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Buying a bike in Tokyo

Kissmedeadly

Warming-Up
Jan 8, 2011
2
0
Hey guys! Thanks for reading this~
I just moved to Tokyo to study abroad for a semester. (I'm planning on living here in the future after I graduate as well).

My trek to school is rather long and I want to buy a bike. I would normally buy it new, but I already spent way too much money, so I was wondering if there were any used bike shops around Shinagawa station, Takanawa, or Azabu? I just really don't want to ride my bike six miles back to where I live! (I'd also probably get lost...)

And after I get a bike, is there anywhere I can store it or put it until I come back (like a year or so)?? Or possibly resell it again?

Thanks so much!
 
-What kind of bike do you want?
-How much money do you want to spend?
-Do you have a credit card?

-Six miles aint a long way mate. Getting lost is the best way to get your bearings, especially in a big city like Tokyo.
 
One thing about bikes is that they tend to keep its value in Japan due to the Japanese keeping stuff in very good condition.

Best place to pick up a cheap bike is either in a Soyonara sale or classifieds.

And as Owne said , bike type and budget are important.
 
Metropolis. Craigslist. Sayonara sales. Don quiote.
I'm assuming you want a super cheap bike as you say that six miles is a lot... If you plan to spend less than 30,000 I'd say resell ... Or find a quiet place to 'abandon it temporarily'.
Sorry bike gods... *shudder* :eek:uch:
You could probably store it at a station for a two thousand yen or less a month. But if it's a nice bike it won't be secure enough and if it's a crap bike it's probably not worth the cost. :eek:
 
I didn't specify the type, because at this point it really doesn't matter. =/
Money-wise, I'm hoping around 10,000. I saw a place selling bikes new for like 24,800. I do have a credit card!
I know I could do six miles, but getting lost...is the major issue.
Where is Sayonara sale? And classifieds??
Wait, are all those online? Sorry, can you tell I never bought a bike outside of my suburban paradise. Haha! >.<
Thank you~~
 
-10,000 is only going to get you a Mama-Chari
-The reason I asked about a credit card was because I was going to suggest buying online. If you only want a 10,000yen-ish bike, it is not worth it. The shipping will be more than the price of the bike.
-Getting lost ISN'T a major issue. Do it. Getting lost in a 6 mile radius in a big city is fixable in seconds. Just ask someone in the street. What is the worst that can happen?
-Sayonara sale= Goodbye sale. Lots of people come to Japan and lots of people leave. When they leave, they need to get rid of stuff quickly. It is expensive to use disposal companies in Japan, so the best and most karmic way to get rid of stuff is to sell it on MEGA cheap to other foreigners to get rid. Have a look at metropolis.jp for people selling stuff. Like Koribeyer said also, craigslist is a good one.
-Surely you know what Classifieds are?

Good luck! If all else fails, go to a big supermarket and look around outside. They will no doubt have a place selling cheap shit Mama-Chari's for around 10,000yen.
 
I bought a couple mamacharis for 2000 yen each, plus a shopping cart from some guy named Bubbles hangin around outside the market..
 
Best Bet

Your best bet may be to wait until recycle day in your area. There is always a bike or two put out. If you are lucky, maybe you find one with gears. Take your cash, buy a couple tyres, three tubes, a patch kit, some spray lube and a pump. You will have enough left over for beer.

Once you got new rubber on the bike and oiled the chain, then you got a clunker to go the 10 km to school and best part is you can leave it in the rain, treat it like crap, if it gets ripped off, simply find a new one.

I can't seem to get a good answer on whether digging through the recycle pile is considered good form or not in Japan or is a violation of law or custom, so do this at your own risk.
 
Ok, im going to borrow this thread. I just moved here week ago, i know strange timing... Anyhow, been on a road for a while, havent got bicycle for 6 months, now i really need one. Im waiting to get my sweet Colnago Master (full campa chorus) here in summer time. But now, im looking for a bike to go around city, to get lost. What im looking for is a fixie, steel frame only. Would like to find some Japanese frame and build a bike around it or why not complete bike. 2nd hand market is fine for me, dont mind at all. And if I find something i like, my budget is around 110.000 yen.
I already visited most of these shops mentioned on this list
http://www.lfgss.com/post36665-39.html
And found nothing, well ok, punch cycles had very interesting stuff, but not for sale or beyond my budget...
If anyone knows where else i should look, let me know. And when i finally get my bike, im happy to go for a ride, i live in Shinjuku. Im 177cm myself, just incase if someone who reads this has a bike for sale.

Its my first posting to this forum, dont want to start with too many questions. Waiting to be cycling around tokyo soon !

J
 
Lots of fixies around 100k -- if you want I can show you -- my hood LBS, Beans, etc. I'm in Shinjuku, @178 cm and know the scene.
 
I know lots of fixies around 100k, but im looking for some classic style steel frame. I was hoping to find some 2nd hand keiring frame to build bike around it. All i found was very expensive collectable item keirin frames. So anyhow, if you can tell me, or show me places where to look good steel frames or complete bikes, that would be great.
 
Hi, thanks for the link, it sure looks promising. But its all japanese, and since im totally new here, i cant figure what it says. How do i find this place ?
 
Well i live in Shinjuku now, but i can go pretty much where ever, where is the best selection of bikes, as long as i have a map (google map) or something.
Thanks for the help!
 
Thanks for all the tips. Found one Peloton Keirin frame, few scratches nothing too bad, 49K asked them to keep it for me till tomorrow. Problem is, when you build bikes with passion, it always comes very expensive...
 
Those Peleton bikes are not always Keirin. Make sure you check for the NJS marking to be sure. They are really inexpensive cro-mo frames from Taiwan. So - if ur looking for something honestly Japanese - this is not it. Cycly , btw, is generally waay over priced except for the odd part or whatever that they don't know exactly. You can score some cool stuff there - but I bet over 70% of their stock you can get at same price or better - NEW.

By the way - if you want to know registered maker for Keirin bikes you can check here:

http://keirin.jp/pc/dfw/portal/guest/data/bicycle/index.html

Sometimes these shops will have used frames, too. So, if you are really interested then maybe visit a few shops.
 
I know the Peloton from Taiwan, Beans cycle had those. This Peloton im about to buy had NJS stamp at the bottom.
Been looking all over these frames, many places even more expensive. I know i might find something cheaper with the time, but, well, i want to go cycling :D
 
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