My Hot Pink Bike

This is my self indulgent bike post. I am the proud owner of a twenty-five year old San Rensho Cyclone. I bought the frame last year at my most favorite bike store in the whole world, Punch Cycles in Tokyo, and built it up all NJS except for the handlebar and rims. It has the original paint job that still glows like new. In case your interested in all the particulars: the handlebar, stem and seat post are Nitto, the crank, pedals, chainring and hubs are Suntour Superbe, the headset is Hatta Swan, the bottom bracket is a Sugino 75, the rims are Sun, the toe straps are MKS doubles, the cog is Phil Wood, and the tires are Michelin Pro 3. And here are the pictures!

Tokyo

Last spring my boyfriend and I went to Tokyo to visit a good friend, to see some sites, and to pick up a couple of track bikes. While we were there I ate some kick-ass tempura, learned the great value of order and obedience, watched the sun rise over the city three days in a row, visited the Makino factory, and fell asleep at the dinner table, among other things.

This is Punch Cycles. It was the first bike shop we went to and the only bike shop that we went back to. It's where my 3Rensho and my boyfirend's Nagasawa are from. His Nagasawa is shown below in the misty rain.




The rain in Tokyo is like the rain in Seattle. You can feel it in your hair and under your skin but you don't see it coming down, it's just there and has always been there. I guess the rain is one of those things that lives forever. This man was in good company carrying an umbrella on his bicycle.

The rain as seen through the windows on the fifty-second floor had the effect of looking into an aquarium; I would not have been surprised if a manatee or a killer whale swam by. The waiters certainly had a bit of the killer whale look about them.

Another ocean like scene. This time at the goth club.

Later that week the rain subsided and the thigh highs came out. Also, many umbrellas were discarded in neat bundles, shown below.



We had the most fun visiting the guys and gals at W-Base. When the two guys in the shop found out we came from New York they yelled, in unison, BROOKLYN!


Harajuku, love her.

Look at those gold 3Renshos! Unfortunately they were not for sale. We found out that a lot of bike shops in Tokyo have gold frames that are not for sale. They have them for good luck.



These last three photos are of the chefs and owners of the best tempura restaurant in Roppongi, the Prada space ship flag ship, and the pool at the Park Hyatt. Three of my favorite places.