I want to take my bike into tokyo this weekend to a) find a brake that actually fits b) get a more comfy stem+bars combo c)ride.

I read somewhere that you get fined with no front brake, and judging by the number of bolt-ons on otherwise perfect NJS frames, must happen?

You'd be really unlucky to get caught. Most police have no idea what a fixed gear bike is - I still see guys riding brakeless, so they must be getting away with it.

The problem is in the built up areas there's lots of scooters around - and they weave between cars, so sometimes grabbing a handfull of brake can be very handy.

with all due concern given to increased traffic and peds, if you are proficient brakeless you will be fine. you hear the odd story now and again about brakeless ticketing, but it seems more urban myth and/or consequence to a crash than anything that happens regularly.

and as noted above, LOTS of people are riding brakeless.

You should try to avoid Poli-kou heavens like around the Diet Hall and Jiminto-honbu. ... I have to commute through the area. Pretty, but you get in within 50cm of police people. They "can" stop you if they want to, so it is safer if you have less thing for them to stop you with.

You aren't likely to get fined. But you get lectures ... boring ones. I mean they gave me 30min lecture on having my bike registered. You would be better off spending that time heading over to Blue Lug in Shinjuku (15-20min? from center city). Im too noob for that place though.

T

Well the whole hype was about bicycle laws changing June 1st and rumor about police starting to enforce the law that states "a bicycle has to have 2 individual brakes". But, at this point they (police) only seem to be concerned about the new laws implemented like not riding on sidewalks, talking on cel phones, no umbrellas, etc.
I commute when its not raining on my brakeless track bike and have never been stopped. Even when a cop car is behind me.
Don't ride like a jackass and know what you are doing when riding.

Or very dangerous.

Danm, I haven't heard the term poli-kou used since the early 70's.....
Where have I been?

Posertown.

how about マッポリ ?
be-bop high school returns.....

I'm in Shinjuku and the new laws are definitely NOT being enforced. People are riding on the sidewalks as usual, right past the "koban," (police box) on Yasukuni dori (street) that I ride past. The police are standing right outside and don't stop anyone.

Gale

Wait!

New law? ... What law is that? On Yasukuni-Dori, they aren't even enforcing the parking law. How are they gonna enforce that?

Oh and ポリ公 is a better term. ...

T

Sometimes you have to ride on the sidewalk. And you have to watch out for the housewives on mama charis with 2 kids (not wearing helmets), a couple of bags of groceries hanging from the handlebars, talking on her phone riding down the street against the traffic.

japan is safety country!

I heard from Japanese friends that the no sidewalk law has been around for years, but as you might have noticed, everyone rides on the sidewalk, even the fuzz.

As far as brakeless is concerned, I see so many people riding brakeless that I feel lame riding with brakes.

As others (everyone) has said, there aren't any problems with the police. As far as 2 brakes are concerned, not sure about that. Unless Fuji are selling bikes illegally to people. They have a track style bike with a single clamp on front brake. I assumed they provide it for legal reasons. But if the law says 2, then surely they must get in trouble? Or is it like those viles that claim they are for aromatherapy, but are actually MDMA ( it seems strange that they also keep it refrigerated and the shop closes at 4am but the police never bust them! Ha ha, loopholes in the law)

One day I will try brakeless i think. But my Langster, whilst a nice ride doesn't quite have the style.
Maybe when I buy a nice little Nagasawa. I am starting to like those.