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Meadow

Warming-Up
May 27, 2014
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Hi everyone my name is Nathan and I am currently living in Ota-ku, Tokyo. I used to be into mountain biking back in my home country years ago but here in Japan I only have a mamachari which I have started to take for some long rides. I have done several 30km rides around town and in the last month I have done a 80ish km ride to Kamakura and a 100ish km ride to Takaosan which were fantastic. Because of this I have been itching to get a proper road bike for the first time which lead me to googling for some cycling clubs where I found out about TCC.

Hopefully over the coming months I will be able to meet some people here around town :)

If anyone does have some good recommendations for a beginner in Tokyo who is after gear and good day trip ideas please do not hesitate to let me know :)
 
HI Nathan. At Half Fast Cycling we organise regular 30 km beginner rides starting from Roppongi Hills. And more.
 
Half Fast looks good thank you for the recommendation. Once I pick up a bike (after I get a new job) I will hit you guys up.

Might be kinda of a silly question but how do you normally transport your bikes to the meeting spot? I would assume you ride them but more curious if the meeting spot is far away etc
 
I will have to have a good read through the wiki tomorrow. Never seen anyone taken a bike on a train here before so didn't really cross my mind. But those bags would make it a lot easier etc.
 
Cheers for the pictures. They look like a pain to carry around... would hate to come across a packed train ahahah

Just curious how many people normally attend the Half Fast days?
 
They look like a pain to carry around... would hate to come across a packed train ahahah
Really not a pain to carry around, unless you're trying to change trains in 2 minutes with 15 people. We don't go anywhere on weekday rush hours, of course. An hour on a train can get you right out of the grey stuff and into the green.
Just curious how many people normally attend the Half Fast days?
Between 2 and 52. Que sera sera. The only time we ask for numbers is when there's money and actual reservations (e.g. an overnight ferry) involved. Otherwise we try to keep it as simple and stress-free as possible. Join the ride if you can. If you can't, don't worry. There will always be other rides.
 
Really not a pain to carry around, unless you're trying to change trains in 2 minutes with 15 people. We don't go anywhere on weekday rush hours, of course. An hour on a train can get you right out of the grey stuff and into the green.

Between 2 and 52. Que sera sera. The only time we ask for numbers is when there's money and actual reservations (e.g. an overnight ferry) involved. Otherwise we try to keep it as simple and stress-free as possible. Join the ride if you can. If you can't, don't worry. There will always be other rides.

The rides sound perfect. Currently looking for a bike now so hopefully I will be able to come a long in a month or so.

Saw a couple of guys carrying their bikes on the train the other day. Actually looked pretty small and easy.
 
I have been looking around at bike shops mainly Y's Road as they have happened to be in the areas I have been recently. However I am pretty unsure about what to go with... was wondering if anyone had some good suggestions on the following or alternatives.

Giant Defy 4 ¥82,800
Trek 1.1 ¥85,000 (went to the Trek store to see if I could test ride but they didn't have any stock)

BH Zaphire Sora ¥68,600 (this bike looked pretty small, so not sure if they have a bigger size or not)
Cannondale (couldn't see a model number but was sexy and yellow) ¥113,334

So far from what I can tell and from the shop assistant the Trek 1.1 seems like the best option. Sadly it comes in white and not really a pretty looking bike compared to the Cannondale however I don't really want to spend more than ¥90k. I have looked around on the internet and saw some videos but I haven't really found any good reviews and my limited knowledge isn't helping. I am also open to second hand bikes if in mint condition if anyone knows of good shops around etc?

Any suggestions/help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
 
Any of those bikes will do you fine for general road riding. Low end Shimano components that these bikes come with actually work great. Just get whatever fits you best. If you happen to be on the taller side Trek seems to import larger sizes to Japan that other companies don't.
Also, if you want to tour / commute / carry a lot of stuff get something with provisions for racks and mud guards and wider tires. The Giant and Trek seem to have those.
 
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Any of those bikes will do you fine for general road riding. Low end Shimano components that these bikes come with actually work great. Just get whatever fits you best. If you happen to be on the taller side Trek seems to import larger sizes to Japan that other companies don't.
Also, if you want to tour / commute / carry a lot of stuff get something with provisions for racks and mud guards and wider tires. The Giant and Trek seem to have those.


Thanks for the feed back. Thankfully I am not too tall about 175cm tall from memory. I might end up going for the Defy 4 since it is black and red... ahahah Either way I guess no matter what bike I get from those it will be fine as I mainly want to do day rides etc.

@Musashi13 the guy I spoke to at the Shinjuku Y'sRoad mentioned a discount for buying lots at once, bike, helmet etc etc I will definitely ask before I say I will buy.

Going to try and check out a bike shop called Grove tomorrow.
 
I saw that the other day but unfortunately isn't exactly what I am looking for.
 
Welcome to TCC! I often help people find the right bike for them and ergonomically position them to their bikes. Check out my website www.cyclefitjapan.com and contact me if you need help beyond what is given here on the forums. Mike and the Half fast crew sound like a good run to get acquainted with riding in Japan and Tim from GS Astuto has rental bikes too if you want to ride soon and not jump the gun on a bike that was convenient (it was your size in the shop the pretty girl works at etc.). Take your time choosing the right bike as it is an investment that will return in dividends if you stick with the sport. Used bikes pop up all the time in the classified sections here are I've yet to see anything that wasn't a better deal then paying full keystone at a retail establishment.
 
I saw that the other day but unfortunately isn't exactly what I am looking for.
Welcome to TCC! I often help people find the right bike for them and ergonomically position them to their bikes. Check out my website www.cyclefitjapan.com and contact me if you need help beyond what is given here on the forums. Mike and the Half fast crew sound like a good run to get acquainted with riding in Japan and Tim from GS Astuto has rental bikes too if you want to ride soon and not jump the gun on a bike that was convenient (it was your size in the shop the pretty girl works at etc.). Take your time choosing the right bike as it is an investment that will return in dividends if you stick with the sport. Used bikes pop up all the time in the classified sections here are I've yet to see anything that wasn't a better deal then paying full keystone at a retail establishment.

Thanks for the link. I will have a good look later today.
 
Finally got my bike! Ended up getting a Cannondale Caad8 7 Sora. Rode it home tonight and it was soooooo much fun. I really can't wait to get out for a bigger ride on it. However... giving it a clean just before I noticed that the front tire was flat. It had a small bit of metal sticking into it (looks like half a staple).

Just wondering if anyone has a good recommendation for better more durable tires which don't cost a fortune?
 
Panaracer Stradius Elite, 26mm, have been fantastic for me. Rode them over all sorts last year and they held up excellently.
Little heavy, though, if you're keen on lightweight stuff (I now use a lighter Panaracer tire).

I got mine for about 2000yen each, so may be worth having a look around for the best price.
 
Finally got my bike! Ended up getting a Cannondale Caad8 7 Sora. Rode it home tonight and it was soooooo much fun. I really can't wait to get out for a bigger ride on it. However... giving it a clean just before I noticed that the front tire was flat. It had a small bit of metal sticking into it (looks like half a staple).

Just wondering if anyone has a good recommendation for better more durable tires which don't cost a fortune?
http://item.rakuten.co.jp/thepowerful/race-a-evo2/
These are fast, tough and relatively light. Free shipping over 5000 yen, too.
 
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