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.
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.
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).
@@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
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.
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%.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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 😊😊😊😊
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.
One of the few things i didn't like in japan was how bikes rode on the sidewalk! Bikes would almost run into me many times because the sidewalk is narrow, or i could feel it right behind me and feel like i was in the way. I also noticed japanese people never use the bell, so sometimes i would be in the way without even knowing.
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?
Doing a bike tour through Japan is one of my bucket list goals for sure! Great video. I'd love to see a more nuanced look at road cyclists. Are mountain bikes not popular there at all? I noticed the total lack, since here in Canada, an mtb is probably the most ubiquitous type of bike.
I loved seeing all the bikes for transporting babies. It’s almost like what car seats are like, here in North America. I think the best way to improve cycling rates/bike culture is to normalise it with your children from an early age. I always enjoy seeing families cycling where I live.
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!
Well done Japan. Throttle assist bikes are 100% electric motorcycles (moped in the UK) regardless of their top speed. Delivery riders over here regularly derestrict their self built ebikes and are capable of 40+ mph.
I was wondering if those local brand bikes in Japan were made locally nowadays. I gather they were made in China and shipped to Japan to make the price affordable.
Hello, I am visually impaired and looking forward to visiting Japan soon. I enjoy your videos a lot. I have a small request: would it be possible for you to dub over the Japanese voices so I can understand what they are saying? I know there are English captions available, but my screen reader struggles to read them effectively. Sometimes it seems like you might explain what was said later in the video, but your explanations are often shorter than the original Japanese dialogue. I'm concerned I might be missing out on important details. Nevertheless, I appreciate how descriptive you are, which is why I enjoy listening to your videos. Thank you.
Thanks for sharing this! I wondered what kinds of bikes Japanese shops carried. I am surprised that the mama chari bikes use the older style of rim brakes (side pull, single pivot).
For city riding at relatively low speed those brakes are more than adequate. The key is keeping cost down, keeping parts extremely simple all while keeping the parts extremely reliable....aka not disc brakes lol.
@@2WheelsGood.01 totally, most types of rim brakes are adequate for casual riding no matter the age. It's when things are wet that their braking power drops.
Yes, I am a professional bike mechanic and I love to learn how other mechanics do things and want to learn new tips and technique or others hidden gems that I did not know about before. That's why we are there... To learn more and appreciate! Cheers! 😁
I remember when Yamaha introduced the PAS drive. I thought it sounded brilliant, and I wanted so badly to ride one. I expected to feel like a cyborgenic cyclist who would fear no hill. Today the mid-drive, torque sensor controlled electric drive concept (different than the hub drive on the front wheel of the tricycle) is now widely deployed by many manufacturers, with even greater power and range, at lower cost.
Isn't it nice if the students feel safe enough cycling to school that they don't need their helmet. You wouldn't see that e.g. in London where everybody is just afraid of the many dangerously driving motorists.
Where are bikes like where i am from? .. I think people mostly use mountain bikes here (or rather gravel bikes .. so mountain bikes with narrower tires and sometimes a lower handlebar). Havent seen many dutch style bikes / mom bikes. E-bikes (pedel assist) have become much, MUCH more popular lately .. like everywhere in Europe, i think .. and i have seen a lot more dutch style Bakfiets , too - usually the front cargo type. We also get lots of tourists that ride their bikes here .. all sorts - often gravel, some road bikes and mountain bikes, too. Personally i have not been riding the rural landscape like many tourists, nor have i done long range riding on a trek bike. I guess its nice .. guess its nice, but there is a lot of ascending (and i hate riding uphill)
Interesting video! Only bad thing I would point out is the sexism in kid's bikes, which to me makes no sense. Here in spain the use of bikes is not as extensive (specially in cities) as it should, so the offer may not be so big. In the east of the country the bikes for roads are more used to do mountain routes, in small or big groups
WHEN OUR MINDSET CHANGES,ALMOST EVERYTHING AROUND US CAN BE READY TO COMBINE TOGETHER THEN IT CAN BECOME POWERFUL. 当我们的心态改变时，我们周围的几乎所有事物都可以准备好结合在一起，然后变得强大。 RULES ARE ACTUALLY GIVING US A TEST TO IMPROVE OURSELVES HOW BEST WE CAN BE IN LIFE. 规则实际上是在考验我们，让我们在生活中如何做到最好。
"we will give you $50 to give up your license" they should give a all you can ride ticket for the trains and public transit for 5 years, along with ineligibility to get a new driver's license for 3 years.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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
@@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.
7:10 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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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 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)
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 😁
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.
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!?
Can I just say that throttle bicycle, not Pedal Assisted, is a dumbed down motorcycle? I live in San Francisco and I see so many of those throttle bikes on bicycle lanes and sometimes sidewalks.
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?
it's funny that he mentioned people buying bianchi to stand out because bianchi is.. ridiculously expensive. giant is known to be a very high quality, inexpensive (comparatively) brand.
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.
We Japanese have been trained since childhood to feel a physical aversion when we steal something from someone else, but this doesn't work for bicycles. I find that strange. Why is that? Maybe the pleasure of driving outweighs the discomfort of stealing?
Transporting bikes on the train is NOT prohibited. There are designated spots on the train to hang your bicycle on. Done that a thousand times all over Japan.
My exact words were "While transporting a bike on a train is generally prohibited, if you have a compact bike in a bike bag, then they are considered no different than other luggage and you're basically allowed." Are you going on some special train like the B.B.Base? If you go to the JR East Website, this is what they say (translated from Japanese to English) "Bicycles used for cycling or sports competitions must be disassembled and stored in a special bag, or foldable bicycles must be folded and stored in a special bag."
Actually, this looks like a very good link explaining bike transportation on trains with a lot of good pictures bike-plus.com/pages/attention-bringing-bike-to-train
The idea in the west that everything they use is "the best, most innovative most intelligently designed" is thrown down the toilet by a simple tour of this bike shop.. The service being free for three years is incomprehensible in the West.. sad but true
@@bruin730 As someone who owns 2 Spacialized SL4 Carbon Road bikes, with 50mm and 40mm Full Carbon wheels, Shimano and Sram Groupsets and 1 Cargo Ebike, and have happily spent tens of thousands on a variety of bikes in the last 25 years I believe I have a valid perspective. The variety of bikes and equipment in Japanese bike shops are UNKNOWN in North America..Get on your bike or in your case tricycle Fluffy😅
I wonder how Dutch style cargo (style) bikes would fare in Japan. Both for transporting children or actual grosseries. I can see it work very well. the other bikes do look very tiny for my Dutch standard. Like we prefer taller bikes.
In the USA most our shops are decked out with high end racers, and MTB's. Don't think I've ever seen a bike set up at a shop to carry 2 kids. I've bike commuted my whole life in the USA, and they don't make it easy.
Because most parts of the US don't have the bicycle infrastructure to justify selling commuter bikes. What America does have is lots of roads and offroad trails.
first off, its very different from canada because japan, everything is every close to together. Riding a bike to anywhere is a sound plausible thing to do. In canada, it aint
5:48 This would be so great here, people zoom around on electric motorcycle "e bikes" at ridiculous speeds on pedestrian/bike paths with no licensure or registration whatsoever
I'm in California and it seems like most of the kids around here ride E-bikes or E-scooters that go 25MPH+. My neighbor's kids across the street are in Elementary school and got electric karts that go just as fast. I had BMX, mountain, and city bikes, the mountain bike was my favorite. I'd love to get an E-bike but the cost is too much right now.
As long as E-bikes don't go beyond regulated speed, I encourage people to use bicycle of all kinds as everyday chores outside of house. Also I think CA should pass the Mandatory license plate for throttle E-bikes in CA. Pedal Assist is ok, but throttle is literally motorcycle with pedals. I say this because I see so many delivery guys using throttle E-bikes for their work. Faster the vehicle, more dangerous it gets. I crashed my bike two times, so I know.
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.
$100 for a bike is SO cheap, damn. edit: 4:57 wow, an e-bike with a belt-drive, for only $800... i'm in germany and would probably pay at least $1500 for that.
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.
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
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).
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.
as a massive bike fan, im grateful you made this. Thankyou so much.
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.
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%.
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.
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...
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.
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.
More reason for me to envy life in Japan. These kind of things I long for to have in our country, the PH 🇵🇭.
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 😂
i’ve been watching your videos for over 7 years now, i love how informative they are! i dream to visit japan someday
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 😊😊😊😊
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.
Love Japan all the times!
An at store bike registration? So crazy, it's like if we treat bike theft seriously it can actually be managed.
Japan is just so resourceful
I wish I could get one of those two kid carriers over in the US. I loved seeing them everywhere in Tokyo.
One of the few things i didn't like in japan was how bikes rode on the sidewalk! Bikes would almost run into me many times because the sidewalk is narrow, or i could feel it right behind me and feel like i was in the way. I also noticed japanese people never use the bell, so sometimes i would be in the way without even knowing.
Thank you very much for this fantastic video ! Many greetings from germany...
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?
Doing a bike tour through Japan is one of my bucket list goals for sure! Great video. I'd love to see a more nuanced look at road cyclists.
Are mountain bikes not popular there at all? I noticed the total lack, since here in Canada, an mtb is probably the most ubiquitous type of bike.
I loved seeing all the bikes for transporting babies. It’s almost like what car seats are like, here in North America. I think the best way to improve cycling rates/bike culture is to normalise it with your children from an early age. I always enjoy seeing families cycling where I live.
Japan is beautiful
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!
Well done Japan. Throttle assist bikes are 100% electric motorcycles (moped in the UK) regardless of their top speed. Delivery riders over here regularly derestrict their self built ebikes and are capable of 40+ mph.
As a teenager, we all thought mountain bike was the coolest bike
As an adult with children, we realize mama chari is the way 😂
That's a very clean store. In the US the shops are all cluttered and dirty. They also have a huge inventory of different stuff.
Real estate prices in the US are brutal hence our small shops. Cleanliness isn't really valued in the US either
I have never been to a bike shop that is cluttered and messy aside from the non-profit community run shop I volunteer at
I was wondering if those local brand bikes in Japan were made locally nowadays. I gather they were made in China and shipped to Japan to make the price affordable.
NGL, the mama bike has HUGE cargo carrying capacity!!
Hello, I am visually impaired and looking forward to visiting Japan soon. I enjoy your videos a lot.
I have a small request: would it be possible for you to dub over the Japanese voices so I can understand what they are saying? I know there are English captions available, but my screen reader struggles to read them effectively.
Sometimes it seems like you might explain what was said later in the video, but your explanations are often shorter than the original Japanese dialogue. I'm concerned I might be missing out on important details.
Nevertheless, I appreciate how descriptive you are, which is why I enjoy listening to your videos. Thank you.
Brother cameo!
Thanks for sharing this! I wondered what kinds of bikes Japanese shops carried. I am surprised that the mama chari bikes use the older style of rim brakes (side pull, single pivot).
For city riding at relatively low speed those brakes are more than adequate. The key is keeping cost down, keeping parts extremely simple all while keeping the parts extremely reliable....aka not disc brakes lol.
@@2WheelsGood.01 For a lot of purposes, disc brakes are adding rotational mass you may not want. Last I saw they still make racing side-pull brakes.
@@OllamhDrab yup, I still ride with rim brakes on my road bike. Never failed me.
@@2WheelsGood.01 totally, most types of rim brakes are adequate for casual riding no matter the age. It's when things are wet that their braking power drops.
Yes, I am a professional bike mechanic and I love to learn how other mechanics do things and want to learn new tips and technique or others hidden gems that I did not know about before. That's why we are there... To learn more and appreciate! Cheers! 😁
Mama chari would be called a ‘beach cruiser’ in much of the US.
I have seen every episode of Cycling Around Japan on the NHK app.
Did you just compare Canada to Japan at the end? lol it’s like night and day. Canada is moving backwards while Japan is moving forward
I remember when Yamaha introduced the PAS drive. I thought it sounded brilliant, and I wanted so badly to ride one. I expected to feel like a cyborgenic cyclist who would fear no hill. Today the mid-drive, torque sensor controlled electric drive concept (different than the hub drive on the front wheel of the tricycle) is now widely deployed by many manufacturers, with even greater power and range, at lower cost.
9% to 13% is nearly a 50% increase on helmet usage and massively significant.
Have they constructed a huge ramp just to disable 2/3 of it? 12:18
man i wanna live at a place where i can ride a bicycle.
Does dia compe still make a rear derailleur? If they did they could rule the mechanical groupset.
The rebate program for seniors is a wonderful idea.
Love japan. Service and professionalism.
Isn't it nice if the students feel safe enough cycling to school that they don't need their helmet. You wouldn't see that e.g. in London where everybody is just afraid of the many dangerously driving motorists.
Where are bikes like where i am from? .. I think people mostly use mountain bikes here (or rather gravel bikes .. so mountain bikes with narrower tires and sometimes a lower handlebar). Havent seen many dutch style bikes / mom bikes. E-bikes (pedel assist) have become much, MUCH more popular lately .. like everywhere in Europe, i think .. and i have seen a lot more dutch style Bakfiets , too - usually the front cargo type.
We also get lots of tourists that ride their bikes here .. all sorts - often gravel, some road bikes and mountain bikes, too. Personally i have not been riding the rural landscape like many tourists, nor have i done long range riding on a trek bike. I guess its nice .. guess its nice, but there is a lot of ascending (and i hate riding uphill)
I'd call mamacharis Dutch bikes rather than city bikes
Interesting to see what bikes and accessories are popular in a Japan bike shop. So different from what I'm used to. Great video 👍🏽🤙🏽
Interesting video! Only bad thing I would point out is the sexism in kid's bikes, which to me makes no sense. Here in spain the use of bikes is not as extensive (specially in cities) as it should, so the offer may not be so big. In the east of the country the bikes for roads are more used to do mountain routes, in small or big groups
Prices of bikes in Japan are a third of what they are in Australia.
You should get one, the shipping cost is crazy (more than the price of the bike) but it's worth it, trust me
Wow different types of bicycle 😮
WHEN OUR MINDSET CHANGES,ALMOST EVERYTHING AROUND US CAN BE READY TO COMBINE TOGETHER THEN IT CAN BECOME POWERFUL.
当我们的心态改变时，我们周围的几乎所有事物都可以准备好结合在一起，然后变得强大。
RULES ARE ACTUALLY GIVING US A TEST TO IMPROVE OURSELVES HOW BEST WE CAN BE IN LIFE.
规则实际上是在考验我们，让我们在生活中如何做到最好。
I wish the US would incentivize the elderly to give up their license.
Now go to Y's Road! X-D
Dang no Mountain bikes 😢
"These bikes are inexpensive and can be had for less than $150 USD right now"
*proceeds to show off $1500-$2000 USD bikes*
"we will give you $50 to give up your license"
they should give a all you can ride ticket for the trains and public transit for 5 years, along with ineligibility to get a new driver's license for 3 years.
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.
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.
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
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
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 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€
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.
Actually bought a bike from the Shin Koiwa store of Cycle Base Asahi years ago. Good selection and helpful & knowledgeable staff.
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.
Thank you for this. New family moving here from America. We needed this info.
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.
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.
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.
I read somewhere most bike thefts are from drunk salarymen on their way home. And it's their wives who return the bikes the day after.
I wish there is at least good public transportation in the US. Driving is so stressful and expensive.
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
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 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)
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 😁
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.
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!?
Can I just say that throttle bicycle, not Pedal Assisted, is a dumbed down motorcycle? I live in San Francisco and I see so many of those throttle bikes on bicycle lanes and sometimes sidewalks.
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?
it's funny that he mentioned people buying bianchi to stand out because bianchi is.. ridiculously expensive. giant is known to be a very high quality, inexpensive (comparatively) brand.
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.
What happened to your usual English captions? Only Japanese are available now
We Japanese have been trained since childhood to feel a physical aversion when we steal something from someone else, but this doesn't work for bicycles.
I find that strange.
Why is that?
Maybe the pleasure of driving outweighs the discomfort of stealing?
Hearing that Japanese kids don't want Giant bikes because they want foreign bikes is funny considering Giant is Taiwanese and therefore foreign
Transporting bikes on the train is NOT prohibited. There are designated spots on the train to hang your bicycle on. Done that a thousand times all over Japan.
My exact words were "While transporting a bike on a train is generally prohibited, if you have a compact bike in a bike bag, then they are considered no different than other luggage and you're basically allowed." Are you going on some special train like the B.B.Base? If you go to the JR East Website, this is what they say (translated from Japanese to English) "Bicycles used for cycling or sports competitions must be disassembled and stored in a special bag, or foldable bicycles must be folded and stored in a special bag."
Actually, this looks like a very good link explaining bike transportation on trains with a lot of good pictures bike-plus.com/pages/attention-bringing-bike-to-train
The idea in the west that everything they use is "the best, most innovative most intelligently designed" is thrown down the toilet by a simple tour of this bike shop.. The service being free for three years is incomprehensible in the West.. sad but true
The standard front dynamo/generator is rim runner..it makes zero friction when not in use and is efficient when used.. much better than europes models
No but ok
@@bruin730 As someone who owns 2 Spacialized SL4 Carbon Road bikes, with 50mm and 40mm Full Carbon wheels, Shimano and Sram Groupsets and 1 Cargo Ebike, and have happily spent tens of thousands on a variety of bikes in the last 25 years I believe I have a valid perspective. The variety of bikes and equipment in Japanese bike shops are UNKNOWN in North America..Get on your bike or in your case tricycle Fluffy😅
Yes, they really show their superiority by including stickers with the girls bikes.
That adjustable basket is neat!
i'd love that too, in germany. now I have to look it up in the internet
I wonder if Biden can get American seniors to buy a bike and give up drivers license for a $31 rebate. 😂
Two videos less than two weeks apart? You're spoiling us now.
I wonder how Dutch style cargo (style) bikes would fare in Japan. Both for transporting children or actual grosseries.
I can see it work very well.
the other bikes do look very tiny for my Dutch standard. Like we prefer taller bikes.
Well, you're taller people.
In the USA most our shops are decked out with high end racers, and MTB's. Don't think I've ever seen a bike set up at a shop to carry 2 kids. I've bike commuted my whole life in the USA, and they don't make it easy.
Because most parts of the US don't have the bicycle infrastructure to justify selling commuter bikes. What America does have is lots of roads and offroad trails.
@@Coastal_Cruzer yea no doubt. I'm gonna do some international travel soon and it's gonna be cool to see this kind of stuff.
first off, its very different from canada because japan, everything is every close to together. Riding a bike to anywhere is a sound plausible thing to do. In canada, it aint
5:48 This would be so great here, people zoom around on electric motorcycle "e bikes" at ridiculous speeds on pedestrian/bike paths with no licensure or registration whatsoever
Love your production value , really top banana - helpful thoughtful content , thanks .
I'm in California and it seems like most of the kids around here ride E-bikes or E-scooters that go 25MPH+. My neighbor's kids across the street are in Elementary school and got electric karts that go just as fast. I had BMX, mountain, and city bikes, the mountain bike was my favorite. I'd love to get an E-bike but the cost is too much right now.
As long as E-bikes don't go beyond regulated speed, I encourage people to use bicycle of all kinds as everyday chores outside of house.
Also I think CA should pass the Mandatory license plate for throttle E-bikes in CA. Pedal Assist is ok, but throttle is literally motorcycle with pedals. I say this because I see so many delivery guys using throttle E-bikes for their work. Faster the vehicle, more dangerous it gets. I crashed my bike two times, so I know.
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.
$100 for a bike is SO cheap, damn.
edit: 4:57 wow, an e-bike with a belt-drive, for only $800... i'm in germany and would probably pay at least $1500 for that.