There was no shortage of people to see, things to do, and demonstrations to watch at Cycle Mode! While 99% of everything was in Japanese, it didn’t mean non-natives can’t enjoy the festivities (or understand sticker shock). Though the lines were often lengthy, one of the biggest highlights of Cycle Mode was the opportunity to test ride a huge variety of bicycles. From Friday through Sunday, well-known brands including Argon 18, Canyon, Yonex, Specialized, Ridley, and Pinarello offered hundreds of bikes for visitors to test.
Those seeking highly technical chats and answers in English may not have gone home entirely satisfied but that doesn’t mean all of the gadgets and gizmos wouldn’t have made your heart aflutter. Fortunately (or not), the large majority of items were not actually on sale so it was effectively one big tease.
Beyond the frames and tools, informational booths set up by prefectural governments, tourism bureaus, and bicycle transportation services also made a not insignificant showing at Cycle Mode. From Japan Airlines and Japan Railway, Aomori to Okinawa, Chiang Rai and Honolulu, the broad variety of cycling-friendly initiatives presented across booths was inspiring and simply stated, really cool. We’re confident it was enough to give even the most casual of cyclists some thought about exploring Japan (or the world) on two wheels. Unfortunately for treehugggers, the amount of pamphlets, maps, and even small gifts one could reasonably expect to bring was staggering.