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Cardboard bike box - where?

EspressoDan

Warming-Up
Jul 5, 2015
10
6
Hi,

My time in Tokyo is nearly up. I've acquired a new-found hatred of traffic lights (especially red ones). I had intended to sell my bike before I left the city but I'm going to try to take it with me.

Can any readers recommend a friendly bike shop that might be able to give me a used cardboard box to pack it in for the plane? Even better - any chance that you work in a bike shop and might be able to help me out?

I'm in Hatsudai, near Shinjuku / Shibuya.

I realise that I could just go and ask, but I don't speak any Japanese and thought I'd try here before I have to try to have the conversation!

Thanks,

Dan
 
And I will have loads of bubble wrap and tape. I am moving next Friday/Saturday and it currently has my spare wheels already packed in it. It came with a bike I bought secondhand. Just take of the handlebars and tape to the fork, remove seatpost, remove both wheels and it slots in. Have the polystyrene thingy for the fork but you would have to wrap the derailleur carefully. If interested you can have if you can carry it.
 
I'm planning on doing the same when I go back to the States next year—if people know of shops that will sell such boxes, please let me know!
 
They give them away. You can go to any of the big chain bike stores and ask and they will be happy to give you one that they are discarding.
 
I know I am waking up an old thread but it is relevant to my question. I will be traveling to Fukuoka shortly with the bike in a much cut down cardboard box to fit under JAL's maximum luggage size & I don't want to lug the box around for three weeks. How, as a non Japanese speaker would I go about asking at a bike shop if they have one I could take? Also, any (useful) suggestions as to how to dispose of the one I use on the way out would be good. I did think about folding it flat & asking my last hotel to store it but I think that would be unfair of me due to the length of time they would need to hold it for.
 
The asahi shop near me has them piled up outside. Sign janguage could get you one easily. My guess is the further out from central Tokyo you get the easier it will be to see them and point and wave your hands frantically, with a bit of awroplane charades chucked in for lols.
 
I did think about folding it flat & asking my last hotel to store it but I think that would be unfair of me due to the length of time they would need to hold it for.
If you are staying at the same hotel before you fly out they should be able to do it. They can only say yes or no. Fold up the box as flat as possible and take it down to the front desk with you so they see how little space it will take up.They will probably say no problem. If they say no, send it to yourself at the hotel by courier with a delivery date of the day you check back in. If you are asking for a bike box at the cycle shops you aren't familiar with have a 1,000 yen note in your hand so it looks like you aren't begging and buy a tube or something from the shop.
 
Thanks guys. I am going back to a different hotel after two and a half weeks and am only there for three nights. It's nearer the airport because I have an early flight back to Tokyo. Good tip about the 1000 Yen note, I will remember that. I need to take the remaining staples out of the test box I have & see how small I can fold it. If push comes to shove I will use my rinko with pipe lagging & bubble wrap for the return journey as I have done before.
 
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