Talking about my cycling history ends up being the story of my life
When someone asks me, "Tell me about your first bike," it's tricky to decide which one to count as the first.
The first bike of my life was a black children's bicycle my grandfather bought for me. It was my very first bike, my trusty companion that I rode all around the neighborhood after taking the training wheels off. I clearly remember the sadness I felt when I grew too big for it and it was "donated" to a neighborhood kid.
But, as is the case for many people, it was just "a bike" to me—I don't remember the brand at all. Yes, that "black bike" was the first bike of my life.
After that, for some reason, I rode bikes that my other grandfather had repaired after finding them at the trash dump? The first bike prepared for me as a brand-new one was a Miyata utility bike for commuting to junior high school.
I used this utility bike 365 days a year—and that is not an exaggeration. That wasn't because I loved cycling, but largely due to the nature of Showa-era club activities (where we only had three days off for Obon and New Year's each) and the local culture where a bike was the only way to get around in the countryside.
However, if this was the period when I developed a mysterious thought process—inspired by watching the Tour de France—that made me want to go touring, and if that served as my gateway into cycling beyond mere utility, then my "first bike" would have to be that well-worn "Miyata utility bike."
After that, I lost the utility bike when it finally gave out after over 1,000 days of rough handling. In high school, I commuted by train and lived the life of a used "mama-chari." I envied my classmates who were getting shiny new mountain bikes during the mountain bike boom, but my bike situation never got an update.
Then, right before I graduated from high school and stepped into university, I unexpectedly came to own a sports bike. That was a cross bike called the Panasonic Springbox. At the time, I didn't even know the term "cross bike" or how it differed from a mountain bike, and I used that one bike for everything from touring to riding in the mountains.
In the process of repairing and customizing that bike, I started hanging out at a bike shop frequently (going every day even when I had no business there). I encountered competitive mountain biking, found a position as a part-timer at that bike shop, made it my career upon graduation, worked as a messenger—another job that uses bicycles—traveled to foreign lands just because I wanted to ride, returned to the bike shop, and have since spent my life building bikes. In that time, I've owned over 50 bikes. (I don't have an exact count because I stopped counting at 50.) Even among those, the one that led me from cycling as a hobby to cycling as my livelihood was the "Panasonic Springbox," and so, that is my first "sports bike."
There are several other bikes that serve as milestones in my cycling history, but when it comes to ones that have had a major impact on my life, these three are the main ones. That is why I find it a bit difficult when asked to name my first bike.
Within a cycling journey of over 40 years starting from that black bike, I believe the one bike I would recommend as part of a "My First Bike Campaign" is the "Yotsuba Cycle."
Here's why Yotsuba Cycle is amazing
Detailed size options
Most manufacturers set their children's bike sizes in 4-inch increments. 12, 16, 20, and 24 inches are the most common. Even among those, only a limited number of manufacturers offer all four sizes. In contrast, Yotsuba Cycle offers 8 sizes: 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, and 27.5 inches, in roughly 2-inch increments. Children grow at very different rates, and the age at which they become interested in cycling also varies. These detailed sizes are designed to ensure you can always provide the perfect fit for your child.
Very lightweight
In every size, Yotsuba Cycle is overwhelmingly lighter than children's bikes of the same size from other manufacturers. When being used by children who still lack strength, being lightweight is a huge advantage.
Thoughtful details
From thin grips for small hands and brake levers with adjustable reach to thick, stable tires and high-performance V-brake systems, the bikes are designed with children in mind down to the smallest detail.
Most standards are the same as adult bikes
This part personally really excites me. There are many standards in the world of cycling. Children's bikes, in particular, often use proprietary standards not seen elsewhere or are built with parts that cannot be repaired. However, Yotsuba Cycle uses common standards that are mostly the same as those used in adult bikes. As a result, it is possible to customize your child's bike by installing bike parts that you no longer use at home. You can even gift your child a one-of-a-kind bike that exists nowhere else in the world.
As one example, if you install the "Kick Changer"—an original item planned by us at Circles—your Yotsuba Cycle will quickly turn into a kick bike/balance bike.
This allows children to practice balancing before they start practicing pedaling. The benefit of using the Kick Changer to convert it into a kick bike/balance bike is that they can also practice braking at the same time. Many kick bikes/balance bikes don't have brakes, forcing children to use their feet to stop, but by choosing a Yotsuba Cycle and using the Kick Changer, they can also learn to stop properly using the brakes.
Make Yotsuba Cycle their first bike
For these reasons, I recommend the Yotsuba Cycle as the first bike of anyone's life. Everything has a beginning, and I think this bike is the perfect way to start a wonderful cycling life.
