wow, i found this amusing, and it somehow resembles the people in china(beijing), as those people ride bikes often
It's typical for big cities to people ride their bikes (not american cities) the only european country I remember that has almost as many bikes as this is Netherlands but this is to much. Here it's impossible to ride a bike in the big cities since drivers drive like crazy at high speeds, specially the taxi drivers ^^
I would NOT park my bike there! How can people honestly find their rides in that clutter 0_0? (sorry, Im an organization freak about everything but my room!) There are a few spots in the United States (around where I live) there are road signs that say "Share the Road". Gotta be curteous to other bike riders, but typically they will ride the shoulder and give you the lane (which is nice of them). 99% of the time you will see that bikers that ride on the pavement and road are people in gear training for events. On pavement, especially around neighborhoods, you will see kids (duh) riding them. I ride my bike on both, but I never ride on a major highway with people going 30+ MPH ^^
Interesting pictures...I've noticed before that mountain bikes are a rarity in Japan. Its always the curvy looking bikes with thin tires usually with a little basket attached on the front and a seat at the back, very different from the thick rigid framed and wide tired mountain bike i have. It looks more practical for everyday use in city streets though. I imagine its a way for many people there to commute: by biking to the commuter train stations every morning. One of the things I'm looking forward to this summer is biking through the streets of Tokyo. I found a place that rents bikes for 500 yen a day. Watch out for my rampage through the sidewalks of Tokyo this summer Danny and others >:D
I love the pic of the guy lost in the "sea of bicycles" as it portrays how hard it is to find your very own bicycle and how serious the situation is. Nothing really like that here and most likely never will with all of our gigantic gas guzzling hummers everywhere lol.
I cycle to school at times ^^ Only reason I do that is to avoid the morning traffic (20-30 mins travelling time as compared to 40 - 50mins by bus) I ring the bell often to warn people in front (often 4 - 5 rings for the person to get out of the way ^^;) I do cycle on the pavement/sideway as the roads are generally bicycle-unfriendly :/
Riding a bicycle is one of my frustrations in life. Up to now I still don't know how to ride one. Sometimes I think I'm just not meant to ride one. :( That bike park is just too messy. How the heck do you get out of there if you're bike is in the middle. >_>
hmmm can't cycle myself, so i'm always envious of those who can cycle.
It's remember me, one day I have see at Ueno a bicycle's Yama... a guy took all bicycle and make a great mountain LOL http://www.lejapon.fr/blog/index.php?2005/09/05/84-montagne-a-velos
Yeah, bikes on the sidewalks suck... and many people have no bike etiquette, as was recently pointed out on Tokudane Times (Fuji TV). There was this one time when someone's bike tire ran into the back of my knee. I was so surprised and angry I was speechless. But then again, it's a problem as there are no bike lanes... the streets are so narrow anyway, and the drivers don't have much etiquette either.
i miss riding my bike.
hey i didn't see a lock on those bikes, do u guys lock your bikes? and if no whats the theft rate of bikes, i know if i got home from work and went to grab my bike and it wasn't there i would just grad someone else's, but then again im a douche bmw driver.....stupid stereotypes, in truth i would just swear and walk home swearing, alot.
the bikes look vulnerable.. easily stolen...but who want to steal?
haha i also owned a bicycle and used to cycle to school too but there was no ringing thingy on my bike so i usually use manual ring(mouth) or fly through them
How would they get out if their bike is in the middle? I use to ride bikes but then I got a license.
LOL Danny, it's you on the 2nd pic?
I never expected the bike situation to be like this in Tokyo. But then its a crowded city. Reminds me of when i went to Amsterdam. What a pain in the ass.People just fling thier bikes anywhere,go off somehwere to eat or something and expect people to just deal with it. But then Amsterdam is also very crowded =_=
I remember this kind of things when i was in Osaka, but I have never seen so much bicycles than on your photo !! O_o The biggest problem is to find your bicycle...
Whilst on holiday in Japan I remember needing eyes in the back of my head, cycles everywhere! I saw similar sights to these photos outside nearly every university - I think I'd walk! Apparently bike theft is common but more because an unlocked bike is pretty much considered to be fair game. If you put a lock on your bike, even just a rubbish one around the wheel, no one wiil touch it... and I do remember noticing that 'better' bikes often had a lock of some sort on.
woho what a bicycle park! o_O I don't want to imagine how I would manage to get out of their if mine was in the middle of this mess. I often cycle to work office, riding on the road. But where I live, we are lucky to have nice cycle tracks boarding the main roads. But I have to admit that sometimes I bike on the pavement, and do a lot of stuff that I hate when other bikers do the same while I'm driving ^^;
that's one cramped bike parking lot @@ if that's japan...i wonder how a bike parking lot in china would look like lol XD
Holy mother...O_O Ok, I wouldn't park my bike in that!
how on earth will you be able to get your bike out?
whoa, in our place Japanese are always regarded as rich people *hi-tech* who rides social cars, but it's the exact opposite :3
That.....Is alot of bikes. Fortunately, in the places I usually hang out, bike traffic is minimal at best (Save State Street near the Capital - But that whole road is usually closed to most traffic save buses and such)
lol, its like a scrap yard :P
Hehe, Tomorrow is my last day in Japan, and I was just about to make a comment on it on my blog: the only thing that annoys me the most in Japan is the bicycles on the sidewalk... As a pedestrian you have to be very aware of them. It's like you are driving your car on the road, when you go left or right, you look back-left or back-right. Well, you need to do the same as a pedestrian. If you don't look to your side, you might bump into a bicyclist who is riding by at high speed. It's a miracle I haven't walked into any yet, either I just saw it at the last moment, or I'm getting used to look out for them. And yeah, some of them have such screeching brakes that you'd wanna rip them off. And btw, they actually have some kind of bicycle path on the street in some streets of central Osaka. But they are very scarce there, and non-existant in the rest of the country I guess. Haven't had any stalker bicycles yet though :P. But I agree, they are a pain in the ass. I also dislike busses in Japan (especially those on touristic routes). I like the trains and subways waaaay more (it's probably because they are more on time and have more cars)
Hi, just want to inform you that if I set the display option to legacy view it shows me an odd error. Here's a picture: http://img256.imageshack.us/img256/4889/tdzzds2.jpg Thanks and keep up the good work!
sorry for doublepost, but this here is the correct picture sorry for my mistake... ! http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/7838/unbenanntac1.png
Here you can get fine for riding in pavement if you're biking in city centrum. But there's usually pavements when you leave the centrum =)
All I can say is wow, I have never seen bikes parked like that before. Very Messy. How do ppl get thru this street. Does the traffice police intend to do anything about it Does anyone complain? I rembered seeing a documentory about illegal parked motorcycles in Taiwan. Aparaently the Govt comissioned private companies to tow away the bikes and sell the parts should the owner not come claim them and pay the fine. (well it went something like that might be a bit hazy on this info but it definately happened) If Japan is like this I wonder what china is like
Forgot to add where did u take the picture Danny? It looks like the bikes are parked behind some consturction site? Can't really tell the BG in the images
haven't posted in a long time on this blog. thats alot of bikes. what happened if u lost urs :S
:O OH MY GOODNESS!!! I have never seen soo many bikes!! Not even in a bike shop!! Just imagine if you wanted to get your bike at the end of the day and yours was right in the middle! xD
Bikes don't really bother me that much. I guess I have gotten use to them so it's a natural instinct now to look out for bikes. I grew up in a town where it was common to see bikes. Where I went to university and lived in Florida bikes where everywhere. I do understand what you are saying about those riders who come at a fast speed and stop on top of you. I'm glad I'm not alone in thinking I need nails with me or a valve stem tool. Here in Southeastern Michigan I almost never see a bike. Heck, it's not safe being in a car here. What I usually think about is why someone hasn't come up with a business of storing bikes. Just think, bikes could be kept in a building, in large quantities, safe from theft and dry when it rains. They could be stored on a bike rack or such. It would allow the building to be small. As my fiancee would say, Hmm...thinking thinking thinking... ^^
in NYC its real simple: ride your bike on the sidewalk, get a 60 dollar ticket. :-P damn cops almost gave me a ticket for not riding in the freeway and choosing to ride slow o nthe sidewalk!
A lot times i see bicycle rides dashing through the people walking on the pavement, we ourselves(walking) have to keep alert on the incoming bikes and also have to be careful of the bags or plastic bag we are carry in case we blocked too much space of the pavement. There is this once i saw a lady(with long skirt) being elbow down by an old salary man(around mid 40s), not sure whether was it intended but the salary man just calmly walked away, left the lady siting in front of the shop moaning in pain. There are a few cases in the Tokyo news stating that bicycle knocked down old people or crash with another bike. Frankly its pretty danger when i see the speed they are dashing.
It is also similar in Singapore's train station (MRT to be precise). My bike has been push to the ground, and tire had gone flat before. Still wondering whether I'm just plain unlucky or someone just simply don like my ugly bike. :)
Oh, one more thing, riding your bicycle on pavement is illegal in Singapore. You could get a fine for it.
I know how you feel - im deaf in one ear, and my other ear isnt too great, so im particularly prone to 'bike attack' when im in Tokyo. I am surprised by how often people bike on the pavement - not many people (apart from kids) do that in the UK - they stay on the road. By the way Danny - youll love this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtv2_-2mHck It even works inside!
those bikes look old school and Dorky ... dont the Japs have more futuristic bikes ... I suppose, U wouldnt treat a cannondale or gary fisher bike like crap ... BTW, now I get why I always she jap girls with HOT legs ... I didnt know they biked heaps 2 ... where I live, your bike will probably get stolen, or U will get robbed while riding it (so sad - 3rd world)
DANG...i would fit in since i like to ride my bike a lot
AndyH, Thats a great video ^^; BunBoy, I see them all the time. Ram, People should be fined here too ^^ Arekusu, OMNI, Sector6, V1lt R, I dont understand how people find their bikes. Akiraman, Outside a Nishikoyama station. people dont generally complain as that is a place just for bikes. Shin222, Thanks for the images - have a look at todays posts for more info. Deathy, Nope! PenPen, Crime rate is low so many bikes are unlocked. Alafista, Bele, I cant ride one either ^^;
Those pics look like you are in an ocean of bicycles!
hehe dats funni
i stayed in my friend's place in higashi omiya..n always park my bike underground(120yen whole day). it was worth it..so no messy parking. but im surprised that even a bicycle need to be registered..u need to do that esp if ur a gaijin cuz the police like to bother gaijins..lol
hehe sory for 2nd post but to Gordon Pekeur; they do have modern mountain bike..its japan after all..but its rather expensive..its funny cuz in my country all ride mountain bikes or bmx.. n yet the japs(not all) ride that one in the pics..heh maybe they use that for city-use only..who knows
We put our bicycles everywhere, trees, stairs, dogs, cats, you name we lock it... But with the price of getting fined...
In Amsterdam, all the bikes get stolen in the city . And you buy a stolen bike for around 50 euro's. Funny to see these pictures compared to where i live where everybody rides on a old bike so it doesnt get stolen outside just because the bike looks like crap
There's also the kind that isn't too shy to ring the bell ... but sneaks up behind you, waits for the last second and rings the bell right behind you making your heart stop beating momentarily. I think you have a better chance of getting hit by a bicycle than a car in Tokyo. What really amazes me is seeing people speed through the crowds and cars in busy downtown areas like Shibuya & Shinjuku. It just seems like they have a death wish to me.
I'm curious why japanese don't switch to scooters and motorbikes. I've been in vietnam recently and my eyes bled out happily looking around for vespas
I always feel like a jerk if I ring my bell when I'm behind someone, like I'm annoyed that they're "in my way" or something. How could you even find your bike in that place!?
Here in Spain people go on bike on the road and on the pavement. Personally I can't stand kids that intend to be faster than cars and go in the middle of the road :/
I know Japan is one of the top developed nations in the world, but with all these bikes and crazy riders, I feel like I'm in Vietnam sometimes.
That's so many bikes in your photos! o_o How do you recognize your own? What if it get's stolen? (Then again, it's not that dangerous in Tokyo is it?) I agree that bikes are really annoying. When I walk to school there are people that ride their bikes. They don't have bells and they just ride forward as if you don't exist, or go around you. Or, as you mentioned, the stalker type who can't seem to tell you they are there and then get annoyed at you for not noticing. Either way, Bikes always scare me! They just appear from nowhere....haha.
