommend to riders who use bike-trains or need to pack their bikes for transport.
A cycle train that lets you start riding the moment you arrive at the station, without the hassle of packing your bike. Plus the gravel around Miho, with its mix of nature, agriculture, and horses. It was an amazing weekend ride. If you're interested, please do head out for a ride starting from Tsuchiura!
We plan to hold "Ride to Ride" events using cycle trains on a regular basis! Please look forward to Vol. 2!
Wonder which train I'll take next!
Thanks for your support.
