3month stay in Kyoto - rent or buy to sell?

I wondered if anyone on here might be from Kyoto or IN Kyoto.. or know riders in Kyoto...

I'm off to do an exchange program at an arts university from september to december and as i have just fixed my london ride to looovely condition and am cycling more than i walk these days i can't see myself getting trains / busses while i am out there!

I've heard stories that its all dutch style pavement cycling in kyoto - and that its not the done-thing to use the roads... surely not!

my london college route is around 5miles

the place i'm looking at staying in kyoto would make it an 11mile ride

i wonder if i can hack it - my food bill might skyrocket !#£$

i quite like the look of this journey tho as it allows for loads of different routes through the grid system allowing for a tonne load more discovery!

the dream would be to borrow a bike from a shop / a rider out there OR i'm considering buying new and selling on before i leave... has anyone here done a similar thing?

any Kyoto cycling stories/advice to share?

and if anyone is based out there it would sooopa awesome to hook up with likeminded cycling obsessives! :)

(.. i realise this is a london forum...anyone know of a similar thing for kyoto?)

more questions... just read this
http://www.bikeforums.net/archive/index.php/t-189401.html

anyone on here do kyotoloco and find the ganwell factory.. maybe a full nippon build is on the cards..? eek!

double eek!
http://www.kumocycles.com/japan-bike-guide.html

The Riding-
I found Tokyo and Osaka awesome to ride around in, don't bother riding on the paths it can get frustrating even though people typically get out of the way when you ring a bell.
Ride on the roads, I felt safe, especially in Tokyo as the drivers are careful and courteous.
**Kyoto was a different matter, the drivers are aggressive and awful, ride on the roads defensively and at your own risk. **

Sounds like fun,

So your plan is to take your bike over?

Any type of remotely interesting frame/bike( especially vintage / brand)
Costs a lot of money here.

also , what height are you?

Jadias lives in Kyoto, he's a pretty cool dude, although we've never met, maybe PM him because he's keen to ride and does seem to do a lot of miles fixed.

I've ridden for a few days in Kyoto, had no problems with drivers at all and was pretty easy to navigate.

So your plan is to take your bike over?

chancer yeah i know this is another option... but i dont trust the airlines one bit - especially when there is a flight connection involved. i couldn't risk my ride like that - would be such a nervous flight haha!

Hingis thanks i'll give him a shout - i'm sure riding there is fine too ... coming from south london :)

When I lived in Japan it was illegal to cycle on the roads so check that out.

It's never been illegal. It's just that pre-earthquake cycling on the pavement was the norm hence it was less expected to see cyclists riding on the road. With even more people riding since the earthqake authorities are keen to see people ride on the road with some issuing fines for pavement riding.

Unless you lived in Japan during the Edo period or something.

PM inbound shortly regarding stuff you asked about privately!

Regarding your first post...

You're supposed to ride on the road. I do, almost exclusively... and most people think I'm crazy. Pavement cycling, although generally illegal (except for certain marked sidewalks), is very much the norm. It is also crazy dangerous and you are liable if you hit a pedestrian. Don't bother - stay on the road!

Not visited Gan Well although I have popped into Iwai Cycle a few times - they sell/own Gan Well but rarely have much track stuff. I can happily show you the three or four good shops here, plus Gira Gira in Osaka (an hour away but well worth the trip).

KyotoLOCO is no longer running as of a few years ago, sadly. I see a number of fixed riders but there doesn't seem to be much organisation. The guys from Gira Gira get together often if you can get your bike to Osaka. I also know one Japanese guy here who rides fixed and lived in the UK for some time - he'll definitely hang out with you.

If you're looking to build a nice bike, Gira Gira is where I'd start. They have lots of used NJS stuff including frames. I have some spare parts, too - frame, BB, crankset, bars - you're welcome to have them at a knock-down price and build something off of them. Then take it home or sell it on (tricky).

I'll give you my details so we can get some good rides in while you're here - always looking for other fixed riders and it'll be a pleasure to show you the sights!

Also you're not gonna be able to rent a nice bike here. If you rent a shitty bike for 3 months it'll cost you the price of buying a passable road bike. Go up a bit more and you could have a pretty nice one, fixed or geared.

When you get here I'll take you to Gira Gira and the two half-decent Kyoto shops straight away and when you've recovered from all the bike porn (and shock at the prices) you might have some idea.

when you get here i'll take you to soap land and the two half-decent kyoto maid cafes straight away and when you've recovered from all the hentai porn (and shock at the pixels) you might have some idea.

ftfy

I like the sound of a Kyoto Sleaze group ride...

Surely that's just a salary man riding to and from work via the 'snack bar' every day?

Quite possibly. But I know nothing of such things!

What's the latest with brakes over there by the way? I notice you only rock a front now.

Officially you need two. I see a few Japanese people rolling brakeless and lots of bikes with only one lever and a coaster brake so I think one is reasonable.

If I lived in Tokyo or Osaka I might be rocking two, however - I think they're a little stricter there since there's a bigger 'fixed scene'.

The only times I'd watch out are at the beginnings of school semesters when there's a traffic cop on every corner looking for people without lights, with earphones in, etc. They MIGHT stop you then. I've seen one or two police checks at night on main streets but they're very easily avoided. I always ride with lights at night, on the right side of the road, obeying traffic laws so I don't seem to attract attention.

When I crashed last month I was picked up off the road by a pair of cops. I only had one brake and my bike had no registration (I'd only owned it for two days and not gotten around to it). They gave me no hassle at all... although maybe they considered a ruined face punishment enough!

I don't think the registration is mandatory but cops apparently get a bit funny if you can't prove a bike is yours so it's worth doing (only costs 500 Yen) in case you are stopped.

I found when I lived there I could get away with a load of things like, no registration, no lights when stopped because the cops just couldn't be bothered to drag me to the koban, look for an interpreter or fill in the relevant paperwork. A couple of bows and a sumimasen and I'd be on my way.

Yeah I think the 'clueless foreigner' card is often a good one to play. Helps to just stay out of trouble in the first place though!

To the OP: if I were you, if you can spare the cash, I'd try to build a Japanese bike. Ride the shit out of it here then take it home as your one souvenir and reminder of your time in Kyoto. That's what I'm doing! If you can't afford a full-NJS build then maybe at least try for an NJS frame with non-NJS parts and take that home, splitting out the parts.

Or if it's a suitable size, build up my spare frame into a sort of fat-tyred FGFS bike and I'd consider taking it off your hands when you leave! ;)

At digs86-

I've had plenty of bikes posted (and no damage) but to be honest I'm not sure about taking on a plane. - I guess if it's REALLY well boxed you should be ok.

I ask your size because getting larger (older/exclusive) frames can be a hassle.

Suggestion- 1) Buy a Hetchins frame in your size off hilary stone
2)ride it for a bit in Kyoto.
3) sell it in japan for 3x or 4x 5x as much cash as you originally paid.
4) buy a kick ass njs frame to brIng back.

Just a suggestion like.

flying with bikes is no problem - get a cardboard bike box from your LBS and away you go.

I had no problems cycling around Kyoto (i lived in Kobe for 3 years). Very few Japanese people actually ride on the road, especially the fixed guys, its all about riding backwards and tricks n shite. I cycled in a bunch of other cities, and rarely had a problem, and the police shouldn't be an issue.

Enjoy!

wow - i didn't know about the registration thing, i guess it's gonna be real hard to get out of my atrocious london riding habits too..eek.

definitely up for some gaijin acting :)

chancer i'm 6'1 so larger frame - i wonder what the smallest would be that i could get away with... 57cm? :( - i guess i'll just have to see what's out there. i do like your idea tho, i guess i could use a japanese riders yahoo auction account to sell it on no problem.

and yeah im definitely swaying towards the build a memento way, do english frames really sell for quadruple the price over there?? only hetchins>? that could be a winner. need to find proof that the market exists tho!

jadias very kind of you to help a brother out - i look forward to getting a ride sorted asap when i touch down... once that's sorted i'll think about food and a place to sleep :P

thanks pete!

I bought a NJS frame in Tokyo in 2009. I brought it back with me with 3(!) connecting flights (Tokyo to Brisbane to Melbourne to Adelaide) with no problems whatsoever.

Cardboard bike box from LBS + 100¥ / 99p store bubble wrap and packing tape = win!

wow - i didn't know about the registration thing, i guess it's gonna be real hard to get out of my atrocious london riding habits too..eek.

definitely up for some gaijin acting :)

chancer i'm 6'1 so larger frame - i wonder what the smallest would be that i could get away with... 57cm? :( - i guess i'll just have to see what's out there. i do like your idea tho, i guess i could use a japanese riders yahoo auction account to sell it on no problem.

and yeah im definitely swaying towards the build a memento way, do english frames really sell for quadruple the price over there?? only hetchins>? that could be a winner. need to find proof that the market exists tho!

jadias very kind of you to help a brother out - i look forward to getting a ride sorted asap when i touch down... once that's sorted i'll think about food and a place to sleep :P

thanks pete!

atdigs-

I have never registered a bike here.

I was stopped once on a mama-chari (the bikes mums ride).And I guess
that was because I was a foreigner and it was late at night.

Normally when you buy a mama-chari the shop registers it for you.
If you buy from a another source you bypass the main point of registration.

You may need to register your bike at the apartment you live at though.
When I lived in Koenji I had to get a sticker to show i could park my bike outside my apartment.This is different from the register everyone else is talking about.

About the hetchins- I have sold other bikes here but not at the premium rate that i get for marquee frames such as hetchins. I guess its similar to
frames in the U.K - your Nagasawa, and 3rensho, frames command a premium over other NJS frame makers IMHO.

Carltons/Hobbs/Mercians/Bob Jacksons something like that sells well.

If you take a trip into Tokyo during your stay let me know and we could perhaps meet up .riding,bike shops, ramen, beer etc.

Gira Gira have one or two 58cm frames right now I think. If you're set on NJS and have the capital to back it up then it's doable!

is there anywhere to buy njs stuff in kyoto? thanks..