Adventuring via bike was definitely one of my favorite hobbies when I was living in Japan. You get to see so much more as opposed to a car, where you can't just stop and go down each tiny little alleyway you find. (Or there might be some bias because I never had a car in Japan).
But there's one thing no one ever mentioned and somehow could not Google for the life of me.
Where the hell do you go to pump up your bike tires when you get a flat?
Sure, you could buy a pump. But I wouldn't feel like hauling one around everyday in my bag (until paranoia kicked in and then I think I brought one along a few times!)
But what happens when you wind up in unfamiliar territory.... and your tire desperately needs some more air?
In the States, every gas station has that air machine you put in a few quarters to use for 5 minutes. Japan must have those too, right? Tires need air. Car tires, bike tires..it makes sense! But apparently not. It seems like most gas stations don't have a valve for bikes to use, so no luck there.
However, so many people use bikes that there are plenty of bike shops around who will loan you a pump. They might even be kind enough to let you use it for free, too. That's what happened to me, in a smaller town with an older couple who owned their store.
Keeping in mind where your local bike shop is might be a good idea. (And along your rides too!)
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| Flat tire in the middle of rice paddies....? No thanks :) |
Have you ever been stuck with a flat in the middle of nowhere...??
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