Rapha Women's 100 x One More City Ride Report: 100km Without Boundaries, and What Lies Beyond

Rapha’s ‘Women’s 100‘ is a ride event where women cyclists come together to tackle 100km. The Tokyo edition took place on October 18, with 34 riders taking on a 102.4km course with 1,479m of climbing. This year it was held jointly with ‘One More City‘, a campaign supporting breast cancer research. Here’s a look back at the day, and the message that was shared along the way.

text & photo / Tats（@tats_lovecyclist）[PR]

No lines drawn

Meeting at Specialized Inagi at 8am

34 riders in total this time. Along with RCC members, there were plenty of guest riders too, and the front of the shop quickly filled up with cyclists.

A male cyclist passing by was taken aback: “I had no idea there were this many women riding.” You might not see it on an everyday ride, but gathering this many cyclists in one place is a testament to the power of the Rapha community.

On this ride, riders in non-Rapha kit are just as welcome. You might wonder whether keeping it brand-exclusive would be better for sales, but Rapha’s community manager says it plainly: “We don’t want to draw lines around the brand.“
“What matters far more is getting more people out riding and growing the cycling community.“

A Rapha community that welcomes any jersey. Every cyclist who gathered wore the same look of excitement

Back here again

Michelle Basco, having completed all her treatment

Before the start, guest rider Michelle Basco shared her story. A breast cancer survivor, she joined last year’s Women’s 100 while five months into chemotherapy. She later underwent a double mastectomy, and in August of this year she finished all her treatment and returned to this very ride.

Michelle was 32 at the time. She exercised regularly and felt the healthiest she had ever been in her life.
One day, in the middle of a conversation with a friend, she did a self-check and found a lump. Two clinics told her it wasn’t cancer, but she trusted her instincts and kept asking questions. A biopsy eventually confirmed stage 2 triple-negative breast cancer.

“If you notice any new change or something that feels different, please get it checked. If any doubt remains inside you, don’t give up — keep asking.”

During chemo, her body went through all kinds of changes. What helped her reclaim her sense of self was riding with friends. Doing what she loved, spending time with the people she loved. That is exactly what the RCC community gave her.

Everyone goes home together

Riders were split by pace into five groups — one Fast, two Middle and two Social — and rolled out in sequence from 8:30. Each group was led by a Rapha ride leader.

The route to the lunch stop ran from Yanokuchi along the south side of Onekan, winding its way toward Miyagase. With some riders tackling 100km for the first time, finishing was by no means a given. A shortcut was on hand for anyone who needed one.

Cutting through the south side of Onekan

Garachico’s little oasis

Garachico, a slice of paradise on the way to Miyagase Dam

The lead group arrived at the lunch stop around 11. With full support from ‘Garachico‘, one of Rapha’s Partners Cafés, panini and drinks were ready for all 34 riders.

← The welcome message was a lovely touch! | Run by a husband-and-wife team (the husband is an Ironman finisher) →

Garachico has a grassy lawn where you can sit down and rest your legs. Groups rolled in at different times, but everyone settled onto that same patch of grass to unwind. With Miyagase waiting in the afternoon, a good panini was the perfect fuel.

Women can do this on their own

Leaving Garachico, we entered the loop around Lake Miyagase. This was the day’s hardest section, a near-continuous climb. Each group tackled it at its own pace, spaced out by the gaps between departures.

There were mechanical troubles too, like punctures and Di2 glitches, but every time the group lent each other a hand. A few riders who had to listen to their legs chose a shortcut from Garachico that skipped Miyagase, and all of them made it to the finish.

Finishing at Cross Coffee

Michelle also made it to the finish

From 17:30, an after-party at Cross Coffee with sandwiches and non-alcoholic champagne

After the finish, one of the ride leaders told me this:

“At past Women’s 100 rides there was always male support in the mix, but this time we were able to ride all the way through with only women. That feeling of accomplishment makes me want to try the same format in other areas too.”

Only the final group had a male ride leader. Every other group completed the 100km as women-only. She didn’t speak as if they had pulled off something extraordinary, but rather as if she had found a foothold for what comes next.

People who met for the first time that morning naturally open up after a day on the same road together

“The journey is never over”

One More City is an initiative started in 2017 by UK-based RCC member Christine O’Connell, supporting metastatic breast cancer research through rides that connect two cities. The One More City jersey, a collaboration collection with Rapha, is part of that effort. The phrase they rally behind is “The journey is never over.” Research takes many years, but as it progresses, it creates the next option when a treatment stops working, and reduces aftereffects and side effects along the way.

The 100km ride ended that day, but the words exchanged between riders carry on into each of their daily lives. Just as Michelle came back to this place, I hope that next year, as many riders as possible will again find themselves at the start line.