{"id":2808,"date":"2024-10-19T23:15:32","date_gmt":"2024-10-19T17:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/blog\/"},"modified":"2024-10-23T15:12:57","modified_gmt":"2024-10-23T09:27:57","slug":"bringing-innovation-to-nepal-trails","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/column\/bringing-innovation-to-nepal-trails\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Equipt’ and ready for Nepal’s iconic trails"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Mountain biking isn\u2019t just something I do\u2014it\u2019s a way of life. It’s my passion, my profession, and in many ways, my philosophy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For over a decade, I\u2019ve been immersed in the world of cycling, particularly in Japan, where I\u2019ve been importing bike parts and components. But my connection to the sport goes far beyond business. I ride at least three days a week. I\u2019ve had the privilege of competing in numerous enduro races, not just in Japan, but across Asia in countries like Indonesia, Nepal, Thailand, Korea, and Sri Lanka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, I\u2019ve set my sights on the Pokhara Enduro, a race I\u2019m particularly excited about for several reasons. First, my deep love for Nepal draws me back. This will be my fourth visit to the country for mountain biking, and each trip has been memorable. My first experience in Nepal was back in 2018 when I raced in the Asia Enduro Series (AES). That trip wasn\u2019t just about the race, though\u2014it included a once-in-a-lifetime adventure that I\u2019ll never forget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We took a helicopter up to Thorong La Pass, at a dizzying altitude of 5,416 metres, and descended on our bikes. The air was so thin, with just about half the oxygen I was accustomed to, making it both thrilling and frightening. The sense of adventure was heightened by the extreme elevation, but the breathtaking four-hour descent of 1,600 metres into Muktinath made it all worthwhile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Muktinath is a sacred town for Tibetan Buddhists, and staying there overnight added a spiritual layer to the experience. We continued our journey through Jomsom and Tadapani, before finally ending in Beni. The trip wasn\u2019t just about cycling but also about exploration and cultural discovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This year, I\u2019m coming back for the Pokhara Enduro<\/a> for more than just the thrill of riding in Nepal. A big part of my motivation is my friendship with Sunil, the race organiser. I first met him last year during another trip to Nepal. We ran into each other again earlier this year in Sri Lanka. We\u2019ve become not only great friends but also fierce competitors, racing in the same age category.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Normally, I visit Nepal to race in AES events. But this time, I\u2019m choosing to join the Pokhara Enduro, both to support Sunil and for a change of pace. The enduro format is exciting, with its focus on technical downhill sections and stamina-testing climbs, but the connection to a friend makes it even more meaningful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another reason this race is important to me is that my personal and professional life has been evolving over the past few years. In late 2022, I launched my own brand, equipt<\/a><\/em>, which specialises in bicycle gadgets. The idea behind equipt<\/em> is to create innovative tools that solve everyday problems for cyclists\u2014things that riders have always wanted but perhaps never realised existed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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So far, we\u2019ve released three flagship products: the Sardine<\/a><\/em> multi-tool, the Cucumber<\/a> <\/em>pedal\/axle wrench, and the Clutch<\/a><\/em> drink holder.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Sardine<\/em> is a small but mighty tool, weighing just 38 grams, with a unique swivelling head that makes torquing and spinning effortless. It\u2019s light, efficient, and something I\u2019m incredibly proud of.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Cucumber<\/em> wrench, with its swivelling head, is designed for both pedals and axles, making it highly versatile for bike maintenance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the Clutch<\/em>\u2014well, that\u2019s a personal favourite because it solves a problem I often encounter on rides. It\u2019s a drink holder that can be installed under the stem\u2019s top cap, so you can enjoy your coffee while riding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These products come directly from my own experiences on the trail, and they allow me to share my passion with others. When people purchase something from equipt<\/em>, they\u2019re not just buying a tool\u2014they\u2019re buying into a philosophy of making every ride a better, more enjoyable experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Since launching equipt<\/em>, we\u2019ve gained a global presence, with dealers in countries like the US, Singapore, the UK, Canada, Korea, the Netherlands, and Chile. It\u2019s been incredible to see the brand grow and connect with riders around the world, which was one of my personal goals. The business isn\u2019t just about sales for me, it\u2019s about building relationships within the biking community. Through equipt<\/em>, I\u2019ve expanded my network of bike friends globally, turning what began as a business into a shared experience with like-minded riders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of my hopes for this trip to Nepal is to establish equipt<\/em> in the local market. I\u2019m looking to connect with dealers and riders in the region and expand the brand\u2019s reach. Nepal is a growing hub for adventure sports, especially mountain biking, and I believe there\u2019s a lot of potential to introduce innovative products to the scene.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the Pokhara Enduro on the horizon, I\u2019m excited about the race, but also about the possibilities it holds for expanding my brand and building even more connections within the biking community. So, to everyone joining me at the Pokhara Enduro this year\u2014see you there! Let\u2019s have fun!<\/p>\n

Related Images:<\/h3>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A Japanese cyclist, entrepreneur and adventurer reveals how his passion for mountain biking and an expanding brand are leading him back to Nepal.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":2818,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"advgb_blocks_editor_width":"","advgb_blocks_columns_visual_guide":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[42,106],"tags":[105,56,26],"class_list":["post-2808","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-column","category-kohs-quest","tag-moutainbiking","tag-mtb","tag-pokhara-enduro"],"acf":[],"author_meta":{"display_name":"Koh Kitazawa","author_link":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/author\/kitazawa\/"},"featured_img":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/Koh-Kitazawa-1-300x200.jpg","coauthors":[],"tax_additional":{"categories":{"linked":["Column<\/a>","Koh's Quest<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Column<\/span>","Koh's Quest<\/span>"]},"tags":{"linked":["Moutainbiking<\/a>","MTB<\/a>","PokharaEnduro<\/a>"],"unlinked":["Moutainbiking<\/span>","MTB<\/span>","PokharaEnduro<\/span>"]}},"comment_count":0,"relative_dates":{"created":"Posted 2 \u0935\u0930\u094d\u0937 ago","modified":"Updated 2 \u0935\u0930\u094d\u0937 ago"},"absolute_dates":{"created":"Posted on 19 \u0905\u0915\u094d\u091f\u094b\u092c\u0930 2024","modified":"Updated on 23 \u0905\u0915\u094d\u091f\u094b\u092c\u0930 2024"},"absolute_dates_time":{"created":"Posted on 19 \u0905\u0915\u094d\u091f\u094b\u092c\u0930 2024 23:15","modified":"Updated on 23 \u0905\u0915\u094d\u091f\u094b\u092c\u0930 2024 15:12"},"featured_img_caption":"","series_order":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2808","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2808"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2808\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3001,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2808\/revisions\/3001"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2818"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2808"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2808"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/8850media.com\/np\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2808"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}