Cycling on the Shimanami Kaido （しまなみ海道）| Part 1

Shimanami Kaido | Kurushia - Kaikyo Bridges

I love cycling. 

I love the freedom the bicycle gives - faster than foot and more nimble than a car, one can explore nooks and crannies to one's heart's content. Having heard about the legendary Shimanami Kaido cycling trail through other web blogs and websites, I just had to check it out. 

/ Renting a bicycle

My rental Cross-bike

Coming from Imabari, there are a few options you can rent from:

// JR Imabari train station - Rent-a-cycle Terminal 
This is part of the Rent-a-cycle network where you can rent a bicycle and then drop it off at any of the other terminals along the Shimanami Kaido (for a fee). PROs: The rental fees are cheap and affordable (500 Yen / day) and there's no hardship in getting here if you're arriving at Imabari via train. GIANT CON: They only rent what they call "General Use" bicycles (mamacharis). Unless you have thighs of steel, you will have to work very very hard to climb the bridges and the various slopes. You're going to be going on a beautiful bike ride - why suffer needlessly?


// Near JR Imabari train station - Giant Store 
A bike store offering rental services where you can either return your bicycle at their Imabari store or at Onomichi. They also have on-site shower and locker facilities, as well as hotel accommodation. PROs: There's a large range of rental Giant bicycles to cater to the discerning cyclist and range from their high-end carbon bikes to normal cross bikes and kid bikes. CONs: With great bikes, there are great rental prices. A day rate for a Giant cross bike is about 4,000 Yen. 

// A distance away from JR Imabari train station at the foot of the first bridge - Sunrise Itoyama Rent-a-cycle Terminal
Similar to the Rent-a-cycle at JR Imabari train station, Sunrise Itoyama offers a larger range of bicycles (General Use, Road Bikes, Mountain Bikes, Cross Bikes, Electric Assist, Tandem), and has a hotel and restaurant attached to it. The hotel rooms have amazing views that look out to the Seto Inland Sea, and is useful as a starting point before you start your travels or as an end point where you can soak aching muscles after you finish your ride. Definitely bicycle friendly. PROs: cheap bicycle rental fees (500 Yen / day) and a hotel attached to it. CONs: Getting here is not very convenient. The bus service from Imabari is infrequent with odd timings. Take for example, the bus timings from Imabari Train Station to Sunrise Itoyama are 8.35am, 9.52am, 1.20pm, 3.52pm*, 5.55pm* (* = not operating on Sunday and public holidays). 

I chose the Sunrise Itoyama option, with a hotel stay at the end of my bike ride. I also rented a Cross-bike from here and it had enough gears for me to make it up the slopes. It was a great bike to use. Looking back on my journey, while I have no regrets staying at Sunrise Itoyama as it was very comfortable and perfect as a way to end the day, if I had to do this over again, depending on what time I return back to Sunrise Itoyama, I might choose to stay in Imabari itself so that I can explore the town in the evening as well as to avoid the rush the next day to catch the first bus back to Imabari with around 10mins to buy tickets and catch the express train to Matsuyama. Also, I would eat on one of the islands before returning the bike (rental closes at 8pm) and staying at Sunrise Itoyama overnight as only the hotel restaurant is open in the evening.

// Onward to
Cycling on the Shimanami Kaido　（しまなみ海道）| Part 1| Part 2 | Part 3 |