I took my bike the year I lived in Japan and found that it was by far the best way to explore the country. I lived in Mie Prefecture where the main mountain bike trails are on Haseyama. There was actually a big bike community there and a few races were held throughout the year. It was also fun to ride along the roads that wound through the rice fields and get lost among plum blossom trees and bamboo groves. I met a farmer once that introduced me to his cows. We could barely communicate except when he opened an imaginary beer, took a sip and stumbled around a bit then pointed to the cows--I understood that this was where Matsusaka Beef came from!

It sounds like Bhutan is also a bike-friendly country.

Where is your favorite place to ride?