I know its an older bike but I got it for 100 bucks from goodwill (auction site). Put another $100 into a new saddle and some minor maintenance. Im really trying to save as much as I can here before the move. Does anyone have experience with second hand bikes in japan? Would I get enough money from this to buy a nicer bike over there? or is the most cost effective method just boxing it up and taking it with me on the plane?
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by boonsketty
28 Comments
Take your bike. I moved to Germany for two years and brought my bike. You can pay a local bike store to pack it up in a box similar to how it was shipped then reassemble when you arrive. It cost me $50 in 2018.
It’s a nice bike – if it fits you very well and you see yourself using it there, take it with you for sure
That’s a great bike for $100!
Take it with you!
you got that for 100 dollars? can you get one for me?
Road cycling is even more niche here than some other places, Shimano pricing is competitive, everything gets imported, it is pretty expensive.
If the fit is good and it runs well enough I would not sell it. Ultegra and Dura-ace are hard to find at a good price.
First thing to remember when you get here is go to the Konbini and get bike insurance before you start riding.
Take it. It’s family now.
Sell the bike, wait til you are in Japan to buy Pocari Sweat.
What’s your size and also budget.
I’ve been here since August and there’s a good selection of used bike at good prices as long as you’re looking at small sizes. The bigger bikes are more difficult to find but still around nonetheless.
Have a look at sites like Buychari to get a rough idea of what’s for sale. Ive seen a decent 4 year old cannondale system six sell at £850 at ecotown.
I brought my bike with me (you can get the ridenow bike box from AliExpress which is decent) and it was a relatively easy process as my airline allowed sports luggage as part of my allowance.
FYI, you’re legally required to register your bike in Japan, although enforcement is inconsistent. To register the bike you’ll need to take a receipt or bill of sale to a local bike shop. It can be in English; you just ha e to show them something.
You could buy new wheels as a compromise and just bring the rest. Probably one of the few components really worth updating if you pretty much like the current set up.
you will not find an American sized bike in Japan! It’s just something that you need to bring over to japan… Either make peace with ordering a bike online and shipping it to you in japan or ship your old one
Just buy a new one. Your old bike isn’t worth much anyway
Keep it. You can prob sell it way more over there… if you want to do that.
Fly with it and just pay the fee. You wont get a bike as good as that one for the price it costs to ship it there. When I moved to Japan I brought my road bike. It was a lifesaver. I took it with me to another country when I left Japan. Then I sold it and moved to the U.S. I regret it every day. The prices are crazy now. I should have just sent my bike home again.
gah, there are so many wonderful bikes in Japan! if you love your bike, take it with you, but if you’ll have some disposable income once you’re there, you could easily find something you’ll love even more.
fwiw, it’ll be waaay cheaper to take your bike on the plane with you rather than ship it. international shipping of a box that big is either super expensive or takes forever.
There are various options for second hand bikes in Japan, from a top notch shop with great service to an online flea market. But I assume the language and the law will be main barrier for you.
As for language, unlike restaurants and major retailers in Japan, bike selling places seem not be providing good language support for foreign customers. While exchanging Q&A to clarify the conditions of the bike is the key for a good deal, I can’t confidently say they can provide good service for you. Of course you can use a translator app and it is not rare to see using them in Japan, but I am not sure those apps can properly help your communication about bikes due to some technical terms. (My comments above will not be the case when you are planning to sell/buy in an english-spoken community )
And this is not usually applicable for C2C sales, but second hand bike sellers demand ID and the bike registration information when purchasing your bike so that they can track if the goods are stolen or not. Your bike seems to be old and doesn’t have so much value (sry I don’t mean to diss your bike), so there is a possibility that you can sell your bike without registration mark when you explain the background that you purchased it outside of Japan with some evidence.
My best bet is to ship your own bike. Second hands market in Japan is well established, but a bit risky for foreign ppl from my point of view.
Sorry for my poor english, but I hope this post from a local will help you.
When I went to work in Japan I got a hardshell bike case, brought my bike there and back. Part of my logic was that I’m 6’1” so other than the expense of getting a bike there (and going through the process of getting it to fit right), it might be hard to get an appropriate size. If your bike fits and works, bringing it makes sense.
Do not ship. Pack in a cardboard bike box and bring it on your flight as sports equipment. Free if you treat it as a piece of your baggage allowance
I found out when I hired a bike in Alaska that the brake leverals are the wrong way round for me nearly sending me over the handlebars so depending on which country you are in they might be on the opposite side.
So I’m very glad I bought my own bike when I emigrated to Canada from the UK.
Take the bike with you, Japan is a wonderful place to cycle from what I heard.
Nice bike. Good deal. Sell it. Buy a cool Japanese bike. And should you ever come back, bring the Japanese bike back as a memento of your time there.
That bike looks nice, I’d keep and transport it because you would be hard pressed to get an Ultegra or Dura Ace setup close to this price, if it fits, enjoy it as it looks like a great ride.
Sell it, buy one there.
Traveling with a bike is a pain, roughly $100 plus packing.
Shipping is cost prohibitive.
I’ve drug bike boxes through airports, dealt with trains, taxes, ubers. Frickin pain.
Sell it. Less luggage to keep track of. It could get damaged or lost in transit. Selling it will put a few bucks in your pocket and can help fund a new ride after you get settled. Or treat yourself to a nice sushi dinner and sake!
An avid cyclist and also lived in Japan for over 25 years. You should look into what it cost to bring a bike on a plane. I flew home on JAL four years ago and it was about 35000 yen if I recall right. (I was well over the weight limit) You should also think about where you will store your bike, if outside in a bike rack, it will get scratched up. Some apartment or condos do not like you bringing bikes on elevators or storing bikes on balconies or hallways. If that is the case, you will be storing it outside,
I always had more than one bike, You will be wanting to have a bike that you can leave at the train station or when you go shopping, something with a basket. A used shopping bike, you can find for $10,000 yen or less.
Perhaps you should take the parts off and buy a frame and wheel set when you get to Japan YahooAuctions is a better place than ebay to find used bicycles and parts. You could mail the frame and wheels, It might be cheaper.
BTW, you will save yourself hundreds of dollars if you use your bicycle instead of a car or public transportation if you live in a big city.
It is really easy to box and transport your bike. Bike store will box it up for you and put it back together if you don’t want to do it.
I brought my bike to Japan as checked baggage on the airplane
really great decision