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.

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.

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.

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.)

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

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!!

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