Cycling Hokkaido
Episodes
Ep.122 What I Learned in 2025
25 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
2025 was a great year, eh! New places were explored, new limits were tested, and I got to meet a whole lot of excellent new people. This year also gav...
Ep.121 This Podcast is Bigger Than I Thought
18 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Small Podcast, Real Listeners! Folks, thank you all so much for tuning in to the show in 2025. I can't believe the numbers the Cycling Hokkaido po...
Ep.120 Earthquakes, Bright Lights & Celebrities
11 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
So much happened this week! Life in Japan can be absolutely wild. One minute you might be going along, happy as a clam, the next you're worried if...
Ep.119 Good Food & Great People
04 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cycling is obviously coming to an end, is the storm of December 3rd it!? We shall see. I'm seriously hoping for a few more riding days but it looks li...
Ep.118 A Murder of Crows
27 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I can't believe I never knew crows were such stone cold killers! That was a brutal scene we came across in Asari the other day, but at least it was a ...
Ep.117 Winter Hits Ishikari & Chocolate Milk
20 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Winter is upon us! Ishikari got slammed pretty hard, actually really hard for November 18th. I know we have to shovel a lot of snow up here in Ishikar...
Ep.116 Biker's Elbow & Bears
13 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Marty talks about an injury that took a while to manifest but it's here. You can still ride with biker's elbow but you gotta b...
Ep.115 Chasing Fall Colours
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ain't no doubt about it, up here in Hokkaido, fall is my favourite time of year. The temperature is very comfortable, the food is delicious and th...
Ep.114 Texas, Haggis & Sister Cities
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Yo folks! This episode is a little bit different. I had 3 guests. Texas Doug, who was my guest on Ep.69 of the Cycling Hokkaido podcast and his lovel...
Ep.113 Climbing to Yakumo
23 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The ride to Yakumo is turning into an annual thing. Yay! This year I decided to take on the hills and ride through the middle of Hokkaido. I rode from...
Ep.112 Learning About Ainu Culture & History
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The other week I set off on another Drive'n'Ride but this time the cycling kind of played second fiddle to the learning. I wanted to learn more about ...
Ep.111 The Mikuni Pass in Daisetsuzan National Park Pt.2
09 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
My time on the Mikuni Pass in Daisetsuzan National Park was so much fun and the way I did it deserved 2 episodes of the show. Episode 2 is about me cy...
Ep.110 The Mikuni Pass in Daisetsuzan National Park Pt.1
02 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At 1,139m the Mikuni Pass is the highest national road in Hokkaido and last weekend I finally got a chance to ride it. I spent 2 days riding the pass ...
Ep.109 Ringing in Autumn
25 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a really fun episode. There are sound effects. Hahaha!! I just kind of ring a bell a couple of times. But what I did find really interesting w...
Ep.108 Saying Hello to Mt.Yotei
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every year, I want to make my way to Mt.Yotei to say hello. I don't know what it is, but there is something so healing about seeing that mountain. It ...
Ep.107 Kyrre Havik from Norway
11 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
First off, sorry folks, I made a little mistake in this. Hojicha is not a wheat tea. It's a kind of green tea. My bad. Right, let's get down to busine...
Ep.106 From Sea to Shining Sea
04 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I'm stoked I got to do this ride again. From Sea to Shining Sea is my ride where I start out the day with my feet in the Sea of Japan here in Ishikari...
Ep.105 The Cyclists of Oz
28 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
For this episode I was super lucky to sit down in Otaru and have a chat with Vera & Carsten of The Cyclists of Oz Instagram page. They are on a mo...
Ep.104 The Good, The Bad & The Tasty
21 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This episode celebrates a full 2 years of the Cycling Hokkaido podcast. Thank you all VERY much for coming along on this journey. In this episode you'...
Ep.103 Obon Holidays
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week has been great! There were trips to Noboribetsu to see family and Jigokudani, Hell Valley, and the boys are home. Doing a little sightseeing...
Ep.102 Hokuryu Sunflower Village
07 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This is a beautiful place that is well worth a visit. By bicycle it's super easy to get to from Sapporo, it's just straight up rte.275, sure it's abou...
Ep.101 The Carchries from Scotland
31 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Oh man, oh man...my Scottish family are the best! They are wild, adventurous and unhinged. This episode of the podcast features my cousin Deborah, who...
Ep.100 The Sound of Victory
24 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I can't believe I've made it to episode 100. 100 straight weeks of doing the Cycling Hokkaido podcast has been a lot of fun. In this episode I...
Ep.99 Furano with Freewheeling.jp
17 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Furano has so much to offer for cycling, hiking and sightseeing. It's no wonder it's one of the most popular tourist spots in Hokkaido. I am super sto...
Ep.98 Hiking Mt.Moiwa
10 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I can't believe it has taken me all this time before I hiked up Mt.Moiwa. It's a beautiful place with a much richer history than I could have imagined...
Ep.97 A Super Ride to Shakotan
03 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A Super Ride to my friends and I is a ride over 200km in a day. A Super Ride to Shakotan is always a great day. That was the first time the Englishman...
Ep.96 Walking Tokyo
26 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What a weekend! From the very serious history of Yasukuni Shrine to the much more playful history of pro-wrestling in Japan, this episode has a lot to...
Ep.95 Walk the Earth and Have Adventures
19 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I met a whole bunch of new people this week and it was great fun. Hirokazu Fukunami is a very interesting guy who's been walking around Japan giving f...
Ep.94 Canadian World in Ashibetsu
12 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This was a place I'd wanted to get to for a long, long time and it finally happened. I rode the biggest ride of my life, a one day total of 253.38km, ...
Ep.93 Hiking Mt. Eniwadake
05 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Marty hiked up Mt. Eniwadake and it was quite the adventure! That was the first time he's ever done a hike like that and stoked on the new experience....
Ep.92 Your Social Window is Open
29 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I learned some new Japanese this week, as I usually do, and I thought this one was worth an episode's title. Always make sure you ain't flying...
Ep.91 The Great Buddha of Otaru
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Who knew there was a Great Buddha statue in Otaru!?!? I sure didn't, but I'm sure happy I went to check Muryoju-ji Temple. There were some cool sights...
Ep.90 My Fortress of Solitude
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week it really feels like the season is actually on. Yay! And what a week it was, night riding up to the Ishikari lighthouse is back on, riding i...
Ep.89 The Ishikari Lighthouse
08 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Marty finally gets a look inside the Ishikari lighthouse. Who knew it was the oldest lighthouse in Hokkaido!? Marty also talks about h...
Ep.88 Cherry Blossoms, Asian Skunk Cabbage & a Broken Bike
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Golden Week isn't going anywhere near I had envisioned. I had grand plans of taking off on multiple day bike trips with my new NatureHike one-man tent...
Ep.87 Sapporo Su & Tokyo Joe in Hokkaido
24 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Marty, Fuzanne and Joe talk about all kinds of things about Sapporo, Hokkaido and their first trip to Japan. It was amazing to hear ho...
Ep.86 The Japanese Mamachari
17 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Marty talks about the bumpy road that has been the start to this season. But things are starting to get going now that the Ishikari be...
Ep.85 The Puncture Gods are Angry
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode Marty talks about how he and his friend have been pretty unlucky with tire punctures to start the 2025 cycling season but as always th...
Ep.84 Tundra Swans & A Kind Man
03 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A big sign that Spring has come to Hokkaido are the tundra swans and they're here! So, naturally, we like to head out on our bikes to say hello to the...
Ep.83 Baseball, Whisky & Star Wars
27 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
That was one helluva fun time. Great food, great chats, great people. Thank you so very much for coming, Gordie! We covered so much ground in such a s...
Ep.82 New Heights & The Empty Shed
20 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I talk about how Cycling Hokkaido hit 90th place in the podcast rankings for all Japan in the 'Sports' category and how my shed now ha...
Ep.81 Takoyaki & Mailing a Bicycle
13 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It's that time of year again when the shed needed digging out. The thaw is here! I also hope this episode can be of use to some of you out there if yo...
Ep.80 Hokkaido Convenience Stores
06 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Convenience stores are all over the place here in Japan and they play a big part in peoples' daily lives. The Japanese didn't invent the convenience s...
Ep.79 Lost in Thought
27 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I talk about all the nifty places my mind takes me when I'm out on my bike. Riding isn't always just a physical adventure being out al...
Ep.78 Gravel Rider Mike O'Connell
20 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It was great to meet Mike and we had a great conversation. Mike is a cyclist, hiker, outdoorsman, writer, baker, musician....one of those people that ...
Ep.77 Hazuki Cox Has Lived 2 Lives
13 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After moving back to Hokkaido after living so long in the USA, I thought Hazuki would have some interesting thoughts and perspectives on the differenc...
Ep.76 I Was Wrong
06 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Hokkaido maybe heard me speaking in the last episode and decided it was gonna flex! And since then, winter has been back full on, normal Hokkaido swin...
Ep.75 January Riding
30 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There's a first time for everything, eh! I have now ridden my bicycle in Sapporo....in JANUARY!! Normally, this is an impossibility, but not this year...
Ep.74 Chopping Down Trees
23 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
I think we cover a lot of ground in this episode. From overtourism, to beautiful places, to overreactions. Any way you cut, I wish they hadn't cut tho...
Ep.73 Coming of Age Day
16 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The second Monday of January is Coming of Age Day here in Japan. It's a National holiday that celebrates a young person's transition to adulthood. Got...
Ep.72 Shinto Shrines
09 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Shinto shrines are a very interesting part of Japanese culture and landscapes. Have you ever wondered what they're all about? I hope this episode can ...
Ep.71 Happy New Year: Koh Samui,Thailand
02 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We went to Koh Samui, Thailand for New Year's Eve. It was supposed to be much easier than that! The joys of travel aside, we still had an amazing ...
Ep.70 A Look Back at 2024
26 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
2024 is almost over and it was a damn fine year. I was fortunate enough to see lots of new places and meet lots of new people. Thank you all so very m...
Ep.69 Texas Doug Cox
19 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I'm super stoked Doug is back in town and really happy he came on the podcast. I knew he'd be great. There are some fun stories in this one. We talked...
Ep.68 The Last Ride for 2024
12 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Well, that's the season finished. That last ride was a cold one! I think I was kinda lucky to get away with not getting frostbite. And now that the se...
Ep.67 Is This The End?
05 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is it? It looks like this weekend is the end of the cycling season up here in Hokkaido. It's been a helluva year, ain't no doubt about that, but at th...
Ep.66 Winter Rider Darcy Lewis
28 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
That was a fun conversation with my 3rd guest on the podcast, winter rider Darcy Lewis. I don't ride at all in winter so it was good to sit down with ...
Ep.65 Winter is Coming
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Oh man, did I ever get caught in one of the first blizzards of the year! Riding in the snow is kind of an occupational hazard living up here in Hokkai...
Ep.64 New Rules for Cyclists
14 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As of November 1st, 2024 Japan has made some new rules for cyclists and you should definitely know what they are. I hope you find this episode informa...
Ep.63 Donan Trip Pt.3: Hakodate
07 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The final stop on my southern Hokkaido trip was Hakodate. I got to check out Goryokaku Park, Cape Tachimachi, the Foreign Cemetery and a whole lot mor...
Ep.62 Donan Trip Pt.2: Esashi
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Esashi is one of the oldest towns in Hokkaido and I'm super happy I got a chance to visit it. Not only that but I got to check off Hokkaido floating t...
Ep.61 Donan Trip Pt.1: Yakumo
24 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is part 1 of a 3 series of episodes that starts in Ishikari, goes to Esashi, and ends in Hakodate. A late season 200km ride from Ishikari to Yaku...
Ep.60 Lake Okotanpe
17 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We finally got to check out Lake Okotanpe, the mysterious Lake Okotanpe that is. A beautiful place and a great ride. Plus my American friend had a big...
Ep.59 Move to the Music
10 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Music is a great motivator, ain't it? I often find that some songs add so much more to a ride, I love it when a song perfectly matches the scenery you...
Ep.58 Upopoy
03 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I finally got a chance to visit Upopoy! Upopoy is the National Ainu museum and park and let me tell you folks it is well worth a visit. I learned so m...
Ep.57 No Soft, No Life
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Oh man, that was a really fun ride. Good hills, excellent company and VERY good ice cream. Fall is my favourite season and I'm super happy I kicke...
Ep.56 Mikasa Geopark
19 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mikasa Geopark is one helluva cool place. Dinosaurs, coal mining history, geological formations that will make you consider your place in the world. I...
Ep.55 Meeting People
12 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cyclists are a very friendly bunch, eh!? Yes, definitely meeting people out on the road has been excellent this year. I also talk about a real danger ...
Ep.54 Hokkaido's Northwest Coast
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I rode up rte.232 to see the floating torii gate at Konpira Shrine in Shosanbetsu. Riding up the northwest coast of Hokkaido was excellent. There were...
Ep.53 Muroran
29 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Over the years we've spent a lot of time in Muroran. For us it's more of a place to visit family. It most definitely has some interesting, coo...
Ep.52 All Good Things....
22 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wow! One year of the podcast, thank you!! This is again a bit of a mixed bag of an episode but man oh man were there some interesting things. A murder...
Ep.51 Erimo Misaki
15 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
I did another "Drive to Ride" and this time my destination was Cape Erimo at the southern tip of Hokkaido. There was beautiful scenery and s...
Ep.50 Event Rider Matt Ebrey
08 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Episode 50!! And my 2nd guest on the podcast. This was a really fun conversation with some cool people. Some interesting stories about riding events I...
Ep.49 Shakotan Kamui Misaki
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Shakotan Kamui Misaki is a beautiful place but I never knew there was such a tragic legend attached to it. Getting there provides some seriously excel...
Ep.48 Ebisu Rock & Daikoku Rock
25 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ebisu Rock & Daikoku Rock is one of the 5 places in Hokkaido where you can see Floating Torii. A very cool place to hang out for a little while an...
Ep.47 Lake Toya
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lake Toya is a beautiful place to be. From volcanic experiences, new mountains, gorgeous scenery and interesting things, this is a must visit. Cycling...
Ep.46 The Ryokuendai Robot
11 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Unfortunately, I had to pop a spoke to hit the timing perfectly to see The Ryokuendai Robot up close and personal. The Gokibiru Trail, riding without ...
Ep.45 Canada D'eh
04 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
July 1st was Canada Day and I hope you all had a great day! Over the weekend there were some really cool events on in Sapporo. The 2024 Sapporo Flower...
Ep.44 Hokkaido Wildlife
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Not only are there cool sites to see but sometimes we get lucky and see some pretty interesting animals along the way. Hope you like the episode and y...
Ep.43 Wakkanai
20 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wakkanai is a very interesting place and I'm really happy I got the chance to go see some of it. I checked out Cape Soya, the Path of White Shells...
Ep.42 Rice Paddies
13 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As always there are some beautiful things out there to see. The rice paddies serve up excellent scenery throughout most of the year. It's also ano...
Ep.41 Fujizuka
06 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The last part of my Kanto weekend. I really enjoyed that trip, you might have noticed. I went to so many new places for me and learned a lot. The Fuji...
Ep.40 Kamakura
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Oh man, that was an absolutely beautiful place and amazing part of Japanese history. I'm so happy to have seen it and I'd love to go again. Kamakura!!...
Ep.39 RHCP Concert in Tokyo
23 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
That was an excellent concert at Tokyo Dome last weekend! Wow!! Them opening with "Can't Stop" and finishing with "Give it Away" was perfect. Super ha...
Ep.38 The Hiyoriyama Lighthouse
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I talk about the beautiful Hiyoriyama Lighthouse, the cruise ship the Diamond Princess and a lot more. Hope you like it. And thanks ev...
Ep.37 Shirogane Blue Pond
09 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What a fantastic area to ride! That was one seriously beautiful place and I'm really looking forward to getting back there for more. I actually th...
Ep.36 Golden Week
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Golden Week is here!! Ya gotta love it, eh? It's definitely one of my favourite times of year here in Japan. As always, I found out a lot more inf...
Ep.35 Cherry Blossoms
25 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bikes and blossoms!! What a great time of year this is, eh? Ya gotta love getting out there and seeing the beautiful blooming cherry blossoms. Don...
Ep.34 Japanese Festivals
18 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Festivals, snakes and burning eyes....oh my!! Earlier this week we had some absolutely beautiful riding weather and coming across an unexpected festiv...
Ep.33 A Cool Breeze
12 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Yo folks! Thanks a lot for voting in the last poll. 100% of you voted YES for history. Very cool. In this episode a new term comes up "Harvest Orange"...
Ep.32 Kiusu Earthwork Burial Circles
04 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
We're off to a great start to 2024.....maybe a bit behind in kilometers due to the late start but we are mos def hitting some sites. Gotta love it...
Ep.31 Season On!!
28 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After that very long winter we are back out on the bikes! Season on!! The first ride of the year was out to a beautiful place called Shinshinotsu. A v...
Ep.30 St.Patrick's Day & The Vernal Equinox
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
St.Patrick's Day and The Vernal Equinox.....what are they and what do we do!? As it turns out, I didn't do much of anything on either day. Hop...
Ep.29 White Day
14 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
White Day is upon us again! Hope you dudes out there remembered it this year. While we're still waiting for things to thaw out so we can get back ...
Ep.28 Hinamatsuri
08 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Still waiting for the snow to thaw so we can get out on our bikes. In the meantime, I found a bunch of information about Hinamatsuri, The Doll's F...
Ep.27 Karma's a Bitch
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Alright, so I tempted the weather gods by digging out to early and they punished me by bringing the snow back hard. Then I basically ASKED Karma to ki...
Ep.26 Getting Ready
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I talk about getting ready to ride. From getting the shed dug out from all the snow to getting the bikes road worthiness tests done an...
Ep.25 Queen + Adam Lambert
15 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Queen & Adam Lambert put on one helluva show at Sapporo Dome this past Saturday night. Wow!! And Valentine's Day is upon us again. Hope none o...
Ep.24 The 74th Sapporo Snow Festival
08 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Sapporo Snow Festival is an annual favourite of mine and this year's did not disappoint. It was great to see it back in full swing after all that ...
Ep.23 25 Years In Japan
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode I give a kind of summary of what my life has been like over the past 25 years. Fun, adventure, pain, yep, pretty much what everybody g...