Shimanami-kaido Shikoku

Hi has anyone rode by bicycle from Imabari (Shikoku) to Onomichi (Honshu)???
Varies between 60 to 80 km in distance depending upon the site you look at.
1.How long does it take?? 2.Can you rent the bike at Imabari and return it at Onomichi???
3.Can an unfit 34 yr old do this ride?? hope so!!
Thanks

- According to a Japanese site, it's 70km (I suppose the different distances you've seen could be the difference between road for cars - a bit more straight - and the one for pedestrian/bicycles).
- Semi-professional speed riders cover the distance in 3 hours, fast-paced riders 4 - 5 hours, fit riders 5 - 6 hours, and beginners or slow riders need 10 hours.
- You can "drop off" the bicycle at a different location (though you don't get back your deposit of 1,000 yen that way). If you rent motor-assisted bicycle, you have to return it to where you rented it.
- On the same site, there is a fun report by a group of "motivated but unfit 30s" people, who did the ride... in about 10 hours, with several breaks in between. It sounds quite exhausting, but must be fun :) I haven't done it though.

Japanese language website:
http://www.go-shimanami.jp/rental/index.html

I rode a bike from Onomichi to Setoda that took about 3 hours. It would have been faster but I got lost along the way cuz the path was not clearly marked. I think Setoda is the halfway point to Imabari. The bike rental place had two kinds, a 21 speed and a grandma bike with the basket in front. I had to take the grandma bike as I had a heavy backpack. I was short of time so I returned the bike at a station in Setoda and caught a bus to Imabari. The route is nice with small towns and many bridges to cross. A fairly fit person would be able to do it in 7 hours easily if not too many stops.