Hotel Cycle

HOUSED IN A FORMER warehouse on the waterfront in the Hiroshima prefecture, about a 90-minute flight or four-hour train ride from Tokyo, is Hotel Cycle, part of a stylish bike-happy complex that’s home to a restaurant, café and bar as well as a lifestyle shop and Giant store. The hotel’s design is orderly and minimal; the 28 guest rooms are composed of earth tones, dark walls and wood finishes offset by crisp white bedding – exactly what you’d expect from Japanese design.

Once you experience the cycling services here you’ll wish every hotel could deliver the same. Check in can be done while still on your bike – you can ride right up to the front desk. Most guest rooms have mounted bike racks for when you aren’t on the road. Common areas in the hotel have space especially marked for repairs and maintenance. The hotel has a shipping service that will receive and hold your bike until you arrive, and then send it back home once your trip has ended. And the adjacent Giant shop offers rentals for those travelling light, including hybrids and tcr road bikes in both aluminum and carbon fibre. WHERE TO RIDE Seeing as you’re on the doorstep of the Seto Inland Sea and the Shimanami Kaido, a pedestrian- and bicycle-only expressway that traverses six small islands over the course of 70 km, this is the ride you’ll want to do, and likely more than once because it can be varied with stops on any of the six islands, including Omishima for the Oyamazumi Shrine, home to a impressive collection of samurai armour, helmets and weapons, and Ikuchijima, where you’ll find the Hirayama Ikuo Museum of Art, a showcase for one of the country’s most famous painters. DON’T MISS The food options include Butti Bakery, an ideal place to carbo-load on freshly baked breads and Yard Café, in which coffees from a handmade espresso machine can be ordered and picked up while you’re in the saddle. Both of these spots and The Restaurant and Kog Bar – perfect for a drink and small plates featuring fresh grilled seafood from the Inland Sea or wild game from neighbouring mountains – offer stunning views of the sea, inspiration before a ride and a source of relaxation after. For souvenirs, hit U2 Shima to stock up on Japanese lifestyle gear for your home and wardrobe.