Cyclists, for a moment close your eyes and I’ll take you on a dream. You wake in a foreign land unlike anything you know. The governor of that land has deemed that you are a cycle tourist and you should be treated like Royalty. You and your bike are welcomed. The people of this land embrace you, they bow and they smile and they want to help you. You are cyclist. You are King/Queen.

You arrive at a modern hotel and ride into the Foyer, rack your bike in the front reception for the night. It will be cared for. You will enter ultra-modern room with every detail thought out perfectly for the weary traveller. You don’t even need your own PJs. If you decide to shed some luggage you send it forward to your final destination to collect.

The governor has in cycling terms paved the red carpet for you, he has hot-mixed every road and patched every pot hole. He has set gradients of hills at around 5%. He has designated wide bike lanes on bridges. He has organised small original inland mountain towns and coastal fishing along the route. He has ordered his subjects to always serve cyclists very good coffee. He has ‘welcome cyclists’ signs installed at food stops. His subjects carry on life the way they have for thousands of years, they bow to cyclists as a sign of respect and welcome to their homeland. He has arranged (the few) cars that pass cyclists to be quiet and courteous.

He has satellite subjects who share his vision, they have bought up abandoned houses and breathed life back into them as renovated modern tourist accommodation with a distinctly authentic feel. There is character script on the original wooden beams and throughout the property. The writing must use both brain hemispheres as it combines the artistic and linguistic.

Then there is the food. The cyclist benefits from the pride in presentation. Again this element of Japanese culture expresses their artistic influence wound into the multiple plates of palette surprises and delight. The grand cyclist does not go hungry. He eats like a King.

There are cyclists facilities along the route, often at a train station. You can rent a bike (any style) or use their rack tools to assemble your own. Charge your E-Bike. Get a locker. Buy a snack. Have a shower. Its cycling concierge on steroids. And if the ultra efficient transport network or your own legs don’t do the job, then there is a cycling taxi, a modern car fitted with Thule racks.

Now I’ll gently wake you up… this dream was mine. In November, I visited Ehime (in the north west of Shikoku) as a guest of the Ehime prefecture tourism board. In 2024, the Governor of the Ehime prefecture, Tokihiro Nakamura, received a World bicycle day award for his ‘Contribution to the promotion of bicycles in the worlds most scenic cycling Paradise’. Ehime is cycling Shangrila and on our trip we were treated along the way to an action packed schedule and some unusual artistic and cultural side experiences. We topped off the tour with a visit to a 3000 year old Onsen.

Topbike Japan Ehime Tour – APRIL 2026

Topbike is planning a tour to Ehime prefecture late April 2026.
The tour will not be a smash fest, although there may be one day with 2000m vertical. There will be time to recover and wander around small villages and extra cultural visits can be added. It will be almost ride in ride out with no car transits (just one tourist train).

The pick-up/Drop off point will be Matsuyama (tbc), with an airport just 1.5 hour flight (JAL) from Tokyo.

PLUS: As featured on some local media:

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/2ea9ea8351b9cc4ad9cb534fd118f71d59d3fcde

Additional Links

– TOURISM SHIKOKU.
– VISIT EHIME JAPAN
– Japan.travel/en/destinations/shikoku/ehime/

GIRO 2025.

Its back. Saddle up in pink and come and see the Giro d’Italia with Topbike Tours. The Official route will be announced January 13th 2025. Our tour will run May 26 to June 2nd into and out of Milan (nearby location to MXP tbc)

MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Merry Christmas all. I hope Santa brings you a new high end carbon bike! Make sure to support your local bike shop even if the price is not as competitive as the online retailers. One day you will need that shop!

Most of all – stay upright or if you crash make sure it’s a good story and you get through it unharmed.

EVENTS.

Events on the Dave/Emma and Betty personal ride/race calendar for December. If you are at any of these be sure to come say ‘Hi’

• Vic Champs Red Hill – Rd 3 – (Done and dusted thanks Big Hill events for a great weekend of racing)
• 2025 Aus cycling MTB National Series Round 1 & 2 – XCO – Bendigo Mountain Bike Club
• Wollombi Gravel Fest – Wollombi Gravel – NB this event features: Valtteri Bottas & Tiffany Cromwell and will be a ripper (esp if you happen to be an F1 fan)

Looking Forward to the 2025 Season

This is what we have planned for 2025…

May 26 – June 2 |
 GIRO d’ITALIA – GIRO 2025  | $7200.00

Itinerary to be confirmed following the announcement of the 2025 Giro route.
Pick up / Drop Off: Milan Malpensa airport
{Limited places}

July 14 -21 |
ITALIAN ALPS / LAKESIDE | $5800.00

TWO locations: Italian lake (Lago Iseo) / Italian Alps (Ponte di Legno)
Pick up / Drop Off: Brescia
{Limited places}

September 2-10 |
CLASSIC ITALIAN CLIMBS (PDC) | $7200.00
*SOLD OUT/Fully Booked* 

FOUR Locations:
Pick up / Drop-Off: Brescia to Brescia (Or Venice Drop-Off)

September 15-23 |
CLASSIC ITALIAN CLIMBS (Main) | $7200.00

FOUR Locations:
Pick up / Drop-Off: Brescia to Brescia (Or Venice Drop-Off)

September 27- October 4 |
Tour of Tuscan Apennines | $5700.00

ONE location: Pracchia, Tuscany
Pick up / Drop Off: Pracchia Train Station

Emma Colson (AKA MBW)

WILIER Hybrid E-bikes available, so get your non-cycling friends along to join you, so they can share in the fun.