Ayato Kimura – RASOULUTION’S new youngster - Mountain Bike Press Release

Gunma, Japan, 27 June 2023. A full-suspension mountain bike for challenging single tracks and demanding terrain, a trials bike for mastering a wide variety of tricks in the city – at least that's what we are used to in the world of biking. Ayato Kimura combines what for other athletes is an either-or-quite simply to his personal discipline: MTB Trials, a fusion of urban free ride, street trials and competition trials.

RASOULUTION recognized the 18-year-old's great potential early on and took Japan's MTB newcomer under its wing. The primary goal: to accompany Ayato in his first steps as a professional MTB rider and to support him on his promising journey on two wheels.

“I’m so stoked to join the RASOULUTION team! There are many world class riders on the team I look up to, like Danny MacAskill and Erik Fedko. It’s like a dream to be teammates with them now!” – Ayato Kimura.

At a younger age, Ayato Kimura was active in one of the most popular sports associated with Japan: table tennis. Besides that, parkour is another sport tried by the only 18-year-old. Through his father, who himself was not a cyclist but a mountain runner, Ayato eventually discovered cycling and his passion for it, as he explains: “My dad always used to run a lot, up and down the mountains. That fascinated me so much that I also wanted to get started in sports. Not with running shoes, but with a bike. And it was clearly the right path that I took here. The risk, the limitlessness, the adrenaline. I just really love biking.”

With jumps and flips, Ayato Kimura literally wants to fly high and see the world from new perspectives. Inspired by world-renowned athletes such as Fabio Wibmer and Tomomi Nishikubo, the youngster convinces with his unique style and inspires bike fans all over the world – be it at live shows or on social media, where videos and clips with sometimes millions of clicks are already now no exception. Ayato's strongest Instagram reel has a whopping 2.8 million views.

In the YouTube video "Keep It Wild – MTB freeride in Japan" (more than 166,000 views) Ayato shows what he is capable of.

Ayato is already in the spotlight of prestigious riders like Danny MacAskill, who is all positive about the newcomer: “I’ve always got my eye out for the next up and coming talent in the new school street trials world and Ayato is definitely the rider who stands out as someone who has the skill and confidence to take bike riding to the next level! I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next!”

It is not just the other athletes within the cycling scene who are excited about Ayato. Major brands involved in cycling have already stumbled across the young Japanese rider as well and are undoubtedly interested in collaborations and partnerships. This is particularly evident in Ayato’s signed deal with Specialized, the bike and component manufacturer from the USA.

"We at RASOULUTION are happy to grow the athlete team with Ayato. Ayato is a great fit. I see many chances to find new ideas and work on projects together. Also, with our first rider from Japan, Tomomi, it's an exciting combination. We can do a lot there!" – Tarek Rasouli, Managing Director of RASOULUTION.