URBAN DRIVESTYLE" is a German-born e-bike brand that landed in Japan in April this year. As the name suggests, they can be used for urban transportation, of course, but to experience their true specifications, they need to be used in a harder environment. We visited FOLKWOOD VILLAGE Yatsugatake, where e-bikes can be rented free of charge, to experience its appeal. We took a hard yet healthy ride in the Yatsugatake Mountains in autumn.
Pleasant skiing at Yatsugatake.
Somehow we, the urbane, have come to Country to ride Urban. What in the world am I talking about?
On this day, HOUYHNHNM's editorial office will beurban live styleThe campsite where I went for a test ride of the UNIMOKE e-bike was a campsite surrounded by the rich nature of the Yatsugatake mountain range and the Southern Alps.FOLKWOOD VILLAGE Yatsugatake" So you enjoy urban rides in the gory outdoors.
Urban Drive Style is an e-bike brand from Berlin that is attracting attention not only for its functionality but also for its motorcycle-inspired design.
We immediately started riding around the "FOLKWOOD VILLAGE Yatsugatake" facility on the "Unimoke MK," an early model of the "Urban Drive Style" that can be rented for free. The fat off-road tires grip well even on gravel roads. It was a great feeling to ride the e-bike through the trees with the sun shining through the trees. We are told that we can also go outside the facility's premises, so we head for Fujimidaira Observation Deck, located halfway up the Yatsugatake Mountains.
The e-bike has a range of 60 km, which is enough to make a round trip to the observatory, which is about 7 km each way. If you have time, it would be fun to visit various places. Incidentally, if you consider riding in Tokyo, for example, the distance from Shibuya Station to the Imperial Palace is approximately 6 km, so the E-BIKE has great stamina.
As one would expect, the outward journey was full of uphills, as the route headed for the middle of Yatsugatake. The difference in elevation is about 500 meters, yet the rider, editorial staff member Shibayama, did not have to stand and pedal even once. The 500W battery is powerful, so the pedal assist is powerful, too. The bike rushed up to the observatory with a cool face.
The mountains were starting to turn a bit of color. It would be tasteless to go there by car. However, it would be too hard to just bike or walk. An e-bike is the perfect way to get to your destination comfortably and happily. According to Shibayama, "Of course there is no engine noise, so the sounds of nature and the wind were pleasant to my ears. The interesting air of the Yatsugatake mountains is also great. This wilderness is the best location to enjoy a sense of presence that you cannot get from a car, and a sense of lightness that you cannot get from a bicycle. It was a great feeling to ride along the mountain roads at speeds of a little over 20 km/h. Hamacho's "TOTOKENIt must have been a great break for Shibayama, who was out of breath after completing "The Last Time I Saw a Man".
Safety and security is the first priority for rides.
Let's take a quick look at the specs and included information for the "Urban Drive Style" e-bike.
Left: Unimoke MK ¥495,000
Right: Unimoke SW ¥495,000
Optional parts not included
This brand originated in Berlin, an environmentally advanced and bicycle powerhouse. The lineup includes two models: the Unimoke MK, designed to look like a rugged motorcycle, and the Unimoke SW, popular with women because it can be ridden without lifting a large leg.
Most frames from other e-bike manufacturers are made of aluminum, but in the case of Urban Drive Style's e-bikes, they are made of chrome molybdenum steel. It is a durable and robust material that can be used for a long time.
The battery is made by Panasonic, a safe and reliable Japanese manufacturer. E-bike manufacturers around the world recognize that although batteries are a bit expensive, reliable Japanese batteries are the best, since the heart of an e-bike is the battery.
E-bikes are also competing in an era of individuality and style.
As e-bikes are often seen in Japan, especially in urban areas, we are now in a warring age of e-bikes. That is why e-bikes should be individualized and styled in the same way that bicyclists are particular about the frames of their bicycles and bikers are particular about the frames of their bikes.
The design of the E-BIKE by Urban Drive Style looks like a rugged hard bike. The stock fat tires are not only functional in terms of gripping power, but also in terms of design. And look at those lights. The light is small, which is the norm for a bicycle light, but it looks like it's made for this purpose. No wonder I get excited when I ride my bike. It expresses the fun of riding and the joy of seeing the light.
In addition, it can be customized to make it more personalized. Optional parts include front rack, chain guard, under seat box, extension seat, rear light, and fender set.
Once you buy an e-bike, you want to be with it for a long time. The frame material, battery, and design all have the elements to withstand many years of use. After all, using something for a long time is the most sustainable and cool thing to do, no questions asked. Don't you think so?
The campground offers several ways to have fun.
A few words about FOLKWOOD VILLAGE Yatsugatake, which we visited this time.
As it was only opened in September 2022, the well-cleaned cooking area and toilet facilities are clean. Each section for pitching tents is also spacious, allowing you to spend your time in a relaxed atmosphere. There is a wide range of courses available, from those in which you set up the tents and BBQ by yourself to glamping-like courses in which you leave everything to your own devices. A day-trip menu is also available, so you can come quickly from Tokyo and enjoy yourself before heading home.
At the café, you can enjoy a selection of food items or purchase a meal kit for immediate use at camp. We opted for the cafe for the day. The food was delicious, with a touch of local produce. The cafe is run by a company calledTransit General Office". His attention to detail and taste in food is unmistakable.
In addition, "Universe" and other craft beers from Yamanashi and Nagano prefectures are available at reasonable prices. After all, local production for local consumption is one of the attractions of travel.
The sauna is the ultimate in sauna. The sauna, supervised by Mr. Noda Kraktionbebe of "The Sauna," has a sauna hut with a wood-burning stove, a natural water bath, and an outdoor air bath in the rich natural surroundings, promising an exquisite "TOTONOU（revitalize）" experience.
To give you the specs for saunas, the temperature inside the sauna room with a wood stove is about 90°C, and the water bath is about 16°C in October (22°C in summer, single in winter, sometimes even 4°C). The staff controls the temperature inside the sauna room, and the waxing is self-serve. The rest of the time, you can lean on an infinity chair and take an outdoor air bath in the forest with negative ions. Another high point is that there is a bar right next to the sauna where you can order Oropo and other alcoholic beverages.
After enjoying camping, sauna, e-bikes, and other activities in the great outdoors, we got into the car driven by the photographer and headed back to Tokyo. On the way back to Tokyo, Shibayama, who was feeling refreshed and tired, was sitting in the passenger seat, rowing the boat.
Photo_Yuya Wada
Text_shinri Kobayashi
FOLKWOOD VILLAGE Yatsugatake
Address: 3900-2 Kobuchizawa-cho, Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture
Instagram:@folkwood_campground
Official Site
