Japan Noto Peninsula/Gifu

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $100 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

OVERVIEW:  This is a new ride for BAC.  It will be fully supported by Cycling Japan, a company that is well established with BAC for providing an outstanding experience for Japan cycle touring.  The Noto Peninsula is located in the western/central part of Japan extending into the Sea of Japan.  It is due west of Tokyo. The region offers a perfect opportunity for rural cycling and experiencing all the cultural attractions you expect of Japan, from heritage sites to kimono weaving! Almost the entire peninsula has been recently registered as agricultural heritage by UNESCO for the long-established methods of fishing and cultivation activities, which you can observe from the saddle of your bike. The landscapes formed by the rich history tracing back to the feudal times still remain today, and that’s what makes the region a culturally interesting ground for overseas visitors. The last four days of riding will be in the Gifu area where you will ride through mountain landscapes and secluded villages and stay in cities that depict centuries old Japanese culture.  The document accessible through this link: http://www.cyclingjapan.jp/2015Noto-Gifu-CJweb.pdf  contains a description of each day’s ride together with distances and elevation profiles.  Please note that the attached document is the one provided by Cycling Japan to its “retail” customers.  It is provided here for information about the daily itinerary and does not necessarily reflect the other aspects of this BAC tour.

Because of the proximity to Tokyo, Kyoto and several other popular tourist destinations in Japan, you will be able to easily extend your Japan visit to include popular tourist destinations.  If you plan to extend your visit before the ride, you are cautioned to make your plans early as the period between April 28th and May 7th is a Japanese holiday period and the hotels will book up quickly.

This tour offers a rich and diverse cultural experience for people who are enthusiastic about non-western culinary traditions and accommodations.  Those experiences include traditional ryokans, shared bathrooms, onsens, and a traditional Japanese culinary experience.

Unfortunately, tandems cannot be accepted on this tour because tandem bicycles are illegal in Japan.

RIDE RATING:  This ride is rated 2B.  The average daily distance is 44 miles and the average daily climbing is 2,300 feet.  There is one day where the distance is 57 miles, and the climbing for that day is 1,000 feet.  Another day has climbing of 4,400 feet which includes one climb of 2,600 feet over 7.5 miles (about 6.5% average grade).  The distance for that day is 38 miles.  There are three days where riders will have the option to ride longer distances if they choose. The prescribed routes will be clearly marked and cue sheets will be provided. Two support vans and a riding tour guide will monitor the route each day. 

Cycling Japan will provide a GPS file for Garmin devices at the beginning of the tour.  If you bring your Garmin device, Cycling Japan will upload the files to your device.  Cycling Japan will also have ten Garmin GPS devices available for loan during the tour (one device per two riders). 

WEATHER:  The weather in this region of Japan is ideal in May when the average temperatures are in the low 70s during the day and high 50s at night.  May is also the time when spring flowers are in full bloom in this region.

LODGING:  This tour offers a range of different accommodations from three-star hotels to ryokans (country inns), some with shared bathrooms.  Some ryokan accommodations are ensuite and include an onsen, which is an essential part of Japanese life. Onsen is communal, single-sex, bathing and soaking in hot spring spas located in areas of natural beauty -- bathing suits not allowed.

LOGISTICS:  The arrival date is May 9, 2017; the first day of riding is May 10, 2017, and the departure date is May 18, 2017. The ride begins in Kanazawa which is a 2 1/2 hour high-speed train ride from Tokyo Station.  Tokyo Station is accessible by train from either Tokyo Haneda Airport or Narita Airport.  You should plan to arrive no later than 4 PM on May 9th to allow time for bike fitting, etc.  If you arrive earlier, there are interesting self-guided tours that are within walking distance of the hotel.  The hotel is a short taxi ride from Kanazawa station.  The tour will end in Gifu from which you will be able to take trains to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and other major Japanese cities.

You should plan to obtain Japanese Yen for incidental expenses and for meals not included in the tour.  In some areas, your credit card may not be acceptable.  Many Japanese ATMs do not accept American ATM cards, but Japanese Yen can usually be obtained from bank ATMs in larger towns and from ATMs in 7-11 stores which are located all over Japan.

BICYCLES:  Cycling Japan offers excellent road and hybrid touring bikes for rent. A hybrid bicycle is available for rent for $80. Road bikes can be rented for an additional $85.  Although you may bring your own bicycle, you are encouraged to consider using bicycles provided by Cycling Japan, particularly if you plan to do extending touring in Japan.  Cycling Japan will maintain their bicycles during the tour, but participants will be responsible for maintaining their own bicycles.  All participants will be contacted later regarding bicycles (size, pedals, saddles, equipment, etc.)  If you bring your own bike, arrangements can be made to ship your bike case from the starting location to the ending location for approximately $30 per case, payable in cash at the beginning of the tour.  Payments for rental bikes and shipment of bike cases must be made in Japanese Yen directly to Cycling Japan at the beginning of the tour.

COST & ADMINISTRATION:  The cost of the tour is $2,800 based on double occupancy and a Japanese yen to US$ conversion rate of JPY 120 to $1. This cost reflects the price of the tour to be paid to Cycling Japan, 9 days accommodations, 9 breakfasts, 6 dinners, snacks, social hour, guides, van support, gratuities, administrative costs and a reasonable amount for contingencies.  Any unused tour funds will be refunded to the participants after the tour. 

Due to a limitation on the number of available rooms, solo particiapnts cannot be accepted at this time.  Singles who have a roommate are welcome. Two singles who plan to share a room and who request to join this ride at the same time will be given the same priority as couples. .  After April 1 solos will be accepted for  a supplemental fee of $700 if space allows. The Ride Coordinator will attempt to find roommates for single riders willing to share a room.  The initial deposit of $800 will be payable upon acceptance and should be sent to: Harold Ashby, 5536 Cape Aqua Drive, Sarasota, FL  34242.

A second payment of $1,400 will be due on March 1, 2016, and the final payment of $600 will be due on January 1, 2017.  The cost of the tour and the second and final payments may be adjusted to reflect fluctuations in the JPY to US$ exchange rate.

CANCELLATION POLICY:  The BAC ride fee for foreign tours of $100, which is payable directly to BAC and is not included in the cost of the tour, is non-refundable.  Consistent with BAC policy, cancelling participants will be charged a cancellation penalty in an amount that causes the costs to the remaining participants to be unaffected.  If cancelling participants are replaced there will be no cancellation penalty.  If multiple cancellations can only be partially replaced, cancellation penalties will be equitably allocated at the discretion of the Ride Coordinator.  Because the tour operator has given us a good price, based on a minimum of 16 riders, cancellations after April 1, 2016 that (1) cannot be replaced and (2) reduce the number of participants below 16 may result in the canceling participant(s) incurring a cancellation penalty of up to $2,200 each. In addition, cancellations that cannot be replaced and do not reduce the number of riders below 16 will incur a cancellation penalty of approximately $250 if the cancellation is prior to April 1, 2017.  Cancellations on or after April 1, 2017, that cannot be replaced will incur cancellation penalties ranging from $500 to $2,200 depending on the date of cancellation. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped the cancelling roommate may also be liable for the single supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour.  The amount of cancellation penalty, if any, and refunds will be determined following the tour.

---

Ride Participant Responsibility: BAC tours depend on participants providing much or their own support.  Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles.  All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour.

Support our Ride Leaders, read the ride description carefully, respond promptly to calls for payments and emails from the ride leader.  At the ride, offer to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation.  And do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour.  Please keep the ride leader informed of any special request you might have and respect the ride leader’s decisions.

SIGN-UP:  To register for this ride; use the sign-up links just above the Ride Description. After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC website to digitally accept the releases and pay the $100 BAC Ride Registration fee by credit card.  You will then mail in your deposit of $800 (check made out to Harold Ashby, not BAC). When your deposit is received, your status will be changed from wait list to participant.