What's new

Road Cyclist visiting Tokyo - May-August

Minnman

Warming-Up
Jan 28, 2011
3
0
Greetings,

I'm a road cyclist from the States who will be spending 3 months (early May-early August) at the University of Tokyo. I very much want to ride while I'm there, but I have a few questions.

1. It will cost me US$400 to take a bike with me on the plane. And if I were to fly with it, somehow I can't see dealing with all my luggage+ a boxed up bike on the Narita Express. It seems like a better plan to buy a modest (steel or Al road) bike (<$US1000) while I'm there and sell it before I leave. Any advice about where to buy a bike and how to sell it before I go – particularly for someone who speaks no Japanese?

(I'm 5'10" (178 cm) tall and I normally ride 56 cm frames. It shouldn't be a problem finding the right sized frame, should it?)

2. I won't have a car – is it possible to get on the street in central Tokyo and ride oneself out of town to some rideable roads or trails? From reading the BBS, it sounds like people get on the subways/trains with their bikes?

3. I'd love to find some group rides on weekends, weekday early mornings, or evenings. Ideal rides would be anything between 50 and 150 km, average speeds of ~25-32 km/hour (on a flat course). Significant, but not extreme climbing would also be great.

4. Any other advice would be most welcome. Including warnings about how hot it's going to be.

I'll be living in a U. Tokyo guest house near the Bunkyo-ku campus
 
Fly ANA and the bike is only counted as luggage.
You can store some luggage at the airport and return next day to get it/ride home. Or have your other luggage shipped from the airport to your guest house (3000 yen- ish)

Welcome!
 
Welcome

Good to know that someone is coming in my university... though I don't live on campus, I do come daily there and we can go on some rides and I can show you some places in around Tokyo.

Which department are you in?
 
Good to know that someone is coming in my university... though I don't live on campus, I do come daily there and we can go on some rides and I can show you some places in around Tokyo.

Which department are you in?

I'll be at the Earthquake Research Institute, also on the Bunkyo-ku campus. Hope to see you there!
 
Fly ANA and the bike is only counted as luggage.
You can store some luggage at the airport and return next day to get it/ride home. Or have your other luggage shipped from the airport to your guest house (3000 yen- ish)

Welcome!

Flying ANA is, unfortunately, not an option. but storing and shipping sounds like it might be a good idea....I'll look in to it, thanks.
 
I live directly next to the Tokyo University campus and will riding out to the mountains nearly every weekend while you're here. Generally the rides will be 150-200km which is a bit farther than you've indicated you're looking for, but I thought I'd put it out there nonetheless.
 
arriving at narita with bike

When I moved to Japan back in 2004, I had a bike box together with our other family luggage. We just handed the bike box to the same "takuhai" delivery services that many people use here for their big suitcases. It is delivered the next morning to your residence. I think the cost is about 3000 yen for the bike box -- an extra 1000 yen or a bit more over the charge for a normal suitcase. No hassle.
 
Taking your bike to Japan

When a friend and I toured Japan in Sept/Oct of last year, we flew via Air Canada from Vancouver and it only cost $50 for my bike box each way. From Narita, we took the Keisei Skyliner to Ueno Station which is close to Tokyo University so you could probably take a taxi to your lodging from the station. For riding out of Tokyo, it was fairly easy to get from Ueno to the Arakawa river which is lined with a bike path and will get you out of the city. It's always good to have your own bike especially when you do lots of climbing and Japan has lots of mountains.:)
 
Back
Top Bottom