Photo by Go-kun
Hello, this is Shibuya!
Thank you to everyone who participated in the various ride events for our anniversary festival! I’d like to share how the trail ride I organized went⛰️
Heading to the Trails
We departed from Circles at 7:00 AM and met up with others at Owari-Seto Station at 9:00 AM. From there, we headed toward the trails.
It’s about 20km from Circles to Owari-Seto Station, but by taking the route along the Yatagawa River, there are very few traffic lights, allowing us to ride almost non-stop.
By the way, here are the bikes our staff rode that day:
Shibuya: WILDE BICYCLE Dark Star
Dar-chan: WILDE BICYCLE Supertramp
Kosei: BASSI BIKES Hog’s Back
All of these are bikes that can handle everything from on-road to off-road.
When riding from Nagoya city to Seto, that feeling of nature gradually increasing is so pleasant. It’s a unique joy of cycling to be able to experience the changing scenery of the town so directly.
We headed for the trails from Owari-Seto Station. From there, it was a continuous gentle climb, but since the temperature was around 12°C that day, I was starting to break a sweat after climbing for a while.
We finally arrived at the trail entrance. With our body temperatures up, we took a break.
Don't forget to hydrate, even in the cold season!
Riding Through the Mountains of Seto
To enjoy the descent, you naturally have to climb. I thought I heard some whispers of "Are we still climbing?", but I kept encouraging everyone with a gentle lie, saying, "It's just a little bit more!"
When hitting the trail descent, we lower our tire pressure to cushion the impact from the ground. A customer suddenly pulled out a pressure gauge, which was interesting. I’ve always lowered mine based on feel, but quantifying the pressure and the resulting sensation seems like a great idea.
The WILDE BICYCLE Rambler SL that our customer's girlfriend rides. The Rambler SL is often built with drop bars, but a flat bar setup looks great too. If you're looking for an upright posture and ease of control, flat bars are the way to go.
We moved along while avoiding fallen trees. Paths have formed around them, which gives a bit of reassurance knowing that others have been passing through here.
Even though we're in the mountains, there are many flat sections where you can ride at a relaxed pace.
Exiting the trails, we returned to the road. Gentle time passes in the rural landscape of Seto.
We spotted a Japanese serow, a special natural monument. It was my first time seeing one in my life.
Supplies are also essential. Same yōkan, different brands—it shows everyone's different style.
Refueling to Fully Enjoy the Descent
For lunch, we went to Atsumiya. They have a wide variety of noodle dishes, and their top recommendation is the Nikutama Yakisoba (yakisoba with meat and a fried egg on top).
A picture of us devouring the Nikutama Yakisoba. The large portion is truly large.
To the Final Trail
After filling our bellies, we headed to the final descent of the day. The path where we had to push our bikes was all downhill from there.
On a trail that's just a pure descent, you have no time to think about anything else, just focusing on controlling the bike.
Relying on the feel of the ground transmitted through the tires, the moments when you nail your line are the most exhilarating.
Snapped a photo in front of the bus we always stop by when riding in Seto.
After coming down the mountain, we took a break at the Roadside Station Seto Shinano. I love that moment of relaxing after a ride. You could almost say I ride just for this moment.
Autumn is very short, but looking at these photos, I feel like we really rode on a day that could be called the peak of autumn. I usually ride alone or with just one or two others, but riding as a group is lively and fun too.
The trails in Seto still have some unexplored parts, so I’ll work hard on trail scouting next year. I also hope to go riding in the Mie and Gifu areas.
Let's go on many more rides next year!
