Ride the Shimanami to Imabari on a rented e-bike
E bike68.1 km · 514 m up
This e-bike day suits riders who want the whole Shimanami crossing from Onomichi to Imabari in one go, with a motor to take the sting out of every bridge ramp, and its catch is a firm deadline, since the E-bike has to reach a terminal before it closes that evening.
Photo メルビル · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0
KonbiniDrinking waterToiletsBike shopsTop of chart 100 m
Hour by hour
The day一日
- 07:45CoffeeDrop your bags with Sagawa at the station terminalThe Onomichi Station terminal takes bags for Sagawa's same-day service from 8:00 to 9:00, and the cycling terminal beside Imabari Station hands them back from 16:00.
- 08:00RideCollect the E-bike when the Onomichi terminal opensThe terminal sits about 130 metres to the right of the station's south exit. Riders need to stand at least 145 cm tall, and the bike has to be back at a terminal the same day.
- 08:30FerryCross the Onomichi Channel to Mukaishima by ferryThe Shin-Onomichi Bridge has no path for bikes, so the short ferry from the waterfront starts the blue line.
- 09:00RideFollow the blue line over Innoshima to IkuchijimaMopeds share the path on the Innoshima Bridge, so keep left and ride single file.
- 10:45CoffeeStop for citrus gelato at Dolce in SetodaDolce's main shop opens 10:00 to 17:00 every day and makes its gelato with Setoda citrus.
- 11:30LunchEat tako-meshi at Chidori outside KosanjiChidori cooks rice with octopus and opens at 11:00. It closes on Tuesdays, and on that day the food court at Tatara Shimanami Park on Omishima takes over as lunch.
- 12:30SightWalk up through Kosanji to the Hill of HopeGive it an hour. The adult ticket costs ¥1,800 on the temple's own price list.
- 13:30RideClimb onto the Tatara Bridge for OmishimaWalkers have priority on the Tatara deck.
- 14:15RestTop up at Tatara Shimanami ParkThe restaurant stops taking orders at 15:00. From 12 January to 14 March 2027 the park opens 10:00 to 16:00 and closes on Thursdays.
- 14:45RideRide over Hakatajima and Oshima to the Kurushima-Kaikyo BridgeMopeds share the path on both bridges either side of Hakatajima. The Kurushima-Kaikyo crossing comes last, and the wind can gust hard on the deck.
- 16:15SightLook back at the bridge from the Kurushima Kaikyo ObservatoryIt closes at 17:00 from December to February and 18:00 the rest of the year. Renovation work around Sunrise Itoyama next door started in September 2026, so phone before you count on it.
- 17:00RideHand the bike back at the Imabari Station terminalThe terminal stays open until 18:00 from December to February and until 19:00 from March to November. A late return costs extra.
- 17:30BathSoak the legs at Kisuke no YuThe bath is a few minutes from the station and opens until midnight. Entry costs ¥850 on weekdays and ¥900 at weekends, and it publishes no tattoo rule.
- 19:00DinnerEat Imabari yakitori at ToribayashiThe chicken cooks flat on an iron griddle. Toribayashi sits about five minutes on foot from the station, and two tourism pages give its closed day differently, so ring first.
- 20:30TrainCatch the train home from JR Imabari StationThe rental bike stays in Imabari, so you board with your bags and nothing to pack. Spend the night at JR Clement Inn above the platforms if the last train has gone.
Starts and ends at Hotel Cycle.
Moderate
The routeルート
Shimanami Japan hands out its sports E-bikes from 8:00 at the Onomichi Station terminal for ¥8,000 a day in 2026. You collect it at opening and give it back the same day at any terminal, and this plan uses the one beside Imabari Station. Book online before a spring or autumn weekend. On a busy holiday the bikes can all be gone by about 10:00.
Lunch lands in Setoda on Ikuchijima, where Chidori serves tako-meshi right outside Kosanji's main gate. Leave Setoda by about 13:30 in winter. The rental rules forbid riding after dark, and from December the light goes early over the Kurushima Strait. Bicycles cross all six bridges free under the Shimanami Cycling Free scheme until 31 March 2028.
The route officially ends at Sunrise Itoyama, at the Imabari end of the last bridge. That building closed for renovation on 15 September 2026 and the city expects it back around winter 2027/28. Shimanami Japan still listed its Itoyama terminal in October without a closure notice. Ring 0848-22-3911 before you plan a drop there, or carry on into town to the station terminal as this day does.
Worth knowing
- If the E-bike stock runs out, a battery-assisted bike costs ¥4,000 a day and its battery can be swapped at the Setoda and Omishima terminals.
- Rental bikes may not travel on trains, buses, cars or taxis, so the day only works if you finish at a terminal.
Quick answers about Ride the Shimanami to Imabari on a rented e-bikeよくある質問
How much riding is the Ride the Shimanami to Imabari on a rented e-bike day?
The day rides the Shimanami Kaido Cycling Road, 68.1 km with 514 m of climbing by our route data, and stops 10 times between 07:45 and the end of the day.
Where do you eat lunch on the Ride the Shimanami to Imabari on a rented e-bike day?
Lunch at 11:30 is this: eat tako-meshi at Chidori outside Kosanji. Chidori cooks rice with octopus and opens at 11:00. It closes on Tuesdays, and on that day the food court at Tatara Shimanami Park on Omishima takes over as lunch.