Japan Tour Three: Shikoku

A version of this appeared in my newsletter a few weeks ago, but I wanted to expand on that report and provide a detailed list of the gear I used for the sickos out there. Enjoy~

Report

This was my 15th or so trip to Japan in the past 16 years, and my third trip there with a bicycle. After my inaugural bike trip from Tokyo to Osaka in 2023 was so fun, I aimed on making an annual vacation there to ride and explore. Last year I rode with my friend June around the Kanto region, and this time Rory and I rode a lap of Shikoku. Unlike the past two years, this route is an official one with markings on the road and KM markers to the next (suggested) stop, and Rory-planned and sited side-roads and stops. Much of the trip was rural, flat, and gorgeous.

Every day was between three and five hours on the bike, with a few hours in-between stints of snacking, looking at castles, or taking photos. Unlike past years, I stopped a lot at Michi no Ekis (roadside stations) for snacks and drinks, and despite a decent pace, took most of the day to travel between hotels. In the states I don’t stop much—ten minutes in four hours is usual, but the pace of this ride was lovely despite the difference.

Rory setup a few route detours from the main path to get more climbing for me, and stop by some particularly cool locales, and in return I stopped every time he wanted to get some soft cream. It’s hard to explain unless you’ve done a lot of hiking or cycling in the fall or winter how fantastic it is to know there’s a warm, clean toilet seat and ample resupply every 20-30km each day, but it makes a difference. Japan beats the USA for smaller car-size, slower speed limits, and broadly considerate drivers.

We spent our days with me in the lead, and Rory taking shelter in my draft as I rode at my all-day pace. I took a lot of photos when the coast was clear, and even met cool cats along the way. We both got sore and tired by our rest day, but nightly baths and keeping alcohol low and sleep plentiful helped.

I worried before the trip that Rory and my opposite schedules would be a problem, but I woke up around 8am every day and he waited to leave after waking up at 5 or 6. By the end, he was sleeping in more and enjoying the late mornings, and I was conking-out at 11. By the final day we agreed we were ideal traveling companions for each other—we’d never fought, and spent all day laughing at new in-jokes. It helped that Rory loves being ordered—for and I like deciding what food to eat.

Thanks for being accommodating and easy to travel with, Rory!

Shikoku tour: 10/10

Route

A lap of Shikoku that began in Onomichi, on the main island of Honshu. We spent the first day riding across the Shinminani Kaido bridges to Saijō. We continued to ride ~100km a day to Tokushima, Takamatsu, Shikishui, Kochi (rest day), Azhishuri Misaki, Uwajima, and Matsuyama before returning across the bridge again on our final day to Onomichi. My Strava has more details, and some photos if you want to see route and daily breakdown.

Gear

The weather was warmer than the first year I rode in Japan, and I only wore long bibs once the entire time. The rest of the time I wore an Albion short-sleeve or long-sleeve with my Albion bibs, wind vest, and insulated vest. I brought shoe-covers for the aero gains on a long windy days, aero gloves, and a skull cap. During the trip we both picked-up a Montbell face cover to help with the cold face issue we ran into with its accompanying runny nose.

Other than not needing my long bibs much, I loved the gear that I brought and didn’t have any issues. In addition to the below, I wore prescription Rōka glasses and cycling glasses.

Bags

• Tailfin Cargo Bag This was my first trip with a Tailfin, and I can’t wait to use on again. Super-easy to pack, unpack, and take on and off the bike. This was a huge time-saver as I never had to faff with weird straps or worry about swaying. Having all my gear behind me in a line also helped with speed.
• Tailfin Top-tube Cockpit Bag I kept a light, my AirPods, and a small Albion musette in here, along with my electric pump.
• Tainfin Frame Bag This kept spare nutrition, my passport, and my off-the-bike backpack (which I also used for the flight).
• Hyperlite Stuff Pack 30 This could hold my Tailfin rear pack, my toiletries, and shoes when I was off the bike.
• Albion Musette I added my own elastic stabilizer strap to this bag to make it easier to use while riding. When not in use this packs down to less than wallet-size.

Tops

• Albion Lidar Short Sleeve Jersey Quick-drying, and comfy, this was my main jersey workhorse.
• Albion Traverse Long Sleeve Jersey I wore this a few times, and it’s fantastic, but most days it was too warm.
• Houdini Tree Tee A solid shirt that didn’t stink after a few days of wearing it.
• Mons Royale Sierra Sports Bra I only brought one sports bra accidentally, which meant after rides I would go braless until the next day—totally fine with layers, luckily.

Layers

• Alpine Fit Alpha Direct Hoodie Off the bike I always wore this over a t-shirt as it was usually below 10ºC at night.
• Albion Primaloft Active Evolve Body Warmer The right amount of extra warmth for cold starts, windy days, and evenings.
• Albion Wind Gilet I always started with this on, and kept my insulated vest and a beanie in the back pockets to ensure I would have something warmer if we stopped in the shade.
• Albion All Road Pertex Shield Rain Jacket I didn’t need to use this much until sunset, but I also wore if off the bike as my “normal” clothing jacket, and it looked slick then too.

Bottoms

• Albion ABR1 Pocket Bib Shorts These were updated from the old Albion bibs I loved, and are even better and more durable. Comfy for days on end.
• Velcro Luxe Thermal Bib Tights I brought these because my thermal Albion bibs were riddled with holes in the butt after a rough few years of use in the winter. They held-up well for the one day I used them.
• Velocio Ultrapack Pants Lightweight and comfy for all the time off the bike.

Socks and gloves

• Swiftwick Pursuit Crew Socks Casey from Escape Collective turned me onto these. I wear either these or Mons Royale socks every day when riding.
• Spatz Windsock2 Overshoes These kept the wind off my toes and made it easier to keep a steady speed for less watts.
• Nopinz Hypersonic Gloves Great gloves that I wear almost every day even at home. Every little bit that makes me faster for less effort is worth it.

Shoes and Helmet

• Specialized S-Works Torch Shoes Unlike the past two years I wore road shoes this trip, and never regretted it. I bring Sambas as an off-bike shoe, so whenever I needed to walk around a lot, I would just doff these and throw them on.
• Samba Decon Shoes Lightweight and comfortable for days walking around Tokyo, or hiking up to a castle in Uwajima.
• Specialized Evade 3 Helmet It fits, it’s fast, and it protects my head.