The Return of the Brevet

castle to castle brevets

A few years ago Don and I conceived the Castle to Castle brevet, at the time the only such event in Japan.

The two of us were joined for the inaugural run (2015)- Tsuruoka to Aizu Wakamatsu (both castle towns, though only the latter still has its shiro) via the Asahi-super Rindo- by several out-of-town cyclists. Injury kept me out the following year, Don's last, as a few months later he was to move home. A couple of Japanese mates kept the event alive in 2017 and intend to reprise the original route this year, 2018.

Stay tuned for updates.

Here you will find info and the rules for the Castle to Castle brevets that we hold , these events sometime start in our home prefecture of Niigata or neighboring prefectures. 

All Castle to Castle Brevets have  -  No Entry Fee, No Prizes & No Support   会費無料、賞品ない、自己サポート

Brevet Types :

Bikepacking brevets 


 These brevets have sections of off road making them only suitable to mountain bikes or cycle cross bikes, the best tyre size is anything bigger than 35c as many of the off road sections are very rough and often never used by regular traffic.  Most riders on the bikepacking brevets use a variety of bags that clip or velcro directly onto the bike rather than racks. This system is the most popular as bikepacking bags can stand a lot of rough treatment and are easy to remove. 
A minimum of 2 ltrs of water must be carried on all bikepacking events

Pictured below is a typical bikepacking setup  , photo was taken on the Asahi Super Rindo 

Road brevets 


 These brevets are totally on road and any regular road, cross bike can be used, these brevets are still demanding but unlike the bikepacking brevets you will not need to carry your tent or sleeping bag. You will still need at least two large water bottles and some way of carrying rain gear and repair tools. A  rear seat pack is perfect for this type of brevet as it will easily hold everything you need for a long day on the bike


                                                                 BREVET LEVEL SYSTEM 
Level 1.  This level is suitable for a beginner and the time limit will allow everybody to complete the entire course

Level 2.  This level is for someone who has ridden over 150km in a day and has previously undertaken long multi day rides carrying a tent, sleep system etc and  familiar  reading maps , note GPS devices have be known to fail in remote areas whilst on brevet rides so map reading skills are essential . 

Level 3.  This level is for people who like a challenge , a real test of endurance and have the necessary skills to ride for 24 hours if required. The bikepacking brevets in this level will put every rider to the test no matter how fit you are. Some sections will have no resupply for 70km which is a rare thing in Japan. You should not consider joining a level 3 brevet unless you have undertaken long multi day rides over 160km  and finished !.  


Rules for Castle to Castle brevets 

1. Do it all yourself, under your own steam.

2. Riders must carry all their own gear & food 

3. No outside support ( this includes phoning other riders on the course for updates or information ) 

4. Follow 100% of the course 

5. Riders must  complete the course in the allotted time  (These events are not about finding the fastest rider).

6. You must be able to service and repair your own bike which should be in good working order at the start of the event


7. Please wear a helmet at all times 
Castle to Castle はレースではありません。賞品はありません。

Q: What if I get hurt? 

もし怪我なら？Castle to Castle は全て自己サポート、自己責任です。十分注意して下さい。


A: It cannot be stressed enough that you are ON YOUR OWN out there and must take personal responsibility for yourself!! There are some seriously remote sections of trail at high altitude where cellphone service is nonexistent and any medical assistance may be far, far away.  The organizers of the Castle to Castle Brevet will not be held responsible if something should happen to you whilst riding the route.