Shopping for cycling goodies in Japan?
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3 Rensho
You could look for a cool handmade 3 Rensho frame.
I found most bike related items there to be very expensive and a better deal to purchase from outside Japan. I regreat not buying one of the classic Japanese bike you see the mass of humanity riding, steel, no gears basic 2 pedal transportation. They are as cheap as you can get, $70.00 or less.
You could look for a cool handmade 3 Rensho frame.
I found most bike related items there to be very expensive and a better deal to purchase from outside Japan. I regreat not buying one of the classic Japanese bike you see the mass of humanity riding, steel, no gears basic 2 pedal transportation. They are as cheap as you can get, $70.00 or less.
If you are talking about finding "deals" on stuff because it is Japanese made and being sold in Japan you will be out of luck. Japan, geared for export, applies heavy taxation to Japanese goods made in Japan and then sold in Japan. I was stationed there a couple of years ago, and being an avid photographer I thought I could find a steal on a medium format camera,, no deal, I could beat the price online from the states everytime. Ditto on the bike stuff.. way cheaper order it from Performance or Speedgoat and have it shipped.Kuma601 said:
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Oh well...
Was over there for a bit last May and the photo stuff was shockingly pricey. A basic CF 1 gig memory card was like $150 and B&H price for a San Disk Extreme III was $107 at the time. Okay...I'll save myself the time...thanks for the heads up.
Was over there for a bit last May and the photo stuff was shockingly pricey. A basic CF 1 gig memory card was like $150 and B&H price for a San Disk Extreme III was $107 at the time. Okay...I'll save myself the time...thanks for the heads up.
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Kuma601 said:
How about a Gios cyclo-cross and/or mtn bike? Available there, but not in the US. Would prob go for a hefty premium if re-sold.
I lived in Tokyo
for about 7 years. Generally you can get cool electronic gadgets before you can get them anywhere else. they will be expensive though. I bought cameras, phones, stereo's etc. never bought bike stuff. I had a great 90cc scooter and a motorbike.
for about 7 years. Generally you can get cool electronic gadgets before you can get them anywhere else. they will be expensive though. I bought cameras, phones, stereo's etc. never bought bike stuff. I had a great 90cc scooter and a motorbike.
FatTireFred said:
I just got into road biking and have been to a couple of the bike stores in the Tokyo area. You can get Shimano stuff like cranks/shifters and CATEYE stuff pretty cheap, if they are on sale. I just bought a CATEYE cadence/speedometer for $129 from Performance and I saw it on sale for around $88 US the next week in an LBS - damn! If you don't know, CATEYEs are made in Japan (higher end models anyway).Kuma601 said:
In the same vein, certain frames/complete bikes are a good deal considering the yen rate now gives you an additional 16% discount. I saw a C50 frame on sale for around $2370, but only one size. That is damn cheap! I also saw a C50 with full DuraAce (including wheels) for around $4500 U.S. I mean the frame alone sells for $4000 from some US vendors.
At one store I saw some Dogma frames going for maybe $2000 US, but these were maybe 2003-2004 models, as they did not have the MOST BB.
I saw a real trick set of superlight brakes (not Zero-G) for $600 US, but I don't know the manufacturer.
Otherwise, most everything else is comparably priced (or a little more) to the US, even accounting for the yen rate.
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I suppose one may find some good deals here and there. Since I won't have a car, I'll have to rely on public transportation. The unfamilarity will put me at a disadvantage as well. If I do come across a bike shop, I'll stop in. Deep down, it would be nice to find a domestic frame to bring back and build up.
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I know of people who have made a very good profit bringing back some pretty junky used and abused Keirin frames.
Could have changed in 10 years, but I didn't see much
My experience isn't recent (1995), but I went over there pumped up about buying camera gear and bike stuff. I didn't have time or local knowledge to search out the best possible deals, but at least in the stores we visited, prices weren't enough lower than in the U.S. to make it worth the hassle of carrying or shipping the stuff home. I did buy a couple of lenses, but later saw them advertised for about the same money in those cheesy ads in the backs of camera magazines.
My experience isn't recent (1995), but I went over there pumped up about buying camera gear and bike stuff. I didn't have time or local knowledge to search out the best possible deals, but at least in the stores we visited, prices weren't enough lower than in the U.S. to make it worth the hassle of carrying or shipping the stuff home. I did buy a couple of lenses, but later saw them advertised for about the same money in those cheesy ads in the backs of camera magazines.
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