Day 8: I Like Bikes

You probably don't need a fool like me to point out, that the way the Japanese pillar their concrete structures is quite different to how we do it in Australia. When looking at a typical map of Tokyo, the distance between blocks may be no more than 50 metres, where as in Melbourne that distance may be three times that distance. This isn't so much an issue if you're walking through town with a decent printed map, but when you're riding to the other side of town with only sections of the city pre-loaded in Google Maps, you best have your boy-scott-cap on.






The plan for today was to grab a mamachari and hit up as many fixed gear shops as possible. I hereby dub you the rain maker. Every time you go out for a ride, the rain soon follows.


First stop, Blue Lug. Pulling up outside in the rain, the shop entrance presented promise for some sweet gear. Walking through the entrance, where the rain can no longer get me, and past the lovely bikes I'm confronted by rakes of apparel. Ignoring them I make way toward the other half of the shop. Numerous wheelsets hanging off racks, shelves of brand new cogs, BB, cranksets, headsets, bars, brakes and chains. This is going to take a while to check out. Eventually I make it out, resisting a wardrobe update and pack my bag with a couple of small items to remind me of the trip.

Before heading off we ask the clerk to point us in the direction of W-Base, and instead he prints us out some Google Map directions. Nice guy.



Next up, W-Base. Here is where I would have a grainy, blurry B&W image taken out front of the shop. Annoyingly, I got my roll developed incorrectly so all images on that roll of film are now gone forever. Despite how rad BMXs are, I can't trick so all the awesome frames and gear W-Base stock hold little interest to me. What really had us in this part of Harajuku, was Carnival.

Wait, isn't Carnival meant to be based in the shop above W-Base? They moved? They moved to a shop not too far from Blue Lug? Bitches. The crying skies are dampening my enthusiasm and I also know Mister Ho isn't as interested as me that he would follow me again through the rain. Let's go get a beer and some dinner while I sulk about this misfortune.