Visiting Japan - worth renting a bike for a day and exploring?

[kiwisimon]

Tim Smith is located in Annaka about an hour and a bit out of Tokyo by bullet train. He can set you up for a day (or more) of rural riding.
https://www.gsastuto.com/rentals.html

[kiwisimon]

Originally Posted by corkycalvin

Should we be concerned about bike theft or it’s safe to park a bike with a standard cable and lock? I’d doubt everyone is using a locker every time they park.

if it is an expensive bike, you want to lock it well in a busy spot and not too long in bigger urban areas. Bike thieves are everywhere and high end bikes get parted out and sold pretty quickly. There was even a ring of thieves who were shipping whole bikes offshore a few years ago.

[verticaldoug]

Originally Posted by kiwisimon

Tim Smith is located in Annaka about an hour and a bit out of Tokyo by bullet train. He can set you up for a day (or more) of rural riding.
https://www.gsastuto.com/rentals.html

This is about half-way between Takasaki and Karuizawa, so maybe 90 minutes by Shinkansen from Tokyo Station. The riding out 30 miles towards Karuizawa will be very nice. You have Manza Onsen, Kusatsu Onsen, and a zillion really nice roads in the area. The climbing can be really challenging.