New Bike

So, I've been quieter than usual lately because the internet has been down at my place for the past several days. It could take a few more days to get it fixed since we're relying on our supervisor for help. She tends to be very busy, so it takes a while for her to get around to things like this.

Anyhow, I don't have a ton of news other than that my bike was stolen a few days ago. It was taken right from the bike parking area under my apartment building. I'm pretty sure that I left the key in the lock and someone just rode off with it. Not so clever on my part. In a lot of cases bikes can be recovered by the police, but there isn't much chance of me getting this one back since it isn't registered under my name and I don't remember what the registration number was.

On the positive side, that bike was old; it was bought by my predecessor's predecessor. It also wasn't in such great condition. Parts of it were held together with twine. Not critical parts, but still, that should give you a sense of the shape it was in. My new bike is a vast improvement. It has six speeds, whereas my old one had only one speed. This should make going up hills and over bridges a lot easier. I was very tempted by an orange one-speed bike, but in the end having multiple gears was more important than the color.

A fun note about bikes in Japan: the type of bike I (and most other people) ride is called a "mamachari". I've been told it's a combination of the words "mama" and "chariot". Mamacharis allow you to sit more upright than a typical mountain or road bike, and they always have a basket on the front. Most of them are one-speed bikes. A lot of them have sort of a triangular kickstand that you prop the bike up on; it actually lifts the back wheel off the ground. That kind of kickstand is really stable on flat surfaces. My new bike has a regular kickstand, which has proven to be slightly irritating.

Anyhow, that's all the news I have for the time being. I'm excited about my new bike, but it appears that rainy season has started, so I may not be riding a ton.