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We've all been taught that time is linear, that one event follows another, and that things that happened in the past will not happen in the future, unless they do happen, in which case they will have happened in the past once the future arrives.  There is no point in debating this.  It's part of the reality we share.  Despite being confined by the concept of time as part of the human condition, I sometimes find myself prescient in a moment that has not yet occurred, as well as looking back on the present from a future state that I've projected myself into.

While sitting on the plane on my way to Japan this summer, in anticipation of another Surly Japan Tour, I closed my eyes and imagined what Andy, Adam and myself were about to experience.  While I was unable to project myself into a specific moment in the future, I was able to anticipate many of the emotions I would experience in the coming days.

Time has slipped away since the tour ended and I'm only just now getting around to posting this.  I'm not going to tell the story in long prose, but instead here are a bunch of photos I took. I hope you like them.  Also, I hear that Wood is working on a video project from this trip, so you can look forward to that.

 

After landing and clearing customs I headed straight to an aiport kiosk to buy some crisp and refreshing chu-hi beverages.

Three hands holding up 3 beverage cans with lemons and Japanese text on them

First stop was Fukuoka, and on the first day we did a group ride with our adoring fans.

A group of cyclists on their bikes, gathered on a street corner, with a car and houses in the background

Every Surly blog post should include the obligatory boring and predictable photo of someone giving the finger to the camera.  Here's mine.

Left side view of a cyclist on a green Surly Pugsley fat bike, showing their middle finger while they ride on a street

We did a mask ride in Fukuoka as well.  Here's a pic of some of the masks that participants made.

Downward view of masks, lined up on a brick sidewalk

Here we are at Mac Cycles in Fukuoka.

Front view of 4 people posing with a Surly banner in front of them, with a bike shop behind in the background

And here we are at Sputnik Bike Shop in Fukuoka

Right side view of 3 people sitting on an olive drab Surly Big Dummy bike, and 2 people kneeling down in front

Here's Andy drinking Japanese tea.

Right side head shot of a person drinking tea from a bowl with a Japanese painting on it

Here is Adam arm wrestling with a friend we made in Nagoya.

Side view of two people sitting across from each other, arm wrestling at a table

Here is Adam at Wakka Bike Shop talking to folks about our bikes.

Right side view of a green Surly Pugsley fat bike, with a person standing on the left side, with other people around

We did another mask ride with a bunch of Surly riders and Wakka Bike Shop in Inuyama.

A group of posing cyclists with their bikes, on a gravel lot with a shop behind them

After the ride, Wakka hosted an awesome party.  During the party a Big Dummy rolled up with a Japanese taiko drum on it.  Here the drummers are performing for the crowd.  It's one of the coolest moments I have had.

Two people beating on a large drum that's mounted horizontally on the back of a Surly Big Dummy bike, at nighttime

Rie made the whole tour possible.  Here she is offering me some ice cream and sweet potato.

Front view of a person holding a fork, with food on it, over a plate that they're holding with their other hand

I wish I had this Toyota Corolla.  That would be sweet.

Front, right side view of a white, 1970s style Toyota Corolla, in a parking garage

We went to see sumo in Nagoya.  I had never seen it in person before, so this was a really great experience.

A view from the back of an arena, with spectators surrounding a sumo ring in the middle

We went to Kyoto for a day to visit our friends Takuya, Chie and Muga.  They hooked us up with bikes that were too small for us but made it much easier to get around.  I wish I had a photo of Adam riding the kid-sized bike we borrowed.

Rear, right side view of a cyclist on a green Surly Big Dummy bike in a parking lot, with a Japanese palace behind them

In Tokyo one night Adam and Andy posed in the street while I took artsy photos.

Front, left side head shot view of a person with a cigarette hanging from their mouth, black & white image

This is the bike I rode while I was there.

Right side view of a black Surly bike, leaning against the base of a tree, over a large root

Many thanks to everyone who came out to ride with us, the bike shops that hosted us in such style, and to Motocross International for arranging a great tour.

Next year we'll be back for Single Speed Worlds.  Hope to see you there!