murfman

hey everyone, i moved from new york to tokyo a few months ago and got myself into a bit of a sad situation...... My beloved full njs samson track bike was one box too many to check... sighhhh..... so at the time i said "hey screw it! its already boxed up, il just have my brother toss it in the mail next week when i get my address.. yeahhhhh no problem sounds great right??? NOPE! $800+ to get my bike shipped here without having to worry about it getting trashed....

sooo yeahhhh, here i am now bikeless and depressed in japan trying to find out how to convince someone to fly to japan during the rain season with my bike. doesn't seem to be happening any time soon....

I started thinking about practical options and it dawned on me, im in tokyo! maybe i can get a good deal on NJS stuff being that this is japan and all, right??? hopefully im right....

anyway, does anyone know where i should go to find njs frames and parts here in the tokyo area? how much does a decent njs frame cost? all info would be huge!

PLEASE HELP MEEEEE!

ps. - if anyone is in contact with ceya, tell him christians bartender freind from ippudo with the pink samson is living in tokyo and would love to buy a bike from him or help him out with shipping if hes still got some in storage. i can wire money to my brother or christian and they can hand him the cash without a problem.

Scrodzilla

$800 to ship a bike to Japan???

Why do you "need" an NJS bike while you're there? Bikes are all over Tokyo. Buy a beater and ride the thing.

DanBell

Check out tokyocycle.com and ask on the forums there. Y's Road in Shibuya is all fixed gear and there's a guy named Eric who works there who speaks English. I believe Cubex on these forums works at the big Y's Road in Shinjuku too, so he might be able to help you out. Not sure about NJS stuff though. Start looking at w-base.com either online or at their shop halfway in between Shibuya and Harajuku.

gigantor

Because Tokyo!

Just ship it over. You won't find a samson NJS for $800 in tokyo. If you can afford a new bike go for it. How long are you even going to be there?

murfman

il be here for atleast 3 years. i was thining about buying a beater to hold me over till my brother can come in october with my bike but the beaters here are shot out old lady bikes with squeeling drum breaks. i know the shipping isnt too bad. figured i might find a decent deal since its japan. id pay more than 800 but i guess im not fgoing to get anything half as good as my nyc rig

Scrodzilla

Dude, it doesn't cost $800 to ship a bike to Tokyo.

gigantor

Yep. I know all about Japan and the heavy steel lady bikes, and the wheel locks. Comfortable to get around in - I didn't give a crap as a kid. But in my current state, I'd want nothing but a sw8 bike to tool around Tokyo with. Man... if you are willing to spend more than $800, go for it. You're in Tokyo for 3 years, enjoy yourself. Not saying go broke on building a sweet ride, but if you can afford it, it's a no-brainer.

murfman

you sure about that? what service did you use? how long did it take? was it insured? how much did it cost?

Scrodzilla

Look into shipping it via USPS International Priority Mail - insured, of course. If they upcharge (or refuse) you because of size/value restrictions, shipping the frame in one box and the parts in another may be cheaper. FedEx, UPS and other carriers are much more expensive.

gigantor

I don't know if this is relevant, but I shipped a bike from LA to SF in a box, with a group discounted price (aids life cycle) for $55. Shipping a bike to tokyo might be another story.

You can probably stuff it in a trico case and have it shipped for way less than $800, including the price of the case and shipping.

https://www.cambriabike.com/shopexd.asp?id=11070

Scrodzilla

Shipping large/heavy things overseas is a different beast altogether.

Leukybear 

Aside from the already mentioned above....

Why do you want to bring a NJS frame back to where it came from? Sell it in the states w/ hipster tax and buy another over there; I wouldn't be surprised if you turn a profit.

Nonetheless you should've paid the airline wammy (surcharge, higher class) if you're that desperate.

murfman

i want my samson becuse its a great bike and i miss riding it. Il buy a beater to get around on for the time being i guess, just thought i might be able to get a good deal on a track bike since its japan. i havent seen many good bikes over here in tokyo, anyone know where to go?

by the way i really dont want to sell the samson because the bike is kind of special to me and i would hate for it to end up in the hands of some moronic trust fund hipster.

hamfoh

have someone check it when they come visit you

Leukybear 

Nagasawa is better bro'. Columbus tubed NJS frames are overrated.


Just kidding; I didn't post this is in my previous post but you could probably sell your samson in the states and use that money to who knows what snag a nagasawa in its native land...

FakeFuji

Did you try Japan Craigslist?

DanBell

Craigslist is largely useless in Japan: not enough people use it. Japanese people primarily use Yahoo Auction to sell their stuff, and there are always heaps of track bikes on there.

mxs

There are a couple options for used bikes. You could sign up for a Yahoo auction account and do that route, but it is quite a hassle to get it all set up and paid for. Then there is the second-hand chain store Cycli (https://www.cycly.co.jp/), but stock is always hit or miss depending on the location in addition to their pricing being quite high. I have a friend who runs a shop called https://www.facebook.com/tempra.cycle in Harajuku that has a ton of second hand NJS frames. Another option could be just picking up an entry-level fixed geared bike from specialized/bianchi/felt which usually tend to run in the neighborhood of 70-80k Yen. Let me know if you need any help.

dontpassthefenc

if you are in japan, Id be highly disappointed if you didnt have a jackass njs bike of the highest caliber by day break.

murfman

hey thanks for all the help man, i just found out my brother is definitely brining my bike over when he comes in october. So i decided to find myself a cheap 2nd beater entry level track bike. just something to get around on thats not the typical japanese mamachari while i wait for my bike to arrive. i guess il be giving yahoo auctions a try. if you know of any shops that sell cheap 2nd hand single speed or track bikes, let me know please. im tempted to get a crapy road bike but i just dont feel like dealing with cheap shot out gears and everything.

i just need a bike thats easy to maintain and isnt a flimsy wobbly mess while i wait for my bike.

tsmvengy

Get a mamachari, convert to brakeless FG, put some track drops and aerospokes on it. Done.

ddeadserious

Just go to Brotures. I hear that have some cool Leaders there.

Xgecko

murfman

@MXS. hey man i tried to contact you via PM but i dont have nearly enough posts to send pms. i spent the weekend trying to find a decent used bike shop but no luck. seems like they have nothing but mamacharis around. do you know anyone selling used bikes?

cubex

omg kill me now hahahahahahahaha

and you have to have brakes on your bike in Japan if you ride it in the street otherwise it may get confiscated and you'll have to get your samson registered if you paln on riding it on the street which means you'll need brakes.
Y's doesn't have a whole lot of really good stuff since were mainly a road bike shop but Y's Custom in Shibuya probably has the most fixed gear oriented stuff but no used bikes. If you know what you want I can order if for you in the Shinjuku main shop