From Tuesday to Thursday of last week, I went on a road trip to Tokushima for my summer vacation.
The main reason for this trip was to visit this store.
This story goes back to July. It all started when I invited the team at Shiokaze Store—which celebrated its 6th anniversary this year—to join us for RIDEALIVE 2016 while they were busy with their own camp ride.
They expressed their interest in participating right away (and by the time they replied, they had already planned out their route), crossed over to Honshu by ferry, and rode from Osaka to the campsite on their own bikes.
When they said to me, "Next time, in Tokushima!", there was no reason for me not to go.
On Monday night, after my partner finished work, we packed our bicycles, fishing rods, and camping gear into a rental car and arrived in Tokushima just as the date was changing.
With the autumn rain front stalling and rain in the forecast, I met up with Furu-san, the boss of Shiokaze Store, at the shop as we had planned for our ride. We changed our original route and decided to ride Mount Bizan, which is easily accessible from the city.
His style—wearing the now-discontinued SAS aloha jersey better than anyone—is featured in our WithBicycle section. NOS-kun, a member of the Shiokaze family who will soon be leaving Tokushima for a new chapter in his life, also joined the ride, and the three of us headed for the summit.
Riding in an unfamiliar place is truly a great joy. The scenery you see is refreshing, and the true thrill is in the many new discoveries you make. Guided by the two of them, we enjoyed a pleasant descent through the switchbacks, and despite the light rain and cloudy summit, we rode to the top while chatting and laughing.
Although the observation deck usually offers a panoramic view of Tokushima city and the ocean when the weather is good, it was unfortunately foggy. Still, we finished the ride feeling great and headed back into town to enjoy some soul food (a.k.a. Ichifuku Ramen) recommended by Furu-san and Gori-kun.
We left Tokushima city behind and headed south to our campsite for the night.
The campsite in Izari, a seaside town with a population of less than 130, is located with the Pacific Ocean spreading out below it. A formidable challenge called the Izari Pass awaits anyone trying to get there, but the view of the ocean from the peak is magnificent. Next time, I want to ride around the area with lighter gear.
Then came the next day. You see, it wasn't just bicycles and tents that we had packed in the car.
Tokushima Prefecture, rich in nature with its seas, rivers, and mountains, is also known for the Kyu-Yoshino River, one of the best bass fishing fields in Shikoku. On the second day in Tokushima, we toured this field with a BikeToFishing approach.
It was our first time in this field and we couldn't quite get a read on the conditions, so the day ended without a catch, but there is also a certain joy in facing nature while taking a leisurely ride.
For this road trip, we kept our clothing to a minimum, anticipating two nights of tent camping out of four days, along with activities like riding and fishing.
I mainly wore the Houdini Rock Steady Shirt, and for pants, I chose the Houdini Gravity Light Shorts—which dry incredibly fast even if you take a plunge into the water—in case of rain. Moisture-wicking and quick-drying apparel is useful for all kinds of outdoor activities.
For change of clothes, I brought a Patagonia merino wool base layer (which has since been discontinued, but we still have a few at Circles) and the RAL by Deepers Wear Fast Pass Shorts. Merino wool doesn't get sticky even when you sweat, and it doesn't hold odors after drying. Depending on how you use it, you can wear it as an inner layer for your jersey or just by itself, making it very helpful for bike touring or any trip where you want to keep your extra clothing smart and simple.
On the final day, we woke up at a campsite adjacent to a dam, and being the persistent person I am, I made one last desperate attempt at a spot down from the campsite for an hour and managed to snag one fish (haha).
We wrapped up the trip by eating the local specialty "Tarai Udon" in the Donari region and took a leisurely hike at the Awa no Dochū, one of the world's three great strange sights alongside the American Rocky Mountains and the Tyrol region of Italy.
This time it was a 3-night, 4-day trip, but I think that even if it's just a 1-night, 2-day trip, or even a day trip, taking your bike along to tour the area provides an opportunity to enjoy traveling in a way you've never experienced before. Of course, bringing your bike on a train or loading it into your car works just as well.
The scenery you see at a bicycle's pace, the encounters with people and things, new discoveries, and the presence of friends who welcome you warmly to their land all make for a very rich journey. And as you let your thoughts wander to lands you've yet to visit, you naturally start getting excited for your next trip.
Finally, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Furu-san and NOS-kun for attending to our ride in the rain. I take this opportunity to apologize for pushing you to join us on the ride (haha). And thank you, Gori-kun and everyone else who hung out with us in Tokushima!