Job Discussion Forums

milesdenman · Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Posts: 42

Hi, I'm moving to Japan soon, and would like to get into bicycle touring.
Could anybody point me in the right direction of where i might be able to find more information on this subject, or if there are any bike enthusiasts on this forum.
Does anybody know of a good bike shop in Kobe?

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Ride on Miles,
Don't know about Kobe but you might try outdoorjapan.com.
Enjoy,
s

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

There is a lot of mountain biking here but not so much touring among the expat community. Plenty of Japanese do it though.
I myself am intending to get a touring bike and start doing trips in the summer. Japan is so mountainous that people get put off the idea of long trips here.
Bike shops here either tend to be high end or really basic so it can be quite expensive.

TokyoLiz · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1548 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Check out -

http://cycle-tokyo.cycling.jp/

http://www.japancycling.org/v2/cguide/part1/

http://www.tokyocycle.com/

Markle, don't be put off! There are so many different kinds of terrain in Japan.

I do day trips on a cheap mountain bike. You can take your bike on JR trains if the bike is disassembled and in a bag. I've done this a few times to get out of urban sprawl and into countryside.

Why not join the locals for touring?

milesdenman · Joined: 16 Mar 2006 Posts: 42

Thanks for the replies. If anyone is interested there's a lady called Jozie Dew who has written about her biking through Japan. Haven't read them myself yet, but my friend said they're pretty good.

sallycat · Joined: 11 Mar 2006 Posts: 303 Location: behind you. BOO!

i read them. ok if you haven't been to japan (or if you are purely interested in the cycling part). long-tern residents of japan are unlikely to find them insightful.

japancube · Joined: 30 Jul 2005 Posts: 26 Location: Australia

Go for it. I spent 4 weeks this summer ridnig all over Honshu and it was wonderful. What type of bike will you be touring?
You will find your biggest challenges:

1. The freakin mountains. They are big, steep, and frequent.

2. The cost. It's expensive to stay in hotels and inns.

3. The roads. The roads here are narrow and not clean of debris. However, I found that the motorists are good at avoiding you.

4. Depending on the time of year the heat can be brutal

If you are looking for some good routes you can ask me and do what I can. By the way, where are you thinking about touring, as in what region?

Good luck, cube

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan