igus:bike

Stage 5. Shimnami Kaido: Japan’s Best Cycling Road

Yuki Tsugehara | 3. April 2025

The Shimanami Kaido is a spectacular sea route known as one of the best cycling roads in Japan. Connecting Imabari in Ehime to Hiroshima, the bike path links islands in the Seto Inland Sea via bridges. It is approximately 70km long and offers not only beautiful sea and mountain scenery, but also local culture and food. A wide range of cyclists, from beginners to advanced riders, choose their own routes, making it an aspirational destination for cycling enthusiasts to visit.

We have gathered at the SHIMANAMI Monument, the starting point of the ride. Today’s special ride is a 15km course with Toyota Boshoku’s hydrogen bicycle.

There were strong winds on this day. First, a commemorative photo was taken at the SHIMANAMI monument. This is a popular photo spot at the starting point. Cyclists can cross the bridge seen behind.

When you climb the ramp and reach the beginning of the bridge, the cycling begins. While cycling, you are caught up in the sensation as if you are flying in an aeroplane. The three-dimensional scenery of the sea and islands of the Seto Inland Sea was beautiful, and the group enjoyed the dreamlike view. Fortunately, the winds weakened on the bridge, allowing Shigemori-san, who was the igus:bike rider, to enjoy a comfortable ride.

Once over the bridge, an exhilarating track continues down the slope. Descending to the path below, you will arrive at the Yoshiumi Iki iki Kan, a roadside station.

The igus:bike on sandy beach seem to boast of being lubrication-free. The island’s landscape is particularly impressive for the whiteness of its sand. The island used to be mainly a fishing village, but the bike path has led to a significant growth in tourism.

An engineer from Toyota Boshoku saw the igus:bike on the beach and said, ‘I am from a town by the sea, so I agree with the concept of a lubrication-free bike’.

Switching rider to Goto-san and changing the starting point to Hakata SC, a roadside station, the igus:bike set off again on its journey.

This time it was a trip around Omishima Island. Goto-san struggled with the ramp up to the bridge, but the spectacular view from the bridge blew his difficulties away. The descending slope was also very long and the riders experienced an exhilarating feeling that lasted forever.

The Seto Inland Sea has long been home to a thriving shipbuilding industry. Beautiful beaches and shipbuilding docks and ironworks appear one after the other. This is the only place in Japan where this kind of scenery continues. Although we had to contend with strong winds, we were able to enjoy our bicycle journey in the spring sunshine. Goto-san completed the 10km journey to the park at the finish line.

The joint drive with Toyota Boshoku was a stimulating and enjoyable one, with both sides demonstrating their special qualities on the islands, bridges and slopes of the Seto Inland Sea.

After parting with Toyota Boshoku, we stopped at the Bicycle Shrine at the last stop. This is the only shrine in Japan that prays for the safety of cyclists.

We wrote safety messages for the igus bikes on wooden boards called Ema (絵馬, lit. ’picture-horse’), on which we wrote our requests, and received the blessing of the shrine.

The solemn atmosphere of the shrine and the conversation with the shrine maiden, who was interested in the plastic bike and asked about it, added a very deep sense of satisfaction to the end of the trip.

Our rider: Takamasa Goto

By cycling across the bridge, I was able to fully experience the splendour of the island nation with all my senses. The exceptional experience included leg cramps due to the uphill climb, which may have done something to me. Thank you for the opportunity and the encounter!

Our rider: Hiroshi Shigemori

The Shimanami Kaido has always been a place I have longed to ride someday. Being able to ride the road by igus:bike under a beautiful blue sky was a special memory for me. Thank you very much.