Hello! This is Yamamoto from GreenCog.
Hamamatsu City is located at the western end of Shizuoka Prefecture, a prefecture that stretches long from east to west. When Hamamatsu was chosen as the venue for the second RIDEALIVE, and I was given the position of ambassador, I felt genuine joy along with just a little bit of anxiety. I wanted both the local participants and those visiting from outside the prefecture to experience that mysterious sensation—a mixture of a sense of achievement and various other emotions—that I had felt during the two previous RIDEALIVE events I participated in.
I decided not to overthink things and simply recalled how we usually enjoy ourselves on our bikes. As I let my thoughts wander, I remembered that one of the great charms of cycling is the ability to feel the atmosphere firsthand—the scenery, the wind, and the scents. And as I repeatedly test-rode the route discovered by a good-natured customer, and rode along having a great time, I realized that this is a truly delightful way to enjoy oneself. Simply riding along the waterfront with everyone is genuinely fun. In that sense, Lake Hamana is the best. If you haven't experienced it yet, take my word for it and come visit.
That said, this time we were attempting to gather from three different routes including activities, which meant a fairly large group. I felt a bit uneasy about sharing the same route with everyone, given that our leg strength, gear, and luggage all varied. However, as I watched the participants come by to discuss their bikes and packing, I saw their excitement building, which in turn got me more and more fired up. RIDEALIVE starts with the preparation! Because of that, my own gear was pushed to the back burner, and I ended up scrambling to prepare the day before... (sweat)
Then the day arrived, and as expected, the participants' styles were wonderfully varied, filling me with a sense of tension as I attended to them. There were long-tail bikes with child seats, road bikes, gravel bikes, MTBs, cross bikes, and folding bikes! Perhaps it is unique to events like this that despite having such a diverse range of bike types, "everyone rides together." The atmosphere was peaceful and friendly even before we set off. After explaining some safety points for the ride, we all took a group photo.
Above all, the weather on the day was nearly cloudless, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees—a typical summer sky with cumulonimbus clouds developing in the mountains. We headed leisurely from the Wholesale District in the South Ward, where GreenCog is located, toward Lake Hamana along the road bordering the Enshu Sea. The scenery on this road isn't that great, but it’s straight, easy to ride, and has few traffic lights or changes in elevation. On the way, we pushed our heavily packed bikes through underpasses to get out of the city area, and then headed north all at once toward the route along the shores of Lake Hamana.
Lake Hamana has such a complex shape that it is said to be the handprint of the legendary giant "Daidarabotchi" said to have lived in the Enshu region, and each inlet has its own name. This time, we didn't take the standard "Hama-ichi" loop; instead, we routed it to include an inlet called "Shonai Lake" on the eastern end. There is a 3km stretch of flat gravel along the shore here. It feels like an old-fashioned country road, and it’s a nostalgic route I highly recommend. Right away, one person who was absolutely confident in their packing had their luggage spill, but everyone seemed to enjoy even that part of the experience.
After that, we proceeded along Lake Hamana from the Kanzanji hot spring area. From here, mechanical troubles began occurring frequently, and combined with the blazing sun, this route, which was supposed to be relaxed and low-difficulty, transformed into a rather grueling ride...
Lunch was at the Hamanako Service Area. Believe it or not, you can actually access this expressway service area by bicycle. It’s a bit of a strange feeling, isn't it? The Hamanako Service Area is a popular spot with well-maintained park grounds and a panoramic view of Kanzanji on the opposite shore we had just ridden past. There are permanent cycle racks here, making it very cyclist-friendly. Though, admittedly, some regular visitors are surprised to see us. You can also get local gourmet food like Hamamatsu gyoza. Everyone was free to have their lunch in their own style.
From there, we picked up the pace and pushed through the midsummer hot winds. From this point on, we entered the area known as "Oku-Hamanako," which is filled with picturesque scenery.
We had some flat tires along the way, but the participants taught each other how to fix them, maintaining a relaxed mood from start to finish.
After that, we joined up with the members of the "Happy Route" who had finished their fun, and decided to have those who were finding the full loop difficult in terms of physical strength or condition sent directly to the goal in Murakushi. Yes, the heat that day was truly extraordinary. That’s also part of RIDEALIVE! It was a real help! From there, although we were a bit pressed for time, everyone endured—er, I mean, enjoyed—the tough but fun route with its wonderful scenery.
Since there are no cycling roads on the west side of Lake Hamana (Kosai City side), we chose to ride roads along the lakefront as much as possible. From here, we could see our goal, TariCanha Murakushi Beach.
By this time, I’m sure everyone’s minds were overflowing with thoughts of cold beer, delicious food, and jumping into Lake Hamana. Despite being exposed to mechanical troubles and the risk of heatstroke, we somehow caught sight of our goal, Murakushi Beach.
The expressions on everyone’s faces after riding a total of about 80km over seven-plus hours, including breaks, were glowing with a mix of fatigue, heat, and a sense of accomplishment. Riding together really is fun.
And the first thing you do in such a special place is...
Taking the plunge!
After that, completely exhausted, we set up our tents and finally, the long-awaited meal. First, a toast. This is what we had been playing with all our might in the heat for.
Keita-san from EARLY BIRDS BREAKFAST served up an incredible amount of delicious food for everyone who was hungry and tired. Everyone dug in wholeheartedly. I deeply realized that this scene is what RIDEALIVE is all about.
In our daily lives, eating should be such a normal sight, but I felt that there are few times when we can feel that "eating" is so special, and I felt happy to be able to experience that. At TariCanha Murakushi Beach, which we reached by giving our all in the heat, we gathered around the same dishes while sharing reports of each other's activities. That wonderful chill time went by in a flash as the night deepened.
I’ll digress a bit here, but I must mention Shinichi Osugi-san, who kindly provided this campsite, "TariCanha Murakushi Beach."
The first thing decided for this RIDEALIVE was that the first night's camp-in would be at Murakushi Beach. This is a special place for me, the ambassador. This is because Shin-san, the owner, is the mentor who broadened my perspective on cycling and the benefactor who provided the catalyst for me to launch GreenCog. I will never forget the look of delight on his face about a year and a half ago when he revealed his plan to start developing a campsite at Murakushi. I am truly grateful for the connection that allowed me to link my ideal event, RIDEALIVE, to a place filled with Shin-san’s ideals.
Following that camp-in at Murakushi, the next morning we all made hot sandwiches. At GreenCog, we hold a gathering every Sunday where we eat breakfast together as the Hot Sandwich Club. This felt like the culmination of that, and I enjoyed observing everyone's favorite ingredients, tools, and cooking methods. Hot sandwiches really do taste amazing for some strange reason.
On the second day, which began so deliciously, the participants packed up their tents and headed toward naru Soba via their respective routes.
I took the liberty of setting the checkpoints this time, but these are just a fraction of the fun places in Hamamatsu. There are still plenty more, so please consult with GreenCog or Happy&Slappy whenever you come to visit Hamamatsu.
And the fun-filled RIDEALIVE concluded with the beautiful and delicious dishes at Hand-made Soba naru. By this point, the participants were mingling, and it didn't matter at all whether they were from Shizuoka or from outside the prefecture; it was a supreme moment.
"I'll come back to Hamamatsu," "I'll visit Nagoya next time"—hearing conversations like this made me realize once again how wonderful it is to share the same time, space, and experience.
RIDEALIVE is truly fun! And Hamamatsu is interesting, fun, and beautiful!
To everyone who participated, the Circles staff who gave us such a wonderful opportunity, Gori-san and the staff at naru Soba, Keita-san, Happy-san, and Kamo-san for their hard work in planning, and Shin-san from TariCanha, thank you all very much!
Please come and visit Hamamatsu again!
TODAY’S RIDER
Yuichiro Yamamoto a.k.a. Mossan
| Frame | FAIRDALE | WEEKENDER |
| Wheel | MAVIC | CROSSRIDE |
| Tire | SimWorks by Panaracer | The Homage |
| Main Group | SRAM | Rival1 |
| Handle | SALSA | Cowbell2 |
| Stem | SALSA | Guide Stem |
| Seat | CHARGE | Spoon Saddle |
| Basket | PDW | Take out Basket |
| Frame Bag | RAL | EM Loader |
| Pannier Bag | RAL | EX Loader |
| Mug | RAL | Camp Mug |
| Bottle | SimWorks | Crumbs ∞ Script Water Bottle |
| Paint | GreenCog Original | Raw Matte Clear |
TEXT by Mossan ／ PHOTO by Eri Tanaka / Mossan
RIDEALIVE 2017 Shizuoka