15/09/2026
What happens when you take a folding bike to Japan? 🇯🇵
The plan:
600+ km ridden.
40–70 km on most days.
130 km on the longest stage.
Bike, bag and padding: almost exactly 23 kg for the flight.
One of the biggest days started in Kazurabashi, followed the beautiful Iya Valley, climbed up to the mountain pass next to Mt. Tsurugi and then continued all the way down to Tokushima.
And, of course, just as all that hard-earned elevation was finally about to turn into a long descent, the rain started pouring.
Japan turned out to be a pretty great place for bikepacking: respectful drivers, konbinis never too far away, mountain roads, local trains and plenty of opportunities to change the plan along the way.
The VELLO Alfine 11 stayed fully loaded for most of the trip, carrying camping gear, clothes and everything else needed on the road. For train rides, it could still be folded and packed into a bag, even with the front rack attached.
The setup also handled the extra weight surprisingly well. Long days were still manageable, and even with luggage on the bike, it remained stable and comfortable to ride.
In the end, the trip became a mix of cycling, mountain passes, train rides, camping, cheap hotels, convenience-store stops and a lot of kilometres through Japan.
An experience to remember… and maybe to do again soon!
