Kon’s Cycle is your one-stop shop for all your bicycle needs in Japan! Here’s how my experience at the Uji branch in Kyoto went down.
As a foreigner, buying a bicycle doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Kon’s Cycle quickly became my go-to choice for all things bicycle-related in Japan after a wonderful experience purchasing my first ride!
Solid Selection Of Bicycles
Located in the humble town of Uji, this particular branch of Kon’s Cycle caught my eye with its awesome display of bicycles at the front entrance.
Unlike other bicycle shops in Japan, this one wasn’t old and run-down looking but rather had the appearance of a well-established franchise.
Upon entering the store, even more bicycles are laid out before you from city bikes to hybrids, mountain bikes, and even children’s bikes.
There are also many different sizes that suit people of all heights, weights, and riding preferences.
Reasonable Prices
A closer look at the poster tags on each bicycle will reveal a few key points of information to help you decide on the perfect bicycle for you.
For this part, you may need a translation app if you don’t understand Japanese (I recommend Google Lens).
Such information includes price, type of light (e.g. LED), brakes, frame size, and maximum seat height.
Prices typically range from 10,000 yen (70 USD) to 40,000 yen (275 USD), which in all honesty is super affordable.
As you can see from the image, my bicycle cost 31,878 yen, which is just a little over 200 USD!
Add-Ons, Tools, And Equipment
In addition to bicycles, Kon’s Cycle also takes care of all your maintenance needs and attachment equipment.
Here, you can purchase tire pumps, oil lubricants for the chain, brake lights, bike chains, and storage baskets to attach to the rear of the bicycle.
There are also a few cool attachments for the handlebars that feature bobble head dolls and anime figurines.
Fantastic Service!
A business is only as good as its customer service, and the staff at Kon’s Cycle were absolutely wonderful!
We had a bunch of questions for them regarding bicycle specs, warranties, and what-if scenarios, and they were incredibly patient and informative the whole time.
Kon’s Cycle truly promotes the “try before you buy” concept, allowing us to test-ride as many bicycles as we liked up and down the street until we decided on the ones we liked!
At the end of it all, we walked away with two shiny new hybrid bicycles, a bike tire pump, attachment ropes, storage baskets, and buyer warranties all for about 70,000 yen (less than 500 USD)!
Of course, if you are planning to visit Japan, you’ll need a way to get around the country as efficiently and affordably as possible. Japan Rail provides an abundance of travel passes to suit your travel needs. So whether you are traveling individually or as a group, the JR Pass is every traveler’s go-to for getting around and making the most of your time in Japan!
