How to Choose the Best and Most Suitable Bicycle
By virtue of my profession, I am always thinking about the bicycle as a tool for mobility, viewing it from a variety of angles.
"How can I choose the best bicycle for me?" Many people come to me with this troublesome question, but to arrive at the optimal solution to such a concern, there is something I really need you to think about first.
In short, the most important thing for finding this optimal solution is to know yourself. This includes your physique, your personality, your usage environment and methods, and even your future prospects and dreams. Forget about trivial matters like who else is using what or what's trending where for a moment; I want you to first face yourself and ask yourself the questions.
I assert that this is the best solution for finding the perfect partner or tool for different individuals, each with their own unique personality and environment—and this applies to more than just bicycles.
The Truth About You Isn't Written on a Spec Sheet
In today's world, where the internet has fully permeated our lives, I suspect we live in an era where we have become somewhat neglectful of the truly fundamental human act of imagining and thinking deeply for ourselves—wondering why the creator came up with this, who made it and how, and pondering the grand, romantic ideas and philosophies that must have served as the atoms and foundation for these things—a tendency also seen in many other fields.
Recently, it seems that a trend where logical explanation is king has become mainstream, centered around the internet and TV media. In this state of public opinion, when explaining tools and such, we often see a reliance on long-winded lectures about functionality or the numbers listed in seemingly clear and simple specification charts.
However, even if you purchase various tools based on those functional performances and superficial numbers, it doesn't necessarily mean that every owner will be happy using those tools.
Sadly, in my line of work, I often hear stories like, "I bought a bike here or there, but it didn't fit my needs and I stopped riding it, so I want to do something about it." I wouldn't say this is the only reason, but I do believe it's a reason why our Culture Club system exists, so if you're looking for a "one-chance" encounter with destiny, I think it might be fun to come by. (However, please note that it is not our policy at Culture Club to buy just any bicycle; we operate our store by purchasing bikes that are well-suited for being ridden until the end, even if they are used, and that our mechanics, myself included, can confidently and safely service.)
In other words, as mentioned earlier, when you decide you want to search for "something truly good" for yourself, there are actually many things you should do before collecting information.
Oops, my introduction has become long and strayed quite far. I would now like to move on to the main topic, so please bear with me.
A Small-Wheel Cargo Bike Like No Other in the World.
The bike I would like to introduce this time is an ambitious proposal from BIKE FRIDAY, and I want to talk about a bike that is sure to be deeply committed to society in the new era to come.
The name of the bike is the Haul-a-Day. The origin of the name is ultimately an American pun—a portmanteau of "HOLIDAY" and "HAUL," with "a Day" added. It was announced on Kickstarter, which was the cutting-edge method for raising funds at the time, prior to its official release. When they set a target of $45,000 (about 5.3 million yen at the time) and sought funding, they reached their goal in just 28 hours, eventually securing $135,000 in pledges. It is BIKE FRIDAY's first-ever cargo bike.
The Haul-a-Day has a slightly different concept from the BIKE FRIDAY models I have introduced until now; first, I must state that it deliberately does not have a folding function. Instead, it is a long-tail cargo bike with 20-inch wheels that can carry lots of cargo or two children.
As I mentioned in my previous article, because the wheels are small, the center of gravity is low. By making the most of the step-through frame shape, it is easy for even smaller people to get on and off, and it allows for stable riding even when loaded with a large amount of luggage. You could say it's a dream-like cargo bike.
By the way, a cargo bike is generally, as the name suggests, a bicycle for transporting cargo. However, as mentioned in the Denmark visit article recently posted by our EC staff member Kodama-kun, in advanced cities, cargo bikes are not only used by bicycle messengers for carrying large or heavy loads. They are used by families for taking children to school, as mobile shop stalls making effective use of the large cargo deck, and by serious courier companies like Amazon for deliveries in city centers. Thanks to their proud load capacity and the spread of E-POWER, they are attracting great attention as next-generation mobility and transport tools. In addition, many European countries have the highest awareness in the world regarding the promotion of fuel switching, so more local governments are providing subsidies when purchasing cargo bikes that do not require fossil fuels or electricity for operation, suggesting that they are increasingly replacing cars and trucks.
Until now, the Circles blog has introduced various cargo bikes active in Nagoya. Many of them are operated mainly for commercial use by our friends (who are quite unique, to say the least). (They have quite an impact when you see them in town.) However, due to their large size and somewhat unique looks, many people may have felt that the hurdle to actually owning one and using it for daily life was quite high.
For your reference, I hope you will take a moment to read our past blog posts.
- Article 1 / PFM's Working Bicycle
- Article 2 / The Image of the Future Keeps Expanding.
- Article 3 / One Flower, Two Wheels. A Florist on Three Wheels.
What Are the Advantages Unique to This Small-Wheel Cargo Bike?
The design philosophy of the Haul-a-Day is vastly different from the large commercial cargo bikes mentioned above. Simply put, it is a cargo bike manufactured with the idea that anyone can handle it, with an eye toward consistent everyday use.
Since it is a small-wheel bike based on 20-inch wheels, it first offers excellent maneuverability. The wheelbase of about 193cm is only slightly longer than that of a standard bicycle, making it a size that anyone can ride with confidence, even in the bustling city. Also, in a country like Japan, where there are many high-density housing complexes, it is possible to fit the Haul-a-Day into the small elevators often found in such buildings by standing it vertically. Therefore, in any average household, I think you will be able to use it with the same feeling as owning a normal bicycle.
Furthermore, the weight has been designed with the utmost care; while maintaining a safety margin in the design considering the load capacity, the vehicle weight is kept to about 16kg, making it easy for women and children to handle. In addition, the frame of the Haul-a-Day can be adjusted in length in four stages, and this adjustment can be easily done by anyone in just a few minutes using only a single hex wrench. The top tube length can be adjusted in 4cm increments from 48cm to 60cm. By simultaneously adjusting the seat post and handlebar stem height, people from 120cm to 190cm tall can ride it. Thanks to this innovative OSANA system (adjustable system), one Haul-a-Day can be shared with family and friends. I think this is the only cargo bike in the world with such an advanced idea.
The basic Haul-a-Day is designed for a rider weight limit of 100kg and a cargo weight limit of 90kg, for a total of 190kg. An upgrade is also available for heavier riders up to 118kg, allowing for a cargo load of 112kg, bringing the total load capacity to 230kg.
Why Is a Cargo Bike Necessary?
Once you start basing your life around a bicycle, the challenge of "how do I carry things?" inevitably follows you around.
Solutions include wearing a large bag (large bags can handle sudden errands or impulse buys, so you are always carrying your dreams...) like a bike messenger, or, if your bicycle has mounting eyelets, attaching pannier bags to a rear rack to increase your cargo capacity.
Or, "Hey, this is Japan! We should pay the utmost respect to the domestic 'mama-chari' (mom's bike) culture and get around town on an electric-assist city bike—that's cool."
Or, "No, no, the era is about minimalism; we should just have as few belongings as possible," following the "danshari" (decluttering) philosophy that stems from how we choose our things.
Among the various ideas that so many cyclists have proposed, the BIKE FRIDAY Haul-a-Day concept suddenly appeared as a product and pierced my heart.
Unlike the one-size-fits-all approach of a typical city bike, it can be adjusted, making it usable by anyone, regardless of age or gender. In other words, because a bike fit can be performed almost perfectly, anyone can ride the Haul-a-Day comfortably and enjoyably, even though it is a cargo bike. And to reiterate, the maneuverability made possible by the 20-inch small wheels is absolutely perfect for Japan, where the urban design itself is compact. Moreover, it is surprisingly light despite its appearance, and because it is made by a handmade bike manufacturer that knows small-wheel bikes inside and out, it is a very honest bike with no strange quirks in its ride (in a very good way, it betrayals your expectations of its appearance).
If such an excellent cargo bike catches the eyes of progressive and innovative cyclists and they actually start using it, I find myself personally daydreaming that the everyday scenery of our streets might inevitably begin to change.
Environment, Community, Future Creation, and Bicycling Power.
There are many people who love bicycles now, and many who will come to love them in the future.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I think it is very important at any time to know yourself and to think deeply with your own mind based on your experiences.
What kind of place do you live in now, and what kind of environment are you living in? Not just what is currently trending, but the things and experiences that have surrounded you from the past to the present; there must have been things created with various kinds of meaning there as well.
Bicycles exist in the same way as other tools.
That is why, if you can truly understand yourself and your goals, and meet a bicycle that fits you perfectly, it might just open the curtain on the best life possible. For that reason, I believe that the raison d'etre and role of a local bike shop and community is to listen to your real stories—not just answers or information—and to recommend products and experiences as accurately as possible so that you don't make any strange mistakes. Perhaps by repeating such days as carefully as possible, even people like us, who just like to play, are allowed to exist.
A bicycle is beautiful whether viewed from the outside or the inside, from any angle. I selfishly believe that it is the role of those with true "bicycling power"—people who have strong ideas and can fully utilize their own strength—to utilize such beautiful tools in a society that will continue to change from now on, even more than we do today, and to envision the future.
I hope that BIKE FRIDAY and various other bicycles will become good partners in your life. If you ever have any trouble, why not rely on the Circles community? All of our staff are looking forward to hearing your consultations and stories.