Asia - Any great bike deals in Japan?

Looking like I will get my job moved to Japan in late 2009....

Any great bike deals available over there? Or is it like the rest of the world? Some good deals, some bad deals, just have to be on the lookout.

Pretty much the same as the rest of the world I guess. What kind of bike and size? It is harder to find "larger" frames here.

I find proper bikes (that is to say not cheap mamacharis) here to be quite a bit more expensive than back home in the U.S. I also find that it's cheaper for me to buy parts, accessories, and clothing online from retailers like wiggle.co.uk, and sjscycles.co.uk, even with shipping and customs costs. It also helps that the Yen and the dollar are stronger than they've been in the past against the pound (currently about $1.49 to the pound, whereas it used to be around $2.00).

If you are just looking for something to get you around, bikes are very cheap. Used bicycle shops usually sell bikes for around $50-$70. But if you are actually looking for a higher end road bike or mountain bike, expect to pay a lot more than in the U.S. But on the up side, there are some pretty sweet folding bikes that are cheap.

Prices are usually higher than in the US, from a little higher to a lot higher. The nice thing is you can find some unique items.

I just bought a folder on amazon.co.jp that will be my around town bike. The Chinese made stuff is cheap enough and that is what most people use for transpo.

http://www.amazon.co.jp/DOPPELGANGER-FX04-blackecho/dp/B001GV0NQS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=sports&qid=1235393009&sr=8-1

I can supply good frames and forks!

if you are after fixies or road bikes no problems but as you get into the higher quality brands the prices seem to increase exponentially, you can spend what you like. If its just for trips to the train station you are after then the super cheap "mama chari's" are easy to find and ubiquitous, but if you are into touring like i am you have no hope, the very concept almost seems alien here.

I brought my bike on the plane when I first came here. It was a Nishiki touring bicycle.. Japanese brand that isn't too popular here. I saved a bundle of time and money commuting to school from my host family home.

--Michael

http://www.uemura-cycle.com/ Some good deals from a place in Osaka. I don't know how the shipping is, because I walked in to buy it. There's one guy who speaks fluent English.

Uemura is a great shop, I bought some part and got some really good service in English. I decided to get a custom built bike when I came to Japan and I bought most of my parts from CB Asahi.