Tokyo Cyclist

 In the United States, everyone always has suing or being sued in the back of their minds.  Good or bad, his is a cultural phenomenon.  Many people want to extract some financial vengeance when they feel they have been wronged, or want to use the legal system to punish those they feel are deserving. The other side of the coin is that many people are afraid of being sued, which may limit what they do, including whether they are willing to get involved to help people, etc.  This can be an unfortunate side-effect, but at the same time, it doesn't mean that everyone is always well behaved.  In the world of cycling, there is often a trade-off between doing what everyone else does, doing what is realistic, and following the letter of the law.   For example, the law in Japan says that bicycles basically must follow the same traffic laws as cars, including stopping at stop signs, etc., with some exceptions: 1. You should stay to the left side of the left-most ...

 I made the solo trip to Nagano in October.  That was fun, but also a bit drawn out.  The weather was perfect.  Chilly enough that once I got warmed up from the exercise I wasn't too hot or too cold, and no need to carry too much bulky clothes.   There were a few issues, though: 1. I brought too much stuff.  Because it was so far, and some places were far from civilization, I brought a lot of stuff.   2. I had to work - which limited my the amount of to travel each day much more than my physical ability.   3. Mechanical failure - Because of #1 & #2 above, I used Pannier bags and a top bag with strap-on racks, which had issues when I went on a brief off-rode detour.   4. Lack of suitable roads - Given the remote location, some places were connected only by a single road, which was typically high speed and narrow.  Not the kind of place you want to cycle, let along at night.  To add insult to injury, often larg...

 Especially in these pandemic times, many people think of an eBike as a low cost, eco friendly, and germ free alternative to cars, trains and busses.  All of that is true, but let's delve into the cost a bit more, shall we? Any discussion will be anecdotal at best, but because I have had numerous bikes for a fair period of time, my experience should be somewhat representative of real world costs.   So the first thing to think about are all the normal costs that would come with owning any type of normal bicycle.  Most eBiles are, after all, basically bicycles with some specialized components added onto the basic tried and true bicycle system.   Which is to say, most have chains and sprockets, handle bars and frames, saddles, and reflectors and lights, brakes and brake pads, kick stands, etc. In my experience, the most common thing that needs to be repaired or replaced is the tires and/or tubes.  I have probably had 4 tire changes in as many years a...

Okay, so back when I did my original review of the YPJ-MT Pro, I said that one of the most bothersome things about it was the lack of removable battery.  Yet I have to admit, that isn't strictly true - you see, the battery is of course removable - just not conveniently.   You have to remove two security Torx bolts which hold the black plastic mud guard/battery cover on, and then once that is gone, there is a larger bolt neat the bottom of the battery that you have to loosen, which will allow you to turn a spring loaded locking lug out of the way so that you can then remove the battery.   Honestly, because locking lug is spring loaded, it's basically not going to turn on its own, which means you don't really even need the last bolt.  It's there just to make double sure that when you take a huge jump across a cliff or something, that the battery has no way to come out, no matter how much G force it is subjected to. (Also, even if the battery did come out, it ...

As I mentioned in my initial review of the Yamaha YPJ MT-Pro almost exactly a year ago, one of the major things that irked me about it was the use of plastic where it doesn't belong - namely the brake levers and the pedals.   When I wrote that review, several people chimed in to tell me why I should in fact be happy, because: a. Pedals are a "personal thing" and it's better if you select your own anyway. b. Shops in other countries apparently sell bikes without pedals at all. I respectfully reject both of those arguments.  I bought a bike, I expect it to be ride-able from the moment it's delivered.  Not including pedals is not an option.  I would be very happy if Yamaha also offered a "Bike Kit" that had the frame without the wheels, seat, pedals, reflectors, bell, or handle bar grips - but that is not what I ordered.   And what is so personal about the pedals compared with the handlebar grips or seat?  I would say all of those things are fairly ...

 It never fails that if I post a photo of one of my bikes to an online forum, someone will say something like "Oh my god! I can't believe you keep that outside!  It would be stolen here in under ten minutes!" - but I think people who keep their bikes inside do so for multiple reasons.  One may be to prevent theft - but another is probably to protect it from the ravages of the elements. On the other hand, most Japanese houses don't have garages, or don't have enough room for a car and a bike even if they do.  Furthermore, most people live in apartments or condos - which are even less likely to have a garage.  This means that basically speaking, for most people their bikes will be left outside in front of their house, or in a bicycle specific parking lot of some sort if they are lucky.   For the most part, I have found that this causes surprisingly few problems, but let's take a look at the problems I do find: 1. Rust - all of my bikes are aluminum, so r...

 I realize that some people might be interested in cycling related items, but not other things I post that aren't cycling oriented. Here are some links to past cycling related topics from my other blogs: Karoo 2 and Leomo Type S eBikes: The Uncanny Valley Running Cost: Bikes vs. Cars vs. Motorcycles Mountain Bikes in the City Juiced Bike Horn/Alarm Panasonic XM-D2: One Year On Panasonic XM-D2 Electrical System Upgrade -