Izu is an old favourite riding zone for many a Kantonian. At colder times of the year, and when the higher altitude roads are closed or less than ideal, it becomes a winter refuge of great riding.

What better place to host the last Twistybutt for 2025 and another new ride for this year?

Start: Hakone Turnpike lower entrance.

When: November 16, 2025

What time: 6:00am – 4:35pm

* If the weather is horrific, we’ll postpone until November 30, from 6:30am – 4:30pm.

Sign up for further details and route maps as they become available at the bottom of the page.

We’ll start out with a run to the highest point of the day from near sea level to the top of the Hakone Turnpike at around 1000 metres. The goal is to get there for sunrise so we’ll be setting off at 6am sharp! This will be our first pitstop.

From there, we’ll be riding the two highest major roads on the Peninsula, the Izu Skyline and Nishi-Izu Skyline, which peak out at just under 750m and 950m respectively. In between, we’ll stop at an old favourite for lunch, the South Cafe and ride a combination of roads.

Although the higher roads can be chilly in November after the hot summer months, they are open and very rideable! And it’s recommended to dress for the cooler conditions and have some hot packs and/or electric heat just in case. But most of the roads on the route will be at lower warmer altitudes and whether you’re new to Izu riding or an old hand, the combination of roads and challenge to ride them all in a day is a great one. Let’s not forget: being late in the year with the longer nights and shorter days, just over 10 hours of daylight, it’s going to be tough to get this one done while the sun is up.

Good news, the traditional sunrise start is quite a bit later at 6:00, even if we are starting before sunrise. Also, the evening return traffic is significantly less than in the warmer months.

So, an end to the warmer riding seasons and the beginning of the winter retreat brings us to the Izu peninsula for a new Twistybutt. Looking forward to seeing old and new twisty fiends alike at the start line.