Fuji floats at dusk
dark shadows
swoop
beneath branches, press
against shoulders,
chill sweat
under the teahouse eaves
warm sake
& chikara-mochi, revive
flagging legs
white mist
bleaches
last shards of orange
from Lake Ashi’s sky
obscures
but an outline,
Fuji floats at dusk.
Queen Anne’s lace
and Sweet peas weave
along the undulating road,
two wheels rolling.
Surging ahead
you shield me from the wind,
quads power up steep hills.
After the century ride,
blackberry pie satisfies.
In July and August it’s common for college students to tour Japan by bicycle or motorcycle – especially up north in Hokkaido, where it’s cooler. When they see another cyclist on the road they will inevitably wave or give you a thumbs up and say ‘Gambatte’ (hang in there). Even car drivers open their window and shout encouragement — quite a cultural difference from the U.S. where some drivers, unfortunately, regard cyclists as a nuisance and swear at them, or worse, try to drive them off the road. If a car or truck coming up behind you honks, it doesn’t mean ‘Get off the road,’ but rather a friendly signal letting you know that they’re about to pass you.
What about money? You can use foreign bank ATM (credit/debit) cards to withdraw cash at any 7-11 or post office in Japan, so you don’t need to carry a large amount of money. Traveler’s checks are pretty much useless and small shops may not take credit cards. Vending machines with hot and cold drinks are everywhere (even along isolate country roads) and convenience stores such as Family Mart are plentiful in towns and cities and are a great place to get food for the road – onigiri (rice balls wrapped in nori with various fillings) are great for the road. It’s pretty safe in Japan and if you ever get lost, people are genuinely helpful and you can always stop at a neighborhood police box for help.
It’s pretty easy to find campgrounds, and some even have an onsen (thermal hot springs), which feels wonderful after a day of cycling. Inexpensive lodging includes minshuku (B&Bs) and Youth hostels (A unique cultural experience in itself – take your international YH membership card), but the cheapest are called ‘Rider house’ (say ra-i-da-a ha-u-su) specifically for summer bikers ($10-$20 a night) . Their locations, as well as the location of campgrounds and 7-11s very well marked in the map books called ‘Touring Mapple’ – there’s a book for every region of Japan, and although they’re in Japanese, the routes are very detailed and easy to understand. Available at bookstores and amazon.co.jp.
For background information on Japanese culture, language, transportation, and regional guides, of course I recommend my book “Living Abroad in Japan.” A good online resource is Japan Cycling Navigator. A Bike Friday rider who toured Japan offers great tips and photos on Geno’s blog.
Several people asked me how I carry things on my tikit. Well when I was touring Hokkaido in ‘06 with a group of Bike Friday riders, we by chance met a Japanese cyclist on a Bike Friday! He had this cool backpack perched on the back of his seatpost that clicked on and off. I found out it’s made by a German company, Rixen & Kaul, that makes lots of innovative bike bags to carry everything from groceries to your dog. His pack was called Freepack Meta 1 (it’s under accessories –> bags on their site). When I got back to Eugene I found out there is no Rixen & Kaul distributor in the U.S. It’s available in Europe and Japan. Well I had to have one so I begged my Japanese BF friends who were coming over for the week-long Cycle Oregon to bring me one. (Thank you, Maki-san!).
Express tikit in Tokyo
The interesting thing is that the Klick-Fix seatpost mount for the backpack is available in the U.S. from Detours and we have it at BF. If I have more stuff to carry, I use a TEECO bag on the tikit front rack. It has a molded rubber bottom and stands up by itself so it’s handy for grocery shopping and for carrying books to my French and Korean classes at the UO.
Here’s a picture of me riding in the rain from Shinjuku to Tokyo Station to catch the Narita Express train to the airport. The Freepack backpack comes with a rain cover and a clever elastic mesh things that holds your helmet.
It’s the little things that make biking a pleasure!
(Where’s my suitcase, you ask? Shipped to the airport via takkyuubin delivery service, of course.)
I’ve been riding an Express tikit built by Bike Friday in Eugene, Oregon, since the fall of 2007. It’s the instant 5-second hyperfold version. I intended to use it primarily for commuting to work and running errands, but I’ve also taken it overseas on tours. My 9-speed Capreo Express tikit with 16″ wheels performed very well exploring 500 miles in southern France and a combined 1,000 miles on the last two Japan cycle tours I led–including a climb halfway up Mt. Fuji.
Before the last trip I replaced the H-bars with drop handlebars so I’d have more hand positions and a more aero position in headwinds. With narrow, high-pressure Schwalbe Stelvio tires, it rides pretty much like a road bike. To make sure I could get over mountain passes I put a smaller 48T chainring on it. I made it up all but a 13% grade… Another person on my Japan tour rode his Travel tikit and was also happy with its performance.
The big advantage I found with the tikit over the 20″ BF models is when using public transportation. The quick fold, transit cover, and rollability were a huge plus hopping on and off the TGV in France and shinkansen (bullet train) in Japan. Compared to carrying my Pocket Rocket Pro (and before that, SatRDay recumbent) in a bag on my shoulder up and down steps and through train stations, the tikit is a breeze. Now if only Bike Friday would develop a 20″ model with a folding stem and a wheel for rolling…
Express tikit in Akan National Park, Hokkaido
One of the things I love about working at Bike Friday is meeting international visitors. Two recent visitors were Soenghun and Mirye Park from Korea. Soenghun, aka “Eddy,” owns a Silver Pocket Rocket and freelances for ”Bicycle Life,” a top cycling magazine in Korea. Mirye, aka “Banbirye,” has been riding her Stealth Black New World Tourist since 2006. Recently more women in Korea are getting interested in Bike Fridays. The young couple were featured in an article reviewing folding bikes, which are quite popular in Asia (and nobody bats an eye at small wheels).
Eddy and Mirye flew into Eugene with their bikes packed in travelcases (of course). After a chilly ride along the Willamette River bike path, I invited them to the factory to see how we build folding bikes. They were surprised to learn that we don’t outsource any part of the process. Eddy took loads of pictures for an article he’s writing for “Bicycle Life.” They were thrilled to meet Alan Scholz, BF co-founder, who joined us for a lunch ride through the West Eugene Wetlands.
Eddy and Mirye test-rode a Tandem Two’sDay—which was a novel experience, as tandems are not common in Korea. They caught on quickly and decided to order a Tandem Two’sDay of their own. This week their White Tandem Two’sDay is being delivered. Best wishes, Eddy and Mirye!!
Foldable Walter introduced me to WordPress and enticed me to join the blogosphere. I’d thought about it before but didn’t think I had the time, seeing as I’m on the ball in front of a computer 8 hours a day at Bike Friday and several more at home. Lynette, Bike Friday’s Customer Evangelist, had been bugging me, too. So here goes…
I intend to write about life in Oregon and in Japan and about bicycles as more than transportation (though my ‘tikit‘ sure is handy, taking me from home to class to work to the library, the grocery store, and home again). About how cycling connects people of disparate backgrounds into a community. And a bit about family.
Japanese college students touring Hokkaido