Cycling Meets Social Networking in Tokyo’s Kitasando

Cycling is making a comeback, and cycle cafes are springing up in trendy cities around the world, but the social changes that get bottoms on bike saddles are very much 21st century phenomena. In Melbourne, Bicycle Boutique and Café Racer are creating a buzz, and so is Cycle Square which opened in Tokyo in July. The Tokyo hub for cyclists incorporates bicycle rental and repairs, cycling concierge services, a nutritionally balanced menu and purpose-specific relaxation massage designed for cyclists, computers and internet access, events including Bicycle Film Festival Tokyo 2009 and guided cycling tours, and guests ranging from a cycling gold medalist to a Bossa Nova singer.

Fashion is a big factor in cycling’s growing popularity in Tokyo, Cycle Square concierge Emi Sasaki said.

“Commuting by bicycle is quite fashionable now, and is increasingly popular with women, not just men.”

Reasons for the trendy status of the bicycle include increased awareness of both obesity and environmental issues, Ms Sasaki said. Both issues result largely from the technology-reliant 21st century way of life.

“People want to go back to the way things were before the technological revolution. We feel that although we have gained a lot, we have lost something precious too. Pedaling is simple, but it is done with your own power, and that represents the simplicity that people want,” Ms Sasaki said.

The number of low-tech “mama-chari” bikes with shopping baskets, sometimes seats for a child or two but usually no gears, and slightly more high-tech compact collapsible bikes for commuters in Japan astonishes Australian visitors to Cycle Square. But the ratio in Japan of bicycles of convenience versus other types may be on the move too, Ms Sasaki said.

“Mountain biking may be the next boom waiting to happen I think. People in their 30s and 40s are attracted to cycling because it is a classic pastime that addresses issues such as metabolic syndrome and health, and is cheap and something you can do yourself. For a long time convenience was the priority, but now people are finding that inconvenience can be fun.”

The café offers advice on purchasing cycles, and has several brands available for test rides for a few hours or a day, from a versatile Bridgestone hybrid (just under $1000 AUD) to a tiny, trendy Cannondale mini velo (just under $2000 AUD).

The multimedia nature of the café is also a response to the 21st century lifestyle. Miho Shirai, massage therapist in Cycle Square’s relaxation therapy centre, said there is a connection between technology and physical health awareness.

“There is currently a cycle café boom, partly due to stress from the computer world and a need for relaxation.”

The massage her team offers promises relaxation as well as increased metabolism which can lead to a slimmer figure.

“Many people don’t warm up before exercise, so massage is an effective way to bring muscles to a neutral state which will give a fuller workout during and after exercise. We also offer a hip area massage that is popular as a slimming method with both men and women,” Ms Shirai said. 

Massage therapist Miho Shirai explains the benefits of massage before exercise

Nutrition educator and bicycle reviewer Emi Sasaki is cycling concierge at Tokyo's Cycle Square

The café’s concierge believes people are using the concierge services and joining the cycling tours organised through the café for reasons unique to the this century too. 

“There is lots of information overflowing everywhere, whether it is advertisements in the street or digital information, but it’s hard to find the specific information you want. That’s why the analog type of information we provide at the café is valued – it is tailored to the individual,” Ms Sasaki said.

“If we were just a café, there would be no particular facility for interpersonal contact, and that’s why we offer events such as cycling excursions. People – mostly in their 30s and 40s – tend to join alone, spend a half day sharing an experience with strangers, seeing the same scenery, and by the time we return to the café after the cycling trip, there are a lot of friendships built on these shared experiences.” 

Some café patrons have contrasting views on the interactions between customers and the multiple media cycle cafes are beginning to incorporate. Andy White, a Melbourne cyclist who travelled to Tokyo specifically for the World Bike Messenger Championships in September 2009, said that having wireless internet available in such venues facilitates further isolation, rather than interaction. People bring computers or use those provided for entertainment, stimulation and virtual socialising, and this decreases motivation to interact with others who are physically present. Gazing into computer screens doesn’t increase the chance of eye contact which could lead to a spontaneous interaction either.

Mr White and his fellow World Bike Messenger Championships attendees who were dining at the café said it was the Erik Zo exhibition that had attracted them to Cycle Square, but that they were pleasantly surprised by the high quality of the food. Alan MacGill of Melbourne said his dry curry and brown sugar pudding were “excellent”, while Mr White commented that the coffee was “drinkable” which he said was quite an achievement based on his previous experiences in Japan. Head chef Katsuaki Akanuma said that the modern Japanese menu was designed to offer nutritionally balanced options suitable for cyclists, without sacrificing flavour, and that quality ingredients were a priority. Mikey Dodds of Sydney said that the quality of food offered at cafés targeting cyclists was extremely important. “It’s our fuel,” Mr Dodds said.

Chef Katsuaki Akanuma and his team serve healthy modern Japanese cuisine to suit cycling enthusiasts and others

International visitors to Cycle Square Kitasando talk cycle cafe culture (video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8cz9-IlQ0s

 

An Erik Zo art and design exhibition draws visitors from all corners of the globe

Cycle Square meets practical needs of pedal pushers too, offering bicycle maintenance gear and advice on how to use it

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