From a quick look via google maps – that looks a stunning place to be -surrounded by forested mountains. I hope you’ve got access to some great trails on them.

I haven’t clue about style though – sorry.

Yak – That’s what I was thinking!

Nice one Kukonaya I’ve just checked out your town/village on google maps and it looks like you’re slap bang in the middle of 3 (count them)3 mountains. The biggest by looks of it is Mount Haruna at 4.7k feet. Nice! Good riding round there?

I strategically place a rolled up inner tube down the front of my Lycra so that all the ladies assume my lack of trail skills are adequately compensated by my tripod-esque physique.

wait….I’m supposed to put it down the front?

That’s an old wetsuit joke…. Jasper Carrott or sthng?

Jamie, please Photoshop something into DezBs photo up there, thankyou ta.

If you believe the hype/marketing, for 2014, you got to go 650b to be cool………

thanks guys, yes its a good area. But tbh, a huge part of Japan is forest! The terrain is great for mountain biking.

I think that most people think of big cities and overpopulated areas when thinking of Japan but there is a LOT of nature out here!

I will try to get some pictures when I go again, if not this weekend then definitely next 🙂

*tuts at Drac/Cougar/etc*

Jamie, please Photoshop something into DezBs photo up there, thankyou ta.

Have we found the Japanese translation for Postlethwaite?

Kukonaya-San, konban wa. (Getting late so sweet dreams!) 😉

Strange thread, I have never insulted anyone on this thread, yet I am getting insulted left right and center from people that do not even know me

Kukonaya: this is the UK (the world hub of sarcasm, irony, satire and mockery), and an Internet forum, and populated in-the-main by old-than-average know-it-all cycling geeks. This is how we roll!

it’s all humour and no harm or ill-intent is EVER intended. Every witticism and wise-crack is delivered with a wry smile. You’re new here so you get a double helping for a bit; suck it up and dish it back out. Never take it seriously, and never revert to name-calling and proper rudeness (the mods don’t tolerate it, and neither do we)

And welcome.

Was just across from you in Hokuta a couple of months ago riding at a mountain bike park there (Fujimi Panarama), great place and yes very ‘out in the country’.
As above, don’t worry about style and go for hard wearing comfortable gear first, the smile you wear riding is more important than the cloths…..although don’t save money on safety gear.

kukonaya I am prepared to come to Japan to be your personal mountain biking style specialist. Like any good employer you’ll have to pay for my airfare and I only fly business class. I’ll also need some accomodation whilst out there so I’ll need a large 5 bedroomed house with a pool and a sauna. Also if you could sort out a couple of female masseuse(s?) to give me a massage after a hard days mountain biking in the mountains behind my house and I’ll need at very least a Cannondale Jekyll to ride on. In turn I’ll bring out a selection of biking clothing from top British sports clothing store ‘Sports Direct’ who only make the very best in sporting apparel incl those bumbags which I mentioned earlier. I await your positive reply, yours Jek.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4qAP68ef3c[/video]
Like this baby, like this
NSFW

thanbks for all positive messages!

kukonaya I am prepared to come to Japan to be your personal mountain biking style specialist. Like any good employer you’ll have to pay for my airfare and I only fly business class. I’ll also need some accomodation whilst out there so I’ll need a large 5 bedroomed house with a pool and a sauna. Also if you could sort out a couple of female masseuse(s?) to give me a massage after a hard days mountain biking in the mountains behind my house and I’ll need at very least a Cannondale Jekyll to ride on. In turn I’ll bring out a selection of biking clothing from top British sports clothing store ‘Sports Direct’ who only make the very best in sporting apparel incl those bumbags which I mentioned earlier. I await your positive reply, yours Jek.

Jekkyl, they do not send stuff to Japan it looks like only UK for delivery. Looks like a good variety but quality perhaps not great due to cheap price?

I really like these shorts http://www.zoic.com/black-market-novelty in combination with these t-shirts http://www.zoic.com/libertee . Brand is Zoic – I dont know it, does anyone have an opinion on this combination and the brand maybe?

Thanks

Back on topic:

Style is how you move, not what you wear. That’s why something unfashionable last year becomes the height of fashion this year. The clothes change from tight to loose, from subdued to bold, and back again. But style is immutable.

On a bike, style is how you ride.

Full and proper Lycra or Blue Harbour casual, anything in between is just a compromise.

Neither will look good though unless you are a) fit as a fiddle. b) inherently cool.

* I am extremly poorly qualified to give this advice, take it or leave it * .

Ta Jamie, although I sense a disappoint that I’ve missed a different peice of art?

Not knocking your work by the way. Mr Dez should use that to settle any music thread arguments.

I live in Shibukawa.

Are you currently on holiday somewhere else, then?

heya cougar, I spend a lot of time in Zimbabwe still, but mostly in Japan these days. I never ride in Zim though and have never but there are some good trails. I go to Zim about once or twice a month on average 🙂

Good answer. (-:

Kukonaya, it’s worth pointing out, if just for context, this forum and its associated namesake magazine, is biased towards riders that are more interested in riding, than what bike they are riding.(and yes, I’m generalizing here). So I’m not surprised that the response has been mostly incredulous.

Coolness and style are not something that comes up on group MTB rides that I’m aware off anyway, with the following exceptions:

1. Getting your shorts caught on your saddle, ripping it wide open far from home: Not cool.
2. Having your mates piss take because of it: Cool
3. Repairing said shorts with tape and zip-ties: Cool
4. Wearing same shorts for the next 5 rides: Not cool
5. Wearing shorts that allow Surrey mud down your crackhole: Not cool
6. Watching part time riders turn up on BSO’s wearing jeans: Not cool
7. Trying to look cool: Not cool.

Coolest guy I ever saw was a 60+ year old guy drop me for dust on a climb in wales, on his old rusty hybrid, on his way home from work, in overalls and workshoes. Coolest dude. Ever.

Good answer. (-:

You’re off the force, DI Cougar!

Zoic have been around for ages, I still have a Zoic biking shirt which I bought about 15 years ago which is too nice to be worn on a bike.

Love the I’m faster than you video. shades of the SNL/the lonely Island stuff

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEVdca9U9LM[/video]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qFrY4VcbMU[/video]

they dont like steve…

their funniest (and with 41m hits) isnt family/work friendly but has some famous cameos and is a great spoof of british pop, and includes the word pants in the title