Cycle Routes Near Nagoya

Jul 29, 2021

Cycle Routes Near Nagoya

With the Giro d’Italia and the Tour de France already done and Vuelta e Espana soon to come, you may be feeling inspired to get on your road bike and put some kilometers in your legs. However, living in the middle of the city, you may feel like there is nowhere to go; we are hardly in the mountains of Nagano, after all.

But with that said, there are still some decent routes to hit, especially if you get a little bit out of Nagoya. Below is by no means an exhaustive selection of rides – far from it – but they may give you a few ideas. And who knows, when you get out on the road, you might find like-minded people who will let you know even better ones.

Speed Trials; Moricoro Park – 5km circuit

Built for the 2005 World Expo, Moricoro Park is easily accessed from Nagoya and has many attractions. For riders, the key attraction is undoubtedly the cycling course. A 5km circuit with tight turns and hairpin bends is ideal for riding to test your speed and handling away from city traffic.

Gifu Hills; Ena-Nagoya 81km

There are a few ways to get from Ena to Nagoya, and some have more climbing than others. But any way you go – as long as you keep off the main roads – you should be able to find rivers that wind through beautiful old towns, and at times fly through valleys and devastating scenery. Please bear in mind that if you are riding the train with your bike in Japan, as you will do to get to Ena, you must use a bike bag.

Three Castles; Nagoya-Komaki-Inuyama-Yatomi-Nagoya 90km

The route out of Nagoya’s is not great, but once you hit the river near Komaki castle (passing by the #ladyofkomaki on the way), things get much better. Hit Inuyama Castle and then follow the cycle path that runs along the Kiso River all the way to Yatomi, keeping an eye out for Gifu Castle to the northwest. The path is not only entirely free of cars, but it is also lovely in spring when the cherry blossoms that line it are in full bloom. The route back into Nagoya again is mostly along main roads, but it is worth it for that huge expanse of uninterrupted path along which you can really let rip. It’s recommended that you figure out which way the wind is blowing because if you get it wrong, you will have a fair bit of time unprotected from crosswinds coming off the river; unless you like that sort of thing, you sadist!

To the Lighthouse; Toyohashi-Itago-Toyohashi 91km

This route takes you right along the rather beautiful coastline of the Mikawa Bay, to Aichi’s most southernly (landlocked) point, and then back up along the Pacific Ocean coast, meaning that it is as flat as it is beautiful. Though a decent distance, this sea-level ride is not only a good route for pictures by the beach but also for relative newbies on their first long jaunt.

Chita Peninsula; Nagoya-Utsumi-Obu-Nagoya 122km

The worst part of this ride is the first 15km or so getting out of Nagoya, with all the traffic and the lights. But once you leave the main road near Nawa, it gets a little bit country, and then once you get to Shinmaiko, it’s shoreline all the way to Utsumi. Being on the coast, the first half is pretty flat, but if you return via Obu, it’ll take you over the relatively simple mountains of the Chita Peninsula. Unfortunately, the ride from Obu to Nagoya isn’t the prettiest, but there’s not much we can do about that. To level up, plan your route over some of the bigger climbs.

Dam Hard Work; Seto-Mikawa Dam-Seto 103km

As previously mentioned, the worst part of rides from Nagoya is the city itself. However, if you can get yourself out to Seto, you can access some lovely rides from there. This route has a lovely combination of countryside, river runs, and the occasional main road. With more than 2,000m in elevation, there are some pretty decent climbs in there, but sitting by Mikawa Lake with your lunch makes it all worthwhile.

The Leg Breaker; Seto-Toyota-Nagura-Seto 147km

Finally, one for the Grand Fondo guys. Again there is beautiful countryside, rivers, rice paddies, hairpins, busy thoroughfares, and spots where you can really get the speedometer working. Furthermore, with over 3,600m of climbing, you’ll be reaching for that polka-dot jersey in no time!

The Widowmaker; Toyota-Iida-Toyota 200km

Hands down the most difficult thing that I have ever done. Starting from Toyota, you are soon following the river along a rolling, punchy road that takes you to Yahagi Dam before cruising through some of the most stunning countryside that Gifu has to offer. Gradually you climb to the peak of 1187m before shooting down the mountain into Iida, Nagano, for a spot of lunch, loving the steep decline and switchbacks as you go. That is, until you remember that you have to ride back up that way, 20km at an average of 6 percent, but much steeper in places. According to one cycling app, you gobble up some 5,000m of climbing in the day, with the only sounds you can hear is your legs screaming at you to stop and your willpower hollering, “shut up, legs, shut up legs, SHUT UP LEGS!” back. If you want to make it feel like arriving victorious at a velodrome, why not time trial laps of Toyota Stadium to finish it off, as I did?

Get a feel for this mammoth ride by watching the video below:

 

---

If you want to know more about cycling in Nagoya, check out the Nagoya Cycling Club on Facebook. Many of the guys there are really helpful and welcoming to newcomers. If you’re looking for someone to ride with, here is the place. A big thanks to Tim Kendall from Nagoya Cycling Club for his help in putting this article together.

If you are in the market for a new bike or accessories, check out our article on bike shops here.

You can find me on Strava here, should you so wish.

Images: Mark Guthrie Own Work