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Help Recommended destinations for Golden (bike) week

Stormy

Speeding Up
Aug 2, 2012
78
24
Hi everybody,

I am thinking of using Golden Week as a nice long training week. Of course, I also wanna see a bit of Japan. So, I am hoping you all can help me with some great recommendations:

1) What's a good area to go to (hills, great scenario, sights, ...)?
2) Is Nagano area already warm enough for riding in early May?
3) Would anyone of you be interested in joining?

Cheers,
Norman
 
I've been on GW cycling trips in Shikoku (twice), Kyūshū* and Kii. All nice. In Kyushu it was warm enough not to worry about a little rain.

*where's my Kyūshū movie gone!?:mad:
 
Thanks both of you. I am just going through the videos and thinking through my plan.

My inclination is going towards the mountains. But Shikoku sounds good as well. Is May already too warm down there?
 
I've done the Izu peninsula over GW before. It's a nice couple of days with good camping spots. Not much for hills though, with the tallest climbs being about 250 meters.
 
Tohoku is nice as well. If you aren't camping, anywhere is good. Most mountain passes are free by then too.
 
My inclination is going towards the mountains. But Shikoku sounds good as well. Is May already too warm down there?

May is one of the best times to come here. The rainy season is ok temperature wise, it only gets unbearable once that finishes (say beginning of July) and stays that way til about the middle of September. If you want the mountains, there are plenty here but there aren`t many mountains with good road surfaces here in Kochi...but I still have a few left to try and hopefully, I will have more time this year to do so. Ehime is fine e.g. Kumakogen/Ishizuchi and Tokushima is good around Ikawa Ikeda (the mountains either side of the Yoshino river). Can`t comment much about Kagawa. There is also plenty of flat riding to mix it up around the coast or say Shimanto or Yoshino rivers, and traversing Shimanami is outstanding.

Here is a bicycle site in Tokushima that lists courses around there.
http://www.tokuspo.net/bicycle/course.html
They have a Shikoku discovery ride and you can have at look at the courses they take there, but not full outlines - the full route is probably around somewhere with a bit of digging. Though I would only use it as a guideline, as it`s not a ride for real cyclists, as not very challenging.
http://cog-way.net/en/participation/
 
Oh man, I miss planning golden week tours!
I rode from Toyohashi to the cape and then took a ferry, crossed past Koya-san to wakayama, and then had a great time in Shikoku a few years ago. I did it over New Years.... so May sounds warmer than that:confused:
I had a great time cycling through the Iya valley, though nearly froze my toes off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VbxTsbXeV7c&list=UUQ4wk_5eEILqFnFqX3CZ-5g&index=5

I love the Nikko area and those roads and spent some wonderful long weekends up there exploring. As to the road quality... well, taking corners you don't know super fast prolly isn't super smart.
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_AFeHQfeSrk4/TEVEkfYlUqI/AAAAAAAABHU/343zTV6mjzA/s1600/100719_1249~01.jpg

I always wanted to do the "romantic road" but sadly my lack of love life drove me to return stateside before I tried it :eek:. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7450.html

Someday I'll return for an *epic* cherry blossom chase. Someday....:bike::bike:

Have a blast!
 
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