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Where you can and cannot take your bike.

dryh2o

Warming-Up
Apr 5, 2008
12
0
Hello, I am currently living in Seattle, WA and I am moving to Japan this fall for college.

In Seattle most of the busses have a bike rack on the front of the bus that you can use to carry your bike and so I was wondering what the situation is like in Japan. Are there bike rikes on busses in Japan? What about trains/ shinkansen?

Thanks in advance.
 
I don't believe you can...........

take your bike on buses in Japan and I've never seen a rack on the front of them either.
However,as long as you bag it,you can take your bike on any train in Japan.You're supposed to buy a special ticket for your bike,but nobody does and in many cases the station staff don't know what you're talking about when you ask for one!

Hope you have a good time in Japan.
 
Thanks Forsbrook for your reply but I have one question: what do you mean by bagging your bike?
 
Hello, I am currently living in Seattle, WA and I am moving to Japan this fall for college.

In Seattle most of the busses have a bike rack on the front of the bus that you can use to carry your bike and so I was wondering what the situation is like in Japan. Are there bike rikes on busses in Japan? What about trains/ shinkansen?

Thanks in advance.

I hope someone will correct me, if I'm wrong, but the answers are no bike racks on buses and trains require the bicycle to be "disassembled and placed in a bicycle carrying bag, or ...if a folding bicycle... folded and placed in a bicycle carrying bag."
 
Thanks Prieten for the reply.

Man thats kind of sad news, at least here if something goes terribly wrong I know I can always bus home, but I guess it will be a different situation in Japan.
 
Rinko!

Search the forum for "rinko" which is shorthand Japanese for bike bag. As long as you can work a wheel quick release that's all the disassembly you need to do. Rinkos are light enough to carry with you, pack to fit in a water-bottle cage and come with a stuff-sack to keep them tidy.
If you're really stuck you can buy some rubbish bags and tape at a Combini and cobble together a single-use rinko.
I never felt the need to use the buses - slower in Tokyo than just riding your bike. The trains were useful for point-to-point rides and to get out of the city.
 
While We're on the Subject of Rinko Bags...

AlanW, you made the original comments about rinko, so I am aiming my questions at you. I'm sure others will also respond.

I want to purchase a rinko, and I have found models of varying size, weight & cost (between 5,500 - 8,500 yen).

1) What are the better brands of rinko?
2) What are the necessary features of a good rinko?
3) What brands are recommended most highly ,and why?
4) Where are the best places to buy them?

The next questions deal with usage.

1) What do you do with the bag when arrive at your destination? E.g. do you carry it with you on the bike (or in a backpack), or do you rent a coin locker at the station? The bags I've looked at seem to weight a pound or two, and fold into stuff sacks that are slightly larger than a bottle cage would hold.

2) Do you wear your clipless shoes on the train, or do you carry other shoes? Also, what else do you carry with you in terms of clothing, food & tools when you travel by train to a ride location?

As you can tell, I am completely green & can do with all the advice people can offer.

Cheers, and see you on the platforms!
Andrew
 
I wear my shoes on the train and if I'm using my speedplay pedals I have rubber covers that click over the cleats. I think you can get rubber covers for Shimano cleats but have never seen them and they are not too bad to walk around on for short distances). Once I took a spare pair of shoes but in hindsight they were too much excess luggage.
My MTB has flat cleats so you can walk around with no problem, I think Travis uses those pedals all the time. Like these http://bike.shimano.com/publish/con...roduct.-code-PD-M520-S.-type-pd_mountain.html
I also put my rinko in a small 'bum' bag that is crammed with my spare tube, levers, tool, coins, and whatever else I can cram into it.

I hate catching the train with my bike though and if possible I'll ride to the destination/home rather than pack and unpack everything (or take my car if it's too far or time is lacking).
 
AlanW, you made the original comments about rinko, so I am aiming my questions at you. I'm sure others will also respond.

I want to purchase a rinko, and I have found models of varying size, weight & cost (between 5,500 - 8,500 yen).

1) What are the better brands of rinko?
2) What are the necessary features of a good rinko?
3) What brands are recommended most highly ,and why?
4) Where are the best places to buy them?

The next questions deal with usage.

1) What do you do with the bag when arrive at your destination? E.g. do you carry it with you on the bike (or in a backpack), or do you rent a coin locker at the station? The bags I've looked at seem to weight a pound or two, and fold into stuff sacks that are slightly larger than a bottle cage would hold.

2) Do you wear your clipless shoes on the train, or do you carry other shoes? Also, what else do you carry with you in terms of clothing, food & tools when you travel by train to a ride location?

As you can tell, I am completely green & can do with all the advice people can offer.


Cheers, and see you on the platforms!
Andrew

Hi Andrew. Let me answer these questions as best I can.

(1) Better brands: Many TCC members use Ostrich rinkos.
(2) Necessary features: Look for a strap. Apart from that, the question becomes how much do you want to disassemble your bike before using. I have one that requires both wheels off and the saddle down. Frankly, this is a bit of a hassle. I'd suggest trying for one that only needs the front wheel off, provided it also has a strap. Also, I've seen them with drawstrings rather than zips, and this looks pretty convenient.
(3) Recommended brands: See 1. Don't think you could look for a better endorsement than that.
(4) Where to buy: I bought mine at Ys Road Akasaka. Expect you can get them at any good bike shop.
(1)(b) How to stash etc: Depends on how energetic you're feeling. You can put it in the back of your jersey or in a backpack if not in a bottle cage. I always put mine in a locker at the station. This means you have to make it back to the station. This and this alone has got me back to my starting point on more than one occasion.
(2)(b) TCC best practice varies here. I am an over-packer, so I bring extra clothes and shoes, a personal valet and bearers, etc (one never knows!). Makes fitting it all in the locker a challenge. Many others bring nothing other than what they will take on the road and ride the train in their tap shoes and lycra. Requires exceptional self-confidence.

Hope this helps.

Ben
 
Just to add to Ben's comment on where to purchase a rinko bag. I got mine (one where you have to take both front and back wheels off) at Tokyu Hands.
 
Thanks for the Advice!

Ben, Edogawakikkoman & Richy152,

Thanks, guys, for the really helpful posts! I feel I can safely go ahead and get a rinko and get out and about. Getting good advice up front is so crucial, as I have made a number of gaffs by going ahead and buying something without asking enough questions first.

Don't have a valet, Ben, but I'm afraid the butler will have to stay at home; he's not very adventurous, and his ticker's a bit dodgy these days (been in the family a long time, so can't sack the old codger)!

Now, all I need to get riding again is for those bloody wheels I ordered from Y's Road (Shinjuku) A MONTH AGO to get here...

Cheers,
Andrew
 
Carrying the Rinko

Not much to add here, except that both Ostrich rinkos I have came with a stuff-sack which is about water-bottle sized. The outside of the stuff-sacks have a small strap that you can, for example, use to clip the bag under the saddle (1950s style) if your bottle cages are full.

Bonnes voyages,
AW.
 
Just to add to the conversation, here is something I wrote after a recent ride:

"The new Tioga bike bag I used for the train ride home was a smashing success. Never before has bagging a bike been this easy. Just pop off the front wheel, stick the sucker in the bag and zip it up. Easy peasy."

http://www.cb-asahi.co.jp/image/kaigai/tioga/bar012.html

I also have an Ostrich, their lightest-weight version, which requires both wheels to be removed as well as a special metal device to protect the rear derailleur. I never really felt comfortable with it -- I always felt like I was going to damage my bike (like bend the derailleur or tweak a spoke due to my poor packing skillz) -- but with the Tioga, I'm now unafraid to hop on a train. Mind you, The Tioga takes up a little more space because the rear wheel is still attached.

I picked up the Tioga bag at the Ys shop in Jimbocho/Kanda, BTW. Last time I was there, I didn't see any in stock, so if you're curious, you might want to call a Ys in advance to see which outlet has them.

EDIT: Though not exactly ultra-compact, I can and have rolled it up and stuffed it in my jersey pocket, obviating the need for a locker. Oh, and although the instructions call for removing the pedals when bagging the bike, this is unnecessary.

Deej
 
how popular are folding bikes in Japan? Would it be viable to get a folding bike to use for travel in the city when you have to use trains? or does a road bike with a rinko work just fine?
 
I think you'll have to bag the bike to get on the train, even if it's a folding one. Have never seen an un-rinkoed bike on a train here myself. I see plenty of folding bikes on the street though. B
 
Y's Road Shinjuku - I feel for you. A friend of mine ordered a bike from there and it took 5 MONTHS to receive it. No exaggeration.

I try to make a habit of going to Nalsima Friend, especially the one in Harajuku. Friendly and knowledgable staff, and the cheapest prices I have found in Japan. They have a good selection in stock as well.

Danny


Ben, Edogawakikkoman & Richy152,

Thanks, guys, for the really helpful posts! I feel I can safely go ahead and get a rinko and get out and about. Getting good advice up front is so crucial, as I have made a number of gaffs by going ahead and buying something without asking enough questions first.

Don't have a valet, Ben, but I'm afraid the butler will have to stay at home; he's not very adventurous, and his ticker's a bit dodgy these days (been in the family a long time, so can't sack the old codger)!

Now, all I need to get riding again is for those bloody wheels I ordered from Y's Road (Shinjuku) A MONTH AGO to get here...

Cheers,
Andrew
 
Sympathies

Danny,

My sincerest sympathies to your friend! I must learn to be as patient - after all, I've only waited for 5 weeks. For Shimano wheels. Thought they were a Japanese company. Wheels probably made at their factory on the moon...

Let's hope they arrive tomorrow as promised (the second promise, that is).:mad:

By the way, what bike did your friend order that takes 5 months to build/ship?

Happy Golden Week,
Andrew
 
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