If you’re bringing your own bike to Japan, what bike gear do you need? There’s no need for anything special but consider two things: gearing and lights. The first is advice, the second is the law.

Chances are you’ve got some hills and some mountain passes planned. You really should as the inside of the country has so much to offer. Even if you plan to ride the Shimanami Kaido there are some nice views if you climb up a hill or two.

The mountains in Japan have steep roads. In terms of gradient, sections over 10% are common and you can round a corner to find a 15% section ahead of you, and all on a regular highway. Head for a rindo forest road and 15-20% is likely. Now many climbs are steady, it’s just that on average the mountain roads of Japan can be steeper than, say, the Alps in Europe. Sure the long climbs of the Tour de France hard but usually don’t have such steep sections along the way. Japanese climbs tend to be shorter but they sure pitch up.

The solution is low gearing. Many 11 and 12 speed bikes come with easy gearing today. But if your set-up is for the flat roads at home, think about at least a new cassette. A compact chainset and something like an 11-30T cassette shown above can get you over anything.

What gear to recommend is impossible, it’s down to your riding style, fitness, the pace you want and the amount of the luggage you’ll carrying. But ideally your lowest gear is not “it’ll get me over the climb at a push” optimism, it should be more a “if I’ve had a long day already, my energy’s low, the weather’s turned then I can still make it” insurance policy. If you’ve been to the Alps in Europe my advice is you’ll want lower gears, you just might not use them for as long.

Since what goes up must go down so you’ll want brake pads with plenty of wear left. Possibly some spares too. Otherwise there’s not much more to add, the tarmac is generally supreme quality. If you opt for the forest rindo roads then things can vary a lot.

Lights For Your Bike

Bike gear for Japan? Well it’s the law to have a front light and at least a reflector on the back. A light on the back can make sense too. Having a front light can be a good idea even if you ride in the day. There can be long tunnels and sometimes in the countryside they are unlit and you have to experience a dark tunnel for the first time to realise just how dark it is. Plus I’ve been caught out, you think you’ll arrive by sunset only to show up late. This applies double when you’re on roads you don’t know, right?

Finding Spares

In the home of Shimano you’ll find their spares most easily but places do sell SRAM, Campagnolo and the rest. So you can hopefully travel light. If you need spares during a trip, don’t search online for “bicycle store” or “bike shop”. This will suggest places selling shopping bikes, instead look for “sports bike”, or “スポーツバイク” in kana.

Travel tips

  • Ride what you’re used to but if you need bike gear advice for Japan then prepare for the steep climbs
  • Don’t think of your biggest sprocket as your default climbing gear, more of a rescue ratio for tough moments
  • It’s the law to have a front light, and a reflector on the back
  • Cities and large towns have bike shops for spares, Google “sports bike” or “スポーツバイク” not “bike shop”