Originally Posted by
yashinon
Those Pinarello bikes are sweet! Being interested in other cultures, I wanted to know if cycling is popular in Japan as a way to enjoy or stay fit? In some nations the major mode of transportation is bike. Does Japan still have cycle manufacturing such as some of those from the vintage era?
Cycling is popular in Japan, but more in the utility cycling kind of sense. Moms, dads, kids, grandpas, all on their big and heavy dutch bikes that cost $100-200 a pop. They're great for hauling kids and groceries. The electric-motored powered kinds are also popular (not a surprise because people haul two kids at a time on their bikes, and the hills here). Many people do have hybrids and road bikes, but are vastly outnumbered by the utility cyclists. It's legal to ride on the sidewalk here.
There are dedicated cycling paths around here where the roadies gather during the weekend, and nearly everyone has impressive kit. The brand of road bike I see the most is COLNAGO, no kidding.
As for road bike manufacturing, it's niche. Just the custom builders (which are quite expensive) but apparently the quality is top-notch. There's also a guy famous for making bikes (including wheels) from
mahogany.