In Search of Bike Parts

I have already mentioned how important bicycles are for
everyday travel in Japan. Note the bike parking at the train
station. I really like the rear carrier and kickstand designs
used on the typical commuting bike, so I decided to find a few.

Chu-Ko would be a close approximation of the word for "used".
Used is still an odd concept in Japan. Most shops do not want
to sell used stuff.

Today I biked all over, hunting bike shops with the aid of google
maps and babblefish xlator. The one shop I had found earlier
proved to be the jackpot: I can now set up my home bike with the
way-kewl rear rack and kick-stand.

The rest of the shops wouldn’nt do Chu-Ko.
Much biking around all over, getting lost, finding neat things
to see.

There is a forlorn street mall a few Km from where I
stay. Because it is not near a station it is hard for the merchants,
I think. It has a ghibli-esque quality to it. If it had free
noodles to eat at a stand, I would have freaked out.
(c.f. Spirited Away)

Guess I’ll have to buy a new stand for the other bike.

There goes the weight limit on my return luggage.
The customs people are going to scratch their heads.

UPDATE: I made it back to the little Mall on Saturday.
This time more of the stores were open, and the whole
scene had more life to it. The little bike shop - which turned
out to be bigger than I first thought, had a used kickstand
that the owner insisted on gifting me with. WOW!

The stand in the foreground cooks waffles filled with
sweat bean paste or chocolate - 100Y each! YUMMY!

This Sunday: A masive used clothing sale at a big temple in Tokyo.