BREAKFAST
The second day of RIDEALIVE began with a hot sandwich party for breakfast, following a lively night. I was tasked with brewing hand-drip coffee for everyone, and for this, I received a lecture from Miyuki-san, a barista at PFM. I also asked Akiyoshi-san from Garage Coffee Company to roast a special batch of beans for the day. Since I imagined the morning at Taricana by the lakeside would be filled with sunlight shimmering off the water, I shared this image with him, and he sent me Honduran beans characterized by their clarity and gentle sweetness. Akiyoshi-san explained that he had traveled to Honduras himself to select these beans and that the farm owner poured a lot of love into growing them, which aligned perfectly with the RIDEALIVE concept.
Knowing that people were supporting me and responding to my requests with such dedication made me even more motivated. Even though it might have just been an ordinary cup of morning coffee, I was determined to brew it as deliciously as I could. On the day, I stood with Nishipan in front of my handmade coffee stand and carefully dripped each cup one by one. Many people came back for seconds and thirds, and hearing them say "This is delicious!" brought such relief—I was truly happy to have been able to brew coffee for everyone.
The hot sandwich party was a huge success, with everyone enjoying sandwiches filled with their own favorite ingredients they had prepared. As people traded ingredients with their neighbors, the variety of combinations grew, along with the number of smiles. It was my first time making hot sandwiches, but I was surprised at how truly easy it was—all you have to do is put them in the maker and clamp it shut. Plus, no matter what you put in them, they tasted amazing. I think using PFM’s bread made it even better. Following the snacks we'd had, breakfast was another huge hit that filled everyone's stomachs.
For this RIDEALIVE, PFM’s pastry chef KAZ-san also participated with her husband and their 4-year-old son, Yuta. Their family’s ride style—a journey possible only right now—was full of ingenuity packed with a spirit of adventure and love for their family. It was simply cool, yet so warm.
While I was brewing coffee, everyone around me came to share the hot sandwiches they had made. Red bean paste and banana, chocolate and banana, curry, whitebait, ham and cheese, corned beef... hot sandwiches are delicious and fun! By the way, I filled mine with salami and smoked cheese I'd picked up from the convenience store snack section, and that turned out pretty well too.
The morning scenery at Taricana was just as refreshing as I had imagined, and it was a fun time that opened my eyes to the appeal of hot sandwiches. If someone asked me what I wanted right now, I wouldn't hesitate to answer, "A hot sandwich maker!"
GROUP RIDE
The plan for the second day was to explore Hamamatsu through a group ride. A ride map created by Greencog, marked with recommended spots in Hamamatsu, was distributed. Participants formed groups with others who wanted to visit the same places. With food tours, mountain passes to climb, and, of course, a loop around Lake Hamana, Hamamatsu offers so many options since both the water and the mountains are so close.
The finale for this RIDEALIVE was to be held at "Teuchi Soba Naru," a handmade soba noodle shop in the city of Hamamatsu, which would be the final destination of our group ride. I rode through Hamamatsu with the Nagoya group members who had climbed the mountain pass on the first day, along with a university student named Misaki-chan who had joined from the Hamamatsu side. Misaki-chan works part-time at Naru Soba, and she is a super active rider who once rode all the way from Hamamatsu to Early Birds last winter. I think being able to pedal together like this, crossing prefectural borders between Aichi and Shizuoka, is exactly what makes RIDEALIVE so unique and interesting.
As I prepared to leave, I had to change where I attached my panniers on the second day. Or rather, I had no choice.
I had torn a hole in the bottom of the pannier bag I'd borrowed from Jas-san. Yes, that nagging feeling I had while descending the mountain yesterday had been spot on. To avoid rubbing again, I hooked the pannier on a higher bar of the rack. However, doing that meant the mat I had been carrying on top of the pannier would hit the handlebars and wouldn't fit. What to do now...? Other members whose packing had more room offered to carry it for me, and they took the mat in my place.
There were so many moments like that over these two days. When someone had trouble on a steep climb, others would push their bike from behind to support them; we shared our water; and we redistributed heavy loads among the other members. Our group followed us every step of the way, helping us through all the little crises, surprises, and troubles that we three women—who were on our first bike-packing and long-distance ride—faced. Thanks to them, we were able to finish the two days safely and fully enjoy ourselves. I learned the importance of helping one another through our group rides and am full of gratitude. (By the way, when I apologized to Jas-san about the hole in the pannier after returning to Nagoya, he immediately said, "It's fine, don't worry about it.")
With everyone's help, my bike packing was complete, and our group ride began. Our first destination was Bentenjima Seaside Park in Maisaka-cho, about a 10-minute bike ride from Taricana. Bentenjima is an island in Lake Hamana, and originally, the villages of Murakushi-cho, where Taricana is located, and Maisaka-cho spanned across it. However, due to repeated sea level changes, earthquakes, and storms, the western edge of Maisaka broke off to become Bentenjima. At the seaside park, we took memorial photos with the large torii gate standing on the surface of the lake, known as the tourist symbol tower, in the background, and enjoyed some cold dessert from a small soft-serve ice cream shop recommended by a local.
After that, we visited the Nakatajima Sand Dunes, one of Japan's three major sand dunes, about 15 kilometers from the seaside park. Listed alongside the Tottori and Kujukuri dunes, it's one of Hamamatsu’s famous tourist spots. You can see wind-ripple patterns created by the breeze on the sand, and in the summer, it's said you can even witness sea turtles laying eggs. It was my first time visiting a sand dune, and the coastline stretching out endlessly gave me such a pleasant, open feeling; the view of all blue was really beautiful. While walking barefoot on the soft, deep sand under a cloudy sky, the sun suddenly came out. The temperature on the beach spiked, and we all laughed as we were forced to dance on the burning sand.
Next, we headed to our lunch spot, GS Burger. It is adjacent to our ambassador Greencog’s shop, and the layout is such that you have to pass through GS Burger to get to Greencog. It’s exactly the same setup as Circles and Early Birds. Personally, I think spaces created by combining different industries—like this bicycle and restaurant pairing—are full of potential because they are places that act as catalysts for people with completely different purposes and environments to meet, talk, and learn about worlds they didn't know existed. I had always thought it would be interesting to see more places like this in the future, so seeing GS Burger and Greencog side by side made me feel really excited. I ordered the bacon cheese egg burger and happily devoured the thick, tall burger filled with voluminous ingredients. The mackerel sandwich, one of my favorites, was also quite hard to pass up, so I decided to come back for that next time. Of course, next time I'll make sure to pass through the shop to visit Greencog, too, so I’ll have double the fun.
After filling our stomachs with burgers, we had a bit of time before we were due at Naru Soba, so—purely out of personal interest—I asked if we could stop by the JASDF Hamamatsu Air Park. While I wouldn't call myself an expert, I simply like airplanes, and I'm also a fan of the author Hiro Arikawa, whose stories often feature the Self-Defense Forces, so it had always been a place I wanted to visit.
The Air Park is a facility meant to help the public learn about the Japan Air Self-Defense Force, and it's the only spot in Japan with exhibitions of fighter jets and equipment, flight simulators, and a panoramic theater. It’s also free to enter, which is a nice bonus. There are 19 aircraft on display in the hangar, and the scene that greeted me the moment I stepped inside got me so excited. Since closing time was approaching, we had to hurry through, but I’m so grateful that the group was happy to agree to go to the Air Park and helped make my wish come true.
Finally, we all cleaned up at a local super public bath and took our last ride toward our goal, Naru Soba. It was another steamy, scorching day with the sun beating down, but we all managed to arrive at Naru Soba safely.
TEUCHI SOBA NARU
Teuchi Soba Naru is the restaurant that Keita Oodaira, who orchestrated last night's beautiful and delicious dinner, had always raved about as being "just too good." Thanks to him, I had been curious to go myself, so when I heard that we would be celebrating the grand finale of the Hamamatsu chapter of RIDEALIVE at Naru Soba, I couldn't help but look forward to the second night.
This renowned shop is located on the second floor of a slightly old building in the city, about a 5-minute walk from Hamamatsu Station. It’s a wonderful space where you can feel the owner's meticulous attention to detail throughout. It was set up buffet-style, with colorful dishes lined up beautifully on the counter; just looking at them made my heart skip a beat. The food was, of course, magnificent—every single item was so delicious it left us speechless, and we couldn't help but keep reaching for more. At the end, they served fresh, handmade soba, which we enjoyed dipped in their signature walnut sauce; it was truly wonderful, and it made me want to visit on a regular business day to properly enjoy a full serving.
Naru Soba opened for us for a private party even though Sunday is their regular day off, and they provided such heartfelt hospitality. I’ve become a fan of the food and the people behind it, and it was easy to see why the shop is so loved by the locals.
It goes without saying that the night spent at such a place was a lively one. Many participants were engaged in animated conversations, and I managed to make several new friends. We talked about where we rode today, our hobbies, and our daily lives. I was so happy that we were all left feeling like we wanted to come back to Hamamatsu again, or wanting to visit Nagoya. I’ve made so many places I want to go and people I want to see in Hamamatsu.
And there was one more piece of good news. Nanako, who rode in our group for both days of RIDEALIVE, was chosen by the ambassadors as the representative for her hard work and received a gift. As I wrote in my first report, this was her first time at a ride event; she had never done long-distance rides, let alone bike-packing or traveling with her bike on a train. Before RIDEALIVE started, she came to ask how to pack and even traveled to Early Birds with her bike by train for practice, so seeing her win an award and smile made me incredibly happy. It must have been stressful, and I’m sure the mountain pass on the first day was incredibly tough, but she looked so cool crossing the finish line after two days, and I truly felt lucky to have been able to ride with her.
THE ULTIMATE WATERSIDE SUMMER VACATION
Thinking back, I feel once again that the feeling of "it was tough but fun" is an essential ingredient in growth, adding something extra to the experience. And I realized that RIDEALIVE is what makes this possible. As Happy-san, one of our ambassadors, wrote in his own RIDEALIVE report: "The slightly tougher experiences stay in your memory much longer." I really agree with that, and I feel a certain kind of happiness in being able to have experiences like this even as an adult. I want to keep challenging myself, no matter how old I get.
My first RIDEALIVE thus came to a close in the best possible way, and that is all thanks to the ambassadors who planned and operated RIDEALIVE itself, as well as all the people who cooperated in so many ways. For me, the experience of being able to see the process of RIDEALIVE being planned and run over the six months since I started working at Early Birds, and then participating in it as a rider, was a huge learning opportunity. The entertainer spirit of the ambassadors and everyone who helped out was truly incredible; throughout these two days, it was clear that this event was packed with the desire to "go beyond the borders of Hamamatsu and Nagoya and make sure every single participant has a blast." RIDEALIVE is amazing—that is the only way to put it.
In participating in RIDEALIVE this time, I received so much help from so many people in so many ways. Advice on the bike itself, how to bike-pack, necessary items for packing, clothing, camping gear like tents and sleeping bags... I was a total beginner who had never done long-distance rides or camping, but I was able to enjoy it so much because I was helped by so many people.
I’m saying this on a blog, but I would like to thank everyone again. Thank you all so very much.
Just because it’s a camping ride doesn’t mean you have to buy everything. You don’t need to overthink it or try too hard. If you go to Circles for advice, they’ll teach you all sorts of things, and you can just borrow items necessary for rides or camping from people who have them. You might even be able to use substitutes. The fun starts with the preparation, and although the ride itself might be a little heavier and tougher than usual, waiting on the other side are joys, thrills, and emotions you’ve never experienced before.
I am already looking forward to the next time I can participate in RIDEALIVE.
RIDEALIVE 2017 Report by Keita
http://ral.life/ride/ridealive-2017-vol-2-shizuoka
RIDEALIVE 2017 Report by Happy
http://ral.life/ride/ridealive-2017-vol-2-shizuoka-2
RIDEALIVE 2017 Report by Kamo
http://ral.life/ride/ridealive-2017-vol-2-shizuoka-3
RIDEALIVE 2017 Report by Mossan
http://ral.life/ride/ridealive-2017-vol-2-shizuoka-4
RIDEALIVE 2017
http://ral.life/ridealive2017
The reports by the four ambassadors for this event have been uploaded to the RAL homepage.
I recommend reading them regardless of whether or not you participated in the Hamamatsu chapter of RIDEALIVE. Once you know the feelings and thoughts of the four who created such an ultimate summer vacation, your heart will definitely be stirred, and your spirit of adventure will be ignited.