'where can I rent a road bike in Tokyo?' is a FAQ but there aren't many answers.
I was able to rent a bike in the outskirts of Tokyo in Chigasaki (1 hour from Shibuya by JR train). The place where I got my bike was called Athpa (www.athpa.net) http://goo.gl/maps/ep8Rv .
Atpha's website list the road bikes that they carry. The largest bike they carry is a size 54cm. For 2000 yen a day you get:
Bike, helment, gloves, spare tube and tire levers, bottle cage, Cateye cycle computer, mirror attached to handlebar, and I got a blinky light as well after I asked for one. I received a Felt Z100 bike that was fairly decent with Shimano 105 components. The bike had hood brakes and handlebar brakes.
For an extra 700, you get also receive a bike bag which must be used to carry the bike on Japanese trains. The shop owner gave me instructions on how to use the bike bag while I was in the shop. The bike bag is fairly large but I was able to attach it to the seattube using the straps provided. After carefully rolling the bag, the attached bag was narrow enough not to hit my crank arms.
Atpha has lockers for free. I brought a change of clothes that I left there overnight for when I returned the bike. They also have showers for 700. The showers have soap, shampoo, face wash, conditioner, lotion, cotton swabs, etc. A towel is provided with the 700 fee. After a long ride, the shower was awesome!
I brought my own clip-in shoes, helmet, water bottle, cycling kit, and pedals. The shop owner helped me install my pedals (he has a beefy pedal wrench).
I picked up the bike on Friday afternoon at 5pm (shop closes at 6 in the winter, 7 in the summer) and took the bike to my hotel in Tokyo. On Saturday morning I did a ride up Mount Takao and after all the climbing fun, I took a train straight to the shop to return the bike, take a shower, change and head back to Tokyo.
Getting the bike so far from Tokyo is a bit of a hassle but it was worth it to me. Especially for the price, 4700 yen for 2 days with bike bike bag, and another 700 for a nice shower.
The shop owner wanted to give me 2000 yen back because I only had the bike for one day and I paid for 2 days. I didn't accept it because I thought the price I paid was fair enough and I wasn't sure if he turned away other potential reservations.
The shop owner speaks English. Cash only!! No credit cards. More information here: http://www.athpa.net/topics/index4.html
I was able to rent a bike in the outskirts of Tokyo in Chigasaki (1 hour from Shibuya by JR train). The place where I got my bike was called Athpa (www.athpa.net) http://goo.gl/maps/ep8Rv .
Atpha's website list the road bikes that they carry. The largest bike they carry is a size 54cm. For 2000 yen a day you get:
Bike, helment, gloves, spare tube and tire levers, bottle cage, Cateye cycle computer, mirror attached to handlebar, and I got a blinky light as well after I asked for one. I received a Felt Z100 bike that was fairly decent with Shimano 105 components. The bike had hood brakes and handlebar brakes.
For an extra 700, you get also receive a bike bag which must be used to carry the bike on Japanese trains. The shop owner gave me instructions on how to use the bike bag while I was in the shop. The bike bag is fairly large but I was able to attach it to the seattube using the straps provided. After carefully rolling the bag, the attached bag was narrow enough not to hit my crank arms.
Atpha has lockers for free. I brought a change of clothes that I left there overnight for when I returned the bike. They also have showers for 700. The showers have soap, shampoo, face wash, conditioner, lotion, cotton swabs, etc. A towel is provided with the 700 fee. After a long ride, the shower was awesome!
I brought my own clip-in shoes, helmet, water bottle, cycling kit, and pedals. The shop owner helped me install my pedals (he has a beefy pedal wrench).
I picked up the bike on Friday afternoon at 5pm (shop closes at 6 in the winter, 7 in the summer) and took the bike to my hotel in Tokyo. On Saturday morning I did a ride up Mount Takao and after all the climbing fun, I took a train straight to the shop to return the bike, take a shower, change and head back to Tokyo.
Getting the bike so far from Tokyo is a bit of a hassle but it was worth it to me. Especially for the price, 4700 yen for 2 days with bike bike bag, and another 700 for a nice shower.
The shop owner wanted to give me 2000 yen back because I only had the bike for one day and I paid for 2 days. I didn't accept it because I thought the price I paid was fair enough and I wasn't sure if he turned away other potential reservations.
The shop owner speaks English. Cash only!! No credit cards. More information here: http://www.athpa.net/topics/index4.html