I thought you all would get a kick out of seeing the various kinds of bikes you can find at a bicycle shop in Japan. I was surprised at how you could get a decent quality mama chari (city bike) for not too much ￥
@LifeWhereIMFrom, you have made and shared so many beautiful factual videos about your life in Japan. You are a great filmmaker. I'm still watching and learning after all these years. Love you and your family and everyone's family. Life is beautiful.
@@ArteUltra1195 have you never been to a shop and had bad service? Why are you mad people are giving complements to a clearly nice and informed man? Grow up
While I was studying in Japan I worked at a Cycle Base Asahi (this chain of bike store, also the biggest bike store chain in Japan) for almost two years! It was so much fun.
Just seeing bikes made by Bridgestone, Yamaha, Panasonic, etc. instead of the no-name made-in-china brands here make me envious. Unless I lived in a major city, the only "bike shops" I have are Giant bikes (which seem like a scam) or Canadian Tire (a hardware store that happens to sell no-name bikes).
@@Hexagonian Giant is generally a well-regarded brand (one of the big four at least in the US), though they do have some low-end bicycles that I would say aren't that much better than a department store might have. Personally I think they're on the lower end of said big four brands - Trek, Specialized, Giant, Cannondale - but that's not a big slight on them, they're still in the big four for a reason. Bias disclaimer, I'm a mechanic in a Specialized shop, and I own a Giant bike that is still riding since 2007 (even if it doesn't fit me quite so well anymore). I would still trust any of those four names to make at least decent bikes though. It's unfortunate that nowadays, a lot of what's sold in those department store are "known" brands like Schwinn, Huffy, Mongoose... but the majority of them are now being made in China and liable to start failing with any moderate to heavy use, simply because the parts are so cheaply made. I'd be very curious to see some of those current-day Bridgestone, Yamaha, Panasonic bikes in person. I know Panasonic made a ton of bikes in the US too years ago (got one in the garage now), but I've never seen any of the others yet.
@@Hexagonian I'd actually argue that Giant makes nicer bikes than all of the brands you named, their midrange and higher spec bikes are quite nice, and they've been in the cycling scene for a long time. They're also a Taiwanese company, and notably they show up in this exact video
@@Hexagonian Giant is a great brand though? Even the employee in the video says many prefer it in Japan. It's so popular it's causing the young students to want another brand just to rebel lol. I've never tried bridgestone bikes but I'd say in general giant bikes are better than your average yamaha or panasonic bikes
In Okinawa, the bike selection is similar to Tokyo, but due to U.S.-style car dependence, it's difficult or impossible to ride most places. Riding on roads is not safe. Riding on the sidewalks is possible in some areas, but in most places, they are either very poorly maintained or non-existent. I really wish the prefectural and local governments would wake up and start investing in trains and in providing safe, separated lanes for bikes and other micro-mobility vehicles. Instead, the government spends money on expanding and widening roads and building parking lots, destroying Okinawa's natural beauty and laid-back style, and making traffic worse. Okinawa is such a small place that 90% of trips should be do-able with a pedal-assist bike and/or local rail, but right now, almost everybody is forced to drive. Those who can't drive, like children and the sizeable elderly population, are trapped at home. Sorry for the rant. Great video! I love my pedal-assisted Mama-Chari. I just wish I and others could safely ride more.
That's very sad to hear. As a non-Okinawan though it's also a really good piece of info to know before planning a trip to the islands. Since I'm a Tokyoite my entire life I haven't even got a license so I have to either go with a friend who can drive or otherwise have to ride taxis right
@@justineseiferth8010 _"Gotta get the joint base out of there."_ Sure. Okinawa was part of the U.S. until 1972, and still has many U.S. and Japanese military stationed there. I'm sure you're right that that is a contributing cause of the car-centric transportation system. However, removing the bases now would do next to nothing to improve the transportation situation, and would de-stabilize the entire region, thanks to neighbors like China, North Korea, and Russia. I believe it would be an insane act of suicide. In my opinion, instead of complaining about the base situation, something over which the prefectural government has almost no control, Okinawa should use the money they receive from the central government for hosting the bases to improve transportation in the prefecture - something over which they have total control.
You might like to know that the Okinawa government is mulling extending the monorail north to Kadena, with some plans calling for it to go as far north as Nago. Now, throw a line to Yonabaru and another one to Itoman and you'll just about have restored the Prefectural Railway, destroyed during the invasion and never reopened.
A tip for foreign residents in Japan: BE SURE TO REGISTER YOUR BIKE! Even if you're only in Japan for a relatively short time. Police seem to love to stop people to check their registration, especially if they are visibly non-Japanese. It stinks, but it's true. When I've been stopped, it's been a breeze because my bike is registered. Friends, however, have had a much tougher time because they failed to register their bikes, and the police gave them a hard time. Easy to avoid the trouble, just do the registration.
Isn't wonderful that the police in Japan have nothing better to do? I've been to Tokyo a few times, so different from here in Los Angeles where the cops are kind of busy with more serious issues.
You only get stopped by the police if you are carrying a suspucious object or you’re acting suspicious. Been here for 2 decades and I got stopped by the police only once because I was carrying a big luggage on my bike’s carrier.
I'm a British guy, "visibly non-Japanese" and I've been cycling in Osaka and Kyoto for well over 30 years, and I have never been stopped by the police (on foot, on a bicycle, on a scooter, or when driving in a car).
@@manueltome-p4e is that the reason you don't ride a bike more often? Gears and e-bikes take care of any hills, but in the absence of good cycling infrastructure most people are scared to ride due to the car traffic around them.
7:23 This is hilarious to hear as a car enthusiast. A lot of Japanese car guys try to emulate American car style by modifying their cars(like headlights/taillights) to be USDM. Meanwhile in the US, a lot of car guys are obsessed with making our stuff look more true/accurate to JDM. Grass is always greener.
It's such a wonderful channel. Mr Greg really lives up to the name. The channel is supposed to be about life in Japan and thats what people get to see.most of the channels with such theme get restricted with food,house tour,locality,job, income,holiday destinations etc.but Mr Greg really puts out things that are a part of life in Japan but not commonly discussed or shown.i mean who shows bicycles or school meals or train rides in such detail....sometimes it doesn't seem that a cool thing to know but it gives an depth understanding, however minute, to the Japanese way of life, commutation....love these videos...such well researched, well edited and well filmed.
Support your local bike shops no matter where you live. The quality of the bike, assembly and service will be far more superior and worth the little extra money rather than purchasing from a big box retailer. Thank you for this insightful video! Great to see some of the classic brands that used to be available in the US in the 80’s and 90’s (and were great quality) like Bridgestone and Panasonic.
When I was in Japan, I was so impressed by the bicycles! The tire lock/stand systems and the wheel powered lights are so convenient. This video was a delight!
yeah Hub Dynamos are super practical because the outdated side-runner dynamos are way too loud and cumbersome and also wear down the tire mantle. The only downside of Hub Dynamos is the steppy power output on 26 and 28 inch wheels at slow wheel speeds, which causes LED lights to flicker. Non-LED lights with normal bulbs don't have that as the tungsten wire afterglow makes the light appear a lot more constant. A normal side-runner dynamo spins faster at slower wheel-speeds and therefor has faster energy-generating momentum that spins the little the electromagnetic generator.
I'm currently in school in Tokyo studying bicycle design. The teacher gets pissed whenever one of us says mamachari instead of city bike. But I really love the way the bike culture is so different here than it is in the US.
I work in a bikeshop in the Netherlands. planning to visit a bikeshop in tokyo this year, just to experience the difference. our bikes start at 381601 yen. and the most expensive one is 2950000 yen. seeing those prices makes me want to buy a random bike, and just give it to someone. they are so cheap.
Yeah it's crazy how cheap repairs and bikes in general are in Japan compared to here! Most people ride a relatively cheap bike here, but a new one is minimum €600+, compared to €150 in Japan.
What? Don't you have something like 130€ supermarket bikes? Here in Italy these are mainly city bikes and mountain bikes-looking bicycles, and for 20/50€ you can find a not very good looking, but functional, used one
It was so nice living in Japan and being able to bike anywhere in the city. I love how I could just park anywhere and using the built in tire lock, just leave my bike on the side of the street and know that it would be there even if I came back to it late at night. Definitely can't be said about living in Toronto.
From Denmark. It is interesting how bikes differ. The first bikes you showed would be considered "lady's bikes" here, as women in skirts do not have to lift their legs as high. For carrying kids and stuff you typically see bike trailers around here, or the "christania bike" that is a evolution on the "budcykel" (courier's bike) that was used back in the day by couriers for grocery store deliveries. On the topic of stolen bikes, yes it is also an issue here, but the way it usually goes are that drunk people want an easy transportation home, so the bike gets stolen and usually left at a station. We have similar registration of bikes with the police as in Japan. I guess it is the same over in Japan, so don't leave your bike unlocked near a party district.
Japan never seems to have gender-segregated that higher bar like America did at various points, It's just about how much stuff you might have on the back, instead of like, "Can you mount a horse in those clothes and how.'
In dutch we would call those types of bikes u saw at the beginning "omafiets" which means "grandma bike", but the japanese mama chari does slighty differ in design compared with the dutch omafiets
@@lennon2490 The major thing missing compared to the omafiets are the guards on the sides to prevent clothing or items from getting entangled in the spokes of the wheel
@@mindstalk Well, the idea is mostly you mount a bicycle like you would a horse but if you're wearing skirts that gets awkward. But the frame gets a bit heavier and not as rigid that way. (But in Japan men might chance to be wearing hakama or something when they have to ride, too. And they'd often have tall packages etc on the back if they do deliveries and such.
Here in Bangkok there is no law on bicycles/alternative mobility, and bikes/scooters are socially discouraged. But more people are using it because they realize that it is actually faster than cars and motorbikes during rush hour. Drivers and motorcyclists really hate you though, because they think you are blocking their lanes. (Which is not really true because every 20m when they get stuck in traffic, bikes are actually faster than them..) I use a combination of kickscooter and subway to get to work, and there is not a single day that I didn't get honked at, or some motorcyclist tries to cut me off. I don't care though...I just pass them a few meters after that.
That tricycle looks very nice. In Canada, I had an adult tricycle I used for 10 years. It didn't rotate like the Japanese one, but I loved it and would often get compliments or stopped by people asking where they could get one. As said in the video, it did take some getting used to at first because there was that weirdness where you don't balance but turn the handles/ front tire to turn. It had a good size basket and makes carry cargo so convenient. Loved it! I know have a two-wheel foldable bike.
7:10 If you have a bike bag and remove both wheels, you can bring almost any bike on the trains! As long as you use common sense and be courteous, like boarding after most people have gone on and taking the front or rear cars. Went mountain biking with a local friend around Hanno a few years back, and being car-less we exclusively took the Seibu trains to and from the area. We were riding full suspension MTBs, but as long as the wheels were detached and the bike carried in a bag, the staff never gave us any issues, only guiding us to the elevators on a few occasions. Actually took my own mountain bike (in a bike bag of course) on a recent flight to Narita, and took local trains all the way to Tokorozawa with relatively little fuss. Probably helped that it was almost midnight when I did my commute.
@@LifeWhereImFrom Yep, that's pretty much spot on with what my friend drilled into my head before our first trip😂 I'm from Hong Kong, where you just remove the front wheels before wheeling your bike onto the trains, so at first I thought the bags were quite unnecessary, but they're great way to stop us from mucking up the trains with mud and trail grime.
Cycling in London seems chaotic, but statistically one of the safest places in the UK to ride. Traffic speeds are low, with a blanket 20 mph limit, and rush hour car speeds averaging below 5 mph. London has more high quality, fully separated bike lanes than anywhere else in the UK and the city is introducing "low traffic neighbourhoods" on residential streets. The most dangerous places to cycle are rural roads, suburbs and small towns where they are less used to seeing cyclists. I'm sure that fewer people cycle head of population where you are now.
This video just made me wish I live in Japan, so I can buy me that senior tricycle. I aint a senior, but I got weak knees. I also don't like how high seats are on standard bikes. So seriously. Literally my cup of tea. I see I'd enjoy living in Japan 100%.
I absolutely LOVED exploring the cities and towns of Japan by bike. To me thats the best way to experience Tokyo. Not too slow when walking and not too fast for those who train hop or use buses. I remember biking for about an hour in tokyo and was able to cover the span of 4-5 different wards. You can see alot and if something catches your eye, you can stop, park and walk around to explore more closely. Cant recommend it enough Also here in the US I own a RAD Power bike. A BIG bike with fat tires and a battery that has a 50 mile range and has a throttle that gets me to about 25 mph. Really fast! Gets me the fun I wouldve had in an ATV with less noise and no motor to fix or any gas I have to use. Love it! Sadly for it to be used in Japan it would have to be licensed and registered so its no wonder bikes like mine arent popular in japan
I'm Australian and retired. I ride three mornings a week and don't see the kinds of step-through bikes you show here. Most are the diamond frame with drop handlebars. Catching up with that design are mountain bikes with flat bars that are becoming something of a city bike as well as for off road. Most parents carrying kids will have a rear child seat for smaller kids, but there are more and more cargo e-bikes with a large box in front and kids sitting in there. There are a few bikes I see that have an extended frame at the rear with a platform seat that takes up to three kids in line, protected by a frame on each side at their elbow height. The only adult trikes I see, two of them on certain bike paths, are disability riders with a carer alongside. However, go into any city bike store and the variety of frame shapes seems endless as they branch into road, gravel, touring, cyclocross, racing, time trial, enduro, and with battery assist for many of them as well.
There's some rental step through cruisers on certain areas when I went to Sydney and was looking for rentals. Mostly see tourists getting them, I've opted for a road bike though since I'm used to it here in Japan. Great beach views, went cycling towards Cronulla up to Cape solander.
I've heard a few stories of foreigners who found a bike they thought was abandoned and decided to start using it, only to find out later that it was in fact a stolen bike. They had a lot of explaining to do when stopped at a police checkpoint. Be careful about using that seemingly abandoned bike.
I had no idea adult tricycles are a thing. I'm surprised by how... not ridiculous they look. I'm glad to hear there's some level of accommodation for the elderly/disabled seeing how big bike culture is in japan.
I’ve seen them in North America, but very rarely. It certainly is nice to see that seniors are accommodated so that they can continue cycling. It’s a wonderful way to stay active and slow aging.
I find them very difficult to ride. It's not just the swinging. The seat doesn't get nearly tall enough for me, even though I'm less than 6 ft tall. The pedal circumference is incredibly small, and the pedals are so close to the ground, it's quite easy for your feet to slip off the pedals and scrape on the ground. If a foot gets wedged between the low pedal and the ground while in motion, that can be really dangerous. My son inherited a powered tricycle from his grandfather, but for safety's sake, we gave it away to another adult and bought a powered mama chari for him instead.
In Chicago, at least my neighborhood there are quite a few. There seems to be only one style and it's a lot larger. I don't think it has that sway function. Most of the riders are very elderly. The European style cargo bikes are also getting pretty popular. See about as many of them as I do folding bikes. We have a few people that have recumbent bikes. I've never rode one, they seem tricky. Probably much easier on the back, but they tend to have visibility issues from being low to the ground and are all sporting multiple tall flags. As bad as the drivers are around here I'd be scared to use those because you'd end up under the car a lot easier. Also, it's technically illegal to ride on the sidewalk and people screeeeaaam online about people doing so. "If you don't feel safe on the street, buy a car or walk!" I used to be the same until I started riding regularly, I seldom ride on the sidewalk and do so only at very slow speeds in areas where the roads are in poor condition or otherwise demonstrably unsafe.
I found the tilt system actually exists. Our local bike lanes 🤔 include the gutter. that make the tilt 15 degrees as the normal because of the road crowning. I was wishing my e-trike could do some tilt (I am a senior, so this is my transit)
That tilting trike looked cool. The salesman was knowledgeable about his clients and products. Not something that can be said for other salesmen across all industries.
Thanks for the great video. This video reminds me a lot of my college days. I went to school at University of California Davis. It's a "small" town right outside of of Sacramento. And there's more bikes than there are people. Literally, everyone in town rides a bike. The campus is closed off of vehicle traffic. All the roads in town are bike friendly. And there's tons of bike paths that cut through all parts of the city. Anywhere you live in town, there's a bike path that can get you to campus.
UC Davis has the highest bicycle modal share out of anywhere in the USA! It's wild and shows how amazing the rest of the country could be if they designed it the same way.
Finnish language has a specific word for the mamachari type of bike, we call it mummomankeli 😁 B.B.Base trains carry regular bikes and are designed for that purpose. They only run on the weekends, but they're great for a quick getaway. B.B.Base also rents bikes, should you want to ride one without bringing your own.
As long as you've got good cables, that works. :) I've been putting Shimano stuff on pretty much everything since the 80s. Even my old Belgian racer. :) (Though some cheaper versions of it may come on things and not be too impressive.)
SiS is overrated for a regular bicycle. I have a 1980s Japanese-import bike with a Suntour derailleur and friction shifter that works flawlessly. Granted, it's only 5 speeds, but unless you're dealing with hills, you usually don't need more than that for a grocery-getter.
@@cmmartti It wasn't just in 5-speeds, depending on the cassette out back, but when I was a Boston bike messenger, instead of going full fixie I put a pretty tall set of cogs back there and had a big lever on the SIS , low mounted on the frame so I gould hit it with my knee from a pedal-stand to get up hills. :) (I did simply remove the front deraileur, though, It was unneeded with the other gearing I had behind. :) )
Ah yes, love how convoluted road and mtb side of things are and how compability or more specifically lack of compability between the different but also within the same systems is a thing. But hey, at least the standards do exist 😁
These are also common in the Philippines, usually surplus. They're popular because they're cheap and very useful, I own one myself, I use it for errands. When I was a kid, I used to call it "granny bike" because most people I see riding it are old people, but nowadays people from all ages use it.
it would be interesting to see what the bike infrastructure is like in japan as well. i also appreciate how thoughtful and thorough the Japanese salesman is. well done.
_Dedicated_ bike infrastructure (apart from parking) is mostly non-existent. What they have instead are lots of narrow (16 feet / 5 meter) wavy streets shared by all users, with 30 KPH speed limits and even lower practical speeds. And then the big streets will typically have 4 meter-wide sidewalks used by pedestrians and most bicyclists, with lots of bollards or barriers to fend off an errant car. The key thing is being separated from fast cars: either the cars are slow (narrow local streets) or you're safely on a wide and protected sidewalk. (Less safe for the pedestrians on the same sidewalk, oh well...) I did see a lot of bike parking at train stations, included paid secured parking. Tokyo reportedly has big underground bike vaults to handle all the bikes parked at its stations.
Nice video! 😊 Thanks for sharing. Here in our place 🇵🇭 there are lots of different bikes here, (roadbike, downhill, enduro, bmx, city bike, and mama-chari bikes too) used to have 1 mama-chari here, used it for my everyday transpo, but i sell it when we move years ago to a mountain area... 😊
Fascinating video! Ive heard of mamacharis before, but you going into more detail on why theyre designed like that, wheel size etc is all super fascinating! Its a crazy difference compared to my home of the Netherlands' with the tallest people in the world, we all ride 29 inch wheeled bikes! Also WOW the bike theft rate is much higher here, and bikes and maintenance is insanely cheap in japan! A new bike here is minimum €600, and just a flat tire fix is €20+.
When I was growing up in the 90s, my first bike was a very old city-style bike with foot brakes. I adored that bike and was sad to outgrow it. My next one lasted till adulthood and was a mountain-bike style, but I hated it. The hunched posture felt awful on my neck and made it hard to breathe. And when I took it to college, a campus bike path in disrepair caused me to fall sideways with the bike on top of me. It broke my foot! So I spent my entire first semester of college on crutches, which was awful because I hadn't had time to make friends yet and everyone was constantly on the move while I couldn't physically keep up. I was so traumatized that I've been too scared to ride bikes ever since. But seeing how city bikes have become so ubiquitous again, maybe I could try one.
sounds like your bike was not set up properly or the wrong size....should not be hunched over....MTB's are great for poorly maintained pavement and off road use....road bikes are great for city.....I have an old 98 MTB that is in great shape...I ride it everywhere...
Very cool to see the focus on accessibility. I feel like the US has really leaned into bikes being some sort of privilege/exclusive club, so finding a "sensible" bike at a decent price is a challenge (not to mention having to share bike lanes with aggro cyclists). I'd love a couple of mama charis for my family's shopping trips.
I think the whole "exclusive club" thing is more prevalent in pretty well off North American suburbs than dense cities. I live in San Francisco and I see mix of regular bike commuters and "exclusive club" road cyclists whom I view as "weekend bullsh**ters" since I see them only on weekends. I think adult bikes sold at Walmart are decent priced. E-Bikers in the city are food delivery guys and tourists.
Biking in the US is generally so dangerous-feeling that most biking is (a) people with no choice, (b) people who bike recreationally away from traffic, or (c) the kind of people who _choose_ to bike in traffic, mostly athletic men on expensive road bikes.
I hope you get to visit The Netherlands one day, we are the bike Capitol of the world. Bike owner overlooks why the bikes have smaller wheels, smaller wheels can handle heavier loads because of the shorter spokes. For that trike, they should put in a lock system using a pin, makes the job of locking the swaying system easier for the rider.
This is simply not true. In the NL we have ebikes (like the fatbike) that that are not pedal-assist-only, as they can be ridden without pedaling. They are also allowed on the bike lanes and do not require a license plate or any registration. They should adapt Japan regulations as these fatbikes are a danger to other cyclists.
@@3dxbox No, in the Netherlands useing a "not pedal-assisted-mode" is illegal. The problem is, the bikes are legal, if they also have a "pedal-assisted-mode". So the people can switch between the modes, when they see the police and don't get fined. But the loophole should be fixed in the near future. At least if the article "Dutch Cabinet announces ban on e-bike & fatbike performance modifications" I found at the nltymes is right.
@@3dxbox Non pedal-assist-only are by law (if done correct) as a moped(snor/bromfiets) Wich would require a license plates and a AM drivers licence. or if they go faster then 25 or 45 km they are seen as motorcycles and have to follow those regulations.
hello From the UK. loads of people like to ride all kinds of bikes from bmx at skateparks to road bikes and mountain bikes all around the country. I own a electric pedal assist mountain bike and I love finding areas I've never seen. signal is good so I don't get lost with my phone. ❤❤❤❤ there are specially built areas with only access to bikes and walking known as footpaths. so overall I'm very happy to be here 😊😊😊😊
In Germany we have the same assist rules. You have to pedal to make the motor work and it stops at 25kmh. Anywhere beyond this and without assist, it’s a motor vehicle and needs insurance. Problem: they can use the bikelane too which sucks. Love this video, thanks!
On a recent trip to Japan I noticed that a LOT of people rode with underinflated tires, which the increases the effort. I don't know if it's a conscious move to create some cushioning or that they just don't care, but it was everywhere. The bike shops were all so clean and professional.
I feel that we Dutch left an impact on Japanese society from their infrastructure to their bikes....we call those Mama Chari bikes Oma Fiets aka Grandma bikes due to the frame that makes it easier for women to step on and off....
Electric bikes that require no pedalling being motor vehicles makes a tons of sense. Those bikes are so cheap and the design for the ones to carry kids is amazing and still so cheap..
I’m an avid cyclist, and if you love cycling, it’s hard to beat Japan as a place to live. My first new bike in Japan was a Panasonic power assist shopping bike with a child’s seat. At that time we had a one-year-old daughter, I bought the bike as a gift for my wife. As it turns out, I’ve ridden it at least twenty times more than her, I should have bought one which wasn’t pink. My daughter is 9 now, and rides a 24” Trek mountain bike, and as she gets bigger, hopefully she’ll join me on some of my longer rides which I enjoy around Japan.
Such an interesting video!! Before a few days I remember seeing a post somewhere, which was about Japanese bikes, and then I was curious about what types of bikes are generally used in Japan. I think it would be really interesting to also make a video about how people should behave when riding a bike! Thank you for always making such informative videos!
Possibly some of the locking is invisible: I think omafiets come with rear-wheel locks, so you can just stand up your bike (over-wheel kickstand) and lock the wheel and go into the store. It's not locked _to_ anything but you can't just ride off with the bike.
@@mindstalktire locks are common for city cruisers, though I only see them locked when parking for long periods. For sports bikes like road bikes, we usually just use a flimsy cable lock that's not too heavy or annoying like those big chains / Dlocks in other countries, it's simple to cut with a bolt cutter but seems to be enough to deter opportunity theft here, haven't had my carbon frame and wheels road bike stolen for years with it. Don't even lock when doing quick convinience store runs.
We have all sorts of bike in the UK. I've seen a few tricycles on the streets, some e-trikes, e-bikes, especially the longtail ones, road bikes, mountain bikes, gravel bikes, folding bikes, children balance bikes, tandems etc. Mostly a single child can get carried on child seat fitted on the back rack over the back wheel. There's also an option to fit a child seat on the top bar as long as the cyclist doesn't mind cycling with their knees pointed outward. Long tail ones carry 2 or even 3 at the back. Some of the front box cargo bikes carry children too or children get carried on a trailer that's attached at the back of a bicycle. There are a few front rack child seats for babies but this is still rare. The main variety of bikes aren't in every bike shop so some are still amazed that there's tricycles, low step/step through bikes, trailers, recumbent bikes and cargo box bikes. Adaptive bikes, trikes and handcycles exist but they are harder to come by and cost a lot. Folding bikes are popular in the city as they can fit in the trains easier, especially those Bromptons, they have their own races annually including an uphill race. Then there's the bike share rentals including some e-bike ones. We also have bike registration. It's free but the labels or marking require a small fee when ordered online. There are free bike marking events in some areas. Not everyone bothers to register their bicycle. The bike theft recovery rate isn't as high as 50% It's under 10% if I recall correctly. That is why some just don't bother registering. That means there's recovered bikes sitting in police storage for many years. They do have a limit on how much they can store so there comes a time when they have to do a clear out. The unclaimed bikes go to charities who sell them cheaply in local community shops (these shops help train local bike mechanics) or give them freely to those in need and some went to NHS workers who use them to commute to work.
Same, I've used a cheap cable lock from donki on my expensive road bike (carbon wheels and frame) for years now and haven't had any issues of theft, nor had my other ride mates. Such flimsy locks are easy to cut, so it's likely enough to deter opportunity theft here. As for train usage, we actually use it alot. Though w we usually use the last cabin with bike bags and not during peak hours to take a train onto the inaka side of Tokyo to ride in the mountains. Really great way to get some nice views in quiet inaka roads.
This is pretty much what I expected - a high emphasis on practical bikes for everyday use, similar to Dutch bike shops. They're both a world away from bike shops here in the UK, which primarily stock road racing and mountain bikes. I'm trying to get my Dutch ebike fixed at the moment and it's turning out to be a pain to find anywhere that'll even look at it!
One thing that doesnt come across the video is how small japanese streets can be. One of the funny things is when I see a small cars from my country look massive amongst other Japanese cars. 😵💫
@@zam023 They are streets, the very definition of streets. Narrow streets like that (let alone roads) simply do not exist in Canada or the US, at all. Most properties have very large setbacks, and the streets themselves tend to be very wide, at least 50 feet. There's a side street in my town in northern Canada that I ride down 4x a day to and from work, and along one short block there is a daycare, a safe home society, a small police station, a small sushi restaurant, a bank on the corner facing a main street, a shuttered business, and a house. The paved street is about 60 feet wide, has no pavement markings anywhere, rarely has any cars parked on it, has stop signs at both ends, and has a narrow sidewalk against the curb. The street is _absurdly_ wide for what it is used for. I actually prefer the streets without sidewalks in my town, because they all have ditches and the actual pavement is a more reasonable 25ft.
@@zam023 No, most Japanese streets are "local streets". It's where the front door goes, and carries foot, bike, and (one-way) car traffic. And it's on the order of 16 feet / 5 meters wide, wall to wall. Then the actual high traffic streets should have 4-meter wide sidewalks, carrying bikes and (possibly nervous) pedestrians.
I love that I recognize a lot of the bike brands and not a single one is known for making bikes in the US. Too bad you can’t get similar bikes in the US and to get anywhere close to the quality you will be spending $1000usd+ .
Decent bikes have gotten sillyl, yes, or parts to improve a decent one. The middle dropped out of the market, try finding an entry-level road bike you could upgrade.
Almost all the well known brands have been made in Taiwan for decades - and to be fair the bikes shown in this shop were the equivalent of Walmart bikes. Really cheaply made with cheap components - only the road bikes looked halfway decent.
even $150CAD will get the lowest of lowest and will probably break down in no time as they are considered the "cheap" bikes, mass produced with no real care in it
@@krollpeter Only cause you have the choice between cheap crap and race spec if you want a road bike these days. It's like, 'Do you want a Kia or a Ferrari?' 'I would like a Corolla GTS.'
Germany has exactly the same rules about ebikes - they only assist you while you are pedalling and stop doing it once you‘ve reached 25 km/h (15.6 m/h). Faster ebikes exist, but they need a license plate and insurance. If you don‘t need to pedal for it to move, it is not considered a bike at all. We also have lot‘s of specialised bikes for transporting children, cargo, pets etc. Some people use specially built cargo carriers, while others have bicycle trailers that can be removed when you don‘t need them. Foldable bikes are a big thing here, too. It is funny how the accessories you showed look so different from ours but still function the same way.
Interesting. Any Ebike requires 0 plate or insurance in Canada. I am glad as a scooter rider also in Canada, I don't require a licence but i'd be fine with getting an scooter one if something was around. I don't own or have a Class-5 (car) licence. Though I think almost all the ebikes i see being sold, are able to be used without assist. (which is MUCH prefered but they are also often referred to as mens style (flat bar from straight from seat -> handlebar area) and don't typically ever come dipped down (considered womens, and being a guy with one like this is considered laughable that you don't actually know how to use a bike that you have use a -girls- bike to actually do it)
I'm 76 and have a fairly powerful e-bike but I ride it like a normal bike in Eco mode. I ride very conservatively around pedestrians. I have a motorcycle license and rode high-powered sports bikes for many years. However, my riding bikes is just for exercise and enjoyment. No more speeding for me. I don't care if I get passed by fast cyclists. I'm in no hurry and safety is more important than speed.
Ah the cargo bikes, the bane of my existence. I really can´t stand those since, in bigger cities, they block the biking lanes, the roads and are being mostly ridden by people who can´t ride normal bikes for the life of them. The Japanese seem to have found a smarter solution.
Here in California in the rich neighborhoods there's this huge ebike culture where everyone from kids to adults have like $3000 fat tire 1000+W ebikes and ride around in biker gangs lol
I saw (when in japan) a lot of those white 3-wheel honda delivery scooters with the large box on back that pivot the front half of bike , so rider leans into corner, but rear two wheels stay upright!
I think part of the reason for a low theft rate might be that Japan is an island, so you can't easily transport them somewhere else to sell. This also makes the registering much more effective, since otherwise people would just steal it and then resell in a different country.
Good video, Greg. I was on a folding bike tour of Japan in April and enjoyed it tremendously. Mine was a Brompton, and the advantage of folding bikes is that, when folded and bagged or covered, they can be taken on trains without any problem.
Brompton and Japan are like peaches and cream, especially when combined with the trains. Best travel decision I've ever made. I miss riding there so much.
You can also take any bike on the train as long as you have a bike bag and remove the wheels. I've done it thousands of times to ride in the inaka mountains from the city with my road bike. Great views, as long as you have the legs for it lol since some of the mountain roads get very steep.
OTEC-SDV founded by Noriyuki Oda of Narita, Japan a road bike or road Recumbents bicycle made in Japan. The bikes' pedal has oval motion different from other existing oval chainring. I wonder if the company still exists?
Pretty neat. I couldn't say too much about bicycles in my area other than they are somewhat rare. Even most youth ride around on atvs. I myself still ride an old Schwinn from the 1950s that bought used from a going out of business sale at a bike repair shop 35 years ago. Only local dealer for new bicycles is wal mart, nearest real bicycle shop is about 70km from here in any direction.
I'm a short woman so it's always a pain to find bikes here in the States that are for adults instead of for kids and has girly colors & basket that works well for my height. I'm so jealous of Japan!
It would be nice if a bicycle retailer specialized in dealing small adult bikes. There is tailor company specialized in big and tall people, so whyy not for bikes, right?
From Sweden here. The easy to step over bike would be considered a "lady's bike" here. Usually the way get around with kids are either one seat at the back or the danish "christiania bikes" that's like a cargo bike, recently tho the dutch cargo bikes have become popular. Other way is we connect a wagon at the back that can fit 2 kids usually. I live in a pretty big city that has a large bike culture and where I got my bike from, they offer "lifetime free service" and I've used it a couple of times over the years.
Another great and interesting video. Bike price seem very reasonable. Shipping or importing probably adds considerably to the cost. I am a big fan of any products that Are MADE IN JAPAN (power, garden tools and kitchen gadgets, I have many). Please tell that these bikes ARE Made in Japan and Not China!?
Love all the parent oriented bikes. We're still way behind here. The service: I wonder if it's state subsidized? How can a shop sell a bike for $200 then offer free maintenance for 3 years? Also I love the senior rebate! Might work in a few more bikeable cities here.
I thought you all would get a kick out of seeing the various kinds of bikes you can find at a bicycle shop in Japan. I was surprised at how you could get a decent quality mama chari (city bike) for not too much ￥
Absolutely bro
You’ve never done a video on Japanese cherry blossom festivals and gardens. Please do a video on that !!!!!
Japan has great engineers.
@LifeWhereIMFrom, you have made and shared so many beautiful factual videos about your life in Japan. You are a great filmmaker. I'm still watching and learning after all these years. Love you and your family and everyone's family. Life is beautiful.
Wait, wuuuuut... I had always heard that Japan--and even Tokyo--was so safe that people didn't bother locking up their bikes.
Props to the employee for knowing so much about bikes
He was very pleasant, I'm sure he has a nice personality.
It‘s his job, what are you on about?
@@ArteUltra1195 have you never been to a shop and had bad service? Why are you mad people are giving complements to a clearly nice and informed man? Grow up
@@ArteUltra1195 Never been to a shop where the employees have no idea about half the things they sell?
@@CalafellUrbanCycling that happen when you pay an un-livable wage I guess, you only have people working there while they find a "real" job.
While I was studying in Japan I worked at a Cycle Base Asahi (this chain of bike store, also the biggest bike store chain in Japan) for almost two years! It was so much fun.
What was your job there?
@@mrkhan8700 She is studying
Great video. Three years of maintenance and at that price is insane. Every day I grow more envious of Japan's transportation commodities
Canada stinks
Just seeing bikes made by Bridgestone, Yamaha, Panasonic, etc. instead of the no-name made-in-china brands here make me envious. Unless I lived in a major city, the only "bike shops" I have are Giant bikes (which seem like a scam) or Canadian Tire (a hardware store that happens to sell no-name bikes).
@@Hexagonian Giant is generally a well-regarded brand (one of the big four at least in the US), though they do have some low-end bicycles that I would say aren't that much better than a department store might have. Personally I think they're on the lower end of said big four brands - Trek, Specialized, Giant, Cannondale - but that's not a big slight on them, they're still in the big four for a reason. Bias disclaimer, I'm a mechanic in a Specialized shop, and I own a Giant bike that is still riding since 2007 (even if it doesn't fit me quite so well anymore). I would still trust any of those four names to make at least decent bikes though.
It's unfortunate that nowadays, a lot of what's sold in those department store are "known" brands like Schwinn, Huffy, Mongoose... but the majority of them are now being made in China and liable to start failing with any moderate to heavy use, simply because the parts are so cheaply made.
I'd be very curious to see some of those current-day Bridgestone, Yamaha, Panasonic bikes in person. I know Panasonic made a ton of bikes in the US too years ago (got one in the garage now), but I've never seen any of the others yet.
@@Hexagonian I'd actually argue that Giant makes nicer bikes than all of the brands you named, their midrange and higher spec bikes are quite nice, and they've been in the cycling scene for a long time. They're also a Taiwanese company, and notably they show up in this exact video
@@Hexagonian Giant is a great brand though? Even the employee in the video says many prefer it in Japan. It's so popular it's causing the young students to want another brand just to rebel lol. I've never tried bridgestone bikes but I'd say in general giant bikes are better than your average yamaha or panasonic bikes
In Okinawa, the bike selection is similar to Tokyo, but due to U.S.-style car dependence, it's difficult or impossible to ride most places. Riding on roads is not safe. Riding on the sidewalks is possible in some areas, but in most places, they are either very poorly maintained or non-existent.
I really wish the prefectural and local governments would wake up and start investing in trains and in providing safe, separated lanes for bikes and other micro-mobility vehicles. Instead, the government spends money on expanding and widening roads and building parking lots, destroying Okinawa's natural beauty and laid-back style, and making traffic worse. Okinawa is such a small place that 90% of trips should be do-able with a pedal-assist bike and/or local rail, but right now, almost everybody is forced to drive. Those who can't drive, like children and the sizeable elderly population, are trapped at home.
Sorry for the rant. Great video! I love my pedal-assisted Mama-Chari. I just wish I and others could safely ride more.
That's very sad to hear. As a non-Okinawan though it's also a really good piece of info to know before planning a trip to the islands. Since I'm a Tokyoite my entire life I haven't even got a license so I have to either go with a friend who can drive or otherwise have to ride taxis right
Gotta get the joint base out of there. 100% that's their influence.
@@justineseiferth8010 _"Gotta get the joint base out of there."_ Sure. Okinawa was part of the U.S. until 1972, and still has many U.S. and Japanese military stationed there. I'm sure you're right that that is a contributing cause of the car-centric transportation system. However, removing the bases now would do next to nothing to improve the transportation situation, and would de-stabilize the entire region, thanks to neighbors like China, North Korea, and Russia. I believe it would be an insane act of suicide.
In my opinion, instead of complaining about the base situation, something over which the prefectural government has almost no control, Okinawa should use the money they receive from the central government for hosting the bases to improve transportation in the prefecture - something over which they have total control.
@@justineseiferth8010 China fully agrees with this statement
You might like to know that the Okinawa government is mulling extending the monorail north to Kadena, with some plans calling for it to go as far north as Nago.
Now, throw a line to Yonabaru and another one to Itoman and you'll just about have restored the Prefectural Railway, destroyed during the invasion and never reopened.
as a massive bike fan, im grateful you made this. Thankyou so much.
Actually bought a bike from the Shin Koiwa store of Cycle Base Asahi years ago. Good selection and helpful & knowledgeable staff.
A tip for foreign residents in Japan: BE SURE TO REGISTER YOUR BIKE! Even if you're only in Japan for a relatively short time. Police seem to love to stop people to check their registration, especially if they are visibly non-Japanese. It stinks, but it's true. When I've been stopped, it's been a breeze because my bike is registered. Friends, however, have had a much tougher time because they failed to register their bikes, and the police gave them a hard time. Easy to avoid the trouble, just do the registration.
Isn't wonderful that the police in Japan have nothing better to do? I've been to Tokyo a few times, so different from here in Los Angeles where the cops are kind of busy with more serious issues.
Unfortunately, it's due to foreigners doing most of the stealing.
You only get stopped by the police if you are carrying a suspucious object or you’re acting suspicious. Been here for 2 decades and I got stopped by the police only once because I was carrying a big luggage on my bike’s carrier.
@@user-qh7mv8np2s There's definitely some systemic issues with Japanese police (which police doesn't have problems after all)
I'm a British guy, "visibly non-Japanese" and I've been cycling in Osaka and Kyoto for well over 30 years, and I have never been stopped by the police (on foot, on a bicycle, on a scooter, or when driving in a car).
Good to see Japan has nice bicycles :) As a Dutch person, I think more countries should focus on bicycles as a means of transport.
US here its all i use! granted mines electric but still! when closest bank branch is over 7 miles away.... lol
Unfortunately not all countries are bike friendly like low countries. Flat terrain helps a lot.
I own seven
@@manueltome-p4e is that the reason you don't ride a bike more often? Gears and e-bikes take care of any hills, but in the absence of good cycling infrastructure most people are scared to ride due to the car traffic around them.
@@manueltome-p4e Carbrain excuses.
Thank you for this. New family moving here from America. We needed this info.
7:23 This is hilarious to hear as a car enthusiast. A lot of Japanese car guys try to emulate American car style by modifying their cars(like headlights/taillights) to be USDM. Meanwhile in the US, a lot of car guys are obsessed with making our stuff look more true/accurate to JDM. Grass is always greener.
JDM style is awesome......
Cree exdeIMOo8⁸⁸@@poppawolf26
It's such a wonderful channel. Mr Greg really lives up to the name. The channel is supposed to be about life in Japan and thats what people get to see.most of the channels with such theme get restricted with food,house tour,locality,job, income,holiday destinations etc.but Mr Greg really puts out things that are a part of life in Japan but not commonly discussed or shown.i mean who shows bicycles or school meals or train rides in such detail....sometimes it doesn't seem that a cool thing to know but it gives an depth understanding, however minute, to the Japanese way of life, commutation....love these videos...such well researched, well edited and well filmed.
Support your local bike shops no matter where you live. The quality of the bike, assembly and service will be far more superior and worth the little extra money rather than purchasing from a big box retailer. Thank you for this insightful video! Great to see some of the classic brands that used to be available in the US in the 80’s and 90’s (and were great quality) like Bridgestone and Panasonic.
When I was in Japan, I was so impressed by the bicycles! The tire lock/stand systems and the wheel powered lights are so convenient. This video was a delight!
yeah Hub Dynamos are super practical because the outdated side-runner dynamos are way too loud and cumbersome and also wear down the tire mantle. The only downside of Hub Dynamos is the steppy power output on 26 and 28 inch wheels at slow wheel speeds, which causes LED lights to flicker. Non-LED lights with normal bulbs don't have that as the tungsten wire afterglow makes the light appear a lot more constant. A normal side-runner dynamo spins faster at slower wheel-speeds and therefor has faster energy-generating momentum that spins the little the electromagnetic generator.
I'm currently in school in Tokyo studying bicycle design. The teacher gets pissed whenever one of us says mamachari instead of city bike. But I really love the way the bike culture is so different here than it is in the US.
I work in a bikeshop in the Netherlands. planning to visit a bikeshop in tokyo this year, just to experience the difference. our bikes start at 381601 yen. and the most expensive one is 2950000 yen. seeing those prices makes me want to buy a random bike, and just give it to someone. they are so cheap.
Yeah it's crazy how cheap repairs and bikes in general are in Japan compared to here! Most people ride a relatively cheap bike here, but a new one is minimum €600+, compared to €150 in Japan.
What? Don't you have something like 130€ supermarket bikes?
Here in Italy these are mainly city bikes and mountain bikes-looking bicycles, and for 20/50€ you can find a not very good looking, but functional, used one
Me too. 70 bucks for a brand new foldable bike? Heck, count me in. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.
@@claudiofiero8523hes saying his bikeshop is an expensive luxury one not that all of the netherlands doesnt have cheap bikes
@@Josukegaming Good bike is like at least 1.5k€
It was so nice living in Japan and being able to bike anywhere in the city. I love how I could just park anywhere and using the built in tire lock, just leave my bike on the side of the street and know that it would be there even if I came back to it late at night. Definitely can't be said about living in Toronto.
I learned so much about Japan's bicycle culture ! Thank you for making this video.
From Denmark.
It is interesting how bikes differ. The first bikes you showed would be considered "lady's bikes" here, as women in skirts do not have to lift their legs as high. For carrying kids and stuff you typically see bike trailers around here, or the "christania bike" that is a evolution on the "budcykel" (courier's bike) that was used back in the day by couriers for grocery store deliveries. On the topic of stolen bikes, yes it is also an issue here, but the way it usually goes are that drunk people want an easy transportation home, so the bike gets stolen and usually left at a station. We have similar registration of bikes with the police as in Japan. I guess it is the same over in Japan, so don't leave your bike unlocked near a party district.
Japan never seems to have gender-segregated that higher bar like America did at various points, It's just about how much stuff you might have on the back, instead of like, "Can you mount a horse in those clothes and how.'
In dutch we would call those types of bikes u saw at the beginning "omafiets" which means "grandma bike", but the japanese mama chari does slighty differ in design compared with the dutch omafiets
@@lennon2490 The major thing missing compared to the omafiets are the guards on the sides to prevent clothing or items from getting entangled in the spokes of the wheel
US associates step-through with women too. Odd how the "men's bikes" are the ones with a painfully located bar if you slide forward...
@@mindstalk Well, the idea is mostly you mount a bicycle like you would a horse but if you're wearing skirts that gets awkward. But the frame gets a bit heavier and not as rigid that way. (But in Japan men might chance to be wearing hakama or something when they have to ride, too. And they'd often have tall packages etc on the back if they do deliveries and such.
Here in Bangkok there is no law on bicycles/alternative mobility, and bikes/scooters are socially discouraged. But more people are using it because they realize that it is actually faster than cars and motorbikes during rush hour. Drivers and motorcyclists really hate you though, because they think you are blocking their lanes. (Which is not really true because every 20m when they get stuck in traffic, bikes are actually faster than them..) I use a combination of kickscooter and subway to get to work, and there is not a single day that I didn't get honked at, or some motorcyclist tries to cut me off. I don't care though...I just pass them a few meters after that.
I agree,. in Indonesia too,. i dont know why motorcycle so famous in southeast asia,. in vietnam and philipine too
Nice. Take your roads back
@@Erikodiony In vietnam, we use scooters, instead of motorcycle.
Love your production value , really top banana - helpful thoughtful content , thanks .
That tricycle looks very nice. In Canada, I had an adult tricycle I used for 10 years. It didn't rotate like the Japanese one, but I loved it and would often get compliments or stopped by people asking where they could get one. As said in the video, it did take some getting used to at first because there was that weirdness where you don't balance but turn the handles/ front tire to turn. It had a good size basket and makes carry cargo so convenient. Loved it! I know have a two-wheel foldable bike.
This content is gold especially for new residents! thank you!
7:10
If you have a bike bag and remove both wheels, you can bring almost any bike on the trains! As long as you use common sense and be courteous, like boarding after most people have gone on and taking the front or rear cars. Went mountain biking with a local friend around Hanno a few years back, and being car-less we exclusively took the Seibu trains to and from the area. We were riding full suspension MTBs, but as long as the wheels were detached and the bike carried in a bag, the staff never gave us any issues, only guiding us to the elevators on a few occasions.
Actually took my own mountain bike (in a bike bag of course) on a recent flight to Narita, and took local trains all the way to Tokorozawa with relatively little fuss. Probably helped that it was almost midnight when I did my commute.
Yeah, I found this good article that talks about the process and has good pictures bike-plus.com/pages/attention-bringing-bike-to-train
@@LifeWhereImFrom Yep, that's pretty much spot on with what my friend drilled into my head before our first trip😂 I'm from Hong Kong, where you just remove the front wheels before wheeling your bike onto the trains, so at first I thought the bags were quite unnecessary, but they're great way to stop us from mucking up the trains with mud and trail grime.
informative and interesting. thank you for sharing and taking the time to make this video
As a UK based cyclist who moved to a smaller area from London so i could cycle in peace, this is great to see.
Cycling in London seems chaotic, but statistically one of the safest places in the UK to ride. Traffic speeds are low, with a blanket 20 mph limit, and rush hour car speeds averaging below 5 mph. London has more high quality, fully separated bike lanes than anywhere else in the UK and the city is introducing "low traffic neighbourhoods" on residential streets. The most dangerous places to cycle are rural roads, suburbs and small towns where they are less used to seeing cyclists. I'm sure that fewer people cycle head of population where you are now.
This video just made me wish I live in Japan, so I can buy me that senior tricycle. I aint a senior, but I got weak knees. I also don't like how high seats are on standard bikes. So seriously. Literally my cup of tea. I see I'd enjoy living in Japan 100%.
i’ve been watching your videos for over 7 years now, i love how informative they are! i dream to visit japan someday
I would definitely buy from that man, he is extremely knowledgeable and well presented
I absolutely LOVED exploring the cities and towns of Japan by bike. To me thats the best way to experience Tokyo. Not too slow when walking and not too fast for those who train hop or use buses. I remember biking for about an hour in tokyo and was able to cover the span of 4-5 different wards. You can see alot and if something catches your eye, you can stop, park and walk around to explore more closely. Cant recommend it enough
Also here in the US I own a RAD Power bike. A BIG bike with fat tires and a battery that has a 50 mile range and has a throttle that gets me to about 25 mph. Really fast! Gets me the fun I wouldve had in an ATV with less noise and no motor to fix or any gas I have to use. Love it! Sadly for it to be used in Japan it would have to be licensed and registered so its no wonder bikes like mine arent popular in japan
Awesome video, thanks for making it!
I'm Australian and retired. I ride three mornings a week and don't see the kinds of step-through bikes you show here. Most are the diamond frame with drop handlebars. Catching up with that design are mountain bikes with flat bars that are becoming something of a city bike as well as for off road. Most parents carrying kids will have a rear child seat for smaller kids, but there are more and more cargo e-bikes with a large box in front and kids sitting in there. There are a few bikes I see that have an extended frame at the rear with a platform seat that takes up to three kids in line, protected by a frame on each side at their elbow height. The only adult trikes I see, two of them on certain bike paths, are disability riders with a carer alongside. However, go into any city bike store and the variety of frame shapes seems endless as they branch into road, gravel, touring, cyclocross, racing, time trial, enduro, and with battery assist for many of them as well.
In the US, "women's bikes" have generally been the step-through ones.
There's some rental step through cruisers on certain areas when I went to Sydney and was looking for rentals. Mostly see tourists getting them, I've opted for a road bike though since I'm used to it here in Japan. Great beach views, went cycling towards Cronulla up to Cape solander.
I've heard a few stories of foreigners who found a bike they thought was abandoned and decided to start using it, only to find out later that it was in fact a stolen bike. They had a lot of explaining to do when stopped at a police checkpoint. Be careful about using that seemingly abandoned bike.
I had no idea adult tricycles are a thing. I'm surprised by how... not ridiculous they look. I'm glad to hear there's some level of accommodation for the elderly/disabled seeing how big bike culture is in japan.
We have them in Germany, too, but ours are rigid.
I’ve seen them in North America, but very rarely. It certainly is nice to see that seniors are accommodated so that they can continue cycling. It’s a wonderful way to stay active and slow aging.
I find them very difficult to ride. It's not just the swinging. The seat doesn't get nearly tall enough for me, even though I'm less than 6 ft tall. The pedal circumference is incredibly small, and the pedals are so close to the ground, it's quite easy for your feet to slip off the pedals and scrape on the ground. If a foot gets wedged between the low pedal and the ground while in motion, that can be really dangerous.
My son inherited a powered tricycle from his grandfather, but for safety's sake, we gave it away to another adult and bought a powered mama chari for him instead.
In Chicago, at least my neighborhood there are quite a few. There seems to be only one style and it's a lot larger. I don't think it has that sway function. Most of the riders are very elderly. The European style cargo bikes are also getting pretty popular. See about as many of them as I do folding bikes. We have a few people that have recumbent bikes. I've never rode one, they seem tricky. Probably much easier on the back, but they tend to have visibility issues from being low to the ground and are all sporting multiple tall flags. As bad as the drivers are around here I'd be scared to use those because you'd end up under the car a lot easier. Also, it's technically illegal to ride on the sidewalk and people screeeeaaam online about people doing so. "If you don't feel safe on the street, buy a car or walk!" I used to be the same until I started riding regularly, I seldom ride on the sidewalk and do so only at very slow speeds in areas where the roads are in poor condition or otherwise demonstrably unsafe.
I found the tilt system actually exists. Our local bike lanes 🤔 include the gutter. that make the tilt 15 degrees as the normal because of the road crowning. I was wishing my e-trike could do some tilt (I am a senior, so this is my transit)
Awesome bikes and amazing prices.
As a person who is a bicycle enthusiast I appreciate this video. Thank you.
Looks like a fantastic bike store with great service.
That tilting trike looked cool. The salesman was knowledgeable about his clients and products. Not something that can be said for other salesmen across all industries.
Thanks for the great video. This video reminds me a lot of my college days. I went to school at University of California Davis. It's a "small" town right outside of of Sacramento. And there's more bikes than there are people. Literally, everyone in town rides a bike. The campus is closed off of vehicle traffic. All the roads in town are bike friendly. And there's tons of bike paths that cut through all parts of the city. Anywhere you live in town, there's a bike path that can get you to campus.
UC Davis has the highest bicycle modal share out of anywhere in the USA! It's wild and shows how amazing the rest of the country could be if they designed it the same way.
An interesting watch thanks.
Finnish language has a specific word for the mamachari type of bike, we call it mummomankeli 😁 B.B.Base trains carry regular bikes and are designed for that purpose. They only run on the weekends, but they're great for a quick getaway. B.B.Base also rents bikes, should you want to ride one without bringing your own.
That dude was chill, lovely video!
Shimano Index System . . . Everything you need to know about Japan's important contributions to cycling.
As long as you've got good cables, that works. :) I've been putting Shimano stuff on pretty much everything since the 80s. Even my old Belgian racer. :) (Though some cheaper versions of it may come on things and not be too impressive.)
SiS is overrated for a regular bicycle. I have a 1980s Japanese-import bike with a Suntour derailleur and friction shifter that works flawlessly. Granted, it's only 5 speeds, but unless you're dealing with hills, you usually don't need more than that for a grocery-getter.
Haven't heard S.I.S in an age- the old 5 speed click thumb-shifter for the rear derailleur and manual for the front
@@cmmartti It wasn't just in 5-speeds, depending on the cassette out back, but when I was a Boston bike messenger, instead of going full fixie I put a pretty tall set of cogs back there and had a big lever on the SIS , low mounted on the frame so I gould hit it with my knee from a pedal-stand to get up hills. :)
(I did simply remove the front deraileur, though, It was unneeded with the other gearing I had behind. :) )
Ah yes, love how convoluted road and mtb side of things are and how compability or more specifically lack of compability between the different but also within the same systems is a thing. But hey, at least the standards do exist 😁
I like very much how the japanese try to explain everything in detail, plus their language sounds itself "very descriptive" to me.
Great video. I love seeing bike culture in other countries. It gives me a little hope for this to work in the US.
Thank you very much for this fantastic video ! Many greetings from germany...
These are also common in the Philippines, usually surplus. They're popular because they're cheap and very useful, I own one myself, I use it for errands. When I was a kid, I used to call it "granny bike" because most people I see riding it are old people, but nowadays people from all ages use it.
"..boy's bikes come with speedometers, .girls bikes come with fashion accessories". Didn't expect to see that coming!
Different culture 😂
6:59 thats so cool! You can take the chain off without any lock link that can wear out. Much easier to clean thoroughly.
Thank you for this informative and positive video!
it would be interesting to see what the bike infrastructure is like in japan as well.
i also appreciate how thoughtful and thorough the Japanese salesman is. well done.
_Dedicated_ bike infrastructure (apart from parking) is mostly non-existent. What they have instead are lots of narrow (16 feet / 5 meter) wavy streets shared by all users, with 30 KPH speed limits and even lower practical speeds. And then the big streets will typically have 4 meter-wide sidewalks used by pedestrians and most bicyclists, with lots of bollards or barriers to fend off an errant car. The key thing is being separated from fast cars: either the cars are slow (narrow local streets) or you're safely on a wide and protected sidewalk. (Less safe for the pedestrians on the same sidewalk, oh well...)
I did see a lot of bike parking at train stations, included paid secured parking. Tokyo reportedly has big underground bike vaults to handle all the bikes parked at its stations.
Nice video! 😊 Thanks for sharing. Here in our place 🇵🇭 there are lots of different bikes here, (roadbike, downhill, enduro, bmx, city bike, and mama-chari bikes too) used to have 1 mama-chari here, used it for my everyday transpo, but i sell it when we move years ago to a mountain area... 😊
Fascinating video! Ive heard of mamacharis before, but you going into more detail on why theyre designed like that, wheel size etc is all super fascinating!
Its a crazy difference compared to my home of the Netherlands' with the tallest people in the world, we all ride 29 inch wheeled bikes! Also WOW the bike theft rate is much higher here, and bikes and maintenance is insanely cheap in japan! A new bike here is minimum €600, and just a flat tire fix is €20+.
When I was growing up in the 90s, my first bike was a very old city-style bike with foot brakes. I adored that bike and was sad to outgrow it. My next one lasted till adulthood and was a mountain-bike style, but I hated it. The hunched posture felt awful on my neck and made it hard to breathe. And when I took it to college, a campus bike path in disrepair caused me to fall sideways with the bike on top of me. It broke my foot! So I spent my entire first semester of college on crutches, which was awful because I hadn't had time to make friends yet and everyone was constantly on the move while I couldn't physically keep up. I was so traumatized that I've been too scared to ride bikes ever since. But seeing how city bikes have become so ubiquitous again, maybe I could try one.
sounds like your bike was not set up properly or the wrong size....should not be hunched over....MTB's are great for poorly maintained pavement and off road use....road bikes are great for city.....I have an old 98 MTB that is in great shape...I ride it everywhere...
Very interesting! 😊
Very cool to see the focus on accessibility. I feel like the US has really leaned into bikes being some sort of privilege/exclusive club, so finding a "sensible" bike at a decent price is a challenge (not to mention having to share bike lanes with aggro cyclists). I'd love a couple of mama charis for my family's shopping trips.
You can get a schwinn for 200 bucks. In this vid the bikes are around 1000
@@gIozell1 You didn't look at the price tags of mama chari bike in the video, did you? They're under $200.
I think the whole "exclusive club" thing is more prevalent in pretty well off North American suburbs than dense cities. I live in San Francisco and I see mix of regular bike commuters and "exclusive club" road cyclists whom I view as "weekend bullsh**ters" since I see them only on weekends. I think adult bikes sold at Walmart are decent priced.
E-Bikers in the city are food delivery guys and tourists.
Biking in the US is generally so dangerous-feeling that most biking is (a) people with no choice, (b) people who bike recreationally away from traffic, or (c) the kind of people who _choose_ to bike in traffic, mostly athletic men on expensive road bikes.
@@Reanimator999 sorry, the bikes that take up 90% of the video are 1000
Japan is just so resourceful
Man, thank you for this video- love bicycles and a Japan bicycle culture video is the ultimate for me 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
That adjustable basket is neat!
i'd love that too, in germany. now I have to look it up in the internet
I hope you get to visit The Netherlands one day, we are the bike Capitol of the world. Bike owner overlooks why the bikes have smaller wheels, smaller wheels can handle heavier loads because of the shorter spokes. For that trike, they should put in a lock system using a pin, makes the job of locking the swaying system easier for the rider.
Japan is the country in my bucket list. I am more in love with this country.
This beautiful brilliant 👏🏾 and entertaining 👏🏾 stuff
In the Netherlands we call the "momma bike" a "Grandma Bike". The regulations around electric bikes are the same here as in Japan.
Yeah, with "around the world" he meant North America. Everywhere else the rules are more or less the same as in Japan.
This is simply not true. In the NL we have ebikes (like the fatbike) that that are not pedal-assist-only, as they can be ridden without pedaling. They are also allowed on the bike lanes and do not require a license plate or any registration. They should adapt Japan regulations as these fatbikes are a danger to other cyclists.
@@3dxbox No, in the Netherlands useing a "not pedal-assisted-mode" is illegal. The problem is, the bikes are legal, if they also have a "pedal-assisted-mode". So the people can switch between the modes, when they see the police and don't get fined.
But the loophole should be fixed in the near future. At least if the article "Dutch Cabinet announces ban on e-bike & fatbike performance modifications" I found at the nltymes is right.
@@5thElem3nt Indeed. @3dxbox is totally wrong. Thanks for the back-up.
@@3dxbox Non pedal-assist-only are by law (if done correct) as a moped(snor/bromfiets) Wich would require a license plates and a AM drivers licence.
or if they go faster then 25 or 45 km they are seen as motorcycles and have to follow those regulations.
Two videos less than two weeks apart? You're spoiling us now.
hello From the UK. loads of people like to ride all kinds of bikes from bmx at skateparks to road bikes and mountain bikes all around the country. I own a electric pedal assist mountain bike and I love finding areas I've never seen. signal is good so I don't get lost with my phone. ❤❤❤❤ there are specially built areas with only access to bikes and walking known as footpaths. so overall I'm very happy to be here 😊😊😊😊
Love Japan all the times!
In Germany we have the same assist rules. You have to pedal to make the motor work and it stops at 25kmh. Anywhere beyond this and without assist, it’s a motor vehicle and needs insurance. Problem: they can use the bikelane too which sucks.
Love this video, thanks!
I found this very interesting!
excellent video, dude, informative, funny and very professional, with a documentary style, congrats, keep it up 😉
Thanks for using such an interesting topic.
The after-sales service both in Walmart & Canadian Tire are simply ridiculous, if not useless.
On a recent trip to Japan I noticed that a LOT of people rode with underinflated tires, which the increases the effort. I don't know if it's a conscious move to create some cushioning or that they just don't care, but it was everywhere. The bike shops were all so clean and professional.
I feel that we Dutch left an impact on Japanese society from their infrastructure to their bikes....we call those Mama Chari bikes Oma Fiets aka Grandma bikes due to the frame that makes it easier for women to step on and off....
Electric bikes that require no pedalling being motor vehicles makes a tons of sense. Those bikes are so cheap and the design for the ones to carry kids is amazing and still so cheap..
I’m an avid cyclist, and if you love cycling, it’s hard to beat Japan as a place to live. My first new bike in Japan was a Panasonic power assist shopping bike with a child’s seat. At that time we had a one-year-old daughter, I bought the bike as a gift for my wife. As it turns out, I’ve ridden it at least twenty times more than her, I should have bought one which wasn’t pink. My daughter is 9 now, and rides a 24” Trek mountain bike, and as she gets bigger, hopefully she’ll join me on some of my longer rides which I enjoy around Japan.
Such an interesting video!! Before a few days I remember seeing a post somewhere, which was about Japanese bikes, and then I was curious about what types of bikes are generally used in Japan. I think it would be really interesting to also make a video about how people should behave when riding a bike!
Thank you for always making such informative videos!
I wish I could get one of those two kid carriers over in the US. I loved seeing them everywhere in Tokyo.
Great video! When I've visited Japan I've been astonished by the fact that no one locks their bikes, even ebikes. Blows my mind
Possibly some of the locking is invisible: I think omafiets come with rear-wheel locks, so you can just stand up your bike (over-wheel kickstand) and lock the wheel and go into the store. It's not locked _to_ anything but you can't just ride off with the bike.
@@mindstalktire locks are common for city cruisers, though I only see them locked when parking for long periods. For sports bikes like road bikes, we usually just use a flimsy cable lock that's not too heavy or annoying like those big chains / Dlocks in other countries, it's simple to cut with a bolt cutter but seems to be enough to deter opportunity theft here, haven't had my carbon frame and wheels road bike stolen for years with it. Don't even lock when doing quick convinience store runs.
We have all sorts of bike in the UK. I've seen a few tricycles on the streets, some e-trikes, e-bikes, especially the longtail ones, road bikes, mountain bikes, gravel bikes, folding bikes, children balance bikes, tandems etc. Mostly a single child can get carried on child seat fitted on the back rack over the back wheel. There's also an option to fit a child seat on the top bar as long as the cyclist doesn't mind cycling with their knees pointed outward. Long tail ones carry 2 or even 3 at the back. Some of the front box cargo bikes carry children too or children get carried on a trailer that's attached at the back of a bicycle. There are a few front rack child seats for babies but this is still rare.
The main variety of bikes aren't in every bike shop so some are still amazed that there's tricycles, low step/step through bikes, trailers, recumbent bikes and cargo box bikes. Adaptive bikes, trikes and handcycles exist but they are harder to come by and cost a lot. Folding bikes are popular in the city as they can fit in the trains easier, especially those Bromptons, they have their own races annually including an uphill race. Then there's the bike share rentals including some e-bike ones.
We also have bike registration. It's free but the labels or marking require a small fee when ordered online. There are free bike marking events in some areas. Not everyone bothers to register their bicycle. The bike theft recovery rate isn't as high as 50% It's under 10% if I recall correctly. That is why some just don't bother registering. That means there's recovered bikes sitting in police storage for many years. They do have a limit on how much they can store so there comes a time when they have to do a clear out. The unclaimed bikes go to charities who sell them cheaply in local community shops (these shops help train local bike mechanics) or give them freely to those in need and some went to NHS workers who use them to commute to work.
man i love japan, its so beautiful i wish i could travel there some day
Same, I've used a cheap cable lock from donki on my expensive road bike (carbon wheels and frame) for years now and haven't had any issues of theft, nor had my other ride mates. Such flimsy locks are easy to cut, so it's likely enough to deter opportunity theft here.
As for train usage, we actually use it alot. Though w we usually use the last cabin with bike bags and not during peak hours to take a train onto the inaka side of Tokyo to ride in the mountains. Really great way to get some nice views in quiet inaka roads.
This is pretty much what I expected - a high emphasis on practical bikes for everyday use, similar to Dutch bike shops. They're both a world away from bike shops here in the UK, which primarily stock road racing and mountain bikes. I'm trying to get my Dutch ebike fixed at the moment and it's turning out to be a pain to find anywhere that'll even look at it!
One thing that doesnt come across the video is how small japanese streets can be. One of the funny things is when I see a small cars from my country look massive amongst other Japanese cars. 😵💫
I think you are talking about lanes between houses or housing areas, which are not main streets/roads.
Let me guess: US?
@@zam023 They are streets, the very definition of streets. Narrow streets like that (let alone roads) simply do not exist in Canada or the US, at all. Most properties have very large setbacks, and the streets themselves tend to be very wide, at least 50 feet.
There's a side street in my town in northern Canada that I ride down 4x a day to and from work, and along one short block there is a daycare, a safe home society, a small police station, a small sushi restaurant, a bank on the corner facing a main street, a shuttered business, and a house. The paved street is about 60 feet wide, has no pavement markings anywhere, rarely has any cars parked on it, has stop signs at both ends, and has a narrow sidewalk against the curb. The street is _absurdly_ wide for what it is used for.
I actually prefer the streets without sidewalks in my town, because they all have ditches and the actual pavement is a more reasonable 25ft.
OP, What is the car model and car name of the small car in my country in your comment?
@@zam023 No, most Japanese streets are "local streets". It's where the front door goes, and carries foot, bike, and (one-way) car traffic. And it's on the order of 16 feet / 5 meters wide, wall to wall.
Then the actual high traffic streets should have 4-meter wide sidewalks, carrying bikes and (possibly nervous) pedestrians.
I love that I recognize a lot of the bike brands and not a single one is known for making bikes in the US.
Too bad you can’t get similar bikes in the US and to get anywhere close to the quality you will be spending $1000usd+ .
Decent bikes have gotten sillyl, yes, or parts to improve a decent one. The middle dropped out of the market, try finding an entry-level road bike you could upgrade.
Almost all the well known brands have been made in Taiwan for decades - and to be fair the bikes shown in this shop were the equivalent of Walmart bikes. Really cheaply made with cheap components - only the road bikes looked halfway decent.
US is a market where race bikes are called road bikes
even $150CAD will get the lowest of lowest and will probably break down in no time as they are considered the "cheap" bikes, mass produced with no real care in it
@@krollpeter Only cause you have the choice between cheap crap and race spec if you want a road bike these days. It's like, 'Do you want a Kia or a Ferrari?' 'I would like a Corolla GTS.'
Nice, very interesting video !
Germany has exactly the same rules about ebikes - they only assist you while you are pedalling and stop doing it once you‘ve reached 25 km/h (15.6 m/h). Faster ebikes exist, but they need a license plate and insurance. If you don‘t need to pedal for it to move, it is not considered a bike at all.
We also have lot‘s of specialised bikes for transporting children, cargo, pets etc. Some people use specially built cargo carriers, while others have bicycle trailers that can be removed when you don‘t need them. Foldable bikes are a big thing here, too.
It is funny how the accessories you showed look so different from ours but still function the same way.
You are right the market in Japan seems is somewhat similar to the German market.
Interesting. Any Ebike requires 0 plate or insurance in Canada. I am glad as a scooter rider also in Canada, I don't require a licence but i'd be fine with getting an scooter one if something was around. I don't own or have a Class-5 (car) licence. Though I think almost all the ebikes i see being sold, are able to be used without assist. (which is MUCH prefered but they are also often referred to as mens style (flat bar from straight from seat -> handlebar area) and don't typically ever come dipped down (considered womens, and being a guy with one like this is considered laughable that you don't actually know how to use a bike that you have use a -girls- bike to actually do it)
I'm 76 and have a fairly powerful e-bike but I ride it like a normal bike in Eco mode. I ride very conservatively around pedestrians. I have a motorcycle license and rode high-powered sports bikes for many years. However, my riding bikes is just for exercise and enjoyment. No more speeding for me. I don't care if I get passed by fast cyclists. I'm in no hurry and safety is more important than speed.
Ah the cargo bikes, the bane of my existence. I really can´t stand those since, in bigger cities, they block the biking lanes, the roads and are being mostly ridden by people who can´t ride normal bikes for the life of them. The Japanese seem to have found a smarter solution.
Here in California in the rich neighborhoods there's this huge ebike culture where everyone from kids to adults have like $3000 fat tire 1000+W ebikes and ride around in biker gangs lol
I saw (when in japan) a lot of those white 3-wheel honda delivery scooters with the large box on back that pivot the front half of bike , so rider leans into corner, but rear two wheels stay upright!
I've 2 bikes, a "cheap" Japanese mamachari for errands and my beloved NJS-stamped track bike. I spent a fortune getting them shipped to Singapore.
Thats a clean & tidy bike shoppppppp
I think part of the reason for a low theft rate might be that Japan is an island, so you can't easily transport them somewhere else to sell. This also makes the registering much more effective, since otherwise people would just steal it and then resell in a different country.
I wish there is at least good public transportation in the US. Driving is so stressful and expensive.
Good video, Greg. I was on a folding bike tour of Japan in April and enjoyed it tremendously. Mine was a Brompton, and the advantage of folding bikes is that, when folded and bagged or covered, they can be taken on trains without any problem.
Brompton and Japan are like peaches and cream, especially when combined with the trains. Best travel decision I've ever made. I miss riding there so much.
You can also take any bike on the train as long as you have a bike bag and remove the wheels. I've done it thousands of times to ride in the inaka mountains from the city with my road bike. Great views, as long as you have the legs for it lol since some of the mountain roads get very steep.
OTEC-SDV founded by Noriyuki Oda of Narita, Japan a road bike or road Recumbents bicycle made in Japan. The bikes' pedal has oval motion different from other existing oval chainring.
I wonder if the company still exists?
Pretty neat. I couldn't say too much about bicycles in my area other than they are somewhat rare. Even most youth ride around on atvs. I myself still ride an old Schwinn from the 1950s that bought used from a going out of business sale at a bike repair shop 35 years ago. Only local dealer for new bicycles is wal mart, nearest real bicycle shop is about 70km from here in any direction.
I'm a short woman so it's always a pain to find bikes here in the States that are for adults instead of for kids and has girly colors & basket that works well for my height. I'm so jealous of Japan!
It would be nice if a bicycle retailer specialized in dealing small adult bikes. There is tailor company specialized in big and tall people, so whyy not for bikes, right?
The shop employee is very nice.
From Sweden here. The easy to step over bike would be considered a "lady's bike" here. Usually the way get around with kids are either one seat at the back or the danish "christiania bikes" that's like a cargo bike, recently tho the dutch cargo bikes have become popular. Other way is we connect a wagon at the back that can fit 2 kids usually. I live in a pretty big city that has a large bike culture and where I got my bike from, they offer "lifetime free service" and I've used it a couple of times over the years.
Nice. Looks like a place I would love to live.
Oh wow, I'm impressed with the tricycle, on top of leaning, it's also narrower compared to the tricycles in Australia.
Another great and interesting video. Bike price seem very reasonable. Shipping or importing probably adds considerably to the cost.
I am a big fan of any products that Are MADE IN JAPAN (power, garden tools and kitchen gadgets, I have many). Please tell that these bikes
ARE Made in Japan and Not China!?
Love all the parent oriented bikes. We're still way behind here. The service: I wonder if it's state subsidized? How can a shop sell a bike for $200 then offer free maintenance for 3 years? Also I love the senior rebate! Might work in a few more bikeable cities here.