Wheel Women

2027 TOURS...

I'm not sure I have ever been more excited about a tour itinerary...yep, it's here, the 2027 Setouchi By Design Tour for April 2027. This one has been years in the making!

Setouchi By Design is the culmination of countless rides, endless exploring, local conversations, many wrong turns, unexpected discoveries and a lifelong love of Japan.

As a designer (yeah that's what my previous career was!), I've always been fascinated by the way places are shaped—the architecture, the stories, the creativity and the people behind them. As a cyclist, I've spent years exploring the quiet roads, hidden islands and backstreets of the Seto Inland Sea. Somewhere along the way, those two passions collided.

The result is a journey unlike anything we've offered before.

We'll ride through historic towns and creative communities, discover world-class art and architecture, stay in beautifully designed accommodation and explore places that most visitors simply pass by. Of course, we'll also ride some spectacular roads, including lesser-known sections of the legendary Shimanami Kaido.

To be honest, I think this is the most exciting itinerary I've ever put together. Where bikes collide with art, design and connection.

If you love cycling, design, creativity, culture and discovering the stories behind a place, I think you're going to love this one as much as I do.

Check it out, reserve your place coz some have already gone before I even told anyone it was on the website!!

https://www.wheelwomenaustralia.com/setouchibydesign2027tour

And that’s Tour #3 for 2026 complete! What an incredible journey it has been.

From the deep country (inaka) of Fukuoka to the islands of the Shimanami, we packed so much into this adventure. We tackled the legendary 20km climb to Koishiwara, rolled through beautiful mountain samurai forests, hunted down exceptional ceramics, and discovered countless hidden corners of Japan along the way.

Our final day in Fukuoka may have been cut short by rain, but not before we squeezed in visits to torii gates and some quiet rolls through local farmland and wheat fields. Then on to the Shimanami, where we took on some serious climbs, including the legendary Rose Park hill and the punchy 3km ascent at 10% to beautiful Kirosan. The reward? Spectacular views, plenty of laughs, and that wonderful sense of accomplishment that comes from sharing challenges together.

Sadly, our final day on the Shimanami fell victim to the approaching typhoon. But after all, I did promise adventure, and adventure is exactly what we got! While it was disappointing to miss that last ride, I think my tired little legs were quietly grateful for the rest.

Over the course of Spring tour season we've ridden hundreds of kilometres, climbed countless hills, shared amazing meals, immersed ourselves in local culture, and created memories made new friends.

So that's a wrap for the Spring tours. What a season it has been.

Now we wait excitedly for October and the next adventure to begin!

And that's a wrap...our first tour for WomanTours from the USA is complete. What an amazingly fun, interesting, intelligent and enthusiastic bunch of women we had the pleasure of guiding through the Shimanami. Was just so much fun sharing our love of a good bike ride and exploring amazing places together.

Big thank you to WomanTours for having the faith in us to run this and to all the women who jumped on board with such gusto for the first tour. There will be more to come in October '26 and of course dates coming for 2027. We can't wait!!

And another big thanks to Natasha for assisting with the guiding, taking the lead at times and just being awesome fun to travel with! Also a big 'arigatou gozaimasu' to Yukiko and Takuma for helping out along the way, joining us on rides and sharing their 'local knowledge' with the group, and as always making me laugh every day!!

More pics from our island hopper with WomanTours…what a day!!