Just when you thought a comfortable season had arrived, we’re suddenly transitioning into winter. Personally, I much prefer the cold to the heat, and if summers are going to be this hot, it makes me want to really get out and enjoy the winter.
With the arrival of such a nice season, Circles has had a lot of visitors from overseas lately, partly due to some events held over the past few days.
Two BIKE FRIDAY riders I’d been in contact with via email came to visit us!
Max and Aubrey, who came all the way from Germany.
They’re currently in the middle of a world tour; this time, they traveled from South Korea to Japan, and stopped by Nagoya to wrap up their trip around the country. By the way, here is their route for this trip. I’d never heard of the app Komoot before.
https://www.komoot.com/ja-jp/collection/3152313/embed
Since their next destination is Vietnam, they visited us to get advice on getting fresh tires. We took the opportunity to check out their bikes as well.
Max : New World Tourist
Aubrey : World Tourist from 90s
Max is riding a rim-brake New World Tourist, fully loaded with ORTLIEB bags—a classic touring setup.
Aubrey is using a 90s World Tourist (the predecessor to the New World Tourist) that she got second-hand, combined with similar tarp bags from ORTLIEB and VAUDE.
Both of them have bikes that aren't overly flashy in terms of parts; they’re built with a focus on continuing their journey with peace of mind, choosing reliable parts even if they’re a bit heavy. This is what you call a proper touring bike setup.
The tire for traveling the world
By the way, the new tires they purchased this time are the same SCHWALBE MARATHON tires they have on in the photos. These tough tires with puncture-resistant shields last so long that I personally think they’re a bike shop's nightmare, but the absolute peace of mind they provide is immeasurable. It’s no wonder they are so overwhelmingly supported by world travelers.
Moreover, while they were preparing their gear for the trip to Vietnam, they started chatting with a Thai person who just happened to be visiting the shop—and it turned out to be someone from a local bike shop that Max had visited while traveling in Thailand before!
It was such a surprising situation that I had to ask, "How is that even possible?" But it really warmed my heart to see them reunite like this. In the best sense of the word, the world is small when you're on a bike!
They’ve already reached out to say they arrived safely in Vietnam and seem to be enjoying themselves there. Please keep an eye on their future adventures and give them your support!