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The Final Thought:

You can compare my initial route plan with the actual route I took on Trackmytour. I changed the route as I went along. Total 47 days of riding, 2303 miles. Below is also the listed mileage for each leg.

 

KYUSHU REGION:

  • 3/10 Kokura - Fukuoka 55 miles

  • 3/11 Fukuoka - Saga 39 miles

  • 3/12 Saga Rest Day

  • 3/13 Saga - Kagoshima by train

  • 3/14 Kagoshima - Ibusuki 30 miles

  • 3/15 Ibusuki - Minamiosumi by ferry, ride to Cape Sata and back 47 miles

  • 3/16 Minamiosumi - Shibushi 34 miles

  • 3/17 Shibushi - Nichinan 29 miles

  • 3/18 Nichinan - Takanabe 53 miles

  • 3/19 Takanabe - Kita Nobeoka 50 miles

  • 3/20 Kita Nobeoka - Oita 63 miles

  • 3/21 Oita - Beppu 9 miles

  • 3/22 Beppu Rest Day

  • 3/23 Beppu - Kokura 72 miles

  • 3/24 Kokura Rest Day

  • 3/25 Kokura Rest Day

  • 3/26 Kokura Rest Day

 

CHUGOKU AND SHIKOKU REGION:

  • 3/27 Kokura - Akiyoshido 46.5 miles

  • 3/28 Akiyoshido - Hofu 34.5 miles

  • 3/29 Hofu - Yanai, then ferry to Matsuyama  48.5 miles

  • 3/30 Matsuyama - Imabari 28 miles

  • 3/31 Imabari - Fukuyama 61 miles

  • 4/01 Fukuyama - Okayama, then ferry to Shodoshima 59.5 miles

  • 4/02 Shodoshima sightsee then ferry to Himeji 27.5 miles

 

KANSAI REGION:

  • 4/03 Himeji - Kobe 46 miles

  • 4/04 Kobe Rest Day

  • 4/05 Kobe Rest Day

  • 4/06 Kobe - Kyoto 38 miles

  • 4/07 Kyoto - Hikone 44 miles

  • 4/08 Hikone - Tsuruga 35.5 miles

 

CHUBU REGION:

  • 4/09 Tsuruga - Komatsu 66.5 miles

  • 4/10 Komatsu - Toyama 62 miles

  • 4/11 Toyama - Itoigawa 54.5 miles

  • 4/12 Itoigawa - Kashiwazaki 54 miles

  • 4/13 Kashiwazaki - Niigata 54.5 miles

  • 4/14 Niigata Rest Day

  • 4/15 Niigata - Murakami 41 miles

 

TOHOKU REGION:

  • 4/16 Murakami - Sakata 62.5 miles

  • 4/17 Sakata - Akita 68 miles

  • 4/18 Akita - Odate 64.5 miles

  • 4/19 Odate - Hirosaki 35 miles

  • 4/20 Hirosaki - Aomori, then ferry to Hakodate 28 miles

 

HOKKAIDO REGION:

  • 4/21 Hakodate Rest Day

  • 4/22 Hakodate - Oshamanbe 69 miles

  • 4/23 Oshamanbe - Niseko 63.5 miles

  • 4/24 Niseko - Otaru 48 miles

  • 4/25 Otaru - Tsukigata 47 miles

  • 4/26 Tsukigata - Asahikawa 52.5 miles

  • 4/27 Asahikawa Rest Day, side trip to Biei 55.5 miles

  • 4/28 Asahikawa - Bifuka 61 miles

  • 4/29 Bifuka - Hamatonbetsu 59 miles

  • 4/30 Hamatonbetsu - Cape Soya, then to Wakkanai 68 miles

  • 5/01 Wakkanai Rest Day, side trip to Rishiri Island 26 miles

  • 5/02 Wakkanai - Enbetsu 55 miles

  • 5/03 Enbetsu - Rumoi 58 miles

  • 5/04 Rumoi - Asahikawa 53 miles

 

 

The Final Thought was supposed to be the section where I sum up my entire trip and offer advice to future cyclists who may want to embark on a trip similar to mine. However, I couldn't organize it into nice and neat paragraphs. So instead I just made a list. If you have any concerns just shoot me a message and I will try to answer it as best as I can.

 

  • First piece of advice is don't wait...if you're seriously considering an adventure just do it. Listen to yourself.

  •  Train and get fit physically for the trip...I paid the price for my ignorance. I would recommend a month of riding few times a week with your full load and planned mileage per day. 

  • The test run would also help you eliminate excess "stuff" you probably don't need. Everyone overpacks, but remember that you have to climb hills and mountains with all that "stuff." I ended up shipping home a bunch of stuff that I realized I wasn't using to reduce my load.

  • Check bicycle/luggage allowances with the airlines before buying your tickets...tickets may be cheap, but the luggage allowances might be sky high!

  • Depending on route plan, it may make more sense to fly out of final destination rather than returning to whereever you started. This will save you time as well as shipping and train/plane ticket cost.  

  • Don't obsess over detailed route planning, instead focus on where you want to go...there's usually only a few ways to get somewhere anyway. If possible, take smaller alternate roads that avoid towns.

  • Sun block is expensive in Japan, bring one from home.

  • Laundry will need to be done so bring a small bag of detergent to save a little money at the coin laundry. Most hotels have coin laundry machines. When I couldn't find a coin laundry place, I snuck into the hotels and used their coin laundry machines.

  • Inspect your bike thoroughly before the trip. Things to look out for are rim wear (how much life does your rims have before the sidewall gets too thin?), tire wear (traction helps for wet roads), stretched or kinked cables, brake pads, chain and teeth wear. Also, learn to maintain and tune  your bicycle for the trip...chain will have to be lubed, derailleurs cleaned and adjusted. Learn your bike inside and out.

  • Hokkaido in March is not that great...it's too early for the flowers and it's too late for skiing. It's still a beautiful place regardless, but if you want to see the super green and colorful flowers...

  • "Conbini" aka convenience stores such as 7-11, Lawsons, and Circle K Mart are convenient because they are all over the place. But they are not the cheapest for food, grocery stores are cheaper especially if you get there when they are discounting the food before closing.

  • Riding in the rain sucks, but sometimes it's unavoidable...always check the forecast few days out and plan ahead.

  • Use this chance to meet new people, stay at hostels and guest houses. Sometimes, when you're dead tired from cycling you just want to rest and be left alone...I've been there. Other times you just want to talk to anyone who will listen!

  • If you're planning on staying at hostels, guest houses, etc. it is a good idea to make a list with two or three choices to compare rates. I made reservations the day before or on the same day...never any further out than that. You may want to suddenly change course later on down the road and "winging it" gives you that freedom to move anywhere without worrying about reservations. Reservations are like commitments, leave that stuff back home and wing it.

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