Cycling Hokkaido

The weather this past week was wild here in Hokkaido, eh!Because of that, this week's ride report isn't about the destination. It's all about the less than desirable, but very memorable, cycling conditions. The wind was incredible, the snow was flying, and the sea was angry!But you know what? Sometimes you've got to ride through the bad days to really appreciate the good ones. And honestly, there's something surprisingly gratifying about getting out there and riding when conditions are really nasty.The season is coming to an end, but we're still gonna squeeze as many kilometers as we can out of 2026.Hope you all manage to stay warm on your November rides!Buy Me a Coffee:buymeacoffee.com/cyclinghokkaidoCycling Hokkaido Instagram page:www.instagram.com/cycling.hokkaido.podcast/HESS Village English School Instagram page:www.instagram.com/hess_village/10% off the POW BAR energy bars:https://thepowbar.com/discount/CyclingHokkaido?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fenergy-bar

Last weekend I headed into downtown Sapporo to enjoy a little autumn atmosphere, starting with Autumn Illumination at Nakajima Park on Friday evening, followed by a visit to the Hokkaido Golden Leaf Festival on Sunday.Along the way, there were a couple of bike rides, some beautiful autumn scenery and a chance to enjoy Hokkaido as the autumn season is beginning to wind down. A weekend of autumn colours, illuminated evenings and braving the elements to get out and about on two wheels.Thanks as always for tuning in to the Cycling Hokkaido podcast. Have fun out there, folks! Cycling Hokkaido podcast Instagram page:www.instagram.com/cycling.hokkaido.podcast/Buy Me a Coffee:buymeacoffee.com/cyclinghokkaidoGet 10% off your online order of the POW BAR:https://thepowbar.com/discount/CyclingHokkaido?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fenergy-barLearn English with Marty at:www.instagram.com/hess_village/

A little autumn cycling, a trip to Lake Utonai, and a look at what a Ramsar site actually is.Lake Utonai is one of Hokkaido's 13 internationally important wetlands, or Ramsar Sites, but in this episode Marty takes a look at what makes this one a little different from the rest of them. If you're looking for Hokkaido cycling destinations you can't go wrong with Ramsar Sites. As always, I hope you find value in this episode of the show. Buy Me a Coffee:buymeacoffee.com/cyclinghokkaidoCycling Hokkaido podcast Instagram page:www.instagram.com/cycling.hokkaido.podcast/Japan's 54 Ramsar Sites:List of Ramsar sites in Japan - Wikipedia https://share.google/UnHyBCmG9EdhGGIJWGet 10% off your online POW BAR order:https://thepowbar.com/discount/CyclingHokkaido?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fenergy-barLearn English with Marty at:www.instagram.com/hess_village/

Ever have one of those days when things keep going wrong, and you start to wonder if you're just not meant to be out there?A few days ago, I had one of those days. Between a punctured tire, a thrown chain, and a bear warning, I started to get the distinct feeling that the universe was trying to tell me something.....go home and sit down!Have you ever had a mishap that, looking back, might actually have benefitted you or even kept you safe? Sometimes things don't go according to plan for a reason. Maybe it's fate, maybe it's coincidence, or maybe the universe is telling you to miss the next shift.I'm still hoping to make it out to Yuni Garden to see the kochia in all their autumn glory, so hopefully the fates will align and I'll get another chance soon. Until then, be safe and have fun out there, folks!But Me a Coffee:buymeacoffee.com/cyclinghokkaidoHESS Village English School Instagram page:www.instagram.com/hess_village/Cycling Hokkaido podcast Instagram page:www.instagram.com/cycling.hokkaido.podcast/The POW BAR 10% off link:https://thepowbar.com/discount/CyclingHokkaido?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fenergy-bar

Hop on your bike and join me on a journey into Hokkaido's ancient Jomon past. The Kitakogane Shell Mound is a fascinating archaelogical site, from pit dwellings and deer pitfalls to amazing clay impressions of children's feet. Cycling around these historic places gives you a deeper connection to the people who live here thousands of years ago, their relationship with the land and the stories hidden in Hokkaido's landscape.Their DNA lives on today in so many ways. Cycling Hokkaido, where every ride has a story to tell. As always, I hope you enjoy and find value in this episode of the show. Buy Me a Coffee:buymeacoffee.com/cyclinghokkaidoCycling Hokkaido podcast Instagram page:www.instagram.com/cycling.hokkaido.podcast/POW BAR 10% discount:https://thepowbar.com/discount/CyclingHokkaido?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fenergy-barHESS Village English classes:www.instagram.com/hessvillage/

Gokibiru is a beautiful destination for a bike ride. If you're looking for a day's ride less than 100km from Sapporo, Gokibiru could be just the place for you.Gokibiru is a very small fishing port tucked away between the Atsuta and Hamamasu districts of Ishikari, just off the Ororon Line. The scenery is dominated by the gorgeous mountains and cliffs that surround what was once a completely isolated fishing village.There are a few ways to get there, but eventually all roads lead to the sparsely populated Route 231. The riding is beautiful, the destination is worth the trip, and you never know what you might see along the way. You might even get lucky and spot a praying mantis!Happy riding out there, folks!Buy Me a Coffee:www.buymeacoffee.com/cyclinghokkaidoCycling Hokkaido Podcast Instagram page:www.instagram.com/cycling.hokkaido.podcast/HESS Village English School Instagram page:www.instagram.com/hess_village/Get your 10% discount off the POW BAR at:https://thepowbar.com/discount/CyclingHokkaido?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fenergy-bar

Last week I was down in Hachioji, Tokyo and got some excellent riding done.Riding down in Tokyo, I think the most obvious difference from Hokkaido is the age of everything down south. You really feel the history when you're riding parts of the Koshu Kaido and beyond. The scenery is also very different. All the twists and turns in the roads, the short, sharp climbs, the bamboo forests and even the wild monkeys made it a really interesting riding experience.I saw Lakes Miyagase and Sagami, rode from Takao to Yoyogi Park, visited the Hachioji Castle Ruins and the Musashi Imperial Graveyard. Experiencing all that nature and history down south made for some really interesting riding.And to top it all off, our boys are doing great living down there. Excellent to see.As always, I hope you find value in this episode of the Cycling Hokkaido podcast.Buy me a coffee at:buymeacoffee.com/cyclinghokkaidoCycling Hokkaido Instagram page:www.instagram.com/cycling.hokkaido.podcast/The POW BAR energy bars:https://thepowbar.com/discount/CyclingHokkaido?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fenergy-barJamie From Canada:www.instagram.com/jamiefromcanada/

When you cycle around Hokkaido, one thing you can't miss is the farmland. But there is a lot more to those fields than meets the eye.In this episode, I take a closer look at Hokkaido's agriculture. How much of the island is farmland? What is grown here, and just how much of Japan's food production comes from Hokkaido?I also look back at the development of Hokkaido, the American agricultural influence, and what that development for the Ainu.And finally, I brink it back home to own vegetable garden and the food that helps fuel my rides.Hokkaido isn't just a pretty postcard. The more you know about where you're riding, the more you get out of the ride.Buy Me a Coffee:buymeacoffee.com/cyclinghokkaidoCycling Hokkaido podcast Instagram page:www.instagram.com/cycling.hokkaido.podcast/10% off the POW BAR:https://thepowbar.com/discount/CyclingHokkaido?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fenergy-bar

Episode 160 of the Cycling Hokkaido podcast is about my ride out to the Niseko area, my first time out there this year. An awesome ride with tons of climbing. All in, I rode 230km with 2,228m of climbing over Saturday and Sunday. I stayed at a beautiful campsite at the foot of Mt.Yotei with a super clear night sky. Gorgeous.But it wasn't all perfect. The bakery at the Akaigawa Road Station is gone. I wanted a sugar loaf! The campsite was a lot more expensive that I'd prepared for, and I didn't meet anybody else on the road.But still, disappointments aside, it was definitely time well spent in the sadde.Hope you like this episode of the show. Thanks as always!Buy Me a Coffee:buymeacoffee.com/cyclinghokkaidoCycling Hokkaido podcast Instagram page:www.instagram.com/cycling.hokkaido.podcast/Get your 10% of POW BAR energy bars at:https://thepowbar.com/discount/CyclingHokkaido?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fenergy-bar

Over the last couple of weeks, I did two rides out to the Yubari area. The first one was to see the movie posters along the famous Cinema Street and hopefully find the famous donut shop Usagiya. Mission accomplished! Those cinnamon anko donuts are really tasty.While I was on that ride, I really wanted to go see the Chidorigataki Waterfalls, but time wasn't on my side, so I went back out there the following week.On that ride, I stopped in for a meat pie at PieMe in Naganuma and also got a couple of rice balls at Azekko in Yuni. Holy smokes, there is some good eatin' to be had out there.And of course, the waterfalls were well worth the effort. The geographical formations there make them something special.One destination, two great rides, and a lot of good food.Have fun out there, folks! Buy Me a Coffee:buymeacoffee.com/cyclinghokkaidoThe POW BAR 10% discount URL:https://thepowbar.com/discount/CyclingHokkaido?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fenergy-barCycling Hokkaido Podcast Instagram page:www.instagram.com/cycling.hokkaido.podcast/Azekko Instagram page:www.instagram.com/azekko.0416/PieMe website: https://share.google/z77MsRGUH6AHudGfe