Cycling the Shimanami Kaido on a Brompton Day 2

I knew it the moment I woke up on Day 2: it was raining.

I’d packed a rain jacket just in case, but I didn’t expect to actually need it today.

On Day 1, our only goal was to rush from Seoul to the accommodation. Day 2 was supposed to be our “leisurely scenic ride” back, filled with photo ops and sightseeing. But as they say, travel never quite goes according to plan!

Day 2 Itinerary:
Trailer Inn Onomichi (Check-out) > Onomichi Bridge > Mukaishima Island > Innoshima Bridge > Innoshima Island > Ikuchi Bridge > Ikuchi Island > Tatara Bridge > Omishima Island > Omishima Bridge > Hakata Island (Lunch) > Hakata-Oshima Bridge > Oshima Island > Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge > Imabari Kokusai Hotel (Check-in)

Peeking through the window next to my bed, I saw raindrops streaking down the glass.

We ate the breakfast we’d grabbed from the convenience store the night before, hoping the rain would let up. No luck. It actually started coming down harder. The forecast said it wouldn’t stop until evening.

But hey, what’s a little rain? Wet weather riding has its own charm, right?

I threw on my rain jacket but hesitated on the shoe covers… and ended up leaving them off. (Big mistake. Huge. I regretted that later! )

We set off heroically at 10:30 AM.

We were supposed to cross the bridge right away, but suddenly we were hitting 13% and 14% inclines. I was huffing and puffing so hard I thought my breakfast might make a comeback.

And then… we realized we were going the wrong way. LOL.

Well, what goes up must come down. We pulled ourselves together—I had to give my friend a quick pep talk—and finally made it to Mukaishima Island. The rain was relentless.

Since there wasn’t much shelter, we took a breather at a bus stop across from a large supermarket.

We sat there watching people grocery shopping, students heading to school, and cars splashing by. Honestly, these mundane moments are often what stick with you most from a trip.

Back into the rain! We finished Mukaishima and stopped again just before Innoshima Bridge. Looking back, we stopped a lot. But trust me, we stop even more later on!

Even with the rain and the wrong turns, it was a blast.

Pro tip: if you follow the “Blue Line” and it suddenly disappears or splits weirdly, you’re probably lost. Just look for the signs pointing toward Onomichi or Imabari. That’s all you need!

Lawson snack time!

Was it a light breakfast? The rain draining our energy? Or did we just miss Lawson?

Every time a Lawson appeared with its wide parking lot, we naturally drifted toward it. Time for “recharging”! We demolished some croquettes, lattes, and giant cream puffs.

The rain actually made the scenery look incredibly moody and poetic.

Unlike the clear first day, the clouds were hanging low on the ridges, making it feel like we were riding through a completely different world.

It felt like we had been riding for ages, but we had only crossed one more bridge when the rain got even heavier. We ducked into another bus stop. We kept seeing trees heavy with palm-sized tangerines along the way. By now, we were starving.

We tried to find a proper restaurant, but they were nowhere to be found. We promised ourselves we wouldn’t do another “convenience store lunch,” but then… our old friend Lawson appeared on Hakata Island.

The bento was actually quite tasty, and having some sweet-and-spicy kimchi on the side was a game-changer.

The only problem? My socks and shoes were completely soaked. My feet were starting to look like prunes.

Realizing we had spent a bit too much time resting, we realized we might arrive after dark again. We put our heads down and hammered the pedals. Luckily, the rain finally started to taper off.

The front desk let me take my folding bike up to the room.Before I even showered, I made sure to wipe down my bike. Priorities!

The hotel was a bit older but very well-maintained, with a huge bathroom. After cleaning the gear and myself, we hunted for an Izakaya on Google Maps.

Izakaya Morimotoya. The place was neat and tidy.

It had horigotatsu-style seating (floor seating with a leg well), so it was really comfortable since I could stretch my legs out.”

You have to start with a draft beer (Nama Biiru!).

Learning from our first day, we ordered everything: sashimi, shrimp tempura (so chewy and good!), yakitori, and a delicious nabe (hot pot) with burdock and taro.

Being in the city felt different from the first night—streetlights everywhere and plenty of convenience stores to choose from.

Even though we were stuffed, we made a quick raid on the convenience store for our nightly ritual: finishing Day 2 with ice cream.

Day 2 Stats:

Distance: 87 km

Elevation Gain: 440 m

Total Riding Time: 4 hours 40 minutes

This post ended up being longer than expected, too! Thanks for riding along with me.