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Saturday, March 31, 2012

Book Review Bicycling Science

自転車の書評

Bicycling Science

Bicycling Science is a bike book for those interested in, well, the science of cycling.

As has often been noted, the bicycle uses human muscles in an almost optimal way.

The latest edition of the "bible of bicycle builders and bicyclists" provides all the details one could want to know about the following:

1. the history of bicycles
2. how human beings make them go
3. what makes them go faster

There is information on both the scientific and engineering aspects of bikes.

The third edition starts with a short history of bicycles and bicycling.

It then goes on to discuss information on recent experiments and achievements in human-powered transportation. In some of these, test-riders have reached the astounding speed of around 80 miles per hour.

There are new chapters on aerodynamics, human-powered machines "for use on land and in water and air," human physiology, and the future of cycling.

Full of illustrations, this is a great book that can be enjoyed by the layman.

"Bicycling Science is the bible for bicycle and human-powered vehicle development. It offers the reader a good understanding of the technical aspects of bicycle design, as well as a look back at where we've come from, and perhaps where we're going. Everyone involved in the bicycle industry should read this book -- a real gem." --Bob Bryant, Publisher, Recumbent Cyclist News


Buy on Amazon USA

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Friday, March 30, 2012

Hanoi Rickshaw in front of Hoan Kiem Lake

Hanoi Rickshawハノイの人力車

A parade of rickshaw ferried of group of Korean tourists through the streets of Hanoi in March.

In the background is Hoan Kiem Lake, in which the Turtle Tower can be seen in the background.

Like all streets in the Vietnamese capital, traffic is dominated by scooters, mostly Honda Cubs.

Traffic in Hanoi is horrific, but slow moving.

Crossing the street is a dance, a slow dance, in which eye contact is key.

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Thursday, March 29, 2012

自転車で京都駅と東寺と桂離宮へ

Katsura Imperial Villa自転車で京都駅と東寺と桂離宮へ

日本語ご希望の方

This cycling route starts at Kyoto Station and heads west towards Katsura Imperial Villa.

Katsura Villa is one of the city's premier destinations, and is an architect's dream.

For more information, in Japanese (with a link to an English page), here is a page on cycling to Toji Temple and then on to Katsura Imperial Villa, Kyoto.

Ride Katsura, ride.


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Katsura

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Kyoto Beauties at Yasaka Shrine

Kyoto Beauties八坂神社で着物を着ている京都美人

On a blustery late winter, early spring day - the plums were just starting to blossom - many young women were out and about in their finest kimono.

On the same day an anti-nuclear march - Bye Bye Genbatsu - took place, so Maruyama Park and Yasaka Shrine were full of people.

There was no overlap among the groups.

Unfortunately, alas, none of the kimono-clad young women joined us for the demonstration.


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Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Cycling Miho Museum Shiga Japan

自転車でミホミュージアムへ

Miho Museum is a fabulous facility in the hills of Shigaraki, Shiga Prefecture.

For mere mortals - those not interested in cycling from Kyoto thereto - the trip is a ride on JR and then a local bus ride.

For those hellbent on cycling, get ready.

It is about 35 km (22 miles) of urban, suburban, exurban, and rural riding.

The goal is well worth it.

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Monday, March 26, 2012

地ビール祭京都 2012 Kyoto Craft Beer Festival

地ビール祭京都 2012 Kyoto Craft Beer Festival

Only two months until the annual Craft Beer Festival in Kyoto.

It will be held Sunday, May 13, 2012, from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm along Sanjo Dori in central Kyoto, not far from the Museum of Kyoto.

Not sure if cycling to and from is a good idea, but if the weather is good - and it will be - it is a good day out.

Here are some of the local brewers who have brought their beer in past years:

Swan Lake (Niigata)
Daisen G-Beer (Tottori)
Nagisa Beer (Wakayama)
Baeren (Shimane)
Umenishiki Beer (Ehime)
Minoh Beer (Osaka)
Kinshachi Beer (Aichi)
Shiroyama Brewery (Kagoshima)
Okura Brasserie (Fukuoka)
Iwate Kura Beer (Iwate)
Kizakura (Kyoto)
Fujizakura Kogen (Yamanashi)
Ise Kadoya Microbrewery (Mie)
Hakusekikan Beer (Gifu)
Shiga Kogen Beer (Nagano)
Kyoto Machiya Beer (Kyoto)
Premium Beer Oni Densetsu (Hokkaido)
North Island Beer (Hokkaido)
Sankt Gallen (Kanagawa)
Shonan Beer (Kanagawa)
Craft Beer Ohya Brasserie (Toyama)
Syuzan Kaido Beer (Kyoto)

There is a fee.

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Sunday, March 25, 2012

This Week in World Cycling News 24 March 2012

tofu seller bike kyoto今週のサイクリング2012年03月24日

World Naked Bike Ride Day PHOTOS (NSFW) Huffington Post

Bradley Wiggins wins Paris-Nice after final time trial BBC

Exciting line-up of teams named for inaugural Exergy Tour Cycling News

Le Britannique Wiggins remporte Paris-Nice Liberation

Cinco años en Bicing El Pais

诉讼牟利,利己利人 Caijing

自転車(ロードレーサー)のタイヤ、チューブ交換 YouTube

Four Exercises that Every Cyclist Should Perform to Boost Performance Yahoo

Last Week's Cycling News


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World Cycling News

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Book Review Bicycle Citizens Japanese Housewives

自転車の書評

Bicycle Citizens Japanese Housewives

Bicycle Citizens Japanese Housewives is not per se a bicycle book. It is rather a book on Japanese society, and a key component therein: housewives.

The work is the "first ethnographic study of the politics of the average female citizen in Japan."

Writer Robin LeBlanc examines the relationship between gender and liberal democratic citizenship, having done detailed ethnographic fieldwork among suburban Tokyo housewives and others.

LeBlanc comes to the not particularly surprising conclusion that Japanese housewives are ultimately not without a political world.

For anyone who has lived in Japan, the book's conclusion is not a surprise - outside of boardrooms, Nagatacho (home to the Japanese Diet), and Kasumigaseki (home the ministries), much of Japanese life is indeed controlled by women.

The work however is well written and engaging.


Buy on Amazon USA

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Friday, March 23, 2012

Kyoto Station Museum Eki Henri Le Sidaner Exhibit

poster le sidaner exhibit kyotoアンリ・ル・シダネル展 ~薔薇と静寂な風景~美術館「えき」KYOTO

French painter Henri Eugène Augustin Le Sidaner is currently a bit of

Le Sidaner was an Intimist painter born in Mauritius in 1862.

He studied at the École des Beaux-Arts under Alexandre Cabanel.

He exhibited at the Salon, the Galeries Georges Petit in Paris, and the Goupil Gallery in London

Until April 1, the Museum at Kyoto Station is displaying a collection of his works.


Information

Kyoto Eki Museum, 7th Floor Station Building (inside Isetan Department Store)
Telephone: 075 352 1111
10 am - 8 pm (last entry at 7 pm)
900 yen for adults

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Thursday, March 22, 2012

Cycling Hanoi Vietnam

Hanoi Street Scene自転車でベトナムのハノイでを楽しむ

Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam, and it is a cosmopolitan city of about six million.

Much of the building stock is French colonial, especially in the neighborhoods around the Opera House and Hoan Kiem Lake.

The primary form of transportation - for now (a subway system is in the planning stages) - is a Honda motor scooter.

On almost any road there will be buses, trucks, cars, motorbikes, bicycles, cyclos, and very brave pedestrians.

Crossing the street is a dance, that both pedestrian and those on or in vehicles must learn. The speed of cars and motorbikes is not terrifying; the number of them, however, can be.

Cycling in Hanoi is primarily a work-related task.

It is primarily middle-aged women pushing or riding an old bike loaded down with something they are selling or delivering.

There are however those who appeared to be commuting, some high school students, and the odd old person out for a bike stroll.

This is not for the faint of heart.


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Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Cycling Kyoto Yasaka Shrine

Yasaka Shrine自転車で八坂神社へ

Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto is a Shinto shrine in the Gion section of the city.

It is located at the eastern end of Shijo Dori, a short walk from the Kamo River.

The Shrine has long been connected with the Imperial Family, whose patronage is said to have begun in the Heian Period.

Its history is also deeply entwined with Kyoto's most well-known festival: Gion Matsuri.

In 869 C.E. the portable shrines of the Shrine were carried through the streets as a way of attempting to ward off periodic epidemics that befell the city. Gion Festival is today the oldest continually held festival in the world.

Behind the shrine is Maruyama Park, which is often the site of demonstrations, strolls, and cherry blossom viewing.

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Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Kyoto Liquor Shop

Kyoto Liquor Shop京都酒屋

Down a side street that angles northwest from the entrance of Kitano Tenmangu Shrine is an old liquor shop.

Vending machines man the front of the shop, a telephone pole frames the east end of the store.

With its Honda Cub scooter parked in front, it could be Any Old Liquor Shop in Kyoto.

Most neighborhoods have one such shop, usually run by a very old man or woman.

When a customer enters the shop, the owner will emerge from behind a curtain that separates the living area and the shop. A television is likely to be blaring behind the curtain.

Bottles of sake are stacked high on shelves. Candies and other snacks are on smaller shelves at the register.

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Monday, March 19, 2012

自転車で京都駅と東福寺と伏見稲荷と伏見へ

Sake Brewery Kyoto自転車で京都駅と東福寺と伏見稲荷と伏見へ

This cycling route starts on the south side of Kyoto Station and heads south towards Fushimi.

Fushimi is in the deep south of the city, and is famous for its sake brewers and old buildings.

For more information, in Japanese (with a link to an English page), here is a page on cycling Fushimi, Kyoto.

Ride Fushimi, ride.


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Sunday, March 18, 2012

This Week in World Cycling News 18 March 2012

tofu seller bike kyoto今週のサイクリング2012年03月18日

‘Bike Thief’ The New York Times

Polar challenge: How do you cycle to the South Pole? BBC

Video: Cavendish likens Milan San Remo to Italian opera Cycling News

La campagne à vélo, épisode 1 : chez les religieuses de Garges-lès-Gonesse Rue89

Oxígeno, nitrógeno, argón y partículas El Pais

北京 Beijing • Bike 自行车 YouTube

ツール・ド・台湾 参戦記 第1ステージ~第3ステージ Cycling Time

Italy’s Vincenzo Nibali wins Tirreno-Adriatico Yahoo

Last Week's Cycling News


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Saturday, March 17, 2012

Book Review Bicycle Builder's Bonanza

自転車の書評

Bicycle Builder's Bonanza

Bicycle Builder's Bonanza is a gem.

For anyone who loves bicycles, loves to tinker, this tome offers instruction on how to build a bike.

Sounds like a pipe dream?

All one needs is standard workshop tools - and, Atomic Zombie's Bicycle Builder's Bonanza in hand, you are ready to get started.

There are plans for building choppers, low racers, tallbikes, recumbents, tandems, and more.

Brad Graham's work teaches you how to build them, and has complete with photos and detailed instructions.

There is detailed information on:

* Getting parts for free, or almost free
* High-speed recumbent low racer with hydraulic disc brakes
* A two-headed winter-ready mountain bike
* A bicycle so tall that you have to duck under power lines
* Ultralong fork choppers with loads of attitude
* A rugged all-terrain mountain tandem
* Pedal-powered vehicles that seem to defy the laws of physics
* Customizing details, such as getting a smooth paint job and removing rust from old chrome

Even for an armchair builder, this is a great book.


Buy on Amazon USA

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Friday, March 16, 2012

Cycling to Kyoto Honganji Temple

higashi honganji自転車で本願寺へ

On the Kyoto Station to Mibu Temple cycling route are the massive Honganji Temples.

They are part of the Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, which is divided into the Nishi and Higashi branches.

Honganji was established as a temple in 1321 on the spot where Shinran, the founder of the Jodo Shinshu sect, was buried.

During the Sengoku period, Oda Nobunaga tried to destroy the temple since he feared the power of the monks.

Nishi Honganji was built in 1591 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi,

As temples go, the Nishi and Higashi Honganji complexes are not at the top of anyone's most beautiful temples in Kyoto.

However, they are well worth a visit.

Both are a short ride north of Kyoto Station.

Also nearby is the wonderful Ryukoku Museum.

Information

Nishi Honganji

Hours: 5:30 to 17:30 (March, April, September, October)
5:30 to 18:00 (May to August)
6:00 to 17:00 (November to February)
Closed: No closing days
Admission: Free

Higashi Honganji
Hours: 5:50 to 17:30 (March to October)
6:20 to 16:30 (November to February)
Closed: No closing days
Admission: Free

Image © Wikipedia

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Thursday, March 15, 2012

Bicycle Tow Truck Kyoto

Bicycle Towing Truck Kyoto自転車用のレッカー車

The dreaded tow truck.

Along Oike Dori in central Kyoto, the tow truck made its rounds in mid-March.

Bicycle parking is prohibited in many areas of Kyoto, and there is always clear signage alerting cyclists to this.

However, many ignore these rules.

With the great increase in parking spaces - many along Oike Dori - we have little sympathy for the owners of the bikes being towed.


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Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Cycling Kurashiki Japan

Ohara Museum, Kurashiki自転車で倉敷を楽しむ

Kurashiki is a small city in Okayama Prefecture, south of the Kansai region.

One area of the city in particular has been well preserved.

It is centered on a canal that was built in the Edo Period when the city was a distribution area for rice.

In the canal area, many of the former rice storehouses - "kura" - have been renovated and reborn as museums, stores, cafes.

To get to the area, it is a ten-minute walk from JR Kurashiki Station.

Within the preserved area is the Ohara Museum.

The Ohara Museum, pictured above right, was Japan's first museum of Western art.

It consists of a Main Gallery, an Annex Building, and the Kojima Museum.

The Main Gallery houses works by Picasso, El Greco, Gauguin, Modigliani, Rodin, Klee, Pollock, and Kandinsky.

The Annex has works by Japanese artists. The adjacent Craft Art Gallery has many ceramics, woodblock prints, and crafts.

The city is small and easy to cycle.

Also within this area are many shops and restaurants.

Ohara Museum

Hours: 9:00 - 17:00 (entry until 16:30)
Closed: Mondays (unless Monday is a national holiday), December 26 to 31
Admission: 1300 yen (includes entrance to the Kojima Museum)

Canal, Kurashiki© CycleKyoto.com

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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Hanoi Vietnam Street Seller Bicycle

Hanoi Street Sellerハノイで自転車で物を売るおばさん

On a recent visit to Hanoi, we took in the city's Old Quarter and more.

Aside from horrendous traffic - mainly Honda Cub scooters - the city is a pleasant and reasonably priced capital city.

Visitors who stay in the central part of the city will be able to see most of the sights - a big exception is Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum - on foot.

For those who want to relive colonial times, pedicabs are available for hire.

Bicycles however seem to be on the endangered species list in Hanoi. They are common enough, but have all the telltale signs of an item without any status.

As in Beijing and other cities that have gone from very poor to reasonably comfortable in a short time, those with the means to use other forms of transportation - scooter, motorcycle, or car - do.

Gasoline powered vehicles enjoy prestige, and except for students, most middle class residents of Hanoi would not be caught dead on a bike.

In contrast, many of the mainly female women who sell all sorts of goods patrol the city on old beaters.

Loaded down with piles of goods, they use the good old fashioned mama chari.

To which we offer a deep bow.

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Monday, March 12, 2012

京都細い街路安全に歩ける?自転車乗れる? Kyoto Bike Lane Test

Bike Lane Kyoto京都自転車専用レーン実証実験

A recent story in the Asahi Shinbun (in Japanese) caught our eye.

Around the Takakura Elementary Elementary School in downtown Kyoto, the city is doing a test run for new pedestrian lanes and bicycle lanes.

The car lane has been reduced from 4 meters (13.2 feet) down to 3 meters (9.8 feet).

In that extra room, pedestrian lanes have been widened by 50 cm (20 inches), on both sides.

In the remaining space, a bike lane 0.6 meters (1.96 feet) wide has been painted on the asphalt. (The photo above right gives an idea of just how narrow the "lane" is. The photo below is a wider view.)

We are not joking.

This appears to be yet another bad joke, and the test is running until March 22.

Then the city will parse the data, and decide what if any action to take.


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Sunday, March 11, 2012

This Week in World Cycling News 11 March 2012

tofu seller bike kyoto今週のサイクリング2012年03月11日

For Deliverymen, Speed, Tips and Fear on Wheels The New York Times

How climate science is key to going fast in Olympic Velodrome BBC

Logo row threatens Euskaltel sponsorship deal Cycling News

Vélo : elles roulent en « fixie » dans un monde de hipsters barbus Rue89

Madrid se rinde a la bicicleta El Pais

电动自行车 YouTube

20091024東京湾一周 E-P1 自転車動画 YouTube

Boasson Hagen wins Tirreno stage; Goss keeps lead Yahoo

Last Week's Cycling News


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Saturday, March 10, 2012

Higashiyama Light Up Kyoto March 10 - 20

The Path of Nene京都東山花灯路2012自転車で

Kyoto is lighting up once again.

The city sponsors illumination events in key areas at key times of the year.

Arashiyama and Higashiyama are the most popular areas, and fall and spring are the prime times of year.

The area around the Path of Nene will be lit up from March 10 - March 20, every night from 6 pm - 9:30 pm.

500 lanterns are placed in an area of Higashiyma stretching from Shorenji in the north, and taking in Maruyama Park, Yasaka Shrine, all the way up to Kiyomizu Temple.

And, to be very Kyoto about it - a masterful blend of old and new - the traditional lamps made from washi power use LED bulbs made by Rohm, a local company that is a powerhouse on the world stage of electronics.

After or before dinner or drinks, this is a magical stroll. Truly mysterious and beautiful.

For those cycling, definitely park and walk.

Information in Japanese.

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Friday, March 9, 2012

Bye Bye Genpatsu Anti-Nuclear Power Demonstration Maruyama Park Kyoto

「バイバイ原発・京都」2012年3月10日(土)

Bye Bye Genpatsu @ Maruyama Park, Kyoto, Saturday 10 March 2012

This Saturday there will be an anti-nuclear power rally and information session in Maruyama Park, Kyoto.

The schedule is as follows (thanks to Deep Kyoto):

13:00 Rally at Maruyama Park’s outdoor stage (near the famous weeping cherry tree)
13:15 “Attractions”
14:00 Meeting begins
14:45~ Demo begins. March from Maruyama Park to City Hall via Shijo and Kawaramachi Streets.

"This promises to be a fun event, with speeches, music, dancing, a small flea market of home-made, eco-friendly goods and a chance to speak your own mind in the “free speech” event too!

There will also be a show for the kids called the “Bye Bye Genpatsu Rangers.” Sounds like quite the festival doesn’t it?"

For more details of this and other events please check the Bye Bye Genpatsu website (in Japanese only).


「バイバイ原発・京都」

○名称 バイバイ原発3・10京都
○日時 2012年3月10日(土)
○主催 「バイバイ原発3・10京都」実行委員会
○趣旨 福島第一原発事故から一年という時点で、「原発のない社会をめざす」という意思をはっきりと示し、大きな声にするため、市民だれもが気軽に参加できる企画とする
○実施内容
・円山音楽堂でのメイン集会、その周辺での関連企画
メイン集会(予定) 
開場 午後1時
アトラクション 午後1時30分から
開会 午後2時
黙祷後、あいさつ、スピーチ(小出裕章さん<京都大学原子炉実験所>など) 
・集会後、京都市役所までの「バイバイ原発ウオーク」
・夜、小出裕章さんの講演会(シルクホール)<京都府保険医協会との共催>
○規模 円山音楽堂があふれる5000人の参加をめざす
○賛同登録金
団体 一口2000円  個人 一口1000円 (それぞれ何口でも可。)
郵便振替口座 00910-6-170786
(加入者名:地球温暖化防止京都ネットワーク)

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Thursday, March 8, 2012

Cycling through Myoshinji Temple Kyoto

Cycling Myoshinji自転車で妙心寺へ

The stones are bumpy, but it is a quick shortcut.

Myoshinji Temple is a city within walls in western Kyoto.

It is also a large chunk of real estate.

For those who need to go from one side to the other, it is much quicker to walk or cycle through the temple grounds.

Fortunately, Myoshinji is open twenty-four hours a day, three hundred sixty-five days a year.

Students en route to Ritsumeikan University from Hanazono Station do so, salarymen do so, high school students do so - and even the occasional monk can be spotted on a simple "mama chari" bicycle.

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Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Book Review The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance & Repair For Road & Mountain Bikes

自転車の書評

The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance & Repair For Road & Mountain Bikes


The Bicycling Guide to Complete Bicycle Maintenance & Repair For Road & Mountain Bikes is catnip to the cycling geek.

This is the sixth edition of the best-selling guide, and it has been updated and revised.

Whether you own the "latest model or a classic with thousands of miles on it, beginner and experienced cyclists alike need a guide that will help them get their bikes out of the shop faster and keep them on the road longer." And for more than two decades, The Bicycling Guide to Bike Maintenance & Repair has served just that purpose.

There are sections on  troubleshooting to correct common problems, 450 photographs, and 40 drawings to clarify all the step-by-step directions. Even someone with 10 thumbs like me was able to use this guide.


Buy on Amazon USA

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Tuesday, March 6, 2012

自転車で京都の清水寺と知恩院へ

Kiyomizu dera Temple自転車で京都の清水寺と知恩院へ

日本語ご希望の方

This route in east Kyoto goes from Kiyomizu Temple to Chionin Temple. Kiyomizu Temple is a World Heritage Site and one of the most famous places in Kyoto.

Located close to Path of Nene, Kodaiji Temple, Gion, it is one of the premier rides in Kyoto.

For more information, in Japanese (with a link to an English page), here is a page on cycling the Higashiyama hills of eastern Kyoto.

Ride Kiyomizu Temple, ride.


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Monday, March 5, 2012

Worst Bike Lane in the World in Kyoto Update

Bike Lane Kyoto京都での世界一番最低の自転車専用レーンのアップデート

Last week we reported on a bicycle lane in Kyoto, which we called the "worst bike lane in the world."

Last year, installed a lane in front of the police headquarters. The lane was originally blue with white lettering indicating its purpose.

It was - and is - a disaster.

First, the lane is just one block. Second, on the west side, the lane runs through a taxi parking zone, which means cyclists have to weave out into traffic to go around the parked taxis waiting for cop clients.

Third, other vehicles often park in the lane.

Recently, however, a new development came to our attention. Kyoto, which is blessed with many beautiful buildings but horrific city planning and zoning enforcement, requires many businesses to tone down the colors of the building fronts. The best known example is McDonalds, which uses a warmer and more subtle red in its signage than can be found in other cities.

Thus, the once standard blue bicycle lane (above right) was offensive to the delicate sensibilities and thus was repainted a dull brown (below left).

More money down the drain for a meaningless lane.

Kyoto Bicycle Lane

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Sunday, March 4, 2012

This Week in World Cycling News 4 March 2012

tofu seller bike kyoto今週のサイクリング2012年03月04日

Proposal Would Separate Drivers, Cyclists and Walkers on the Prospect Park Loop The New York Times

Alexandr Kolobnev escapes doping ban but fined £1,040 BBC

2012 Tour de France gets longer time trials Cycling News

Les dangers de la piste cyclable Rue89

Si vas en bici, eres listo El Pais

陈光标京城派发2000辆自行车 Caijing

「自転車でイヤホン」ダメ 警視庁が警告カード Asahi Shinbun

UCI prepares financial help for Spanish races Yahoo

Last Week's Cycling News


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Saturday, March 3, 2012

Worst Bicycle Lane in the World in Kyoto

Bike Lane Kyoto京都での世界一番最低の自転車専用レーン

Kyoto has stalled in its work on bicycle infrastructure.

Last year, a lane was installed on the wide Gojo Dori sidewalk.

It runs from the Kamo River to Horikawa dori. It is imperfect, but welcome.

Since then, to our knowledge, there has been no work on bicycle lanes.

The city has ample parking, but getting to those bicycle lots often involves salmoning between cars, taxis, buses, pedestrians - or jumping up onto sidewalks.

The city also built a lane - pictured above and below - in front of the police headquarters and just down the block from the prefectural government building. And, we can say with confidence that it is the worst bicycle lane in the world.

For one block, the lane runs on both the east and west sides of the street. However, it is so meaningless as to be a cruel joke - and a complete waste of money and time.

First, the length of the lane is perhaps 300 meters. It is one block.

Second, on the west side, there is a taxi parking zone - inside the bicycle lane. The picture at bottom left shows the bicycle lane - clearly marked 自転車専用 (bikes only) - with a taxi parked and waiting for a customer.

Third, delivery trucks park on both the east and west lanes.
Bike Lane Kyoto

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Friday, March 2, 2012

Bicycle Insurance Pamphlet Japan

Japan Bicycle Insurance日本自転車保険

NHK is leading the charge to have cyclists in Japan insured.

The quasi-official broadcaster of Japan - a rough equivalent to the BBC or, in the United States, PBS - has been leading the charge for cyclists to purchase insurance.

And we did.

For one thousand yen ($12.27 USD) per year, we got a quick checkup at the cycle shop, and then - once the bike "passed" that test - a cute sticker.

In the event of an accident, the insurance policy will cover up to twenty million yen ($245,000 USD) in punitive damages - if you cause the accident - or one million ($12,270 USD) in medical treatment in the case you are injured in an accident.

Theft and other conditions (such as when the cyclist violates traffic law) are not covered.

The bicycle is a vehicle, and is being treated more and more as such.

Ride safe.

The insurance is available at any local bicycle shop.

The cover of the pamphlet reads:

安心は、セフティちゃんの自転車点で。

Peace of mind can be found at "Safety-chan" [the character]'s bike shop.

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Thursday, March 1, 2012

Book Review

自転車の書評

Effective Cycling: 6th Edition


Effective Cycling has become a must-read for serious cyclists. The Sixth Edition continues that tradition.

Author John Forester advocates that bicyclists should behave and in turn be treated as drivers of vehicles.

This assumes the same rights and responsibilities that drivers of automobiles have.

While bikes and equipment have changed dramatically - think back to the 30-pound kid's bike you rode in the 1970s or earlier - in the United States, at any rate, society has not kept pace.

Effective Cycling is filled with "details, strategies, and tips that will be useful both to occasional cyclists and to those who enjoy cycling as a way of life."

An excellent work.


Buy on Amazon USA


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