July 25, 2009
The second full day of our Japan extravanganza started out with a very cryptic note taped to one of our bikes parked along the railing outside the hotel. Bringing the bikes in for the night was out of the question according to management. The logistics of fitting a Big Dummy into a Japanese-size elevator or hotel room would be challenging at best anyway. If finding space to park bikes can be this difficult, imagine the premium on car parking in a country without much discretionary real estate to spread around.
My ride for the trip -- a stock Dummy with pink accents. I love riding my own BD at home but whipping this thing through narrow streets and around pedestrians on crowded sidewalks has been a hoot. All the media who are photographing us have been amazed how nimble the bikes are.
Japan is famous for its vending machines. Here's Snackmaster P plunking down a few hundred yen for some refreshment. Much to my chagrin, I haven't been able to find the Pocari Sweat machine. I had to settle for Aquarius, a suitable substitute with a less freakish name.
We rode a few km over to a small gallery space and set up for the dealer test rides. It was about the size of a one-car garage with a kitchenette and bathroom. Except for the bare walls and concrete floor it might pass for an apartment.
It was already a hot day and we knew refreshments were in order. Ross looks stunned by my ability to pump the watts into the blender we used to make smoothies. Who shouldn't have a blender attachment for their Xtracycle? Just coax your friends into doing all the work. Maybe this could morph into a new kind of goldsprints.
We believe this may be the first documented longtail surf session in all of Japan. And you thought Godzilla was big ...
Did I mention it was hot and we needed refreshment -- a continuous flow of refreshment? The Master put me in my place and for a few moments the heat of the day was simply a minor inconvenience.
The variety of vending machines is astounding. I love the fact that in a foreign country one can take marketing slogans completely out of context. "Fire" did not inspire me to dig for coins on a 90 degree day.
Sliding through the streets of Tokyo back to the hotel to freshen up before dinner. Riding here is slightly chaotic and very energetic. It's pretty cool.
Ahh, my favorite vending machine so far, located in the lobby of our hotel, featuring a fine assortment of Japanese libations. Sure, the prices are marked up from the local corner store. But when you're in your bathrobe and just want to unwind from a hard day of pimping cycle goods, what could be more hassle free? 
I embarked upon a taste test of all the chu-hi available at the hotel -- a triumvirate of spiky citrus goodness. Kirin v Asahi in a 2 to 1 showdown. Asahi produced the kungfu grip and bested both Kirin flavors with its balanced blend of sweet AND sour genuine citrus flavors.
It is nothing short of rad-tacular to visit Japan and see how much Surly riders love their bikes. They also ride them and ride them hard. That makes us all proud. This well used Steamroller has been repaired with a splint welded to the headtube/downtube junction. And it's still going strong. Kamikaze!Gotta get some beauty rest. Tomorrow we take on Tokyo with a full day of riding. Yeehaw!
