日本夏2025年

日本夏2025年 - Day 3 May 30, 2025 Nikkō to Aizuwakamatsu - 123 Km Start 8:37 AM Finish 4:38 PM Total Duration 8:01 Moving Time 6:10 Stopped Time 1:51 Ascent 954 m Descent 1,271 m Tour Total 325 Km Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/289039353 I slept well in room 502 at the Nikko Station Hotel 2. When I woke up, it was raining. After heading downstairs for breakfast, I packed up and began riding out of town. I was layered up in shorts, a cycling jersey, a gilet, rain pants, a poncho, regular socks, and waterproof socks—ready for a wet day. I followed the main road out of Nikko, which soon veered off onto smaller local roads and trails. For most of the day, I paralleled Japan National Route 121, also known as the Aizu Highway. I first followed the Daiya River downstream, then turned to follow the Kinu River upstream. The route cleverly avoided the highway whenever possible, favoring quiet backroads and trails, only rejoining the highway when necessary. I passed through a ski town nest...

日本夏2025年 - Day 4 May 31, 2025 Aizuwakamatsu to Fukushima - 98 Km Start 8:59 AM Finish 6:56 PM Total Duration 8:57 Moving Time 6:18 Stopped Time 2:39 Ascent 1,446 m Descent 1,590 m Tour Total 423 Km Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/289573170 I slept surprisingly well in the tobacco-smelling Room 609 at the Hotel Route-Inn Aizuwakamatsu. The blackout shade did its job, keeping the early light at bay so I could sleep in until nearly 8 AM. While getting ready, I noticed a small twig jammed into the cleat of my sandal—souvenir from yesterday’s ride. Breakfast downstairs exceeded expectations; it was so good I went back for seconds. After checking out, I pedaled over to nearby Tsuruga Castle, easily recognizable by its distinctive red-tiled roofs. From the top, I had a stunning view of the snow-dusted mountains to the west—ones I had noticed the day before. That range, the 飯豊連峰 (Iide Renpō), is part of Bandai Asahi National Park. I followed up the castle visit with a relaxing stop a...

日本夏2025年 - Day 5 June 1, 2025 Fukushima to Sendai -   94 Km Start 9:26 AM Finish   3:58 PM Total Duration 6:32 Moving Time 5:04 Stopped Time 1:27 Ascent   249 m Descent 284 m   Tour Total 517 Km Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/290091078 I slept well in Room 1143 at the Hotel Sankyo in Fukushima. Thankfully, I was able to close the window shade again, blocking out the early morning light that usually streams in around 4:30 a.m. I woke at 7:30 and headed downstairs for an incredible breakfast—not included in the stay, but well worth it. I had my first cappuccino of the trip and loaded up on scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, fish, dumplings, and grabbed a couple of bananas for the road. All my gear had finally dried out, and with only a 10% chance of rain in the forecast, the outlook was good. There were no mountain passes ahead, and the route to Sendai was mostly downhill—an easy 100 km day, or so I thought. Before setting off, I gave my chain a much-needed oil...

日本夏2025年 - Day 6 June 2, 2025 Sendai to - Yanaizu (Tome, Miyagi) - 107 Km Start 8:46 AM Finish 6:18 PM Total Duration 9:32 Moving Time 5:55 Stopped Time 3:37 Ascent  570 m Descent 634 m Tour Total 624 Km Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/290552280 I slept well in Room 604 at the KOKO Hotel in Sendai. At 5 AM, sunlight began pouring into the room, but I managed to fall back asleep for another two hours. I dreamed of bike touring—meeting up with friends along the way, rolling through imagined landscapes. Downstairs, I treated myself to an incredible breakfast. I had to pay for it again, but it was absolutely worth it: two heaping portions of scrambled eggs, sausages, dumplings, noodles, and several cappuccinos. It felt great to start the day in a clean cycling kit. For those keeping track, I’m still holding strong at “Buddha level” cleanliness—the gold standard for touring in Japan. The weather was flawless: not a single cloud in the sky. I wore my cycling shirt, gilet, short...

日本夏2025年 - Day 7 June 3, 2025 Yanaizu (Tome, Miyagi) to Ofunato -  97 Km Start 7:56 AM Finish 3:46 PM Total Duration 7:50 Moving Time 5:33 Stopped Time 2:17 Ascent 1,263 m Descent 1,259 m Tour Total 721 Km Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/290879735 I slept well last night, camped atop Lookout Hill park across the river from Yanaizu. It was my first time using my new tent, and I was pleased to find all the zippers working flawlessly. I also broke in a new Therm-a-Rest—no need to re-inflate it in the middle of the night, which was a relief. There was some activity from the lumberyard across the river during the night, so I popped in my earplugs and slept through it. Sunrise blasted into my tent at 4:30 AM. Despite the early light, I managed to doze for a few more hours. After packing up, I hiked back down the steep hill to the road. The grass on the steps was wet and slick—descending was far harder than the climb up. One wrong step and this whole journey could have ended. I ...

日本夏2025年 - Day 8 June 4, 2025 Ofunato to - Hanamaki - 118 Km Start 9:06 AM Finish 7:01 PM Total Duration 9:55 Moving Time 7:52 Stopped Time 2:04 Ascent 1,465 m Descent 1,384 m Tour Total 839 Km Details at:  https://ridewithgps.com/trips/291292808 I slept soundly in Room 718 of the Hotel Route Inn in Ofunato. The blackout curtains did their job, keeping the early morning light at bay. I started the day refreshed—showered, shaved, dressed in a clean kit, and back to Buddha-level cleanliness. I even managed a quick button repair before heading out. Breakfast was complimentary, though not as satisfying as my previous two hotel stays. I had scrambled eggs, sausages, a variety of fried items, and several cups of coffee. Outside, the weather was sunny with scattered clouds and a steady breeze. It was in the mid-60s, so I wore my standard kit with a gilet. I began riding inland, away from the coast and toward the mountains. I followed National Route 107 upstream alongside the Sakari River....