【BIKES of MINE】My name is John

Hello, こんにちは、안녕하세요、你好
Nice to meet you everyone. This is John from Circles Tokyo.
I am currently based at our Nagoya store for a period of training.

To jump right in with an introduction:

I say this myself, but since I have features that don't look particularly Japanese, I've been asked if I'm from Okinawa or if I'm mixed-race almost my whole life—but I am a pure-blooded Japanese person born in Hokkaido.

I previously worked in retail at Baycrew’s, but after many twists and turns, I ended up leaping into the world of cycling.

I was a nice young man who was obsessed with skateboarding and BMX during junior high and high school, constantly practicing to land tricks I wasn't good at, getting injured over and over, and playing around with reckless abandon (lol).

I was also devoted to soccer, and I’d often watch highlights of overseas matches on YouTube. That’s when "Tour de France" videos started appearing in my sports recommendations. Seeing the footage, witnessing drop bars for the first time, and watching the racers zoom by at incredible speeds, I thought, "Bikes are so cool!" As a curious young person, this sparked a journey that led me to become completely immersed in cycling.

With the expansion of Circles Tokyo, I heard that the company was looking for staff to help with store operations, and thinking this was a chance I couldn't pass up, I dived into the bicycle industry.

I’m still a newcomer, but I’m learning so much every day here in Nagoya from all my seniors.

Looking back a bit to the spring, when we were busy preparing for the opening of Circles Tokyo, Yoshi-san and Issy-san from the Tokyo shop invited me for a ride along the Tama River, and the three of us went out for a spin.

I was so excited to be invited by my seniors that I was thrilled the day before, but at the same time, I was filled with anxiety about my first time on gravel.

The weather was perfect for the ride!!
At a rest stop, with coffee in hand, the two of them shared how they incorporate cycling into their lifestyles, what ways they enjoy it, and passionately talked about the charm of their bikes, which really moved me.

On the way back, I started losing my pace and even held them back at times, but we returned home safely... When I was reflecting on the ride by myself, I started thinking about what I wanted to do with cycling:

・I want to ride a bike with a purpose, just like them…

・I want to get deep into gravel, climb mountains, and see amazing views…

・My hobby is bass fishing. In Tokyo, I used to take the train to get to my spots, but if I could use a bike, I could visit so many more places…

When I imagined what I wanted to do, those topics came to mind. Since I have many hobbies and want to do many things, this is the bike I chose to match my personality!

WILDE BICYCLE CO. / Rambler SL

First and foremost, I fell in love at first sight with the WILDE / Rambler SL. The frame has a classy colorway that feels masculine and, true to its name, is wild. It also has ample tire clearance, plenty of eyelets, and the specs to handle both long rides and fast rides on gravel. It makes me want to say, in the style of comedian Sugichan, "It’s wild, isn’t it?"

The Rambler SL uses a carbon fork, making for a spec that allows for faster and more challenging rides. That said, like the original, the frame geometry prioritizes stability without an overly aggressive forward-leaning posture, so it’s a bike you can enjoy both on and off-road.

Since it was my first time building a bike from scratch, I might have gone a bit overboard with the parts selection—maybe it was a little too luxurious for a first build…

For the bearings, I went with the reliable CHRIS KING. I wanted to go with hubs from the same brand, but I decided to go with TUNE for the hubs to match the stem and seatpost; that was my personal point of focus.

TUNE products are designed to withstand the rigors of gravel riding while shaving off weight wherever possible. The machining on the stem, as well as the hub shells and freehub bodies (you can't see them once they're installed, but the fact that they pay attention to such details is amazing), is enough to make me enjoy a few drinks just looking at them.

I want to dive into gravel, explore different routes, and find fun roads. To satisfy that desire, I went with ASTRAL CYCLING's Outback for the wheelset.

The ride quality is flawless; it accelerates pleasantly on the flats as much as I put into it, and it powers up hills effortlessly. Gone is the version of myself who lacked confidence in his leg strength and would burn out after short distances. Now, I have a partner that lets me explore new roads and ride anywhere I want.

On my days off, I’ve been taking the Rambler SL to soak in the nature of Gifu Prefecture. Here in Aichi, where there are many bass fishing spots, I strap my fishing gear to the frame and head out to ponds in Chita, Aburagafuchi, Lake Mikawa, and elsewhere, or just dive into gravel roads—I’m currently in the middle of living out everything I’ve wanted to do.

Someday, I want to go on an endless journey across many lands with this bike.

I am filled with gratitude that I was able to build such a wonderful bike and that I’m able to enjoy these satisfying activities, all thanks to the cooperation of so many people.

Once my training period is over, the time will come for me to return to Tokyo. I’m always thinking about how I want to go for a ride with Yoshi-san and Issy-san again when I get back (they’ll probably say I don’t really mean it, but I genuinely do, haha).

I’ll be at the Nagoya shop for a while, so please feel free to say hello if you see me.

Thanks for your continued support!