Hello again everyone, hope you had a good time reading our article last week.
Actually it’s our first time writing an article or sharing our stories through writing instead of making music but surprisingly, we really enjoy it too. Today we will share the story from Akara, the drummer of Soft Pine. If you love living outdoors or you’re a bike lover you might find this article interesting for you, so shall we begin?


After wrapping up my first Japan tour in February 2023, All the good times that I had during the tour were still on my mind and I didn’t just get to play music, I also discovered a serious passion for cycling! But riding a bike in Thailand is way tougher and quite dangerous compared to Japan, with roads that feel like a bumpy battlefield all the time. “If you’re cycling in Bangkok, just slap on some fat tires and tread patterns, bro!” It’s kind of funny—being a capital city and all, but everyone recommends using off-road tires!


I’ve never fallen, but I have cycled away from packs of barking dogs at 3 AM! There are dogs every 50 meters here, so you definitely won’t feel lonely. If you want to make friends and not get bitten, just carry some snacks! But honestly, barking back is way more fun! One day, while I cycled along the canal near my house with my headphones playing the demo from our album “Another Half” I unfortunately fell right into the water by accident. Luckily, some lovely neighbors in a boat came to my rescue, and they let me rinse off at their house before heading back. The uncle’s name was “Kaeng”—funny, right? My iPhone broke on that day. Not long after cycling home, I dried off quickly because it’s super super hot here! The weather in Thailand has only three seasons: hot, very hot, and ridiculously hot! I can’t wait for my next Japan tour to finally ride in 0-degree weather! Actually our next Japan tour will be in the middle of October 2024 so it’s gonna be good weather for riding a bike. Riding around in Kyoto might be an interesting idea, don’t you think?

In November 2023, After we arrived in Shibuya for our second Japan tour, I stashed my gear and sneaked off to a bike shop called BLUE LUG at Yoyogi Park right away! Walking into that shop made me think, “Oh my gosh!” Before heading back, I had to snap a picture for the memories. On the last day of the tour, I cycled with my friends to eat at a place called Acacia in Shinjuku. Now that I ride a bike, it’s my primary transportation now —no traffic to worry about, no pollution, and no fuel costs! Plus, I’ve found a whole new community of fellow cycling enthusiasts! 


I’ve lost 20 kilograms just from cycling! I’m getting healthier and I have so much more energy to perform our live shows. Now I own four bikes, all of them are Japanese brands (Araya, Bridgestone, Maruishi). And guess what? On my third trip to Japan, the first stop is definitely going to be a bike shop! Haha!