While this ride was half the distance of the last two rides, it was pretty much uphill the entire time, but surprisingly enjoyable. Even though I’m not a strong climber (yet), I was able to handle the mostly gentle gradients, then use the downhills to cool off. The mountains were fantastic to admire and during … Continue reading Japan Day 06: Riding Hagi to Tsuwano

Heading out of Kitakyushu was quite easy, since there was hardly any traffic, about 5km in, I came to Kanmonkyo Bridge, where an 680m long underwater tunnel was built for pedestrians and cyclists. It costs 20 yen ($0.25 AUD) for bikes to use the tunnel, then the next 30km were pretty uneventful. As I headed … Continue reading Japan Day 05: Riding Kitakyushu to Hagi

Leaving the city was a bit slow, stopping and starting at each intersection, but once I hit the highways it was fine, aside from that blunder when I went in the wrong direction and had to retrace my steps. The 495 Route went along the coast, where I saw some beaches and windsurfers, but the … Continue reading Japan Day 04: Riding Fukuoka City to Kitakyushu

I have planned a two month trip through Japan, starting with Fukuoka and ending in Tokyo, broken up into five parts: Fukuoka to Hiroshima Hiroshima to Osaka Osaka to start of Japanese Alps Japanese Alps End of Japanese Alps to Tokyo I’m not sure if I can take on the Alps, but plan B is … Continue reading Japan Day 01-03: Fukuoka City