If you want to fully enjoy your gravel or mountain bike, you have to go off-road! I had a blast on the cross-country course at Senishi Youth Travel Village!

The other day, I went with my cycling friends to run the cross-country MTB course at "Seranishi Youth Travel Village."

The location is here:

This place is truly amazing!

When we first arrived, we were surprised by the exquisite difficulty level of the course. There are sections that even advanced riders can enjoy, while still maintaining a balance that makes first-timers feel like "this is where the real fun of MTB begins!"

It was a course that even people riding off-road for the first time on an MTB could fully enjoy.

As soon as we arrived and finished preparing, we were off and riding enthusiastically.

This time, we brought together a gravel road bike, a downhill bike, a cross-country bike, and an e-bike to compare them.

・Gravel Road Bike: Cannondale Topstone

・Downhill Bike: Transition TR11

・Cross-Country Bike: Ritchey Ultra

・E-Bike: Orbea Wild

Only on occasions like this can you truly experience the differences in character between each bike. While clearly understanding what sets each off-road bike apart, we could also continue riding on pleasant trails, which was pure exhilaration.

The Orbea E-MTB, in particular, was very popular, and we all took turns test riding it. The motor assistance was strong, and we were constantly smiling and laughing on the uphill climbs. Having electric assistance truly changes how you perceive the scenery on ascents.

Actually, I've wanted to have a race on this cross-country course for a long time.

The question was, which is faster: gravel bike vs. cross-country MTB (Takenoshita vs. Ikeda)!?

The race starts around this point in the YouTube video.

Time spent in the forest is truly special.
That feeling of speeding through a well-maintained MTB course cannot be fully expressed in words.
The sense of melting into nature combined with a touch of thrill is exquisite, and I never get tired of riding it. When riding with friends, a different perspective emerges.

It seems that something interesting is being planned at "Seranishi Youth Travel Village" around autumn... The details are not yet known, but let's be ready to participate anytime!

For those of you with gravel road bikes or MTBs, it's a shame to only ride on paved roads! If you're going to ride, let's enjoy the off-road to the fullest!