Job Discussion Forums

[Nabby Adams]

I see a lot of folding bikes about but I never see them on the train. Their intended use surely! I have a vision of me riding my bike to the station, getting on the train, jumping off at kyoto and riding off.
Does anybody actually do this? Can you tell me if it is as easy as it sounds? What's the easiest bike out there to fold? Can a typical folder get up the hills of kyoto without the rider being Lance Armstrong?

[parrothead]

You can. I believe the "approved" method is to collapse your bike, put it into a bike carry bag, and then pay a small supplement, like 170 yen. With the folding bikes you may not have to put it into a carry bag. Best to ask at the station.

[markle]

Yes, you need to have a bag to cover the bike -I've seen a garbage bag used. Not sure about the extra fee I didn't have to pay, but I wouldn't rule it out.


As for type of bike well most folding bikes here are intended not so much to get on the train but so they can fit in a small apartment and not really the most comfortable thing to go touring on. If it's a one off trip to Kyoto then I'd get a normal mtn bike and get a big bag, wrap it up and have a pleasant ride around Kyoto.

[originaloli]

Get a decent road bike and just ride from one point to another. That's what Lance would do.

On a more serious note - ask on the message boards at Tokyo Cycling Club. They may well be able to help you or point you in the right direction. If you're not commuting though, I would avoid a folding bike like the plague. In fact, I'd avoid one full stop. I've cycled since I was 4 and I think those things are death on wheels. They're badly made, prone to breakdown (I've worked as a bike mechanic before and I find it hard to fix my mum's folder) and simply very unpleasant to ride. If you're thinking about touring, even for just one or two day breaks, get the right bike for the job. You should find a decent road bike fairly cheap and even a cheap one should run pretty nice. Further, I'd be quite surprised if the intercity trains don't let you take a bike with you. Every country I've ever visited in the world (though that's mostly civilised bike-friendly Europe) has allowed one to do that. I'd be shocked if the Japanese were any different. After all, there's a fair cycling culture there unlike say America where people will run you off the road for kicks.

I don't know a great deal about Japan but I'm an expert on bikes.

Oli

[markle]

People here ride the bike to the train but not to take it on the train. Again 90% of cycle users are students, housewives, the odd salaryman and grannies all either going to school, the train station or the shops. Very few go long distances. So really there is no call for the kind of set-up they have elsewhere vis-a-vis bikes on trains.

[Sweetsee]

I saw a guy coming out of the station the other day with a bike the size of a Razor.

[maya.the.bee]

i travel with my bike quite a bit. my 2 yen:

re: bike choice. you`ll have to carry the bike up & down stairs, the lighter the bike the easier this is.

- don`t get a folding bike. they`re heavy & have small wheels.

- don`t get a mtn bike. they`re heavy & if they have shocks, that eats alot of energy.

- do get a hybrid or a road bike. alot of gears aren`t necessary, 2 in the front is fine.

get a bike bag in which you only have to remove the front wheel (hopefully, it`s quick release or you`ll have to carry 2 15mm wrenches). practice putting your bike in it before you go to the station.

if possible, take a highway bus instead of the train. no transfers, tickets are generally cheaper & no worries about where to put the bike.

if you`re looking for routes or more info, check out kancycling.com

definitely go for it though. you`ll see alot more of the city & it`s just more fun. head over to osaka too. it`s an amazing city to cycle.

[TokyoLiz]

I've carried two different hybrid bikes in bags onto JR East trains, no problem, and simply paid an extra fare (the lowest fare on the board) for my bike. I ride middle of the day weekdays, or early on a Saturday or Sunday morning. There is no way I would want to tangle with rush hour while carrying a bike in a bag.

You'll likely be refused boarding a train without a bag over your bike.

What Maya said - make sure you practice taking the bike apart and putting it together before you try to ride the train. Front and back tire removal take me about two minutes.

www.bikely.com has lots of routes in Japan for riders of varying skill levels.

[humancartography]

hello, my name is dan. my missus made me write this post because she is angry at the poor advice (i AM a bike mechanic/sales person, who worked in japan as an english teacher) for the record, i think only one person has given wrong advice (maya-the-bee).

i don't know where the topic of touring got involved with the commute to kyoto, so i'll ignore all of the valid points about that.

a) some folding bikes are NOT heavy. bromptons, dahons, and a million other bikes weigh less than 25lbs. the biggest issue is manageable carrying size, which the brompton excels at. if i load my backpack with books, a bottle of water, an ipod and lunch it will quite probably weigh over 25lbs. if you can carry a backpack up the stairs, you can carry a folding bike. HOWEVER, you have to be willing to pay more if you want a bike that's portable, quick-folding and nice to ride. i'm talking 120,000 yen. you may or may not think that's worth it (for touring) - i personally don't care.

b) folding bikes are not terrible to ride for the (non-touring) masses. if you want to ride 1-3 miles each side of the train commute, you'll more than likely be very happy with it. doubly so if you're not a 'serious' (touring) cyclist.

c) don't use a brompton to tour. use the shinkansen.

d) if you're not asian-looking, i doubt very much you'll be challenged for carrying a briefcase-sized (non-touring) bike onto the train.

e) i could make many more points, but my pithy alphabetised remarks lose their punch after 'd)'.

thank you and good night

P.S get a brompton. you won't regret it. (unless you're touring [although i think bromptons make nice touring bikes, if you're a) rich, or b) willing to use a trailer])

P.P.S (if you want to tour on a brompton, there exists a person who actually does it, and actually writes a blog, and actually doesn't cover it in a bin-bag (garbage-bags), bike bag, or turin shroud. http://www.chrisrust.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/cycling/places/tsukuba.htm[url]

P.P.P.S - a brompton does this: [/url] http://www.brompton.co.uk/content.asp?p=185&l=1[url][/url]