The meeting point, Kutchan Station.
As the meeting time approaches, participants gather with their beloved bikes.
Preparing for the grand adventure about to begin, checking their bikes, changing clothes, and enjoying a "mogu-mogu" snack time.
Before the start, holding handmade guidebooks, we exchange greetings and go over the plan.
"Good morning!"
This moment might have been the absolute highlight of this Girls RIDE ALIVE for me.
~Now is the time for Girls~
RIDEALIVE, which in 2018 marked its 5th year.
It is a camp ride that started in the Mikawa region of Aichi Prefecture, where you can enjoy both the mountains and the sea.
Last year, we ventured out of Aichi and held events in spectacular spots across Mie, Gifu, and Shizuoka, welcoming ambassadors who are deeply rooted and active in those local areas.
Last year, I didn't participate in any of the courses, and I just watched the goings-on on social media, wishing I were there.
Next year... I had been mentally "riding" since back then.
And this year, I became an organizer, starting with selecting the location and reaching out to ambassadors.
My Girls RIDE ALIVE had begun in January (more than half a year before the event).
I wanted to leap out of Honshu and have a grand adventure. Yes, why did I choose Hokkaido?
It was because there were women there even more attractive than the allure of the great outdoors.
The bicycle industry is often imagined as a male-dominated workplace, and in fact, Circles only had male staff.
But there is a female-owned bike shop in Hokkaido.
And at that bike shop is a woman who promised to reunite with me, saying we should do another event together someday.
And then, a female mechanic joined Circles, which had previously only had male staff.
Why don't we try doing it ourselves? That sounds like fun!
Welcoming Nami-san from the Hokkaido bike shop SAM’S BIKE, and health-focused food specialist Ai-chan from BIOLIFE, "Girls RIDE ALIVE in Hokkaido" was set in motion, and a total of 20 girls gathered together.
~This is what RIDE ALIVE is all about~
"If the weather is good, an event is 80% successful," said the reliable, ride-savvy staff, offering encouraging words to me as I felt restless.
As the day approached, I spent every day glued to the weather forecast.
Wait, is that rain in the forecast?
A typhoon? Approaching, hitting directly. It was a series of bad news.
Those words of encouragement suddenly felt like pressure...
But it was also the staff’s encouragement that helped me shift my mindset, realizing that no matter how much I struggled, I couldn't change the state of nature, so I had to face it. Thank you.
The Honshu team of 15 (10 from Nagoya, 3 from Tokyo, 1 from Kyoto) was scheduled to depart by plane the day before.
Nagoya and Tokyo managed to avoid cancellations and successfully arrived in Hokkaido on schedule.
The flight from Kyoto was canceled, so we couldn't meet her in Hokkaido.
This is my biggest regret of this Girls RIDE ALIVE.
But later, I received word that the woman from Kyoto had made it to Hokkaido and completed the course that took us two days to finish, all by herself, in just one day. How... incredible.
Next month, I'm planning a Kyoto RIDE to go see this supergirl.
Then the day finally arrived, and 19 girls, including the 5 members of the Hokkaido team, gathered. Carrying the spirit of the one who couldn't be there, we started.
I enjoyed the process of getting here and felt a great sense of accomplishment, but it was actually quite tough.
Two local site visits and test runs, days of meetings, recruiting participants, battling bad weather. And battling my own anxious nature. Haha.
That’s why the moment I mentioned at the beginning—the "Good morning!"—might have been the highlight.
Being able to gather in the same place, at the same time, with the same purpose.
It really is starting, we can do this. My spirits were soaring.
Although there were no typhoon impacts, the rain came and went.
The girls were positive thinkers, saying, "If it were sunny, it would be too hot to ride!" and "Isn't rain refreshing!"
The main view on the first day was Mt. Yotei, also known as Ezo Fuji. It is a mountain that the indigenous Ainu people of Hokkaido call Matnesiri (Woman Mountain), and it is said to have the power to heighten women's energy and bring out a feminine grace.
I thought, "We’ll all worship it while riding! We’ll boost our 'girl power'!" But it didn't show its peak to us.
But look...
By riding around Mt. Yotei, we, filled with joy upon finishing, became the Matnesiri.
Girls power at full throttle!!!
No matter the situation, even if there are hardships, we overcome them. We enjoy the pinch.
That is the real thrill of RIDE ALIVE.
Since it was the first girls-only event, my heart was pounding out of my chest wondering what accidents might be waiting for us and what the ending would be, but I always had a good image in my mind.
First long ride, first time transporting a bike by plane, first mountain pass crossing... Even though it's a first, I want to challenge myself.
Let's hold a school. Please teach me. Shall we go for a practice ride?
I saw everyone working hard on their preparations for days and months, and they would ask me for advice.
The excitement and team spirit unique to being all girls, different from past RIDE ALIVE events, gave me a positive feeling.
Our girl power reached the sky, and even the weather gods were on our side.
Aya-chan will provide the ride report, and Acchan will provide the food report. They’ve written down what kind of ride it was and what kind of delicious experiences we had.
First, head to the ride report by ride leader Aya-chan.
TODAY’S RIDER
MIYUKI【PINEFIELDSMARKET】
-BIKE SPECS-
| Frame | SURLY | PACER / 43cm | |
| HeadSet | ChrisKing | Sour Apple | |
| Rim | VeloCity | A23 | |
| Tire | Panaracer | GRAVEL KING / 700x28c | |
| Stem | SimWorks | RHONDA | |
| SeatPost | SimWorks | Beatnik | |
| Main Group | SHIMANO | Tiagra | |
| Pannier Bag | RAL | BG LOADER |
-WEAR SPECS-
| Bag | TORAYA Equipment | 105 Circles |
| Shoes | BEDROCK | Syncline 2.0 |
| Helmet | CATLIKE | COMPACT |
TEXT by Miyuki ／ PHOTO by Eri Tanaka