
It is surprisingly easy to get around in Japan. With trains that run on time and go just about anywhere, no shortage of English speakers and the miracle that is Google maps, it’s just a matter of having some patience and doing it. Our Shimano group consisted of SPD product team members from the USA, the Netherlands and Osaka, Japan.
With Faulk driving up together with Kura and Irie (eerie-A) and a van load of bikes late Friday, myself and Jessie formed the forward team and made our way from Sakai Friday morning by train. Our agenda included an afternoon in Nagoya, before evening sightseeing in Asuke’s historic old town and a VIP dinner with some special guests and cycling luminaries from the US.

Upon arriving in Asuke, we were immediately reminded of how beautiful the remote parts of Japan could be. The weather was beyond perfect on Friday, with blue bird skies, zero humidity and perfect temperatures at every turn. We checked with the organizers and offered to help in any way we could be of service. When they instead suggested a tour of Asuke, we did not bother to contemplate whether they just wanted us out of the way or not. In 2015, we showed up late and left early, so this time we really wanted to soak it up. And we did. Beautiful riverside vistas, red painted bridges, hawks on the wing, it was a day to remember. We got lost and found more than once and eventually made our way through the old town section of Asuke. Japan has more wood than bricks, so it was amazing to see wooden structures built hundreds of years ago, that were still completely sound and functional, housing various small businesses and shops. Posters were hung promising the street would be completely illuminated with paper lanterns on Satuday night and I am sure it was an amazing site, but we knew at the time we would be jamming to the band at the GCR post party the next night and could only imagine how cool it would have been for locals and the Japanese tourists that come here for their own chance to get away from the hustle and bustle of Nagoya, Toyota and parts south.

Finally back at the hotel a few hours later, the SimWorks guys had everything planned. Dinner back in Asuke with none other than Chris King himself (who missed the first edition to be at his daughters graduation), Curtis Inglis from Retrotec and Inglis, Mike DeSalvo from DeSalvo, the Sycip brothers Jeremy (who builds Sycip) and Jay (who runs Cielo production at CK) and a host of other CK and SimWorks employees. The unagi (fresh water eel) was about as tender and crispy as you could imagine and a great time was had by all. Back at the hotel we continue to make new friends (aka drink beer) while we waited for the Shimano van to arrive and then finally settle down for some jet-lag shorten rest before the next day’s ride.


The ride itself was no joke. Starting with a 60-90 minute climb, we did 2500 of the 5000 feet of total climbing in one shot. It was unique and refreshing to see that even though many riders were clearly trim and fit, most if not all were more than content to ride at a conversational pace and actually stay with the friends and family they brought to the event. I guess a giant meal is the ultimate equalizer. Stop one was the first snack, with home cooked muffinish squares and amazing fruit jelly shots. I can’t say we really refueled, as we were all still full from breakfast, but a jelly shot and a the ensuing downhill were more than enough to squash any hint of hang over from the night before.

And what a descent is was. A quick final climb brought us to the ‘cima asuke’ or highest point of the day, and led into a tight, rugged and prolonged descent that rewarded proper tire selection and bike positioning, a keen eye for the fish-eye safety mirrors, and probably really stoked out those riders lucky enough to be on Shimano disc brakes. Some riders chose safety and some chose the adrenaline rush, but we all had a great time as we made our way down and around the mountain and before you knew it – lunch time!

The lunch stop was in the same location as last year, but the organizers were a year wiser. Last year we stuffed ourselves with another complete plate of food before mounting up and attacking the second major climb of the course. This year, we enjoyed a sensible sampling of local delights. I can’t pretend to remember or even to have identified half of the stuff, but when Chris DiMinno and his crew put something on your plate, I can guarantee you it is going to taste great and it did. The service team was handcrafting ‘bespoke’ sodas and lemonades that had riders lined up for a while. The patience and understanding of the participants was noted as special and no one seemed to mind waiting for something of quality and made with passion. That probably explains why over half of the riders were aboard handbuilt steel frames, custom assembled and personalized beyond anything I have ever witnessed. It was a special crowd and a special day and everyone seemed to know it and feel it from the get go. For a specific example of the uniqueness and passion behind the event look no farther than the artist who followed the ride to each stop and pumped out effortless watercolor paintings of the event, silently capturing spontaneous moments as if she was a photographer.

Back on the bike, it was time to go up so we did. A bit of high speed descending and another brief and rolling up got us to the final stop of the day, dessert. A highlight of last year was no less spectacular, maybe better with its new lakeside location. Tea was served with your choice of desserts, and you had to take two, that’s my style! I chose the broiled sweet potato with carmelized sugar and the mystery biscuit, while others sampled and enjoyed the grean tea jelly or the red bean woopie pie.

At this point, we knew most of the work was behind us and it was time to ride home. As a mountain biker, I love to descend, but there is something special about a trail that still makes you work with quick little risers, sudden tight turns that require attention and then perfect s-turns that let you carry your speed if you put a little trust in yourself and your bike. The final twenty minutes of the GCR Asuke are total money. A little rough, a little wet, a little debris on the road – nothing the big ring can’t handle. After four plus hours of conversational riding and stuffing my face I was ready to turn and burn and having a string of friends and co-workers on your wheel or taking pulls is what makes life worth living. Nothing left now, but a soak in the cold river, a dip in the hot bath, a cold beer and – you are never going to believe it – another amazing meal.
