Tokyo bike shops, builders?

[mvrider]

I'm lucky enough to be headed to Tokyo next week for a few days. Are there any can't-miss bike shops and/or builders? It looks like Cherubim has one or two storefronts... anyone else?

http://www.cherubim.jp/images/product/r2_01.png

[jtakeda]

Cycle paradise.

Thank me later

[fmbp]

I'm going to be in Tokyo in March. Glad I caught this. Hopefully there will be time to check it out!

[joosttx]

Go to the robot restaurant . I was there last week and it was the highlight of my trip. pro tip: eat before

[ctcyclistbob]

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.kalavinka-bikes.com/index_j.htm&prev=search

[gt eunuch]

Blue Lug Cycles. Awesome guys, and they have awesome stickers :)

[carlineng]

Bonsai Cycleworks near Shinjuku: http://bonsaicycleworks.com/

https://www.instagram.com/bonsaicycleworks/

[malcolm]

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.kalavinka-bikes.com/index_j.htm&prev=search

I have a kalavinka and akio tanabe is as nice a guy to work with as you'll find

[palincss]

Cycle Store Hirose 5 Chome-3-15 Onumacho, Kodaira, Tokyo 187-0001, Japan, according to google maps. Here's a flickr album (https://www.flickr.com/photos/83311771@N04/albums/72157662271125526/with/23681687026/) showing some of the bikes. There's also a good article on Hirose in a recent BQ issue.

https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5758/23412083100_2e24269629_b.jpg

[thegunner]

Go to the robot restaurant . I was there last week and it was the highlight of my trip. pro tip: eat before

yeahhhh hardly a restaurant :(

note: this is not to say i did not enjoy it.

[mvrider]

Thanks for all your suggestions! Due to time constraints, I ended up going to the Cherubim showroom in Aoyama (not the workshop in Machida, about 1.5 hours outside of Tokyo), and 3 different Y's Road locations.

Y's Road is a huge chain in Japan, with 34 or so stores, carrying all sorts of brands and types of bikes. The first one I went to was the 9-story store in Akasaka. One floor for road bikes, one for tri bikes, one for MTB, etc. Nicely laid out, with Colnago, Ridley, Cannondale, Cervelo, etc. I saw one Colnago model I had never heard of: "Rezzo". It had chromed lugs, but round tubes, unlike the Master's cloverleaf cross section. Not finding Hirame pump heads there, they suggested I go to one of the 4 stores in the Ueno area.

A subway ride away, this second store was a tiny single room, and packed to the gills with components and frames. But they did have 4 Hirame heads in stock, at 4830 Yen.

Just around the corner from this was a Y's Road store specializing in clothing, helmets, shoes, and packs. It was big (for Tokyo) and tidily organized. There were some brands I had not heard of, including Kapelmuur, a Japanese clothing brand with a Belgian theme. Urban chic roadie clothing.

Finally, I went to Cherubim twice, and ended up putting a deposit on a frameset. More on that in a separate thread.

[chrisuscc]

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.kalavinka-bikes.com/index_j.htm&prev=search

This is Korean flag with some Koreans on the top tube.

[VonTrapp]

Thanks for all your suggestions! Due to time constraints, I ended up going to the Cherubim showroom in Aoyama (not the workshop in Machida, about 1.5 hours outside of Tokyo), and 3 different Y's Road locations.

Y's Road is a huge chain in Japan, with 34 or so stores, carrying all sorts of brands and types of bikes. The first one I went to was the 9-story store in Akasaka. One floor for road bikes, one for tri bikes, one for MTB, etc. Nicely laid out, with Colnago, Ridley, Cannondale, Cervelo, etc. I saw one Colnago model I had never heard of: "Rezzo". It had chromed lugs, but round tubes, unlike the Master's cloverleaf cross section. Not finding Hirame pump heads there, they suggested I go to one of the 4 stores in the Ueno area.

A subway ride away, this second store was a tiny single room, and packed to the gills with components and frames. But they did have 4 Hirame heads in stock, at 4830 Yen.

Just around the corner from this was a Y's Road store specializing in clothing, helmets, shoes, and packs. It was big (for Tokyo) and tidily organized. There were some brands I had not heard of, including Kapelmuur, a Japanese clothing brand with a Belgian theme. Urban chic roadie clothing.

Finally, I went to Cherubim twice, and ended up putting a deposit on a frameset. More on that in a separate thread.

Would love to see any more pictures you have from your trip. Maybe a Flickr link?

Thanks for the consideration!

[yashcha]

Just came back from there yesterday. I visited crowngears in shinjuku area which had a lot of cool used gear, and right on the same block is the rapha cycle cafe. In nerimaku you can also visit ravanello, which is a very small custom building shop. I visited a bunch of the y's road and my favorite is the one in shinjuku. A lot of cool stuff.

I also recommend looking at some shops that sell brief cases. I just bought one in tokyo station called Porter by yoshida. Handmade in japan leather brief case for around $300. A bargain I think.

Tokyo station on the yeasu underground exit has an amazing liquor store that allows you to sample many of their rare scotches and japanese whiskeys for around $2 for 10ml. A very very good deal.

[mvrider]

Would love to see any more pictures you have from your trip. Maybe a Flickr link?

Thanks for the consideration!

I actually didn't take many pictures of the bike shops. Cherubim's photos on their web and Facebook pages are much nicer than my iPhone's. In general, I took a lot more photos of food and man-hole covers. Sorry about the rotated photos; additional photos of the Snow Festival in Sapporo to come.

[Louis]

I actually didn't take many pictures of the bike shops.

Very cool pics - and neat manhole covers.

Thanks for sharing.

[fiamme red]

https://janheine.wordpress.com/2016/12/26/bicycle-shop-gen/

https://janheine.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/bike_shop_gen_bikes.jpg?w=640&h=443

[Mzilliox]

we are bike touring Japan October 2017, this thread is a great kick off point! keep em coming, pics and experiences!:hello: