We love bicycling. There are a number of reason for this. First, bicycling is a great mode of transportation. When you think of it the bicycle is a pretty amazing invention. Just with a rather flimsy machine and your own muscle power you can get around fairly quickly. If you are going somewhere in town it is likely that in a lot of cases you can get there almost as quickly by bike as by car. And it doesn't take any natural resources (except for muscle power) and no money. The efficiency and simplicity is mind numbing. (and could numb other parts of your body but we are trying to focus on the positives.

Bicycling is also great because it provides a great way to see things. When you drive somewhere in your car you kind of create a closed atmosphere with the vehicular confines. But with a bicycle you are part of the world you are traveling through. You can see what is going on around you. For this reason we think traveling by bicycle is the way to go. You get a feel for what you are driving through. In Japan there are many ways to get around and we have experienced a few of them. One way to get around is the expressway. Japanese expressways are fast, don't go through the middle of the cities, and are civil engineering miracles because they get you literally through the mountains in no time. But when you arrive at your destination all you can recall of your voyage was a road lined by safety barriers, long tunnels and road signs. You can't even remember the names of the towns you drove through. But if you pass through a town on your bike you not only remember the town names you have an intimate knowledge of the geography and terrain.

Since biking is one of our hobbies we do a lot of it. Most times when we go somewhere in town we take our bikes. It can happen that in a week we won't even get into the car unless we have something outside of town.

Also, when we have the chance, and it is feasible, we like to take our bikes with us when we travel. As mentioned above biking really puts you in touch with the terrain your are biking in. Also the people. When you are on a long distance bike trip you tend to stick out and people love shouting, waving, or honking their encouragement. Also when you stop to take a break people seem interested to talk and see exactly what kind of craziness your are up to.

If you are going to get into cycling you don't need to do much. Just get on a bike and ride. Of course if you going to do it seriously it take a bit more than that. A good bike helps. Also think about what kind of riding you want to do. Just around town. Then you don't need many accessories or extras. If you want to do long day trips or more than one day trips you might need some of these extras like cyclo-computers, panniers etc.

Whatever your level if you are interested in learning more check out this link to REI's cycle help center.

l If your are interested in comparing mountain bikes or mountain bike products check out http://www.mtbr.com/

To check out some our accounts of bike trips try these

Yakushima Bike Trip

Miyazaki Bike Trip

In the background you can see an example of the bikes we have. Specialized Rockhopper. Pure cycling enjoyment.