Free Rivers BikeTour

In Oita japan

This is a Five day, five nights road bike tour. $1400 per person double booking, $1500 single booking.

See pricing and booking page for details.

Consider this tour moderate to rigorous, or on a scale of 1 to 10...about an 11.

Several climbs in excess of 2000 feet, and covers 40 to 70 miles per day. The usual Japan Bike and Hike mandatory appointments of great food, hot springs and leisure time every evening, but this bike tour designed for people who know what bikes are about; to be ridden, not carried in the back of a van.

Free Rivers Tour travels into places not so far removed from civilization, but uses rural roads to get there. It isn't a tour designed to avoid the modern world and dive into the past as much it is an exploration of the past and present existing in unique harmony. It is an adventure to discover where old meets new, and from this discovery, understand how our lives, in our respective countries, are also wrapped up in a similar balance.

In other words, we are looking for good condition paved roads that don't have many cars!

Riding hills isn't supposed to be easy. Free Rivers tours are not easy. But the challenges are doable and as Sam Clemens said, “You can't say you know a country until you have seen it from the seat of a bicycle.”

Free River Tour goes to where the rivers are free. It takes you closer to freedom, too.

The tour begins in Beppu, in the province of Oita.

This is a typical itinerary, but because of rider experience and booking availability, there is plenty of flexibility. This is only a sample tour itinerary.

Day 1; 40 km Leave Beppu at 9:00 AM, climbing 800 feet to Miyoban geyser villag and then another 400 to cross over African Safari pass, at 1200 feet, and enjoy a 900 foot descent into Ajimu town, our destination for the night, where we climb into an Ajimu hot-spring. We stay at either an Ajimu farmhouse hostel or a traditional Ryokan, depending on the season and group size.

Day 2; 60 km Leave Ajimu early and climb the long 1200 foot hill, to Kusu town.

In Kusu we rest, eat, and all too soon we are on the road again, climb 1200 ft again, to the amazing suspension bridge at Handa Kogen. We have a reservation in a tradition Ryokan hot-spring tucked into a valley above the bridge. This is the hardest day of the tour. But the food and bath are very nice.

Day 3; Leaving Handa Kogen, we ride across the slope of Kuju mountain, over ridge (400 ft but steep grade 7%+) and dale to Nagayu onsin town, where we have lunch. We must ride up a gentle free river bottom, past thatch-roof farm-houses, and end our day in Taketa city.

Day 4; 20 km It is an easy day and hopefully everyone will have the energy to walk the stupendous castle ruins of Oka Jo castle. In the afternoon we ride Nagayu, an onsin town situated in a remote valley.

Day 5; 60 km For the we ride 80 km from Nagayu to Beppu. This route crosses several ridges, with elevations from 200 to 500 feet. Dinner in Beppu, and we visit as many hot baths as it takes to recover from the riding!