[17th Anniversary Ride / Yanack Edition]

If I’m going to head out on a ride, I want to pick a day that’s at least a little bit warm. This winter has seen such volatile weather that it’s been relatively warm compared to previous years, and there have been many days where I’ve found myself asking, “Wait, is it actually December?” I’ve naturally come to expect that, but unfortunately, the day of our 17th Anniversary Ride was a cold, typical winter day.

Looking back at the photos, there isn’t a single one with a blue sky. I wished for the sun to come out over and over while we were riding, but the long-forgotten bite of the cold and the sight of the landscape under a gloomy, overcast winter sky started to feel strangely endearing, as I reminded myself, “This is what a winter ride is all about.”

For this ride, we started at PINE FIELDS MARKET and set our destination as Tono Ranch. From there, the plan was to visit a nearby hot spring and take the train back to Nagoya. I set a route that was a little bit challenging for where I’m at right now.

In the end, it turned out to be about 100km with roughly 2,000m of elevation gain.

The first half involved getting through the city and heading along the river embankment toward Seto City. Once we passed our usual checkpoint, Owari-Seto Station, our wheels gradually turned toward the mountains. Riding through the hills, I was captivated by the beautiful contrast of the winter-blooming cherry blossoms and the autumn foliage. I’m not sure if this collaboration was unique to this year’s climate, but I hope to see it again next year.

For lunch, we stopped at the Roadside Station Obaachan-ichi on the shores of the Ori-kawa Dam, a spot popular with everyone from cyclists to general tourists. The second half from there was tough. The relentless series of ups and downs just kept chipping away at our legs. It continued right up until we reached Tono Ranch, so by the time we arrived, we were absolutely exhausted. Partly due to the cold, we only took a brief rest before moving on. Before I knew it, I hadn’t even taken any pictures.

All that was left was to soak in a warm bath to heat our bodies back up and take the train home to Nagoya, but in an unexpected twist, the hot spring at our final destination was temporarily closed just for that day. However, since we had dropped in elevation and it felt a bit warmer, and there were no other notable hot springs nearby, we decided to call it and head home.

Even though it was a route I drew up myself, there were times when I had to have the stronger riders wait for me, but I’m glad that everyone who participated seemed to enjoy it. Some had to drop out along the way, but I hope to ride with them again next time.

Thank you to everyone who joined me on the ride!!!!

I’ve re-plotted this route on Ride With GPS for those curious, so feel free to check it out. But before that, I wanted to quickly introduce my style for the day. I went with a head-to-toe ASSOS kit: jacket, base layer, and bib tights. Personally, I believe that while the specs of your bike are important for finishing a long ride comfortably, the specs of your gear are even more critical, and this day really drove that home for me.

And here is the route you’ve been waiting for.
Next time, I’d love to ride it in warmer weather. I definitely want to make sure we hit a hot spring and grab a drink before heading home.