Osaka Mt Rokko

The second time in Osaka for the Intertec house show, there was the chance for the weather to do good and repair the conditions i had in 2023 with rain and soso temperatures.

I hadn't planned to ride in Japan this time, but after visiting Tokyo and seeing the bad weather forecast for the weekend, I felt uncomfortable not having a ride lined up. Luckily, the weather forecast for Osaka looked good, so with help from Koji-san and his team at Intertec, I reserved a bike at the Trek store I had used the previous year. It seemed to be the same bike – a Trek Domane size 54.
With no time pressure, I started around 9:00 am, leaving Osaka Honmachi and heading northwest. Having some familiarity with the streets and traffic, escaping the city was relatively easy. After a while, I found a bike path along the Muko River, riding against the current. My goal was to reach Mt. Rokko in Kobe and return to Osaka.
I eventually left the bike path and headed towards the mountains, passing a golf course as the climb began. Soon, I was surrounded by trees, enjoying a peaceful ride on a quiet road. The weather was perfect, so I took my time to reach the top. The climb was challenging, with an average gradient of 8-9% and a final section at 20%.
Once at the summit, I enjoyed a 25 km descent towards Kobe, with impressive scenery and a great viewpoint at Kobe Kitano Terrace. Reaching Kobe downtown, I had 35 km of flat riding back to Osaka, crossing the Kanzaki and Jodo rivers before reaching my hotel in central Osaka. It felt like a perfect redemption for 2023 and an incredible ride.

bike: Trek Domane
starring: Gerry Samer