Ride Report : Mt. Norikura (biking & hiking)

[Takashi]

On Sunday I visited Mt. Norikura.

Norikura Echo Line Road, which leads to the starting point for a trail up Mt. Norikura, is closed to motorizes vehicles except for buses and some authorizes vehicles.
With its small traffic and scenic view, the road is popular among Japanese cyclists.
I drove my car to a free parking lot (elev. 1450m), rode my bike up to Tatami-Daira (elev.2700m) via Norikura Echo Line Road, and hiked up to the summit of Mt. Norikura (elev. 3026m).

Overlooking Mt. Norikura :

As the road goes higher than about 2500m, trees cannot grow big, so I can enjoy sceneries :

Leaves were more colorful than I expected :

Hiking up to the summit of Mt. Norikura (the left one in this photo) :

Looking down from the summit. Norikura Echo Line Road can be seen :

Original quality pictures here :

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCvw5C

Takashi

[Jay Lonner]

Your pictures are always stunning, and inspire me to see Japan by bike. 

Jay Lonner

Bellingham, WA

Sent from my Atari 400

On Oct 2, 2025, at 05:46, Takashi <lachry...@gmail.com> wrote:

On Sunday I visited Mt. Norikura.

Norikura Echo Line Road, which leads to the starting point for a trail up Mt. Norikura, is closed to motorizes vehicles except for buses and some authorizes vehicles.
With its small traffic and scenic view, the road is popular among Japanese cyclists.
I drove my car to a free parking lot (elev. 1450m), rode my bike up to Tatami-Daira (elev.2700m) via Norikura Echo Line Road, and hiked up to the summit of Mt. Norikura (elev. 3026m).

Overlooking Mt. Norikura :

<norikura01.jpg>

As the road goes higher than about 2500m, trees cannot grow big, so I can enjoy sceneries :

<norikura06.jpg>

<norikura07.jpg>

Leaves were more colorful than I expected :

<norikura08.jpg>

Hiking up to the summit of Mt. Norikura (the left one in this photo) :

<norikura02.jpg>

Looking down from the summit. Norikura Echo Line Road can be seen :

<norikura04.jpg>

Original quality pictures here :

https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCvw5C

Takashi

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<norikura07.jpg>

<norikura06.jpg>

<norikura04.jpg>

<norikura01.jpg>

<norikura08.jpg>

<norikura02.jpg>

[Lucia Matioli]

Wow. 

Thats gorgeous. I’ll be in Japan early November and am riding from Kyoto to Tokyo. 

Can’t wait. Your pictures are stunning. 

Lucia

Lucia Matioli

Sr Creative Consultant

goodthinkingco.com

linkedin.com/in/luciamatioli/

              

   

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[Takashi]

Jay, thank you!

It would be great if you can visit Japan with your bike.

Lucia, you are riding from Kyoto to Tokyo?? That's quite an adventure!

If you stick to urban areas (that means low elevation), leaves are still likely to be green in early November.

If you go to mountain areas, I think you can enjoy fall foliage, but of course there will be a lot of climbing.

Hope you enjoy your visit!

Takashi

2025年10月2日木曜日 22:54:17 UTC+9 lucia....@gmail.com:

[Jay Lonner]

Takashi (and anybody else with relevant experience),

You’ve inspired me to read more about the logistics of traveling by bike in Japan, especially the requirements for train travel. How do you work it with your Homer? Do you have a rinko headset, brakes, etc. as advocated by Jan Heine, or do you just remove the front and/or rear wheels? How do you deal with racks, saddlebags, etc.? My wife and I are strongly considering a tour there next year, and I’d like to work out the details well in advance.

Thanks,

Jay Lonner

Bellingham, WA, USA

Sent from my Atari 400

On Oct 4, 2025, at 9:01 AM, Takashi <lachry...@gmail.com> wrote:



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[Jason Fuller]

This ride, and these photos, are absolutely stunning!  Incredible, thanks for sharing them. I know Japan is mountainous of course, but that elevation still surprised me. 

[John Rinker]

Hey Jay,

I'm sure Takashi will have much to add, but I can offer this after living in Japan for a couple of years and traveling all over the country by train with a bicycle and gear. I had no Rinko setup other than a bag I designed and had made in Nepal for my big bike. I would typically take off the front wheel and strap it to my frame. I would lower and rotate my handlebars so they would be in line with the frame, and then I would bag it all up. I had a handy strap made of climbing slings that I attached near the headtube and the seat so I could shoulder the bike while changing trains. All my gear fit in a large duffel. Here's a photo of my typical setup packed for train travel:

And here's the bike with the gear I typically used. The 'Rinko' bag and duffel folded quite small and rode in the bottom of my basket.

Hope this helps. Go to Japan! Travel by train and bike! It is civilized adventure at its finest.

Cheers, John

[Jay Lonner]

Thanks for the encouragement John. As I read more about rinko I’m realizing that it’s less about breaking down a bike, Tetris-like, into its constituent parts, and more about bagging it up to keep grease and road grime away from the train and other passengers. If you can pull it off with your Hunq (where haven’t you taken that bike?) then I’m confident my wife and I can make it work. We’re tentatively planning a visit for the spring of 2027.

Jay Lonner

Bellingham, WA

Sent from my Atari 400

On Oct 5, 2025, at 8:13 PM, John Rinker <jwri...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hey Jay,

I'm sure Takashi will have much to add, but I can offer this after living in Japan for a couple of years and traveling all over the country by train with a bicycle and gear. I had no Rinko setup other than a bag I designed and had made in Nepal for my big bike. I would typically take off the front wheel and strap it to my frame. I would lower and rotate my handlebars so they would be in line with the frame, and then I would bag it all up. I had a handy strap made of climbing slings that I attached near the headtube and the seat so I could shoulder the bike while changing trains. All my gear fit in a large duffel. Here's a photo of my typical setup packed for train travel:

<Izu Oshima-Godzilla's Lair - 1 of 1.jpeg>

And here's the bike with the gear I typically used. The 'Rinko' bag and duffel folded quite small and rode in the bottom of my basket.

To view this discussion visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/rbw-owners-bunch/4741021e-6ef4-4695-8f9a-a86823d62001n%40googlegroups.com.

<Yakushima '22 - 1 of 1.jpeg>

[Takashi]

May be I'd better start a new thread about rinko because there are many things to talk about, but one quick note.

I dont't have a photo of my homer in rinko state, but here's a picture of my Hunqapillar:

When getting on train, I always remove fork, rear wheel, and rear fender.

I don't remove the rear rack.

Strictly speaking, most railway companies do not allow bikes with only one wheel removed.

You must remove both wheels or remove fork from frame, although in most cases, station / train staffs just let you get on the train even if you just remove front wheel.

Trains in Japan is often very crowded, and you might have a hard time gettin on, especially when carrying a big baggage.

Also, even long-distance trains have poor baggage space if any.

If you aren't familiar with Japanese trains, I'd suggest that you pack your bike as small as possible.

Takashi

2025年10月7日火曜日 7:59:19 UTC+9 Jay Lonner:

[Takashi]

Jason,

Thank you!

Norikura Echo Line Road is the highest road in Japan, so it was as high as I can ride in Japan.

If I want to go higher, I'll have to carry my bike on my shouler.

Takashi

2025年10月6日月曜日 3:30:56 UTC+9 Jason Fuller:

[Jay Lonner]

Takashi, I think that a new thread about rinko is a great idea. I would be very interested to hear your practical tips about traveling by bike in Japan. When Googling rinko one gets a range of responses, from putting any old bike in a bag to specialized custom builds. What do the Blue Lug people do? I’d like to know more about how everyday cyclists in Japan get by. Thanks in advance for any insight you can offer.

Jay Lonner

Bellingham, WA

Sent from my Atari 400

On Oct 7, 2025, at 7:25 AM, Takashi <lachry...@gmail.com> wrote:



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