自転車ショー大阪２０１１年The recently ended Cycle Mode International Show attracted tens of thousands of visitors.
The annual convention featured many bike makers, large and small, panel discussions, and hundreds of bikes and bike products.
It was held for two days outside of Tokyo, then the following weekend at Intex Osaka.
The booths were spread throughout three of the halls within Intex.
Though the venue sits on a manmade island in Osaka Bay, it is connected by both highways, rail lines, and roads on which cyclists can use to cross the water.
The highlight of the convention was of course the bikes and bike gear.
Another highlight though is the chance to test ride the new models. Within the convention halls there was a fenced off track set up.
Bicycles in Japan, thankfully, have retained their status as practical tool. There is little or none of the emotional investment into bicycle as savior of the planet (which, admittedly, this blog may at times profess).
The bike in Japan is not a toy, not the answer to all human problems; it is a fabulous invention that helps one get from place A to place B quickly, comfortably, and one hopes safely.
And, as evinced by the numbers at the show, the bike is becoming a bit more than that.
© CycleKyoto.com
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Cycle Mode International Osaka 2011
