Let me brag a little about the ride I went on with my friends the other day—it was absolutely incredible.
Yes, we called it the "Waterfall Meditation Ride."
Waterfall meditation has been practiced since ancient times as a form of ascetic training—rooted in Japan's unique mountain worship—used in Esoteric Buddhism, Shugendo (mountain asceticism), Shinto purification rites, and Buddhist ritual ablution. Sometimes, it’s also just used as an excuse to cool off on a hot summer day.
We were definitely in it for the latter: cooling off.
It was a three-person trip with staff members Yoshimoto and Daisaku.
We took the train with our bikes to Takenami Station in Ena City, Gifu Prefecture, and started our ride from there.
What’s essential for a waterfall meditation ride?
That’s right: intense heat. The ride needs to be grueling to make the cold of the waterfall really stand out.
We rode through nothing but greenery.
At the end of a long, long ride
It felt absolutely amazing!
Sorry, we ended up splashing around in the water before we even reached the waterfall.
It was so hot that we couldn't resist taking a dip at a natural spring spot we found.
Ena is rich with water sources, and there are quite a few places like this, so we never had to worry about running out of water.
That’s what makes riding here on a hot summer day so worry-free.
From there, we pressed on further.
And finally, we arrived: Joro Waterfall
The power of the water is incredible! It’s a waterfall! The waterfall has appeared!
This is where the real part of the ride begins.
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, aaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!
Even though we arrived drenched in sweat in the middle of summer, it was so cold we couldn't even breathe.
Instant cooling.
All our fatigue just flew away.
Even our new staff member Yoshimoto—who I heard used to be a pirate (?!)—
really seems to love the water, and he was having an absolute blast.
It’s easy to feel like it’s just too hot to ride in the summer, but there are ways to enjoy the season, too. I can take you on rides like this, so if you're interested, please feel free to reach out to me, Asai! I plan fun rides for every season of the year from all kinds of different angles!
BIVO, the Summer Savior
And here is the item that made this ride so great.
It’s a product called the BIVO Trio 21oz Insulated. It’s a double-walled stainless steel bottle that’s a new design perfectly suited for your bike’s water bottle cage!
In other words, it’s an insulated water bottle for your bicycle.
Usually, people find ways to make do with regular insulated bottles, but this product can be used just like any regular water bottle.
I was having too much fun and forgot to take a picture of it in the cage, so please forgive me and check out the image of it installed from the official site!
Also, you might think it’s difficult to drink from while riding because you have to stop and open the lid, but BIVO’s lid is designed so you can drink while riding, just like a standard water bottle!
It basically fits in any bottle cage, and it comes in a silicone-coated version (the colored ones!) and an all-stainless version (the silver ones!).
The silicone-coated one slides out of the cage smoothly, but the silicone surface grips the cage perfectly for great stability!
The raw stainless steel version with a classic look will probably look pretty cool once you break it in and it develops some character.
We had our first shipment in recently, and it sold out instantly. But Shige-san, who went to the MADE Show, negotiated with them on-site, so we managed to get a restock quickly!
It kept me supplied with cold water throughout the entire ride.
I’m usually pretty good at making food and drinks look delicious, but water kept cold in this BIVO is truly special!
It’s a great time to check it out now that we’ve restocked, and I’d be happy if you gave it a try!
Until next time!