Cycling Video FAQ

 Why do you make these videos?

I started making videos for safety purposes.  Everyone uses the word "safety", but recording your ride doesn't actually make you any safer, in the same way that "Disaster prevention" goods don't actually stop natural disasters like earthquakes from happening.  They do, however, help you deal with natural disasters that are going to happen anyway.   

Having a recording in case of an accident or near miss won't turn back time, but it could help catch the perpetrater or prove your innocence.  

Drivers in Japan are generally respectful and safe, but it never hurts to be prepared.  

Besides the one-off effect of having evidence for yourself in case of an incident, the more people taking video, the more others will think twice about their actions.  

After a while, I had a lot of footage, which I generallly erased and overwrote each time.  

At some point, I decided to play around with iMovie and make some preview style videos, such as Commute Accross Tokyo,  Journey to Shinagawa, and On Road, and The Journey Home.

One day I was telling one of my co-workers about how I tried the "Small roads" option in my navigation unit on the way home from work the previous day, and was guided down a maze of impissible small alleyways (barely wide enough for the bike to pass through).  He was entertained and said "Why don't you post the video? It would be interesting to watch!"  I explained "I bought a 40 minute long video will be interesting to watch", but complied anyway since it was easy enough to do.  

There were a number of people who watched the entire video, strangers who I had not even sent the link to.  I asked in the comments of my own video "Who is watching this entire video, and why?"  People answered that they like to watch such videos while using stationary exercise bikes.  Fair enough.  

And in fact, I have done the same: I have watched cycling videos taken by people in Switzerland, Germany, Mexico, and France, while riding my indoor exercise bike.  

Since half of any journey in the city is literally waiting at stop lights, I started editing out or speeding up those periods of sitting still.  I also wanted to apply music to the videos, but using music can be tricky because of copyright restrictions.  

I found a cycling video by someone else using Peer Kusiv's excellent Natur & Techno (which is free to use), and stole that idea.  More recently, I have started using NEFFEX and other artists who allow royalty free use of their work.  The good thing about music is that if you don't like it, youc an simply turn it off and play your own music without missing anything.  

When I go on special long trips, or places where I don't usually go, I am sure to make videos, but other trips to work or my friend's houses usually end up getting copied and forgotten.  (Yes, I have many terabytes of video!)

I simply don't have the time to edit and upload every trip, even if "Editing" only involves removing stops and adding music.  

I have made things like stop-motion videos, and will continue to try to think of other creative uses for the footage I already have.  

Recently I purchased a Fly6 camera, so now I have rear view video as well!  Having said that, the rear view camera really is mainly for safety, and probably less intersting to look at.   

I've noticed over the years that most of the close calls I have had have been from pedestrians and other cyclists, not cars.  Yes, large trucks hurdling by at high speeds in places where there are guard rails but no shoulder is a bit unnerving - but cars and trucks usually are not only courteous, but follow the law.  The same cannot always be said for pedestrians who cross the road whenever and wherever they feel like it, or cyclists who think red lights don't apply to them or like to ride the wrong way down two way streets with no lights swhile wearing black at night.  

I think I am going going to use my videos to hilight bad behavior form now on.  

What is that constant ringing sound?

So there are three caregories of bells I use

1. The normal bike bell "Ding!" - This is my least favorite.  Why?  Well in Japan you are "Supposed" to ride on the road, with the sidewalk being an exception.  If you are on the road, where cars are speeding by at 50kph, they can't hear your cute (or pathetic) "Ding" sound - so the normal bike bell is meaningless on the road in most cases.

2. The electric horn - I have fitted my bikes with actual horns because I actually want cars to be able to hear me.  Using these behind a pedestrianon the sidewalk is likely to give them a heart attack, or at least startle them, and would be quite rude.  Bear in mind that bikes aren't really supposed to be on the sidewalk, and so pedestrians absolutely have the right of way.  (This is why cyclists "dinging" at me when I am walking is particularly annoying.  I'm not supposed to move, they are suppose to wait).  

Besides the fact that normal bells are mostly useless on the road, and pedestrians havigng priority on the sidewalk, there are also many blind corners in resedential areas with small roads and lots of houses.  How would you use your bell if you don't see someone untli it's too late?  Well, this is where number 3 comes in:

3. The Trail bell.  

These are designed for use on trails, where there may be hikers and you need to be sure they hear you coming.  

You can watch the somewhat entertaining promo video here, but basically it's a miniature cow bell that you strap on your bike, and it just always makes sound.  Although I ordered this from the original maker in switzerland, similar products are available in Japan from Tokyo Bell.  

In Japan, similar bells are sold and marketed as to keep away bears!  I have seen some people saying they like bells with a silent mode so that they can turn it on when they are in the wilderness, and turn it back off when they are in civilization to avoid annoying people.  

That said, I use mine specifically in the city, and I have never seen anyone react in annoyance to the bell itself.  (Maybe to the fact that I am coming at all...)

Say you are on a small road or trail, and there is someone walking in the middle.  You can usually safely pass without making a sound at all, but sometimes (Usually?9 pedestrians are unpredictable.  You an ring your bell "Ding!", but it seems rude, aas if you are saying "Get out of my way!" - which isn't appropriate where pedestrians have the right of way.  

The cow bell, though, simply lets them know something is approaching.  They can decide to move or not, but at least they know you are coming, and it can be heard even when you can't be seen.  

As mentioned above, there are similar bells produced in Japan, and there is also the "Timber" bell, which has a similar purpose.  

By the way, yelling "On your left!" just... stupid.  I'm sorry.  And it'S not a thing in Jpan anyway.  When I visited the US and someone woudl scream "On your left!" my immediate reaction would be to move to my left, and think "Why is this dude shouting?!"  On the trails it might be an culture thing, but in the city or around normal people it just makes you look like a crazy person, and a bell is more audible and polite anyway.  

Why do you always ride on the road? Isn't that dangerous? I thought sidewalk riding was okay in Japan.

Strictly speaking, the slaw says you should be riding on the road.  There is an exception that says you can ride on the sidewalk, as an exception, when you feel that the road is dangerous.  In practice, this means anyone who wants to ride on the sidewalk does.  I have even heard of police telling people to ride on the sidewalk in certain places where there are a lot of accidents on the road.  

So for practical purposes both the road ans sidewalk are okay, but in case of an accident, the presumption of guilt is with cars on the road, and bikes on the sidewalk.  

More to the point, though, in the city, traffic usually isn't that fast, while sidewalks are typically clogged with pedestrians, sign poles, and more.  The road is simply faster and safer much of the time.  

Why do you sometimes ride on the sidewalk?

There are multiple reasons:

1. When the road has a speed limit of 50kph or higher and I don't know the road, or for some other reason seems dangerous

2. When there are no people on the sidewalk

3. When there are many traffic lights on the road but not the sidewalk

I generally prefer the road, but I am flexible and decide on a case by case basis.  

Although I despise cyclists that run red lights, I am not above "bending" the law by "working around" a red light.  If there is a red light for cars, but no light for pedestrians (or indeed no crossing), one can switch to the sidewalk, bypass the light, and then switch back to the road.  If there are no cars or pedestrians around anyway, this is perfectly safe, and allows you to also comply with the letter of the law.  

Why do you go so fast / so slow?

I tend to go faster than other cyclists on the road, but for obvious reasons I tend to go slow on the sidewalk if there are pedestrians around.  I am not trying to break any speed records, so there are certainly cyclists faster than myself - though I am faster than your average commuter.  

I also try to keep with the speed of traffic to the extent reasonable, which means that when traffic is 20kph, I will go at 20kph, not trying to weave in traffic and pass everyone I can too much.  On the other hand, if the average speed is 40kph, I will try to match that as well.  

Bear in mind that even though I ride eBikes much of the time, an eBike is not a motorcycle, and I can't keep up 40kph up a steep hill for very long before my legs turn to jelly.  (The assist only works up to 24kph).  This means you may see periods where you see me give it all I've got and speed by at 40kph, and you may see sections where I am taking it easy slowly moving along while recovering.