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Smooth Operator
Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 140 Location: Japan
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Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 2:21 am Post subject: Half-Decent New Mountain Bike Under Y50,000? |
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So, the other day I was cycling along quite fast and the car in front of me decided to turn left suddenly (he had overshot his turn) leaving me nowhere to go. I went over his bonnet and landed on my face, luckily sustaining only a few cuts and bruises in addition to a few stiches above my lip.
He admitted 100% blame and his insurance company have been quite prompt about sorting out my damages. They are going to pay for a new mounatin bike up to Y50,000, so does anyone have any recommendations? I will be using it for town riding mostly not for any hardcore stuff. I have been looking at this one: http://item.rakuten.co.jp/ride-on/06spe015/
Cheers... |
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David W
Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 457 Location: Japan
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Smooth Operator
Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 140 Location: Japan
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Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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Cheers. Yeah, it looks pretty tasty, maybe too tasty! A nice target for theft. It's a shame that page doesn't mention weight... |
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David W
Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 457 Location: Japan
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Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 5:55 pm Post subject: |
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Smooth Operator wrote: |
Cheers. Yeah, it looks pretty tasty, maybe too tasty! A nice target for theft. It's a shame that page doesn't mention weight... |
30lbs mate, she's no lightweight. |
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Mtnkiwi
Joined: 27 Mar 2004 Posts: 67 Location: Osaka
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Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2005 11:08 pm Post subject: |
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Congrats on getting some money out of your crash, wish that happened to me more often (though can't sue the trees in Japan).
Good idea to go for a Kona or a Jamis, they are the best value bikes (specs for money) in Japan.
Atomic cycle or O-trick are good online retailers. But you might have transport costs to pay if you are in Kyushu. |
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Smooth Operator
Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 140 Location: Japan
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Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2005 4:17 am Post subject: |
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Cheers for the replies. Basically, I'm looking for something quite light with gripshifters (do all new mountain bikes have these as standard now?) and not too conspicuous... |
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markle
Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan
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Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 12:21 am Post subject: |
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Are you just using this for commuting? I would look at something without front shocks something like the Specialized Sirrus series. Those bikes shown are designed to go down the side of mountains so are a bit heavier. |
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markle
Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan
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Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 12:31 am Post subject: |
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Are you really worried about theft? I mean I've seen Cannondales locked up with the flimsiest cables. A decent D-lock shoud frightened off any theives. |
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Big John Stud
Joined: 07 Oct 2004 Posts: 513
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Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 6:15 am Post subject: |
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Jamis are great bikes. And I agree don't get front shocks if you are just going to ride around town. Front shocks make the bike too heavy.
Bike theft in Japan is a big problem. I have a cheap bike, and it got stolen the other day. The police found it. The guy stole the bike by tearing off the lock. And that was a cheap city bike.
I wouldn't leave a good mountian bike at a station. |
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guest of Japan

Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 1601 Location: Japan
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Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 11:33 am Post subject: |
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People tend to only steal the cheap bikes. |
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Smooth Operator
Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 140 Location: Japan
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Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2005 2:21 pm Post subject: |
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Well, apparently some blokes in the bigger cities go around stealing nice new bikes "to order" and resell them on auction sites.
Cheers for all the advice... |
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Big John Stud
Joined: 07 Oct 2004 Posts: 513
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Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 12:14 am Post subject: |
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Smooth Operator wrote: |
Well, apparently some blokes in the bigger cities go around stealing nice new bikes "to order" and resell them on auction sites.
Cheers for all the advice... |
I saw a documentary about the above being true! |
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abufletcher
Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 779 Location: Shikoku Japan (for now)
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Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 2:01 am Post subject: |
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Another annoying practice if for someone to steal JUST the seat of your bike. That happened to use several times with cheap bike in a small town in Kagawa. I think it's just the "furio boys" being wild -- I doubt very much if there is a gang of people trafficing in stolen seats.
But at any rate I started to lock up my seat as well (with a cable type lock) when I'd leave for several hours. |
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abufletcher
Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 779 Location: Shikoku Japan (for now)
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Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 2:03 am Post subject: |
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BTW, I notice that on the site given they list bike sizes as S and M (and sometimes L). What do such sizes mean to the typical western male? Should I be looking for an LL bike even though I wear size M clothes back in the US? |
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Smooth Operator
Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 140 Location: Japan
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Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2005 6:33 am Post subject: |
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Does anyone know how much weight shocks add to a bike?
Last edited by Smooth Operator on Tue Oct 25, 2005 6:38 am; edited 2 times in total |
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