The adventure begins in Tokyo
WHY JAPAN?
The proposal was clear: fixed gear, backpack, hammock and bag for pedal to exhaustion each day without the aid of gears or derailleurs. For this, until now, we used velodrome bikes, but we really needed something more special, frames that you can't find in traditional brands. so he entered Andres Arregui Velazquez, craftsman and bicycle builder at Ciclos La Universal in Madrid, in the game: he helped us preparing a bicycle for each one with the purpose we needed. We were ready to catch the plane.
** TOKYO : THE BOOM OF CONTRAST**
Get on the subway that would take us to the Shibuya station , one of those with the highest passenger traffic per day, was the worthy beginning of the adventure, a first contact with the Japanese world that would leave us scared. Posters for anything you can find look like cartoon ads. Everything sounds, everything is full of lights, any object emits a little music...
Cycling Tokyo: the essential stops to get your bike ready
Riding a bicycle during a night in Tokyo is a wonder . The city changes for each neighborhood you cross; some might seem like the series of Shin Chan , others of BladeRunner... others, a kind of oriental souk. After dinner typical products of the country and drink some sake, we would go to the houses of our hosts, housing tokyota use : little space, with a large closet where absolutely everything is stored. Quite a tetris game that managed to place household items in a record size... and even so, very comfortable.
Rolling at night in Tokyo: an experience to live once in a lifetime
tokyo It is an incredible city and, of course, as a first contact with Japanese culture it is an impressive place. Our hosts were clear example of Japanese hospitality , and both they and all the people with whom we had a relationship, were endearing. There we realized curiosities such as There are no trash cans in Japan. , but the streets are completely clean: people save their garbage to throw it at home or take it to the convenience store , a kind of Seven-Eleven in which there are everything from cooked dishes to magazines, food, Wi-Fi... and present in all corners of the country.
The life of the Japanese delivery man
TOKYO FOR LOVERS OF TWO WHEELS
Bike shops with “something else”
Fat Wrench
small workshop of Shibuya neighborhood run by Seki , a charming boy who, in addition to being a great professional, speaks Spanish (he has lived in Spain for several months), and his shop has a special charm, plus Seki does not hesitate to share a beer with his Western guests.
The Roosters in Fat Wrench
Blue Lug
flagship store specializing in urban cycling with a wide assortment of details that can delight tourists, from caps to jerseys, through custom bicycle frames.
25las Bycicle Whorkshop
Second-hand urban cycling shop where you can find everything from classic Japanese frames and components to messenger bags or sneakers that will delight lovers of the commuter environment.
W-Base
In the environment of shibuya crossing This two-story store is located, ideal if you like trick fixie and BMX, two storeys of establishment connected by a fire escape, peculiar and essential.
W Base, a Tokyo cycling workshop
Tempra Bikes
Further from Shibuya than the previous ones, this is a hot spots perfect for fixed gear and single speed lovers , a store where you can also have a drink and where you can find components and bicycles of the highest quality.
Tempra Bikes
Other places of interest:
Good People and Good Coffee
If you like good coffee, this is your place: a small establishment (people usually stay at the entrance) where you can see and experience the most disparate atmosphere within the Tokyo urban cycling community. Here they meet from messengers to hipsters. A melting pot of cyclists as varied as the city itself.
Good Coffee & Good People
After three days in the capital, we would start our trip north, specifically to Niigata, where we would start with the trip that had cost us so much to organize... At last our long-awaited adventure began.
Follow @jaimeaukerman
Tokyo: starting point of this cycling trip through Japan