/ Aug 13, 2017

China's Mobike to launch bike-sharing service in Sapporo

China's Mobike will start a bicycle-sharing service in Sapporo in late August, becoming the first major player in the rapidly expanding Chinese industry to set foot in Japan. Mobike has quickly expanded since it started in Shanghai in 2016. Customers can find bicycles nearby, unlock ...

Urban Japan trying its hand at bicycle-sharing

| May 1, 2017

Urban Japan trying its hand at bicycle-sharing

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The so-called sharing economy has spread to a variety of fields such as cars and homes, and Japan has seen another rising trend in recent years — bicycles. A growing number of municipalities and private firms are providing bikes to gauge whether such services will ...

Jun 16, 2015

Focusing on safe cycling

The revised Road Traffic Law should serve as a reminder to cyclists that they must follow traffic rules and ride safely.

Tandem bikes now street-legal in Aichi

| May 11, 2015

Tandem bikes now street-legal in Aichi

On April 1, Aichi eased cycling regulations to let tandem bicycles use public roads, becoming the first prefecture in the Tokai region to do so. Previously, tandem bikes were only ridable in parks for leisure purposes. The change is expected to greatly benefit people with ...

Kids get better sense of balance with no-pedal bikes

Jan 2, 2014

Kids get better sense of balance with no-pedal bikes

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A bicycle called the Strider that has no brakes or pedals is proving popular with parents of young children learning to ride, as its intrinsic instability helps improve sense of balance and eliminates the need for training wheels. The Strider, developed by a U.S. company, ...

Used 'mamachari' popular in London

Nov 15, 2013

Used 'mamachari' popular in London

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Almost every Japanese household has one and they are an ever-present sight outside of shops and railway stations. Japan's most common bicycle, the "mamachari" (literally mom's bike), is used by people of all ages for short trips around the neighborhood. But now these utility bicycles ...

Vienna embraces the culture of the bicycle

Jun 22, 2013

Vienna embraces the culture of the bicycle

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On the Praterstern, where cars, buses and trams converge from several busy streets on a road that loops around Vienna's central train station, a new digital counter stands under the eye of the Riesenrad Ferris wheel. It's about the size of a bus stop advertising ...