3 speed touring in Japan

Product review - Ground Effect , Jacket & pants

2012-02-09T00:20:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone

It's pretty rare that I bother to do a product review, but after using Ground Effect cycle clothing now for over 15 years I must say that everything that I have bought from them is outstanding and as Furumachi Bicycle currently does not stock any cycle clothing I thought I'd do a review on my favorite New Zealand made Ground Effect items. First of all Ground Effect is a small New Zealand company that produces a wide range of cycle wear for road, MTB or even touring so basically they have got something for everybody. If you are looking for the latest in fluro lycra, covered with crazy logos don't bother checking out their website. But if you are like me and prefer plain colors and clothes that are made to last and manufactured in NZ. Then Ground Effect made be what you are looking for, they do not sell their products in shops but prefer to only sell their items online to save costs which in turn gives customers a good product at a reasonable price.

Ground Effect - Storm Trooper Jacket

For years I owned various waterproof, windproof & breathable cycle jackets some of them were very good and made from GoreTex but in the end they have all have started leaking and wore out far too early for the amount of money I spent on them. Last year I was in need of a good quality cycle jacket that was waterproof, windproof & breathable so I consulted several NZ cyclists ( Ex MTB club mates ) and asked their opinion on best jacket to purchase. I also wanted something that folded up into it's own bum bag and could be clipped around your waist while cycling and small enough to leave in my messenger bag on a daily basis in case it rained while cycling to work. The Storm Trooper Jacket is what I ended up purchasing and the fact that it folds up into a small bum bag and has room for a wallet, phone etc while clipped around your waist and has under arm zip vents in case you get too hot , plus it has a hood as well are some of the reasons I decided to purchase it. I've been cycling since the 2nd of January of 2012 every day and believe me Niigata's weather in winter is pretty bad, wet snow, heavy rain , sleet and - 3 deg are just some of the daily conditions I face on my 8 km ride into work. This jacket has kept me dry in some crazy weather that most sane cyclists wouldn't bother cycling in at all, it does not leak at all and the quality is first rate. Basically I never leave home without it and have finally found a great jacket that I'll keep forever and when one day it does finally wear out I'll be buying another one.

Helter Skelters - Waterproof 3/4 pants

As mentioned above I decided to cycle this winter well that wouldn't have been possible with the Storm Trooper jacket and my Helter Skelters !, the Helter Skelters are windproof and waterproof 3/4 cycle pants also made in NZ by Ground Effect. Being a 3/4 length that roll up small to keep in your bag and you will not get your pants caught in the chain whilst cycling which is a problem with most rain pants. They have Velcro tabs that hold them just below your knees and plenty of reflective piping so that cars can see you as well. If you ever been caught in a heavy down poor and continued your ride home with wet underwear and thighs you will love these 3/4 pants for sure.

Pictured above are both the items I have reviewed and for more detailed info please check out the following website http://www.groundeffect.co.nz

Cyclo Cross in Japan

2012-02-07T05:01:00.001-08:00

Here is an awesome clip of the Nobeyama Cyclo cross race in Japan. As I now own a cross bike I was thinking about holding a cyclo cross event in Niigata City later this year. I think I may have found an inner city location where it would be possible to hold a race and once all the snow has gone I'll check out the course to see if it's suitable so in the meantime watch the clip of the 2011 Nobeyama cyclo cross race, it's looks like everybody had a lot of fun.

Rapha presents Nobeyama Cyclocross Race, the movie from RAPHA on Vimeo.

Before & After

2012-02-03T14:40:00.000-08:00

Pictured above are a series of 3 photos taken outside Furumachi bicycle upon arriving to work on the 3rd of Feb. It's my daily chore to shovel all the snow from in front of my bicycle shop everyday. If I missed a day it would be frozen and very difficult to move. The 1st photo shows what it looks like before shoveling and leaning against the wall is my Kona Jake cross bike that I cycle to work on every day. The 2nd photo shows what it looks like after about an hour of shoveling and the 3rd photo show it nice and clean after a rare appearance from the sun having melted the remaining snow. Of course when you live in the snow country this is part of your daily routine, but many shop owners in the city don't bother to clean the footpath at all making it dangerous not only for your customers trying to enter the shop but passing pedestrians and of course cyclists. I do get a lot of nice comments from locals on how clean the footpath is in front of my shop and wish others along my street would do the same.

Powder snow and wheel building !

2012-01-25T04:49:00.000-08:00

As part of my 2012 New years resolution I have been cycling to work since Jan 2nd, living in Niigata ( Snow Country ) makes that quite a challenge but so far my trusty 2012 Kona Jake has been preforming rather well and this morning I rode into work through 15cm of fresh powder which was quite fun, but the ride home this evening in - 2 deg took a bit longer but I didn't fall off and the Maxxis mud buster tyre's grip really well even in snow which is great.

As today's weather was pretty bad my bicycle shop was rather quiet, but it also allowed me time to do some wheel building. The above photos show a Velocity B43 deep alloy rim laced 3 cross into a Gran Compe track hub with Mac spokes, the rim I was using today was made in Australia but Velocity has just recently moved their production facility to the USA, which will then make Velocity the only (Made in the USA) rim manufacturer as all the other rims are either made in China or Taiwan. Plenty of other companies have copied Velocity to make deep rims for the booming single speed / fixie market such as H plus Son that are made in China !.

I'll have a Kona Jake on ice thanks !

2012-01-12T00:38:00.000-08:00

Well so far I have kept up my New Years resolution, cycle more use - my car less so even when it's snowing and - 1 deg I have been donning my thermals and water proof jacket for the 7 .4km ride into the city. There were a few people who said it wasn't possible as Niigata's winter gets pretty harsh as this time of the year with snow and ice. Last night while working accidents were already happening not far from my shop as an ambulance was called out to pick somebody up who had slipped badly while walking so I was a little worried about the ride home. But thankfully I managed to cycle home even on the ice without slipping. I did see 3 car accidents due to drivers going too quickly, car snow tyre's are fine in the snow but they aren't too great on thick black ice. The secret to not taking a fall is to ride in a mid range gear, not fast but not too slow, take the corners really wide and don't bother leaning while going around a corner and try to cycle as straight as possible, it you do hit a big patch of ice don't freak out just keep going slowing and the most important thing is don't touch your front brake and use your rear brake as little as you can. The Kona Jake has 700 x 32c Maxxis Mud Buster cyclo cross tyres and so far they have been fantastic in all conditions. This morning I rode into the city at around 8.30am and it was nice and sunny with a light layer of snow over the ice and 0 deg so it was quite nice and it was a pleasure to pass the long traffic jams and local buses with people crammed into them like sardines in a tin. As for my new bike I love it !, and am glad I decided to purchase a cyclo cross bike as my year round commuter.

Helmets

2012-01-01T15:48:00.003-08:00

Coming from New Zealand to Japan back in 1998 I was surprised to see that bicycle helmets were not required by law in Japan. New Zealand is the only country apart from Australia which actively enforces mandatory all-age bicycle helmet laws nationally (although adults are exempt in the Northern Territory of Australia !). The law was enforced in New Zealand in January 1994. So for many years I have enjoyed the freedom of not having to wear a helmet on a daily basis like I did when I lived in New Zealand & Australia but in the years that I have lived in Japan I have had several close calls with cars that often made me think about wearing a helmet. Of course all official bicycle events in Japan require helmets to be worn otherwise you can not enter, but 95% of cyclists don't bother to wear a helmet on a daily basis riding to work or school. Japanese roads are often very narrow and even though you are still allowed to cycle on the footpath that can be dangerous as well as more often or not it's very narrow , not smooth and of course full of pedestrians. With the recent bicycle boom more people are riding lightweight sports bikes e.g road bikes, single speeds, fixes and travelling at greater speeds than before but still helmets have not become popular. It is true that previous helmets styles were not very attractive to the fashionable cyclist but these days there is a wide range of modern styles, colors and shapes to suit everybody. Pictured above is a Italian made Kask road helmet and Bern a new style of helmet from America. If you are thinking about wearing a helmet there is now a style to suit everybody and if you do have a crash it might just be the difference that saves your life.

New Bike

2011-12-26T23:19:00.000-08:00

After riding my 1947 Humber 3 speed recently on a one day 115km tour of Ko Sado, I was left pushing my 3 speed up some long hills while watching my cycling pal Brian fly up the mountain in low gear on his lightweight Cinelli road bike. And a recent near miss with a car ( not my fault ) while riding home one night got me thinking about purchasing a modern lightweight bike for my regular commutes into the bicycle shop and the odd long distance ride when time allows. My vintage Humber is my favorite bike by far but it has it's limitations manly due to it's weight and gearing, I will still use the Humber in fine weather for some touring and pottering but I am not keen to ride such a precious bike in the rain or snow and the near miss at speed with a car in the rain at night was a bit scary to say the least. So I have purchased a 2012 Kona Jake cyclocross bike and a Italian Kask k-50 helmet.

Why a Kona ?, well for starters they have a lifetime warranty on the frame and I've owned a Kona before and was very happy with the quality and price. My new bike comes with the 2012 Shimano Tiagra 10 speed group set with a Shimano 105 rear derailleur and being a cross bike means I can commute , tour , ride off road and if I fit some road tyres it's basically a lightweight road bike with cantilever brakes. The first up grade with be a decent set of pedals maybe the Shimano PD M324 with a rat trap platform on one side and SPDs on the other side. I haven't purchased a new bike in over 6 years and have never owned a cross bike at all but I'm sure it will be perfect for the style of riding I like to do. As for helmets they are not required by Japanese law so 90 % of cyclists don't wear them on their daily commutes only for racing or official events ,but after several near misses with cars at 30km per hour I feel it's time to start wearing one on a daily basis as I did when I lived back in NZ where everybody must wear a helmet by law .

Pictured above is the 2012 Kona Jake , it's so popular here in Japan that only the large frame sizes are left so basically it's already sold out, they were only two 53cm frames in stock so I was very to get one !

Winter Cycling

2011-12-11T19:17:00.000-08:00

Well here in Japan it's now winter and with that comes rain , at least in Niigata we get plenty of rain and not far off we will soon see snow in the city as well. By now most car drivers have already changed their tyres to the winter snow tyres and some cyclists have already stopped cycling but it doesn't have to be that way if you prepare yourself for colder weather and rain !. So how do you keep cycling over the winter ?. Well first of all cycling is an aerobic activity that actually keeps you warm so the next thing you need to think about is how to stay dry . If you plan on cycling throughout the winter you will need a waterproof - breathable cycle jacket made from something like Gore tex or Hydrofoil. That has a long back flap to keep the rain , mud of your rear end !. If the jacket has reflective strips that's even better as then you will be easily seen by motorists. Having a fold away hood is also handy as it can be unzipped and used as needed when it really pours down hard. Water proof shoes are available , but mostly quite expensive and I have found my Shimano cycle shoes which look more like a outdoor sneaker than a traditional cycle show to be pretty good at keeping my feet dry in mild rain.

Another item you will need are warm waterproof gloves as it's not really possible to cycle safely with frozen fingers. Your hands must be warm to safely operate the brakes and gears of whatever bicycle you are riding. There is a vast range of winter cycle gloves available so pick the pair which suits your budget and the temp you cycle in etc.

As for what type of bicycles are suitable for cycling in Niigata , that depends on where you live and daily commute. If you live close to work and can use the road and cycle slowly it is possible to ride most types of bicycles. The most dangerous types of bicycles to ride in winter are standard road bikes and track racer type single speeds because of their narrow tyres and lack of grip makes them unsafe at higher speeds and very dangerous on snow or ice. The best type of bicycle for Niigata's winter is a MTB as with their wide tyres and extra grip and a vast range of gears they can be ridden in almost any conditions. I have ridden a MTB in - 3 deg snowstorms with no problems at all. Another type of bicycle that is also suitable is a Cyclocross bike which has 700 x 35 mm tyres as they are also cable of riding in most conditions as well. So wrap up in your wet weather clothing and keep cycling !. It will be a lot faster than driving your car or taking the bus as the traffic jams over winter only get worse and on a bicycle you can avoid this problem.

Pictured above is my New Zealand made cycle jacket called the Storm Trooper , it was purchased online from a company called Ground Effect and is made from Hydrofoil and is waterproof and breathable , it retails in NZ online for $260 which is Japanese yen 15606 .

Keep Cycling and have fun
Cheers Don

How the Dutch got their cycle paths

2011-12-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

Lugged bicycle frame construction

2011-12-07T16:59:00.000-08:00

Recently I have been thinking about building a classic lugged bicycle frame for myself as after having built about 10 replica penny farthing bicycles over the years I thought it might be a good time to start on a conventional type frame. At present I'm building my last replica penny farthing for a customer in Tokyo and really enjoying it, apart from the fact that living in Japan makes building such a bike a rather long and difficult task as all the parts have to be imported from NZ, Australia or the USA. But as this bicycle is to be my last replica penny farthing I'm taking the time to make it authentic as possible to the late 1880s style.

I recently purchased the above book which I'm currently reading and later next year I hope to start building my first lugged frame. I've never attempted to build such as frame before, but then again I didn't know anything about building replica penny farthing bicycles either back in 1994 !, so I'm sure with a lot of study it's possible. If you are thinking about building your own lugged bicycle frame I recommend the above book as it's perfect for the beginner.

Primo Alley Cat Vol .2

2011-11-23T17:36:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone

First I'd just like to say thanks to everybody who took part in the Furumachi Bicycle Alley Cat yesterday, we were so lucky to have fantastic weather at this time of the year and Brian's Alley cat course proved a real challenge for all the riders. Maybe next time we need to start a little bit earlier for a course of that length. And I'd also like to thank Knog our event sponsor for the great spot prizes and Craig from " The Local " for the great after party . Already we have an idea for next years 1st event " Hanami Party Ride " and later on in 2012 we will be holding more alley cat events and hopefully some monthly bicycle rides as well. Pictured below are a few photos that I took yesterday of the event.

Also now that winter is upon us here in Niigata, that's the perfect time to get some maintenance done on your bicycle and if you are going to be riding over the winter , take care and if you need any cycle supplies just drop by Furumachi Bicycle and I'll help you out.

Cheers
Don

Police to get tough on sidewalk cyclists !

2011-10-26T03:51:00.000-07:00

Police to get tough on sidewalk cyclists
NATIONAL OCT. 26, 2011 - 06:18PM JST ( 76 )TOKYO —

The National Police Agency is planning to toughen rules for sidewalk cyclists in order to cut back on the number of accidents involving bicycles colliding with pedestrians.

According to police, the consistently high rate of collisions in recent years has caused them to consider restricting the areas where cyclists can ride their bicycles. Police said that 2,760 collisions with pedestrians were reported last year, the eighth consecutive year that the number of incidents has exceeded 2,000, TBS reported. Five of those incidents resulted in death.

Police said that although a legal guideline exists stating that bicycles may be used on any path of at least two meters in width, it is in fact the responsibility of the National Public Safety Commission to permit or deny cycling in each location. Under proposed new rules, cyclists will not be allowed to ride on sidewalks less than three meters in width, TBS reported.

Along with the proposed restrictions, police are also hoping to introduce safe riding education schemes, to crack down on drunk cycling and to eventually introduce more dedicated cycling lanes on busy streets.

The NPA said that police officers will issue warnings to cyclists seen riding on sidewalks or riding in a reckless manner, such as using cell phones or iPods while on their bikes, TBS reported.

With the exception of children (under 13) and elderly people (over 70), cyclists will be encouraged to ride on roads rather than sidewalks, the NPA said. In so doing, cyclists need to understand that they have to observe traffic regulations the same as drivers, an NPA spokesman was quoted as saying by TBS.

Japan Today

As you can see I have taken the above article from Japan Today and as a bicycle shop manager ,lifelong cyclist and a 12 year resident of Japan I'd like to give my opinion on the above article. Often more than not Japanese footpaths , sidewalks are just too narrow or crowded for cycling safely . In reality it's only old granny's and mothers with kids who like cycling on the footpath because the type of bicycle they are riding is quite suitable for slowly weaving in and out of all the pedestrians. If you happen to ride a nice road bike with 700c wheels the last thing you want to be doing is to be bumping up and down every 5 mins on the uneven footpath and you certainly can not ride at a decent pace on the footpath anyhow. One of the main reasons for cycling is to have a mode of transport that can get you to your destination e.g school, work , meeting etc quickly and riding on the footpath will only slow you down !. In Niigata city where I live there have been a few cycle lanes put in place within the last year but only a few !, they need a lot more of them everywhere to make it safer for cyclists to commute everyday. I have had several cases of Driver vs Cyclist road rage since living here and the last case was a driver than rammed me into the gutter on purpose yelling at me to get off the road . Little did he know I'm rather fast on a bicycle and I sprinted 4 blocks to catch up with him at a set of lights that luckily for me had changed to red , looking back on that incident now I should have gone to the police after taking a photo of his number plate . And where do the police ride , on the bloody footpath just like the old granny's - they need to set an example by riding on the road themselves !. Also is it not possible for a under 13 year old or 70 year old cyclist to cause an accident while riding on the footpath ! As usual another stupid idea that makes no sense whatsoever , just make more cycle lanes and educate everybody to use them including the young and old ! . This really comes down to educating both drivers and cyclists to share the road and be aware of each other as road users !

Unicycling at Toyano park Niigata , Japan 21/19/2011

2011-10-21T02:51:00.000-07:00

Uni cycling at Toyano park

2011-10-21T00:27:00.000-07:00

Not long ago I started uni cycling again after a 20 year break and because of my limited time these days it gives me the opportunity for a hard workout in only an hour or so. I sometimes practice in front of my apartment as the street is nice and smooth with very little traffic and not far from my apartment is a nice smooth car park which I also sometimes use. But when I have a day off like today I put my unicycle in my van and drive across the city to Toyano park which also houses the Baseball & Soccer stadiums so there is tons of free space for cycling. I'm still practicing the free mount , I can do it but not consistently but my riding skills have improved and so have my turns. Today I managed to ride round around the outside of the baseball stadium with only one stop, man my thigh muscles were burning after that ride !. I'm sure with a lot more practice it will get easier. Pictured above are a few photos taken today at the park of my riding my Nimbus 24" freestyle unicycle. I have made a few minor changes which are :

Kris Holm 150mm ISIS moment cranks instead of the short Qu - Ax 125mm cranks as 150mm are far better to learn on etc.

I replaced the quick release seat clamp with a Nimbus double clamp for more strength

Also I have fitted Odyssey plastic twisted PC platform BMX pedals for a better grip and the Odyssey pedals have nice smooth bearings for their price range

Apart from that it's a standard Nimbus ISIS 24" 48 spoke freestyle uni cycle, it's super tough and is a perfect all round unicycle which can be used for freestyle, flatland , trials with the seat lowered and with an offroad tyre fitted it could be used for Muni as well.

Surly 1 x 1 hub gear conversion

2011-10-20T03:16:00.001-07:00

Just yesterday I built up a custom rear wheel for a customers 2010 Surly 1 x 1 limited edition model . The bike is now a 1 x 11 speed as I fitted to the rear wheel a Shimano Alfine 11 speed hub gear. Of course the bike is now a lot heavier but as a fan of hub gears and the low maintenance they offer, I love them as none of the gears are exposed to the elements and with the amount of rain and bad weather we get in Niigata you can be assured that they will remain trouble free. Hub gears are certainly not new and Sturmey Archer 3 speed hubs were first manufactured over 100 years ago in the UK. My personal bike which is a 1947 Humber Sports that is fitted with a Sturmey Archer 3 speed hub gear with a 90mm drum brake. I have not had to do any maintenance to it in the last 5 years since I restored it. Pictured above are a few photos of the Surly 1 x 1 and photos of the new wheel that I built.

Araya Muddy Fox

2011-10-20T02:20:00.000-07:00

Recently one of my customers purchased some old MTB parts from me and when I asked him what he was doing , he said that he was restoring a 1991 Araya Muddy Fox MTB so I said when it's finished bring it along to the bike shop as I was keen to see it. So last week one afternoon he showed up on his recently restored MTB, as it wasn't really missing any major parts it must have been an easy restoration which just involved cleaning and polishing the fame and components. The saddle is incorrect as I have just found a scan of the original catalog which shows it having a different saddle but apart from that it's near perfect. Ayara is a major rim manufacturer in Japan but they also produce a few bicycles as well, this particular model looks just like a Cannondale of the same period and uses similar tubing as well. These bikes were made in Japan and the above bike is kitted out with a full Shimano Deore LX groupset with DX STI shifters. Pictured above are a few photos of the bike and the proud owner.

2010 L'EROICA vintage bicycle event

2011-10-13T01:45:00.000-07:00

L'EROICA (english version) from Edouard Sepulchre on Vimeo.

It you have ever wondered what the glory days of cycling were really like grab a beer and sit back and enjoy this fantastic short film from the famous Italian L' EROICA vintage cycling event. The event is so popular with riders from all over the world they have now limited the number of riders to 2700. Start saving your money now and find a classic road bike !

Cinelli 2012 bicycle range part 3.

2011-10-12T05:53:00.000-07:00

So after after checking out the new product range we headed to a nearby Shokudo for a quick late lunch then turned around and headed back on the expressway bound for Niigata. I can't remember the model of the brand new Toyota that we rented for the trip but it was rather high tech and doesn't have a key , plus it can be driven in automatic or manual. Of course I had to take a photo of the Tokyo tower as it was located near the event we attended and we made a stop at a roadside service area in the mountains of Gumma on the way home. I'm looking forward to seeing some of these new models in store in the new year as they are sure to be popular , if you want one we are now taking pre orders for the 2012 range .

Cinelli 2012 bicycle range part 2.

2011-10-12T05:41:00.000-07:00

Apart from Cinelli we took a look at the saddles from San Marco which include their vintage range - Regal, Concor & Rolls and these saddles have stood the test of time and are still available to riders today. Perfect for your road, track or MTB in a wide range of colors. Also Cinelli has re released two classic handle bars and a classic stem harking back to the days of yesteryear with the same silky polished alloy finish that the original components had, it's nice to see them doing this as I know from personal experience that there is a demand for the classic items they have re produced - Nice one Cinelli !.

Cinelli 2012 bicycle range part 1.

2011-10-12T05:17:00.000-07:00

Next up were the new Carbon road bikes , Saetta and a Cinelli Pro with the new Shimano Dura Ace electronic shifting system, both were very nice and super lightweight. For the more budget minded cyclist the new Gazzetta Della Strada should fit the bill nicely. It's basically the same frame as the Gazzetta track bike but built with wider seat stays and a wider fork to accommodate 700c x 28 tyres and comes equipped with fenders front and rear plus a front rack. Cinelli has redesigned this frame after receiving lots of feedback from riders around the globe who wanted fenders and larger volume tyres for commuting, touring etc. The frame is built with Columbus tubing and equipped with Shimano Sora and is priced at 147,000 yen so is well within the reach of most commuters. Also they had 4 bikes on display from their cheaper Bootleg line including a new track bike in black with bullhorn bars . The other bike pictured above is their Alloy Cross bike made with Columbus tubing and although it's not available as a complete bike, the frame will make a great base for building up a nice race ready cross bike.

Cinelli 2012 bicycle range

2011-10-12T04:54:00.000-07:00

Well I have just come back from a one day trip to Tokyo to view the 2012 range from Cinelli. The distributor in Japan is a company called Dinosaur that also sells other road cycling related brands as well, but it was really only Cinelli & the saddle manufacturer San Marco that we were interested in viewing. After arriving the the Tokyo Prince Hotel we went straight to the show hall where Dinosaur was holding their event. 1st up with two new color schemes for their lightweight alloy track MASH frames and one was designed by the MASH crew from San Francisco and the other from Benny Gold. Both look very nice and brakes can be fitted with the front fork having a pilot hole that needs drilling and a rear brake can be fitted with a Kerin training brake consisting of two alloy back plates bolted onto the seat stays. Also it seems that my work mate Hiroshi is eyeing up one of Cinelli Super Corsa frames for himself !. These are the last frames to be manufactured in Italy by Cinelli and only one older staff member is in charge of making them, buy one now as they may not be around forever . They are a outstanding work of art and the finish on the Super Corsa road & track frames are fantastic. Also on display was a limited edition Laser Nostra track bike, very few of these have been made so I'm sure they sell out rather quickly.

Work trip to Nagoya part 2

2011-10-06T01:13:00.000-07:00

After spending about 3 hours at the bike show, my ex New Zealand flatmate Shinya who resides in Nagoya city took us on a tour of the local bicycle shops , but like Niigata city many of the shops close on Wednesday's but one shop was open and that was " Circles " it was a fantastic shop and their workshop was about the size of my entire shop. Next to the workshop was a large sofa and drink vending machine were customers could wait while their bike was being repaired. The main shop floor housed a fantastic array of parts and bicycles from most of the major brands including Hunter & Cielo from the USA. Cielo is the revived brand from bicycle legend Chris King and the finish quality on his frame sets makes you want to slap your credit card on the shop counter and buy one straight away !. The 2nd floor of " Circles " houses their clothing store were they stock major brands of shoes, shorts, messenger bags, cycle tops etc. If you ever visit Nagoya go and see the friendly team at " Circles " as most likely they'll have want you want. That evening we ate together with Shinya's family at a Yaki ton ( grilled pork ) restaurant which was awesome and finished off the night at one of the smallest rock & roll bars I have ever visited. We left Nagoya at 10.40pm back on the bus bound for Niigata city and arrived home just before 6am, a long trip but well worth the effort.

Work trip to Nagoya part 1

2011-10-06T00:58:00.000-07:00

Apart from Surly's fat tyre bike range thay have just released a geared 29" MTB called the Orge which uses the same frame design as their popular 29" single speed the Karate Monkey . It a well put together geared 29" and comes in a vast range of sizes. One of the other bikes that Surly produces is the " Pacer " which is their road bike kitted out with the new 2012 Shimano Tiagra and instead of it being painted in British racing green it's now in sparkleboogie blue !. And from Allcity comes a new road frame & complete bike called Mr Pink, this is the 1st time that AllCity have released a road bike as their other bikes are all single speeds , track & cross bikes. It's an attractive bike fully built up and the frame set would make a great base for a custom road bike set up.

Work trip to Nagoya

2011-10-06T00:46:00.000-07:00

Well at this time of the year many of the cycle importers put on a display of next years models, one of the popular brands that my shop stocks is Surly from the USA and the importer for Surly is located in Nagoya City. So after leaving Niigata at 3.20pm on Tuesday afternoon we took a 7 hour bus ride to the city of Nagoya. After arriving around 10pm we caught up with a friend of my co worker Hiroshi and joined them for a few drinks before getting back to our business hotel early in the morning. The next morning after breakfast at a nearby coffee shop we took a taxi over to Fukiagi hall event center where the bicycle show was being held. There were many other brands on display but the main brands that we sell are Surly, AllCity & Haro so we spent quite some time checking out the latest offerings from those makers before putting in our order for next years stock. As you can see from the above photos fat tyre bicycles are becoming more popular and Surly now has 3 different models to choose from plus a range of custom rims.

Return to Sado part 8

2011-10-01T15:48:00.000-07:00

At lunch time we had decided to take route 350 back across the Island to the inland plain and after speaking to some locals this was the most direct route back to the port of Ryotsu. Because there were so many things to see around Ogi & Sukunegi we didn't end up leaving the village of Shukunegi until 3.45pm. After finding the start of route 350 we slowly wound our way up the mountain. It seemed to take forever and I was forced to walk several steep sections as the gearing on my Sturmey archer hub wasn't low enough for the large climbs. Finally we reached the top of the ridge line and could enjoy some fantastic down hill and according to Brian's cycle computer we were doing about 55km on the downhill sections. The Humber handled the journey very well but it must have been a bit of a shock going that fast down hill with the Lucas cyclometer ticking like crazy. Of course once we reached the base of the mountain range there was a flat section by the sea and yet another long climb before the final down hill into the inland central plan of the Island. After a refueling stop at a roadside shop I changed back into my jacket and put on my bicycle lights for the last 15km back into the port of Roytsu where we had started our trip at 8.30am that morning. It's not really the best of ideas to cycle tour in the dark but we had no choice and finally we arrived in Ryostu at 6.15pm and located a small super market to buy some food and more importantly " Beer" . We had to adjust our tickets as originally we had planned on taking the 4.05 pm car ferry back to Niigata but now we wanted to return on the last car ferry for the day which was 7.30pm. We were knackered to say the lest but even though we were rather tired we were happy to have completed our ride. On the trip back to Niigata I devoured yet another curry and several beers and we arrived back in the port of Niigata at 10pm. The total distance touring on Sado was about 115km so all up I did about 120km by the time I arrived home.

If you are planning on cycle touring in Sado take plenty of supplies if you are considering a multi day tour and there is very little in the way of supermarkets in which to buy supplies on the Island unless you are in one of the larger towns. I hope you enjoyed reading this blog posting as much as I enjoyed the trip. If you visit Niigata make sure you visit Sado but allow plenty of time as there is so much to see.

Return to Sado part 7

2011-10-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

After a short down hill spin we arrived in the historic village of Shukunegi . This village was a base for ship building in the old days and in this small village there are 210 houses constructed in an area of 1 square hectare. So as you can imagine the streets are narrow, more of a footpath than a street, the village was 1st started in the year 1192 and it really is an amazing place to visit. Yet again we were pressed for time so after a quick walk through the narrow lanes of the village and after taking many photos we mounted up and headed back up the hill towards the town of Ogi.

Return to Sado part 6

2011-10-01T05:41:00.000-07:00

After a short climb we came around the bend to find a small open plain where people were harvesting rice and just after that we saw a sign for the Ogi folk museum. This was on our to do list of Sado as we had both seen stories about this fantastic museum and the full size replica of one of the early trading ships is located in the main building which is devoted to Sado's early maritime history. The main exhibit is the full size replica of an early wooden sailing ship which was constructed by local boat builders. You can climb a staircase to get inside the ship and it really is an amazing sight, That part of the museum also houses some smaller exhibits such as model ships and smaller row boats plus a fantastic array of early boat builders tools. Off to the side of the maritime museum is a wooden schoolhouse which was built in 1920 and now the school rooms contain various exhibits of folk craft from Sado. Sadly to say we were fast running out of time and didn't really a have good look at the school house exhibits ( maybe next time ) as we wanted to check out the historic village of Sukunegi that was located just down the road.

Return to Sado part 5

2011-09-30T15:15:00.001-07:00

After leaving the port we headed up the hill to the nearby village of Shukunegi where the Sado Island Ogi folk museum is located. While winding my way slowing up a steep climb in low gear I saw that Brian had stopped by the side of the road. When I caught up to him it was easy to see why he had suddenly stopped. On the side of the road in a workshop a retired carpenter was building a fantastic model of a large traditional Japanese temple entirely by hand using no nails at all. So far he had been working on his retirement project for one & a half years and it wasn't finished yet. It was an incredible work of art and his woodworking skills were outstanding. After taking a few photos we continued up the hill towards the Ogi folk museum.

Return to Sado part 4

2011-09-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

After leaving the port town of Akadomari we pressed on along the coast to the larger port of Ogi where we wanted to have lunch. Although the road signs said it was only 15km to Ogi it felt a lot further and finally the port of Ogi was in sight. It was nice to finally reach Ogi and we looked for a Shokudo in which to have lunch . Shokudo's serve basic home style meals that are very reasonable yet filling making it the perfect stop for two hungry cyclists , by this time we had done about 70km so we were well in need of a feed. Just off the main street Brian my cycling pal spotted a elderly lady just about to bring in the flag from her Shokudo meaning that she was ready to close . But upon seeing the two weary cyclists approach she stopped what she was doing and said she could serve us lunch upstairs in her Shokudo. The 1st floor of her shop housed a tourist shop selling local goods and the 2nd floor was the Shokudo. We both ordered one of my favorite cycling meals Katsu Curry ( fried pork cutlets , curry & rice ) and of course a large bottle of beer. While waiting for our meal we took a look at our maps and decided which route we would take back to Ryotsu. The meal was fantastic and after a short rest we were back on our bikes and we stopped off in the port to view the tourists taking rides in the traditional wooden tub boats. The port was full of tour buses on one day pack tours and the tub boat operators were rather busy.

Return to Sado part 3

2011-09-30T05:33:00.000-07:00

The largest town we first came across on our ride along the coast was the port town on Akidomari. From here a passenger ferry goes to the mainland and it is also the village were the famed Hokusetsu sake is produced. This sake brewer has become well known for winning many medals at international competitions as well as producing the sake for the Japanese restaurant " Nobu " which is co owned by Robert De Nero . Inside the brewery were many photos of Robert De Nero as he has visited Akidomari several times over the years. The sake brewery was over 100 years old and beautifully restored and it would't have been right to leave without trying a few samples of the famous product which the staff offered to us , I'm not really a big sake fan and I was hoping that they had a beer for tasting as they used to produce beer as well up until a few years ago. But as time was getting on we departed the brewery and pushed on up the main street where we saw another old western style building now being used as a cafe , it looked very out of place in Akidomari, I'm sure Robert De Nero must have had lunch in here on one of his trips and just on the outskirts of town we saw a large boat that had been turned into a house !. Sado Island is full of surprises if you keep your eyes open.

Return to Sado part 2

2011-09-30T05:19:00.000-07:00

Just up the road from the campsite was the 1st residence of the Buddist monk Nichiren. It is now preserved as a museum and is kept in fantastic condition with a large statue of Nichiren sitting peacefully in the garden. The adjoining building next door was built in a traditional western style and seemed out of place in such a small Japanese fishing village. But this was just one of many surprises that we encountered along the coast.

Return to Sado part 1

2011-09-30T04:55:00.000-07:00

After viewing the heritage lighthouse and buildings we proceeded along the coast and by this time it was about 9.30am and we had been cycling for about an hour at a steady pace. The view along the coastline was fantastic and every now and then we would spot local farmers harvesting their rice crop. Also as it was starting to heat up so I removed my jacket in preparation for the long ride along the coast towards the port city of Ogi we we wanted to stop for lunch. There were so many interesting places to look at that we often stopped and took a few photos along the way. We stopped to photograph a large statue of a turtle, he didn't look too vicious so I sat on his back for a photo and after that we pressed on stopping two photograph a small tunnel that the road passed through. Along the coast road we viewed a number of small tunnels that had been boarded up due to new tunnels being built, the longest tunnel we rode through was 1.5km long !. Further along the coast we arrived in the small village of
Matsugasaki where we stopped to view yet another fantastic camping ground right by the beach. This is also the village were the famous Buddhist monk Nichiren 1st set ashore on the island.

Return to Sado

2011-09-30T04:19:00.001-07:00

Well after 12 years I finally returned to Sado Island which is 2.5 hours by car ferry from Niigata City . Why did it take me so long ?, that's not really important now, but what is important is that I had a fantastic time although it wasn't the first time my cycling pal Brian & I had bitten off more than we could chew. We didn't realize the coastal road would have some many steep hills and the steep mountain range we had to cross to reach the inland plain on the return leg of journey. The day started off with early as we decided to take the 1st car ferry that sails to the port of Ryotsu , it departs Niigata port at 6am. One thing that prompted us to do the trip was that the owners of the car ferry are running a campaign where bicycles travel free until Nov, lets hope they do this again next year. It was a fine sunny day and perfect weather for cycle touring so once we arrived in Ryotsu we headed left and followed the coastal road. Our 1st stop for the day was the view of one of Japan's top 100 light houses and buildings. It was a nice area and camping there would be fantastic. After a short stop we pressed on and tackled many short steep climbs before the road leveled off along the scenic coastline. Which we followed all the way to the port of Ogi.

Pottering about the hills of Shibata part 3

2011-09-08T03:40:00.000-07:00

After riding around the lake I took a left turn through another long unlit tunnel which led downhill into the village of Takadani Shinden . These small villages are full of historic homes that in the past would have had exposed traditional thatched roofs but because of the difficultly in restoring them and the heavy snow most are now covered with tin. Pictured above is a fantastic Japanese Kura ( Storehouse ) which is in great shape sitting by the corner of the road. After passing through the village I rode down to the local Shibata city camping ground which is in a nice setting alongside the Kajikawa river. After a short rest I tackled the last remaining steep climb out of the valley. It was tough going even in low gear but the Humber made it up and once I reached the top of the road it was all downhill to the village of Akadani and not long after that I was able to join back up with the cycle road which headed downhill back to my van. I'm sure of the total distance but it was only about 30km or so I think. The main purpose of the ride was to have some fun pottering about the hills on the Humber and it just goes to prove you don't have to cycle far to enjoy the ride !.

Pottering about the hills of Shibata part 2

2011-09-08T03:17:00.000-07:00

After passing through the tunnel I found out the bridge over the dam was closed due to repairs being carried out, So I turned to my left and and rode the fantastic smooth sealed road around the lake. This section used to be gravel many years ago but the area is popular with fisherman trying to hook a black bass and at the top of the lake is the nearest rock climbing area to Niigata City so I guess because of the increase of traffic they finally decided to seal the entire road. I was surprised to see how low the lake level was and the amount of damage that had been caused by the recent heavy rains. The side creeks running into the lake were in a bad state and a lot of erosion had happened, but even though the lake was low there were several hard core fisherman with camp stools and sun umbrellas trying there luck by the waters edge. Upon reaching the head of the lake I stopped to take a photo or two of a rock climber on a bolted route descending. Several years ago when I lived in Shibata city I was invited to climb the same section in some borrowed climbing shoes. Basically the route I climbed was a big long bolted slab so it was not too difficult. Pictured above are a few pics taken while cycling around the lake.

Pottering about the hills of Shibata

2011-09-08T02:45:00.001-07:00

As it was a fine day I loaded the Humber into my trusty Suzuki Every mini van and headed out into the hills. My first stop was my favorite fresh water spring in the foothills of Mt Gozu and after topping up my water bottles I then drove along the base of the mountain and around the corner where I joined up with the popular Shibata to Akadani cycle road. This cycle road follows the old railway line that used to run from Shibata into the hills beyond Akadani where there was once a large coal mine. Now the cycle road is popular with school kids, walkers, runners & cyclists and passes through many small villages along the way. I think the total distance from Shibata to the end of the cycle road is about 18km or so if I remember correctly. After starting out at a rest area that has a car park I rode the slight up hill grade until the cycle road finishes at a small village. I think there may be some difficultly in extending the cycle road into Akadani village because of private land ownership, but it would be fantastic if one day the cycle road could go all the way into Akadani itself. After turning left at the end of the cycle road I headed down and across a bridge over the Kajikawa river as I wanted to take a look at Uchinokura dam and the lake. It's a short tough climb in low gear up the road but after passing through the long unlit tunnel you are rewarded with a fantastic view of the lake and surrounding mountains . And the view on the way up lacking back towards the peaks of Mt Gozu is rather nice as well. Pictured above is a map showing the route and a few photos taken on the 1st leg of the trip.

Into the Thunder Dragon - uni cycle Documentary

2011-08-31T19:08:00.000-07:00

Into the Thunder Dragon - Watch the Documentary Film for Free | Watch Free Documentaries Online | SnagFilms

Fantastic movie from Kris Holm owner of the world famous brand Kris Holm unicycles from Canada, he and his mate Nathan Hoover uni cycle in Butan. Even if you are not a uni cyclist you'll enjoy it

Danny Macaskill - Industrial Revolutions

2011-08-20T15:45:00.000-07:00

A new video by Scottish trials legend " Danny Macaskill " , check it out as it shows some fantastic riding

My regular ride - 1947 Humber Sports

2011-08-19T15:28:00.000-07:00

Well for many years I have owned several bicycles and when I was living in New Zealand I once amassed a large collection of vintage bicycles in various states of disrepair. But one bike has been my favorite all along which is now my regular ride, it's not light in fact it's made out of high tensile steel tubing and has a transfer on the down tube to prove it. The bike I'm talking about is my Fathers 1947 Humber Sports 3 speed and was the main reason for starting this blog many years ago. Unlike every other bike I have owned I have never had to repair the Humber apart from restoring it a few years ago. As a regular bike it's perfect for the ride into work and if you want to go for a 100km ride into the mountains it can handle that easily as well. The 26 inch x 1 3/8 tyres are the prefect size for Japan's bumpy footpaths and I haven't had one puncture in the last four years. The Sturmey Archer hub gear is the prefect combination and allows for a nice low gear for hill climbs ( Although I did fit larger cog to the rear hub for that purpose ) and the middle gear is the perfect commuting gear for around town. If you are in need of speed just flick the trigger shifter into 3rd and you can fly along at a decent pace. The Humber is kitted out with a Lucas Cyclometer with keeps a record of your overall travels. And with a Carridice Nelson longflap saddle bag there is plenty of room for a tool kit, rain jacket and anything else you may wish to carry. Most of my customers are surprised when they see my regular ride as most likely that would have imagined me to be riding one of the latest alloy road bikes with carbon forks. My father purchased the bike at age 18 in the year of 1947 and every day as a kid I watched him cycle to work and home for lunch no matter what the weather, when my father retired from his job as a motor mechanic the staff at his retirement party had calculated that the Humber sports had circumnavigated the globe in distance. I'm sure the Humber will serve me well for the rest of my life as well.

Pictured above is the Humber parked outside my bicycle shop here in Niigata City and a scan from the 1947 Humber catalog.

Sado Island - one day tour

2011-08-18T17:05:00.001-07:00

Recently I discovered from one of my customers that the Sado ferry company is running a campaign where you can take your bicycle across to Sado Island free of charge , this offer is running until Nov of 2011 so my cycling pal Brian & I are planning a one day tour of Sado Island. Almost 11 years ago when I was teaching English I rode around the larger part of the Island on my Golden week holiday on my 50 inch replica high wheel bicycle & Brian rode his GT mountain bike. It was great fun and ever since completing that tour I've been meaning to return to complete the other half of the Island. This time I won't be on the high wheel bicycle but taking my trusty 1947 Humber sports 3 speed as it has a Carradice Nelson longflap saddle bag in which to store my cooker for a brew up , jacket , tobacco pipe, camera etc . At present I have mapped the course we will take on the picture above but we haven't confirmed a date as yet as that will be decided over a beer or two one evening. I can wait to return to Sado Island as it's such a fantastic place to explore. If you ever get to Japan or are already living here make sure Sado Island is on your list of places to visit as I'm sure you won't be disappointed.

Keep your cotters tight !
Don

The CR - 7

2011-08-03T16:20:00.001-07:00

Many years ago while living NZ I had a the chance to buy a used but in good condition 1989 Gary Fisher CR-7 MTB. This bike was fantastic for racing, hill climbing and even fully loaded with touring bags made a great touring bike for my tours of the South Island of NZ & Northern Thailand. After my Thailand adventure I returned to my job at Ayres Rock resort in the outback of Australia to save enough money to come to Japan on a working holiday , just before I was about to leave my room mate offered to buy my Fisher CR - 7 and in need of extra cash at the time I foolishly sold it to him, never to see another one again for 10 years. Since managing Furumachi Bicycle here in Niigata city I have had the opportunity to purchase two from the US, the 1st one was a 1989 model but once I started restoring it I discovered that the head tube was cracked and unsafe to ride. I did salvage all the parts off it I could but the main front alloy triangle was thrown out in the rubbish. But recently I restored a fantastic 1st model 1987 Gary Fisher CR - 7 with full Suntour XC Comp components which is now for sale in my shop and about a month ago an old guy brought in a Japanese made 1989 Kuwahara XR -7 which is direct copy of Gary Fisher's design. Pictured above are the two bikes and the Kuwahara XR - 7 was only an export model according to a recent phone call with the Kuwahara factory in Osaka.

Unicycle free mount !

2011-07-28T02:19:00.000-07:00

After several weeks of almost getting the free mount I put the 24 inch Nimbus in the back of my van & drove about 25 mins across the city to Toyano Park which is home to the soccer & baseball stadium. It a pretty big park and has a covered area under the highway that passes by the stadiums so even if it's raining it would be possible to practice uni cycling. But as luck would have it the rain had stopped and even though the humidity was high it wasn't so hot. After finding a nice flat open area next to the baseball stadium I started practicing my free mount and after several failed attempts I finally got it which was awesome. Though out the afternoon I practiced some more and did several more free mounts and found that I didn't really need to hold the front of the saddle to be able to free mount. I did several 100mtr rides in the park after free mounting and it's really a great workout as my thighs were burning by the time I had finished 2 hours of practice. I can't consistently free mount as yet but I sure that will come with more practice. I took the above photos at the park on my phone that's why the picture quality is bad but you can get an idea of the size of the park.

My new bike

2011-07-07T01:30:00.000-07:00

New bike , well half a bike but twice the fun, no chain, no gears to worry about etc. A new Nimbus 24 inch free style unicycle with the latest unicycle hub technology ISIS hub with 125mm Q- Ax cranks , the wheel has 48 spokes for extra strength and for a slightly overweight rider it's perfect. I haven't ridden a unicycle in 20 years but managed to do 50 mtrs down the street this morning . But it looks like I need to start from scratch again and learn the basics , next step learn to free mount instead of holding onto the neighbor's fence !. I spent about an hour & a half this morning learning to ride again and it was a good workout in this humid weather & cheaper than going to a sports gym !

Furumachi bicycle Alley Cat event

2011-07-03T15:39:00.001-07:00

Well yesterday we were finally able to hold our Alley Cat cycle event , it was supposed to be last Sunday but due to heavy rain in was put off till yesterday. We had 24 riders of all ages , the youngest member was 3 year old Kato kun on the back of his Dads bicycle. The winner completed the 12 checkpoints in about an hour on a Fuji fixie but the overall winner was a guy on a red classic style Mama chari who managed to complete the entire course and all his answers were correct , he won the top prize of a Knog messenger bag , he was most surprised that he had won the event. Everybody had a great time and many riders stayed on at "The Local " a NZ bar for the after party. Pictured above are a few photos I took yesterday .

Mamas Gun - Bicycle Race (Queen Cover)

2011-06-30T16:30:00.000-07:00

A cover of the Queen song " Bicycle " by UK band Mamas Gun. The Guitarist is my ex workmates brother, great band check out their clips on Youtube. The bicycle scenes were filmed in Holland

Uni Cycling - Elsbet 2011

2011-06-29T17:19:00.000-07:00

For those of you who follow this blog I guess you would be wondering why I'm posting something about uni cycles , well apart from riding traditional 3 speeds and building replica high wheel bicycles I also enjoy all types of cycling. I guess I've tried most forms of cycling over the years. I rode a BMX as a kid, my father & I built a unicycle when I was about 13 years old,raced MTBs in the early 1990s, toured the South Island of NZ and Northern Thailand on my trusty 1989 Gary Fisher CR - 7 MTB , represented NZ at the Australian penny farthing championships , rode in a vintage track event ( 1903 BSA track bike ). Not so long ago thanks to the internet I discovered the uni cycling has come a really long way in the past 10 years. There are now several types of riding styles from Freestyle, street, trials, distance, Muni etc and because of my limited free time these days I decided to take up uni cycling again just for fun and to get in shape. Posted is a recent short movie from a event held in Europe showing 3 different styles of uni cycling that are popular today - Muni ( mountain uni cycling )Street & trials. If you are looking to put some balance back into your life get yourself a unicycle and have some fun. My new 24" Nimbus unicycle is arriving next week !

Primo Alley Cat

2011-06-29T16:49:00.001-07:00

Hi Everyone

Sorry I haven't posted anything in ages but I've been flat out at my bicycle shop and as we are in the middle of rain season it's wickedly hot and humid - not the perfect weather for long distance cycling. I've been busy with our 1st shop event which is an inner city Alley Cat ( cycling around the city going to various check points and writing down the answers from some quiz questions ) . Because it was raining last Sunday the event will now be held this coming Sunday so I'm hoping we get a break from all the rain and the event can be held. The after party is going to be held at my mates NZ bar " The Local " so it should be great fun and I have heaps of nice spot prizes from our Australian sponsor KNOG , the maker of it's famous silicone coated lights, locks etc. After the event I'll post some photos of it.

Dia compe brakes & Nitto racks

2011-04-23T15:52:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone

As promised I have attached two scans from some catalogs at my bicycle shop here in Niigata City as one of my blog follower's asked me about the availability of Dia Compe center pull brakes, Japan's answer to the Mafac center pulls and what different models of Nitto racks are available in Japan. Some of these products may not be available outside of Japan but if any one is interested in purchasing something just let me know. All the prices shown in the two pages I have scanned include tax and of course postage would be extra on top of that. The company that owns my bicycle shop is able to take Paypal so it would be possible to pay for items using that method. I don't really intend to sell stuff via this blog but if you are in need of something that cannot be found elsewhere and if it's manufactured in Japan I can most likely order it for you.

Cheers Don
Furumachi Bicycle

Ps If you need to see a larger copy of these scans please check them out on my Flickr page at

http://www.flickr.com/photos/27102950@N06/sets/72157624856191287/

1970 Jeunet franche Comte

2011-04-20T16:46:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

Sorry it's been a while since my last blog entry but my bicycle shop has been flat out recently as at present there is a huge bicycle boom happening in Japan and even many importers have run out of stock and many have sold their entire years supply already. Now many distributer's have placed new orders with their factories in Taiwan and more stock will be available in June. This boom is partly because of the following factors , recent earthquakes, Tsunami's and the rising price of gas has made many people to either purchase a brand new bicycle for commuting or they are getting their current bicycle overhauled and repaired which is great for people like myself. My shop rubbish bin is full of worn out clusters , brake pads and rusty chains as most bikes coming in to be repaired and cleaned need these parts replaced because of Niigata's lovely weather any bicycle that is left outside soon turns to rust which makes it un ridable.

Last winter I imported a nice old 1970 French Jeunet Franche Comte that I have been slowly restoring and the other day when it was raining I had a few hours to spare so I finally put it back together , I'm still awaiting on a few more parts from a collector friend in the US namely a Simplex Prestige front derailleur, Mafac levers & a TA water bottle cage. At present I have put a Brooks B17 saddle on it ( Yes I know it's not French but I love Brooks saddles ) and an old tool bag which is not of the same period but it looks nice and because I use a Carradice saddle bag on my Humber I cannot strap the tool bag onto that bike. Pictured above are a couple of photos that I took of the Jeunet outside my shop yesterday.

My next posting will be in direct response from one of my blog followers who is interested in Dia Compe center pull brakes and Niito bicycle racks so as soon as I get time I will scan some of that information from my shop catalogs and post it here. If anyone is interested in buying some parts from Japan that are not readily available elsewhere I can most likely help you out so just let me know what you are looking for.

Cheers Don
Furumachi Bicycle

Mono Style magazine

2011-04-16T15:17:00.000-07:00

In Japan there is a vast array of bicycle magazines and since I have lived here the number of such publications has certainly increased as bicycles have become more popular. Now most magazines feature stories relating to bicycles or bicycle fashion etc and recently my shop has been featured in a popular national magazine called Mono Style. The article in the photo above is related to the vintage mountain bikes that I have been restoring since my shop opened last sept. My boss is also a big fan of vintage / retro MTBs and it all started with me restoring for him a fully chrome 1985 Mongoose ATB , shorty after that he had aquired several more vintage MTBs which keep me busy over the long cold winter. The bicycles that I restored are currently in an exhibition in Tokyo but due to return to Niigata for another exhibition in mid May. All the bikes in the exhibition are also for sale and has been closely restored to their original condition. Pictured above is the cover of Mono Style magazine and the article about my shop.

Furumachi Bicycle shop

2011-04-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

Well as it seems the winter is over and we have even had a few days of warm weather my bicycle shop has been very busy. At this time of the year in Japan a lot of people are getting their bicycles serviced for the cycling season and purchasing new bicycles. Furumachi Bicycle is an agent for the following brands Cinelli, Masi, Fuji, Kona, Avenue, Surly, Davos and many others. If you are interested in purchasing a brand new bicycle here in Japan and do not speak Japanese just drop me a line as I'm sure I could most likely find the type of bicycle & size you are looking for plus we can ship bicycles anywhere in Japan. I also stock a wide range of parts and can order Shimano & Campagnolo components plus we stock ever popular Brooks saddles as well. If you have a bicycle in need of restoration no matter what period I can restore it for you as I have experience restoring & repairing bicycles from the late 1880s to modern Road & Mountain bikes. Pictured above are a few bicycles that I have restored

Update on Lauterwasser bars

2011-01-20T03:24:00.001-08:00

Quite some time ago I mentioned that Soma Fab had e mailed me with some questions concerning the production of some classic Lauterwasser bars. As my Humber has a pair of these bars I gave them a good review of the bar and hoped that one day they would finally go into production. Well that day has arrived as you can now see them on the Soma Fab website. The nice thing is they are now making them in alloy & steel so I'd like to say a big thanks to Soma Fab for making these available again and I will be stocking these bars at Furumachi Bicycle as soon as they are available in Japan.

The info below was taken from the Soma Fab website as well as the photo posted above

At Soma we love bringing back obscure designs. The original Lauterwasser bars were hand made by English Olympic cyclist and cycling engineer Jack Lauterwasser in the 1930's.
We updated it to accept modern 25.4mm stems and mountain bike style grips and levers. With its shallow drop, there is no excuse not ride in the drops.

Specs:

• 480mm width
• 90mm drop
• 22.2mm grip area
• 25.4 mm center
• In polished aluminum or
chrome-plated steel

1970s French Jeunet

2010-12-08T05:16:00.000-08:00

Hi Everybody

Sorry I haven't blogged in a while but my job at the bicycle store is keeping me busy and with the recent weather I haven't been out on the Humber for quite a while. Just this week I took delivery of a nice 1970s French Jeunet racing bike as I had been thinking about buying a new racing bike but in the end I decided on a classic instead. The bike I purchased was built in the early 1970s in France and it was exported to the US as around that time there was a bike boom going on and many European makers were producing 27" road bicycles for the American market. Jeunet was a good quality bike boom model equipped with the following parts - 27" chromed steel Rigida rims with the textured braking surface, Mafac " Racer Brakes " , Simplex Prestige gearing, Normandy alloy high flange hubs , Universal cottered cranks with Eclair pedals etc. The frame is in good condition and with some more restoration it should look fantastic and it will make a nice commuter for work and will still be able to handle longer rides into the countryside. Once it's finished I'll post some more photos of it but the above photos show the condition is was when it was 1st purchased.

Cheers Don
Furumachi Bicycle

Cycle Mode 2010 part 4

2010-11-07T14:16:00.000-08:00

After viewing most of the trade stands I thought I had seen everything of interest but then to my surprise was a small corner stand decked out with enlarged Frank Patterson classic cycling prints with 3 vintage bicycles on display and a mannequin wearing a modern version of a traditional rain cape and cap. The oldest bike on display was a nice original ladies Sunbeam belonging to Kazusuke Koike of Tokyo. Being a antique / vintage bicycle fan I was surprised to see such a display at Cycle Mode amongst all the latest high tech bicycles and asked Mr Koike if there was any kind of organized group in Japan for antique / vintage bicycles which unfortunately there isn't . He did say that a small group of riders get together now and again who have an interest in vintage carbide lamps etc but it would be nice if there was at lest an annual antique / vintage bicycle rally held in Japan. My current job is rather busy but maybe in the future I might be able to organize something as I'm sure it would be great fun.

Pictured above is Mr Koike's display

Cycle Mode 2010 part 3

2010-11-07T04:50:00.000-08:00

One of the other trade stands I wanted to visit was Eurobike which import some interesting brands one of which is Kemper - Dursley Pedersen replicas. The bike on display was fitted out with Shimano's version of grip shift and looked rather nice but I would have preferred to have seen it fitted with Sturmey Archer instead of Shimano. The same company has just started importing Sturmey Archer and had a good selection of Sturmey's new 3 speed fixed Shimano's hubs, crankset's etc on display and if S.A is cheaper it might temp a few people to try them out maybe.

Cycle Mode 2010 part 2

2010-11-06T15:28:00.000-07:00

Another importer which also deals in Brooks products had a nice display and I got quite excited when I saw a Pashley Governer on display , I believe the Governer that was on display is their top of the range model which had brass plated lugs. Next to the governor was a Pashley Clubman which was also a very nice bike but upon talking to the importer the bikes were only on display and Pashley Bicycles are not imported into Japan at present. The main complaint being that Pashley is rather slow at conducting international business and for that reason their bicycles are not imported to Japan at present. I hope in the near future that Pashley will look at getting into the Japanese market as I'm sure their bicycles would sell well here. On the same trade stand was a selection of new Brooks duffel bags made from canvas and leather which also looked very nice.

Cycle Mode 2010

2010-11-06T15:09:00.001-07:00

Hi Everybody

Sorry I haven't posted anything for a while but my new job is keeping me rather busy, but it's fantastic to be working in a bicycle shop again after a break of many years. Last Friday my workmate and I took the bullet train to Tokyo to attend the international cycle trade show called Cycle Mode, the event was held in a huge indoor event space in Chiba which is about 30 mins by train from Tokyo station. I took a number of photos of the various new 2011 models but as this blog is dedicated to vintage bicycles I have included the above set of photos that I found of interest. The Brooks trade stand was very nicely laid out with a bicycle on display featuring their new brick lane panniers set against a brick wall, the panniers look very well made and the muted colors would look nice on any traditional bike set up for touring. Just behind the fake brick wall was the entire range of brooks saddles including their new range of organic leather saddles in a natural leather color, the leather on these saddles appears to be a bit thicker than most standard brooks that are currently in production. The was also a display of the colt saddles which now come in a range of colors, I don't think I'll be putting a pink colt saddle on my Humber anytime though !. Also there was a fixe built up using Brooks products on display as now many younger riders are fitting Brooks saddles to their track bikes. Brooks saddles in Japan sell quite well and are gaining popularity all the time. Pictured above are some photos of the Brooks trade stand

2011 Cinelli release

2010-10-08T00:53:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody

Sorry I haven't blogged for a while by my new job is keeping me rather busy, I have made a plan to don some tweed and get out for some inner city pottering with a mate later this month as I haven't been out on the Humber for a while now and I'm looking forward to taking a spin even if it is just around the city. Yesterday I was in Tokyo on business and although Tokyo is not my favorite place to visit , I did enjoy myself yesterday. I along with my boss and one of staff member were invited to the private viewing of the new Cinelli bicycle range which was held at a hotel in the center of Tokyo. As to be expected there were a lot of high tech alloy, carbon fiber frames in bright modern graphics with the latest components from Shimano & Campy. But one bicycle in particular really took my eye which is called the Gazzetta Della Strada , last year this frame was only available as a track frame in several bright colors but this year Cinelli has also released a road frame to satisfy the market for a reasonably priced steel road bike. According to the Cinelli importer in Japan the bike will only be available as a frameset only, at least here in Japan. The bike that was on display ( I forgot my camera so I found the above photos from the net from the Euro bicycle show ) was kitted out with Shimano Tiagra with Tekto brakes and a rolls saddle. The frame is a nice dark, grey blue with the Cinelli logo in white on the down tube and the multi colored crest on the head tube. The bike is made from double butted Columbus tubing and it comes with rack mounts and clearance for race guards and 25mm tyres. I don't think I've ever wanted a brand new road bike so much ,but this bike is an affordable steel classic that would look great built up with any group set & maybe topped off with a nice Brooks saddle.

pictured above are a couple of photos of the della strada from Cinelli

My new job

2010-09-19T05:36:00.000-07:00

Well if you were wondering why I haven't posted anything recently on 3speedtouringinjapan it's because I have been rather busy helping to set up a brand new bicycle shop in the center of Niigata City. I do not own the shop but had a lot of input into the design and layout as I'm the manager of the shop. I never thought I'd ever be managing a bicycle shop in Japan but I'm happy to be repairing & selling bicycles again in a country where most foreigners only teach English. I used to work in bicycles shops back in New Zealand & have enjoyed repairing bicycles since I was given a small bicycle repair book for my 8th birthday. At present there aren't any 3 speeds in the shop but there are a couple of older bicycles that have been restored. If anyone is wanting any parts from Japan just let me know. I also sell my hand made NZ / Australian style pies from outside the store every Wed, Sat & Sun so if you are ever in Niigata city come along to my shop which is on Nishibori Dori 4 Bancho. Pictured above a few photos of the store

A modern restoration

2010-09-02T00:53:00.001-07:00

Many years ago before I discovered the joys of vintage bicycles I used to be involved in the MTB scene in New Zealand. My home town of Geraldine was the perfect location for MTBing as nearby there were several public reserves offering fantastic mountain biking and I gained permission to ride in the local Kakahu forest as well. Around that time I was also president of the South Canterbury Mountain Bike club and often traveled all over the South Island competing in MTB races. I owned several different brands of bicycles over the years such as Specialized , Scott, Diamond Back, Gary Fisher etc but one of the brands that I always wanted to buy was a Cannondale. But in the early 1990s Cannondale's were out of my price range. Just yesterday I was given a 1998 M400 rigid Cannondale which was hand made in the USA. The bike was originally a 21 speed but someone has upgraded it to a 24 speed with different shifters,brake levers & wheels. I spent this morning stripping the bike down & re building it and cleaning it up. because it's already been up graded I think I'll add some more Shimano XT components to it in the future. So finally after many years I now own a cannondale. Pictured above is a picture from the 1998 Cannondale leaflet showing the bike I have and a photo of the bike I've just restored.

New Lauterwasser handle bars

2010-08-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone

Just the other day while considering a new 3 speed project I found a posting by the well known bicycle company " SOMA " from the US from way back on March 30th. It was a posting on their new handle project which is a version of the classic Lauterwasser handle bar. This is good news for people wanting to obtain this older style of bar as it has not been made for well over 40 years or so. The Soma Lauterwasser bar is unfortunately not made of steel like the original bar was and the inner curve is slightly different as well. But Soma said if there is enough interest in the bar they will look at making a steel version in the future. Their alloy version which is pictured above is 47cm wide with a OD of 22.2mm which gives you a lot of choices for flat bar type levers and also there are some nice trad levers available from Dia Compe in Japan that would look fantastic on this bar. About two years ago I received an e mail from the guys at SOMA wanting to know my views on the bar and the different hand positions it offered. As my main touring bike is my 1947 Humber Sports and it's fitted with Lauterwasser bars I gave them as much input as possible as I really wanted to see this bar available for sale again. They are well known for re issuing older patterns of handler bars such as the Major Tayor & Walker racer bar which are both great products. Their blog stated that production of the Lauterwasser would take place around July sometime so it might not be long before we see this bar for sale on their website. Listed below is the link to the Soma blog posting

http://somafab.blogspot.com/2010/03/new-handlebar-projects-part-one.html

Cheers Don
3speedtouringinjapan

Book Review : The Lost Cyclist by David V. Herlihy

2010-08-09T03:06:00.000-07:00

Well first I'd like to apologize for my lack of blog posting but as it's still hot and humid I've been riding my 1980 Vespa 50s more than my 3 speed recently and because of the hot summer I thought I'd purchase something interesting to read.

A while back I saw that David V. Herlihy had written a book documenting the cycling adventures of Frank Lenz whose round the world attempt was tragically ended while crossing eastern Turkey in 1894 and the cycling exploits of Sachtleben & Allen who became famous globe girdlers. After the solo cyclist Frank Lenz went missing Sachtleben offered his services to go to Eastern Turkey and search for Lenz and to find out what had really happened to him as the American public were closely following his exploits through the well known American magazine " Outing " who had sponsored Lenz's around the world attempt. David V. Herlihy is a fantastic writer and his previous book titled " Bicycle: The History " was very well received and after reading " The Lost Cyclist " I'm sure that it will become just as popular.

One thing I did find annoying was Sachtleben's comment to a fellow German cyclist named Godrich who they meet whilst in Greece. Godrich was still riding the popular high wheel , ordinary bicycle while Allen & Sachtleben were on more modern safety bicycles which were slowly overtaking the ordinary bicycle in popularity. Godrich was a strong rider & had completed a triple century in a day which was a new world record at the time and was immensely fond of his high wheeler and was proud to be a member of the General Union of Velocipedist's. Sachtleben informed Godrich that he didn't care two cents for any kind of union !. But later on after their widely publicized tour was over they were both treated like royalty back in America and every city of decent size threw a great banquet in their honor celebrating their around the world trip. Also the LAW - League of American Wheelmen which they were no doubt members of at some stage in their cycling career treated them rather well. Previously to their celebrated round the would tour " Thomas Stevens " has circled the globe alone on his ordinary bicycle. So it seems to me rather snobbish that they would so easily put down a fellow cyclist who was a member of a cycle union and by all accounts a far stronger rider than themselves. Apart from that one point the entire book is a fantastic read and if you have already read " Thomas Steven's book then you should read this as a follow up to the fantastic adventures of cyclists in the late 1890s .

Don
3speedtouringinjapan

1938 " Cycling " magazine article

2010-06-26T04:09:00.000-07:00

First of all I'd like to say sorry for not posting any ride reports recently but due to work comments and the extremely hot humid weather I have not been out since pottering about the city. Also now is rain season which from a cyclists point of view is not so nice as coupled with high humidity it makes cycling any distance rather unpleasant, remember this if you ever plan to come to Japan cycling. Anyway a long time ago I purchased from E bay UK some fantastic copies of the old British magazine " Cycling " these old magazines offer a fantastic insight into cycling during the early years in the UK. The magazines are packed with all sorts articles for events, ride reports from the CTC and various adds for the latest offerings in cycle accessories. Pictured above is a rather interesting article from May 4th 1938 which I have scanned so everyone can enjoy it. If you click the image above you will get the larger version which should be easy to read. From time to time I'll pick out a period article from my magazine collection and add it to the blog. Enjoy

Keeps your hubs greased
Don

Pottering about the city - part 5

2010-06-13T03:39:00.000-07:00

After watching the photographers taking photos of the model we rode off towards a local supermarkets that sells reasonably priced beer, this supermarket is often frequented on Petanque club days for supplies. After leaving the supermarket loaded up with a few cold cans of beer we made our way back to the park. On the way I stopped to take a photo of the only adult porn theater located in the city that I have ever seen. I guess it caters to the older generation who haven't discovered that free porn is available on the Internet !. On arriving back at the park there was no sign of the camera club or their models so we sat in the shade and consumed our beers while chatting. It just proves you don't have to cycle far to have an interesting day out, so next time you feel like a spin go for a potter around your local town or city - you might be surprised at what you discover.

Keeps your hubs greased
Don

Pottering about the city - part 4

2010-06-13T03:27:00.000-07:00

On our way towards a local supermarket for more beer we decided to stop by the local park " Nishi Ohata " were our club plays petanque twice a month. To my surprise there were two large groups of men with high tech cameras taking huddled around something , on closer inspection I discovered the camera men were part of a local camera club who had hired at least two models for a outdoor photo shoot in the park. The were asking the model to pose in different positions while the shutters of their cameras went into over drive. It was rather bizarre as in all my years of living in Niigata city I had never seen anything like this at all. The cameramen were of various ages and there must have been millions of dollars of camera equipment stored in their large camera bags. I'm sure they would have rather have photographed her wearing a lot less clothing but as this was a public park this was the best they were going to get.

Pictured above are photos I took of the other photographers and the model who was posing for them.

Pottering about the city - part 3

2010-06-13T03:14:00.000-07:00

Further along the sea side bike path we investigated a remodeled beach house that has just been taken over by a long term foreign resident who owns several other eating/dining establishments. As it was a sunny day a few people where enjoying a BBQ and a few beers outside. I'm sure it will be nice on a summers evening watching the sun set on distant Sado Island. Just around the corner from the beach house we again re joined the cycle path the skirted around the side of the park, it was so nice cycling in the shade under the trees that we stopped for a few photos before pressing on.

Pottering about the city - part 2

2010-06-13T02:05:00.000-07:00

After viewing the festival Brian decided to switch bicycles to his classic single speed Bridgestone so as he lives close by we back tracked a little to Brian's apartment for him to switch bicycles before proceeding towards the cycle path along side the Shinano river the runs through the center of Niigata city. This cycle/walking path is very popular with everyone living in the city and well used with several toilets and drink fountains located alongside the path. This afternoon there were a lot of people out on the river training from the local rowing club which you can see in the background of one of the above photos. After crossing another river we stopped of at a shopping center to raid the bakery and stock up on cold cans of beer for a riverside lunch. It was rather pleasant sitting by the river chatting over lunch and after we had finished we headed back towards the city along the coastal cycle path stopping in a nearby park before Brian located some single track through the trees which was a short cut back to the main road.

Pottering about the city

2010-06-13T01:44:00.000-07:00

Well as today was a fine day my mate Brian dropped by my place around mid morning and we decided to do some inner city pottering. Niigata is a rather large city and you can easily fill in the entire day just cycling around the inner city area. so after my late breakfast we headed towards the coast and took the tunnel under the shinano river which leads along the beaches that border the city center. Along the top of the cycle path we stopped for a short rest to take a drink and nearby the local kids were practicing baseball, Which you can see in the background of one of the above photos. After that we headed to one of the older neighborhoods in Niigata city , Gako Cho where I heard one of my customers was selling homemade pizza at a local festival. Most of these local festivals follow the same format with local shops and residents selling everything from food, beer, recycled clothing , antiques, fishing rods etc and you never know what kind of bargain you are likely to find. As I have almost finished restoring my 1981 Vespa 50s I've been looking at helmets and while walking among the street stalls I spied a jet style helmet with a visor that looked pretty good. After trying the helmet on and find out it fitted me perfectly I asked how much the chap wanted for it and to my surprise he only wanted 2000 yen which is about US $ 20 . The helmet was only purchased last year and in perfect condition so I quickly handed over the cash and luckily my mates wife owns a hair salon in the neighborhood so I gave her the helmet for safe keeping so I can collect it later.

Pictured above is a photo of me along the cycle path above Hiryori beach and the other two photos we taken at the festival in Gako cho.

Along the Rin Rin road part 5

2010-05-30T01:56:00.000-07:00

Further along the cycle path we spotted a rest area across the road where we could refill our water bottles and after a short break he headed back towards the spot where I had parked my van. Near the end of the cycle path we stopped to watch a group of local " Gateball " players in action enjoying the fine weather. Gateball is the game of choice for a lot of retired Japanese and almost everywhere you go in Japan you will see Gateball courts. Most of the Gateball action takes place early in the morning but sometimes you see it being played in the middle of the day. As far as I know the game is very similar to Croquet. Even though our ride was only about 30km it was a fantastic day to be out on a bike, lets hope this nice weather sticks around so I can get out for some more rides before rainy season in July.

Pictured above is the rest area, map of the cycle path and the rider side gate ballers in action

Along the Rin Rin road part 4

2010-05-30T01:44:00.000-07:00

After a leisurely lunch break we headed back towards the way we came, even though this cycle path is quite new some sections of it are in urgent need of maintenance with cracks in the concrete and sections of the path overtaken by weeds. It seems a shame that after constructing the cycle path it has received little attention in the way of regular maintenance and if they don't clean it up soon some sections will be unable to be used in the near future.

Along the Rin Rin road part 3

2010-05-30T01:27:00.000-07:00

As it was nearing lunch time we were keen for a brew up and a bite to eat so Brian spotted a old shrine over the other side of the river. After a little bit of backtracking we arrived at the shrine we had seen and I set about boiling up some water on my vintage Optimus 8R gas cooker. I don't know why but it took several matches to get it going but when I finally got it going the water for our coffee was ready in no time. The joys of cycle touring or in this case pottering along a cycle road are that you can take your time and enjoy the day rather than racing to get to your destination.

Pictured above are a few photos taken at the shrine including one of a stone statue lion wearing a cap & smoking a pipe exactly the same as mine.

Along the Rin Rin road part 2

2010-05-30T01:15:00.000-07:00

After stocking up with some food and instant coffee for our lunch break we headed back towards the cycle path and soon we were pedaling along the riverside path enjoying the scenery when we spied a rather large snake lying in the middle of the path, not the sort of thing you want to ride over and as there are no snakes in New Zealand I have always been rather weary of them and over the years I've had several close calls with large snakes whilst hiking or cycling so I prefer to keep my distance from them. The weather today was fantastic and it was so nice to be out of the city for a change.

Pictured above is the snake I saw heading under the fence at the side of the cycle road and a photo of my Humber with the mountains of Gozu in the background.

Along the Rin Rin Road

2010-05-30T00:59:00.000-07:00

Today I managed to get out for a short spin along the Rin Rin road, a short cycle path alongside a local river of around 18km. My cycling companion Brian had been out cycling already with a group of riders from a local Triathlon club who were out to complete a century ride so Brian joined them for a 70km return trip instead and met up with me at 9am. After loading Brian's bike into the van we drove out of the city towards Niitsu a small local city where the cycle path called the Rin Rin road starts. After parking the van in a shady spot under a bridge we headed along the path into Niitsu itself. Brian's eldest boy was playing baseball against a local Junior high school so we stop by the baseball ground to check it out. To be honest as a New Zealander I know nothing at all about baseball but Brian explained what was going on and we watched for a short time before heading to a 7/11 store to buy some supplies for lunch.

Pictured above is a photo of me at the baseball ground and a few of the baseball players

Kamitokura to Otaini Dam part 5

2010-05-09T02:38:00.000-07:00

After a quick spin downhill with my Lucas cyclometer clicking like crazy I had soon retraced the morning route and was heading back up the steep 7% grade that I had enjoyed so much cycling down in the morning. To be honest I tried to cycle up as far as I could which was over half way before dismounting taking a drink and walking the rest of the way, but I did manage to cycle up all of the other hills including a 6.5% grade climb. I had saved some of my food in case I needed more energy to get me through the remainder of the ride but not far from where I started was a new rest area and a brand new toilet block which looked like a great place for another coffee. After relaxing over a coffee I then pressed on up the valley which then led me down hill back to my van. I arrived back at the van at 3pm after having done 76.4 km .

Kamitokura to Otani Dam part 4

2010-05-09T02:19:00.000-07:00

After a short stop at the campground I pressed on up the valley towards Otani Dam. On the hill climb leading up to the dam another road cyclist passed me but I wasn't even near the top when he passed me again going back down the mountain. What's the point of cycling into some beautiful countryside if you barely spend 5 seconds admiring the view before turning around and heading home. I really don't understand this type of cyclist at all and it seems there only goal is how quick they can get to their destination & back and because of this they always miss out on all the interesting sights along the way. Eventually I made it to the top of the Otani Dam and could see several buildings across the other side of the dam and a picnic area which seemed like a perfect place to stop for lunch. Several families were having picnics on the grassed area nearby the buildings and that's where I stopped for lunch and my first chance to brew up some coffee on a ride since I acquired the Optimus 8R gas stove. While consuming my sandwiches I lit up my cooker to boil some water for coffee and to my surprise it started up on the 1st match and the water was boiling in no time. It was so pleasant taking in the view of the dam & the surrounding snow capped mountains on such a nice day that I could have easily fallen asleep if I had stayed longer.

Pictured above are some views of the dam and the spot where I took lunch.

Kamitokura to Otani Dam part 3

2010-05-09T02:02:00.000-07:00

After some quick downhills on 6.5% & 7% grades and riding along route 9 for a short distance I was soon on route 289 and in a wide valley that gave me fantastic views of the distant snow covered mountains. Also the farmers in this valley were making the most of the great weather as were several packs of cyclists out training. In the distance I could see a large rock face that I had seen before in local tourist magazines the area is called Shitadamura and has a nice campground, plus nearby there appeared to be a large onsen which was very busy judging from the full carpark. I stopped off to take a short look at the campground and several families were either packing up their tents or cooking lunch. There was also a couple of small mobile homes and a caravan which is a rare sight in Japan.

POsted above are some photos of the valley leading to Shitadamura and the campground

Kamitokura to Otani Dam part 2

2010-05-09T01:43:00.000-07:00

After winding my way through the hills I then came to the junction of route 290 and from there headed up & over two decent sets of hills before I reached the next valley. Today's climbs really tested me out as I hadn't done any serious riding since last season. On the way I managed to ride all the hills which is a big challenge on a heavy British 3 speed even with a pass storming gear. Because it was such a nice day there were a lot of road cyclists out training in the hills as next weekend the now famous " Sado Long Ride " is being held so I guess some of those riders were in training for next weekend. One lycra clad roadie passed me on a steep hill climb and I could see from the look in his eye he was jealous of my classic Sturmey Archer 3 speed gearing and my fully loaded Carradice saddlebag that contained my Optimus 8R gas stove. If he really wanted to do well in events such as the Sado Long Ride he should be riding a heavy British 3 speed daily and then switch to his lightweight racing bike for events as I'm sure he would become much stronger pedaling a solid touring bike through the mountains than the lightweight carbon thing he was on.

First ride of the year - Kamitokura to Otani Dam - 76.4km return

2010-05-09T01:37:00.001-07:00

Well finally I had a day off and the weather was nice so after a hearty breakfast I loaded the Humber into my work van and headed for the hills. I don't really like cycling out of the city as with all the cars it's not so pleasant and now that I have a van I can quickly get into some nice countryside for touring. The other day my cycling mate Brian suggested the ride I did today and as I had never been in that direction before I thought I would check it out. Even though I made a miscalculation re the starting point, I actually started further away that I had originally planned but it didn't really matter as I have never cycled through those parts before. I ended up starting from the small mountain village of Kamitokura and found a car park at the local community center which is now closed and from there I started my ride. Not long after I headed out of the village the road turned into a single lane and wound it's way uphill through a beautiful valley. Along the way all the rice farmers we busy planting rice or preparing their rice fields for planting.

The photos above are the 1st set of photos I took along route 226 and a map showing the location of todays ride

Another rainy day !

2010-04-28T21:11:00.000-07:00

Well today was to have been my first ride for this year but unfortunately on our way to the start of our planned ride it started raining heavily so my mate Brian & I were both glad we were inside my van instead of outside getting wet. Often in Niigata it rains so if you can get a fine day for cycling you are rather lucky, so instead of our planned ride along the river cycle path near Murumatsu we headed back into the city and visited Yamaya which is a large import food store and across the street we spied a nice looking bakery that needed further investigation. After stocking up on some nice bead & filled rolls we then headed to a seaside car park to consume our lunch and chat before heading home. Now looking out the window the weather has started to clear up - I guess that is Murphy's law for you !. We'll try another ride in a couple of weeks when we are both free again and hopefully by then the weather will be better.

Pictured above is a photo of me outside Brian's apartment building with my Humber sports sitting in the back of my van

A brew up

2010-03-31T02:08:00.000-07:00

Finally I got the chance to test out my Optimus 8R vintage gas stove today as my cycling mate Brian also recently purchased a similar model and seeing as it was fine this afternoon he suggested we head to a local park to test out our stoves and brew up some coffee. If we were having a brew up race I guess I would have won, but I did have an unfair advantage as I had total stripped & restored my stove where Brian has only just received his and has not had time to clean it as yet. Both the stoves worked quite well and they didn't take long to boil up enough water for our coffee. We are planning on taking these stoves on our cycling trips this year for coffee & cooking lunch etc. So now we know at least they work and they won't let us down while out cycling. Both these stoves run on white gasoline which can be purchased at most decent outdoor stores everywhere.

Pictured above are the two Optimus 8R stoves in action

Large diameter bicycle bells for sale

2010-03-14T01:38:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone

I have acquired a box of 20 large diameter new bicycle bells which are for sale. The bells are made in Japan and have a fantastic "Ding Dong " type ring to them. These bells are perfect for your vintage bicycle or any bicycle for that matter. The diameter of the bell is 80mm and the bell is 50mm high, the dome is painted black and the remainder of the bell is chrome. They only cost me US $5.00 each and as I have 20 you can order as many as you like. I am not interested in making any money on them at all but if you would like one or more just get in touch with me anytime.

Cheers
Don

Restorers rant

2010-03-12T02:10:00.000-08:00

Well as I have recently seen some shocking ( So called ) restorations featured on the net I thought I would offer my views as a bicycle restorer. Because of the recent fixie boom many old bicycles have been given a new lease of life, which is great as I'm all for recycling cycles, but to advertise a bicycle as restored it should at least look period correct. They certainly did not paint bikes back then in colours such as orange, fluro pink etc. Also because of Pashley in the UK releasing their Governor range of " Path racers " some people have been converting 26" or 28" roadsters into fake path racers by adding some white tyres, taking off all the other parts such as mudguards, chain cases, lamp brackets etc and flipping the north road bars upside down ? . Doing that certainly does not make the bike a path racer and to re chrome parts that were originally nickel plated only looks terrible to anyone with any knowledge of vintage bicycles. If for some reason you purchase an antique / vintage bicycle the least you should do is to try and find out the history of the bike and with the vintage bicycle hobby growing all the time and clubs like the Veteran Cycle Club & The Wheelmen there are plenty of people out there willing to give some advice. Many of these people have access to scans of original catalogs showing what your bicycle would have looked like when new. And if you can't afford to do a total restoration, don't cut corners just to get it on the road again as you will only regret it later. Part of the fun in collecting & restoring bicycles is tracking down the parts that would have been on it as new, sometimes this can take years if it's a very rare bicycle but most of the time you should be able to find the correct parts without too much trouble. Some people might disagree with the above comments but a nice vintage bicycle deserves to be restored to it's original condition not painted fluro green with a crank set made in Taiwan. Pictured above is front fork of an Australian made " Bullock " bicycle which happens to be a racing bike from the 1930s which has been restored correctly

Flickr Humber bicycle group

2010-02-13T18:27:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone

As it's cold and quite often snowing here on the sea of Japan & there won't be any cycling for a while I decided to make a Flickr Humber bicycle group. After searching through Flickr and seeing all the other related bicycle groups such as BSA, Classic lightweights, Raleigh etc and finding out that there wasn't a group devoted to Humber bicycles I decided to start one. The reason for starting this group is to show the range of Humber bicycles that were produced as Humber has been manufacturing bicycles since the early 1880s when the ordinary bicycle ( High wheel ) was the popular mount of the period. Also many people have restored various models from throughout the years from solid tire safeties through to the popular rod brake 28" roadsters and 3 speed 26" touring bikes etc. Now that there is a Humber group it will encourage people to restore their Humber bicycle after seeing the fantastic examples that people have submitted to the online photo collection. I have also scanned the entire 1947- 1948 Humber Export catalog that my father obtained when he purchased his bicycle and added that to the group as well. Hopefully if others have copies of Humber catalogs from the different years it will then help people identify what model bicycle they have and the correct specifications needed to fully restore it etc.

Pictured above is a screen shot from the Humber group on Flickr and if you have any photos, catalog scans or advertising related to Humber bicycles please feel free to add them to the group

A day trip

2010-01-31T02:12:00.000-08:00

Seeing as it's still rather cold for cycling my mate Brian & I went for a drive to follow a lead on an old Japanese rod brake roadster that was in a antique shop. The shop was located in the small fishing village of Terodomari which is up the coast from Niigata city. Upon arriving at the antique shop we spotted a lady's rod brake roadster but unfortunately the other bike had been sold two years previous. So after checking out some other local antique shops we headed back towards Niigata and stopped off in the mountain village of Yahiko which is famous for it's shrine and Kerin cycling track. Although there were no races in progress there were plenty of people inside the betting hall which is decked out with large TVs so people can follow the other races that are being held throughout Japan. Just as we arrived inside a race was about to start in Kyoto so we stayed to watch it. As usual it was a close fought battle between the two lead riders with a couple of the runners up bumping shoulders at high speed almost causing a crash. After viewing the race we made our way back into the city passing a few Lycra clad roadies out training and ended the day with a tobacco pipe and a coffee at a local cafe.

Pictured above is a view taken of the Japan sea and a photo of the Yahiko cycle track. The other photo showing Yahiko cycle track was taken from the net.

Saddle bag contents

2010-01-21T03:37:00.000-08:00

Now that the weather is unfit for cycling, I decided to sort out my saddle bag ( Carradice Nelson longflap ) and give it a clean out. Also today I purchased some army style mess tins also known as dixies for boiling water & cooking this season while out cycling and a metal fold able wind shield for when using the cooker. So after emptying the contents of the bag I decided to take a photo of the items that I carry while out on day trips etc.

The above photo shows the following items

Custom made Humber musette - for holding wallet, keys, spare change & a camera
Cleaning rags
Leather tool bag
CRC spray can
Metal spanners 1 x Brooks spanner, 1 x unknown brand
Adjustable wrench
Britannia metal puncture kit - old tin with new contents
Metal tyre levers x 3
Brooks saddle cover - for rainy days
Modern bicycle pump - more effective than my old frame pump
1940s telescopic camera tripod
Stainless steel hip flask - For single malt energy drinks
Leather pipe bag - containing a packet of tobacco
English billiard tobacco pipe
Pipe tamper
Lighter
Pipe wind cap - for smoking whilst cycling
Coffee pot
Stainless steel cup - strapped to the outside of the bag
2 x Army style mess tins
Fold able wind shield
Vintage Optimus 8R cooker - recently re painted & restored
Canvas bag - for containing the mess tins & cooker
Small priming bottle for the Optimus

So as you can see you can fit a lot into a Carradice Nelson saddlebag and even with all the items listed above the bag is not even half full. Of course I hear you muttering " by cripes that must be heavy " well seeing as I ride a high tensile steel 1947 Humber that is rather heavy in itself I am not concerned about weight. Also it's nice to have the space in which to carry the above items as you never know when you'll need them etc. As you can see from the above list, the tools I carry apart from the adjustable wrench are period correct tools that cyclists would have carried in the 1940s, the spanners fit a variety of nuts & bolts on the Humber and are very strongly made so as not to break. If you are planning on purchasing a saddle bag for your bicycle I can strongly recommend any of the Carradice bags for unsurpassed quality.

Cotswold sketches

2010-01-17T01:28:00.000-08:00

The above page of Cotswold sketches was scanned from a Dec 1941 issue of " Cycling " magazine. Most of you who are familiar with cycling artists will recognize Frank Patterson's work as he was a regular contributor to " Cycling " magazine for a long period. His artwork was used for various adds that were featured in the magazine as well as the page headers etc. In my opinion his captures the golden age of cycling very well.

1938 Camping goods

2010-01-17T01:20:00.000-08:00

The above add was scanned from a 1938 issue of the popular UK magazine " Cycling" which shows a selection of camping goods and clothing etc that were popular items at the time for cycling. Some of these items are difficult to find today but they can be found on internet auctions from time to time.

Winter projects

2010-01-04T00:14:00.000-08:00

Well as you may know it's the middle of winter here in Japan and here in Niigata there is quite a lot of snow which makes cycle touring rather difficult. So it's a good time for winter projects to take place. My main cycle related projects are the construction on a custom made 52 inch replica ordinary bicycle for a customer in Tokyo which I'm looking forward to as it will be the 10th replica ordinary I have built since first building my own bike back in 1994. I have learnt a lot over the years about the construction of ordinary bicycles and I'm looking forward to trying some new construction methods with this bicycle which will make it look more authentic.

The other project is getting a late 1950s 27" Royal Enfeild club model restored and on the road for my cycling companion Brian who often joins me touring the local countryside. For some time now Brian has wanted a classic British bicycle for touring on and luckily the Enfeild was available from a fellow collector back in NZ. I used to own the bicycle several years ago but swapped it for a Raleigh RM1 moped and after swapping two Japanese bicycles and another old track racing frame I was able to get the Royal Enfeild back again. The frame has currently been re painted in New Zealand and will soon be shipped to Japan to be re assembled and finished off. Hopefully it will be on the road later this year and once I receive it from New Zealand I post some photos and up dates of it's restoration.

Apart from the two cycle projects above I was given a 1964 Vespa 50s from a kind neighbour up the street and I have slowing started rebuilding it so I can use it once the winter is over. I have decided to rebuild it rather than restore it as if I decided to keep it I may spend more money on it and have it repainted but in the meantime I am re painting the rims, giving the alloy parts a clean up and fitting new tires & tubes to make it road worthy again. I have always wanted a Vespa so I was rather happy to receive one for free , the model that I have is quite an early one from the second year of production.

Pictured above is one of my last replica ordinary bicycles that I built back in New Zealand, The Royal Enfeild and my Vespa

Winters here

2009-12-14T00:22:00.001-08:00

Well it looks like the last ride I did into the mountains of Sanpoku was the last ride of the year as it's now very cold and it seems to be raining most days, which has put a stop to any more touring as many of the mountains roads I like to explore will soon be covered in snow if not already. One of the roads that Brian & I cycled on in Sanpoku is already closed due to winter. So the Humber has been put to rest and over the winter I'll give it a service ready for next season. This year Brian & I were able to go further afield due to the fact that I now have a van which can easy fit both our bikes without having to take the front wheels off, this enables us to get out of the city and into some new areas that we haven't explored before as cycling out of the city is not so pleasant. One of my winter projects is the construction of a 52 inch replica ordinary for a Japanese Wheelman as over the years I have built 9 bicycles of this type before. If you are interested please check out the link highwheelinginjapan on this blog for further info on the bicycle I'm building.

Cheers
Don

Restore or refurbish ?

2009-12-10T00:47:00.000-08:00

Over the many years I have been restoring bicycles , mainly older English bicycles such as 26" & 28" roadsters, shop delivery bicycles & a few fixed wheel racing bikes there was a decision to be made after obtaining the bicycle whether to restore or refurbish it.

How do you decide on which course to follow ?

Well that depends on several things such as - the age of the bike , it's current condition, if it's a rare model, a family heirloom etc. If you have obtained a very rare bicycle it is well worth the time & effort to restore it, but if the bike has outstanding features such as original box lining or company/ sales agent transfers these will be lost if you decide to repaint it. With the 1947 Humber sports pictured above I wanted to refurbish it rather than restore it - the reason why is that it's overall condition was rather good and even though there was light surface rust and some bare metal on the top tube this could be cleaned up and the original paintwork retained which also featured the sales agent transfer. Transfers whether original or replacements can easily be protected from the elements and usage with a fine brushed on coating of clear nail polish which protects the transfers from getting damaged. With the Humber refurbishment I wanted to bring it back to it's original condition as advertised in the Humber 1948 sales leaflet. The following parts were taken off the Humber for various reasons such as - they were damaged beyond repair, not original to the bike

Rear rack
Lucas dynamo lighting set
Lucas odometer
Mattrass saddle

The parts that refurbished were

Handle bars - re chromed as badly rusted
Rims - rebuilt with new heavy gauge spokes as the old spokes were rusted
Tires - The bike had fantastic Dunlop made in NZ tires but were unsafe for use
Sturmey archer ABC rear hub - rebuilt with NOS internals & a larger rear cog
Top tube S.A shifter - replaced with NOS trigger shifter
Saddle - replaced with New Brooks B17 - should have B15
Mudguards - replaced with NOS as old ones were damaged

Apart from replacing a few parts with period pattern replacements I also added extras that would have been available in 1947 such as a Lucas cyclometer NOS, Saddle bag surport rack, Carradice Nelson longflap saddle bag, alloy water bottle & pump. The previous items are something that could have been purchased in the 1940s and even though the Humber is not a show stopper I have no fear of taking it on extended multi day tours or a 100km day ride. Since it's refurbishment it has not let me down once whilst out touring. One nice thing about refurbishing a bicycle is that you can do it little by little as time and money allows plus you can still keep riding it.

Happy Cycling
Don

My father & his Humber sports

2009-12-09T18:57:00.000-08:00

All the years I was growing up I watched my father ride his Humber bicycle to work everyday no matter what the weather was, if it was raining he put on his oilskin parka and headed off to his job at the Ford garage where he worked as a car mechanic from age 15 till he retired around 60. Even though I started collecting vintage bicycles in the early 1990s I never thought my fathers bike was very special. Back then my father rode it with the handlebars turned upside down which was very popular due to the fact that it gave the rider a more upright position and it was fitted with a sprung mattress type saddle ( maybe a Terry band from the UK ) plus it has a rear carrier fitted as well. The bike was also fitted with a heavy duty Lucas dynamo lighting set and a Lucas odometer. I also remember the bike having a vinyl pannier bag in which to carry a raincoat etc. But it was only when my father showed me the catalouge that came with the bike that I realised that it was a sports model and near the top of the Humber range back in 1947 which encouraged me to restore it to it's present condition. My father had the shop install the optional 3 speed sturmey archer drum brake model ABC & top tube quadrant shifter when it was first purchased. Just today I received the two attached photos of the Humber showing it's previous condition

Mountains of Sanpoku 6

2009-11-29T04:56:00.000-08:00

On the return drive back towards Niigata city we stopped off in the old castle town of Murukami, the town no longer has it's castle as only the ruins remain but there are many fantastic old merchant houses that are now doing very well because they are historic buildings still in use and it was at one of these such buildings that we stopped at in the center of town. The shop had an array of cheap fresh vegetables for sale outside plus indoors there was a raised wooden seating area with a traditional open fire on which to cook or boil tea and a restaurant serving local food, no doubt salmon was probably on the menu. After departing Murukami we returned to the main highway and stopped off at a recycling store where there were hundreds of bicycles, along with TVs , car tires and all sorts of other everyday junk. Amongst the bicycles we did spot a rather nice older traditional bike in good condition for it's age but we didn't bother inquiring how much it was, as the day was getting late and we needed to return home. I'm not sure if we'll get another chance to get out cycling this year as already it's getting rather cold with snow on the hills but if it's a mild winter there may be more cycling yet to come.

Cheers Don
3speedtouringinjapan

Mountains of Sanpoku 5

2009-11-29T04:26:00.000-08:00

The road that we took to head back towards the coast was one of the narrowest I have ever ridden on while out touring and it was easy to see why it's closed over the winter as it would be too dangerous to attempt to drive it covered in snow & ice. Most of the road was downhill towards the coast. Just as we entered the seaside town, the towns 12pm horn was blowing alerting everybody it was lunch time. And as we came to the intersection adjoining the main road we spotted a convenience store with indoor seating , the perfect place for a lunch break. Now quite a few convenience stores in Japan are providing indoor seating for customers. I had one of my favorite Japanese meals " Katsu curry " - fried pork cutlet with rice & Japanese style curry and after spending 30 mins or so over lunch we headed along the busy main road where we spotted " Awa shima " - Awa island one of the two islands off the coast of Niigata. We had thought about continuing on to the seaside town of Sanpoku before turning inland to get back to our starting point, but because of the heavy traffic we took the first turn we came to and headed inland which took us along one of the roads we had cycled that morning back to the car. We arrived back at the van at 1.45pm after having cycled 60 km.

Mountains of Sanpoku 4

2009-11-29T04:07:00.000-08:00

The route Brian had picked was fantastic as it wasn't too steep and the scenery was brilliant and the day had turned out very nice with patches of blue sky which is rare at this time of the year along the coast of the Japan sea. Our next stop was a natural fresh water spring which are often found on mountain roads and especially handy for a thirsty cyclist, after the spring we spotted a very old storage shed with large rocks holding the roof on, which is another technique from days gone by that is rarely seen now. We also paused for a while in an old village which had some fantastic old houses built in traditional style, then after a tunnel and a short but step climb we had reached the border of Niigata & Yamagata where we stopped on the summit for a bite to eat before the downhill into the valley below. The downhill was great fun but being as the road was wet and very narrow you had to take care on the sharp switchbacks before it flattened into another small village where we made a left turn to head towards the sea.

Mountains of Sanpoku 3

2009-11-29T03:39:00.000-08:00

Right where I took the photo of my bike in the last posting , Brian spotted some large trout swimming upstream then a salmon which are very famous in the Sanpoku & Murukami area either fresh or salt cured. A long time ago people didn't have any form of refrigeration so the fish they caught were coated with sea salt then hung up to dry so they could eat the fish over the winter. Next to our surprise Brian spotted a salmon hooked to a line that was attached to a bamboo pole tied to the bank of the river. This form of fishing would be illegal in my home country of NZ but in this valley it seemed the most popular way of obtaining a salmon. After cycling a short distance down the road we came upon a couple of cars and a couple of fisherman who were busy storing their mornings catch in polystyrene boxes by the side of the road. They had built a small lean to shelter and a couple of small dams in the river and had at least 6 fixed bamboo poles in the river. I asked the fisherman how long he had been fishing and to my surprise he had only been there a couple of hours starting at 8am and already he had caught 15 large salmon, he offered me a fantastic large salmon but unfortunately I had to refuse as there was no way it would have fit inside my saddlebag. Along the same road we spotted more fisherman sitting inside their covered fishing shacks with many fixed poles in the river.

Pictured above are some photos taken at the riverside

Mountains of Sanpoku 2

2009-11-29T03:21:00.000-08:00

Not long after the first village we came upon another small village and as we were just leaving it we noticed some movement in a Kaki tree across a rice field and too our surprise there were several wild monkeys devouring the fruit off the tree, it looked like they we having a pretty good time and further along the road we spotted yet another monkey sunbathing on the branch of a tree. It seemed to be a popular spot for monkeys as on the way back along the same road we saw them again and one of the locals passed by stating they have a lot of monkeys around here, which must cause some problems over the winter when their natural food sources are in short supply. Further along the road we came to a scenic spot on a bend in the river where I took the above photo.

Mountains of Sanpoku

2009-11-29T03:00:00.000-08:00

I had almost given up hope of getting another ride in before the winter had set in, but in the last few days the weather wasn't bad even though it was pretty cold so when I suggested to Brian that we take a ride on Sunday I had no idea if it would be fine or not and I didn't even have a route in mind. But on Sat night Brian rang to say it was going to be fine according the weather reports and before he told me of his idea , I had surges ted the same area which was north of Murukami city near the border of Niigata. So I dug out my winter woolies and packed my saddle bag ready for our 7am departure the next day. Upon rising early the weather looked pretty go and once Brian had arrived at my place we loaded my work van with the two bicycles and drove past Murukami to the village of Kitanaka a small village located off the main route north. After parking the van by the side of a rice field just out of town at 9am we headed uphill which was to be one of the steepest climbs of the day, it was hard work in low gear sucking in the cold mountain air but before long we had reached the summit and enjoyed a nice downhill through the first village of the day. The scenery was fantastic and we often stopped throughout the day to take photos as we had never ventured into this area before.

Pictured above is a map showing the route we took and the 1st two photos that were taken.

Sunday afternoon pottering

2009-11-08T00:28:00.000-08:00

Today I went pottering on the Humber with my mate Brian and our destination was Roast Cafe which is located on the outskirts of Niigata City but when we arrived we found it closed with a sign saying they are not open on Sunday's which was a shame as most coffee shops & cafes in Japan are rather busy on the weekends. After that we cycled back into the city and stopped off at a huge shopping mall as Brian wanted to purchase some foreign cooking supplies from an import shop so while in the mall we had a bite to eat at a fantastic bakery and after a quick look around the mall we continued on our way back into the center of the city. Before we parted we stopped off at the old shrine which is located in Kanbara cho where I used to live when I first moved to Niigata city. The shrine is famous for it's festival which is held in August of every year and has over 600 stalls selling food and toys for kids. The weather is now getting cooler and the days are getting shorter so I hope to get in one more decent ride before winter arrives.

Pictured above is a photo of me taken on the way to the cafe with the Gozu mountain range in the background and the other photo is of Kanabara shrine

Royal Enfeild - information required

2009-10-29T23:41:00.000-07:00

Hi Everybody

Just recently I was able to re aquire a bike I owned several years ago which is a Royal Enfeild. When I discovered the bike it was painted gloss black and had been in a crash and the front forks were beyond use. So with some searching I finally found a set of 27" forks with a long enough steerer tube to fit and repainted the bike navy blue with off white lugs. The bike is currently in New Zealand and will be stripped of all parts and repainted gloss black and finished with water slide Royal Enfeild transfers avaiable from the UK.

Here is a few details on the bike

27" x 1 1/4 wheels, Benelux MK7 rear gear - 5 speed, Benelux cable control front changer circa 1962 ? Double chain ring front crank set with unique oval pattern - brand unknown , Brass Royal Enfeild head badge which says made in Redditch England.

If anybody can shed some light on what model this bike is e.g Bullet , Firefly etc that would be a great help in restoring it & I'm also on the lookout for the following parts - British made of course

Matching brakes
Chrome brake levers
Rat trap pedals as per above photo or similar pattern circa 1960s

If you can help please post a comment

Cheers Don

Vintage bicycle spotting

2009-10-27T04:58:00.001-07:00

Just last Sunday my wife & I went for a drive to the resort town of Karuizawa which is located on the border of Nagano & Guma ken. It's full of trendy shops selling clothes, and souvenirs etc. But as we were walking along the street I spotted the bicycle pictured above which had a pressed steel rack fitted to the bars which I hadn't seen before. It looks like it was an old post office delivery bicycle that had been repainted for display, anyhow at least people get to see it rather than it rusting away behind someones shed