Last Race

We just made it to Nara Keirin today to catch the last race on the final day of a three day F2 meeting.

Keep an eye on Red#3...

...And they're off...

...Safety first...

...Ready for the final lap...

...The riders stay tight on the bank...

...And Red#3 takes the race!

Tour de Kumano

The Tour de Kumano starts today in Mie prefecture, depending on where you are in the world you can watch a live feed on the official website each day.

Holy Shit!

Yeah we know it's not from Japan but...well...just....Holy Shit!

Casualties Volume 6

Three more abandoned steeds...

Pringled wheels and rusty chain, Horie, Osaka.

The United Colors now include rust and dust, Nara City, Nara.

Hashimoto will clean up this mess, Nara City, Nara.

Tour Of Japan Final Stage

The Tour Of Japan ended in Tokyo on Sunday, we won't spoil it for you if you don't already know who won what...

Tour Of Japan Photos

As the Tour Of Japan nears it's Tokyo finish, a few more photos taken at last weekend's opening stage in Sakai, Osaka.

Custom BMX

Spotted yesterday locked up outside Shinomiya station in Nara...

With the banana seat and the stickers it could almost be the work of the CPW Crew...

Bike Museum, Sakai, Osaka

During Sunday's first stage of the Tour Of Japan in Sakai, we took the chance to shelter from the rain in the Bicycle Museum Cycle Center, a wonderful museum run by the Shimano Foundation. The first floor of the museum covers all aspects of the history of cycling, from Ordinaries to Wiggo's Shimano equipped TDF bicycle. Sakai is famous for craftsmen who made tools, cutlery and guns and later that developed into the bicycle industry. 

Bicycle presented to the Crown Prince in August 1936

Bicycles presented to the Crown Prince and Princess from the city of Sakai .

The royal seal adorning the head tube.

Wiggo's winning Pinarello with full Shimano.

One of many bicycle posters around the museum.

Speed record breaking bicycle from the 1950's

An original Breezer MTB

One of the nice things about the museum was the bikes on display seem to have a story behind them, they are not all just factory models that have never been ridden, from the Royal household bicycles to one of Lance's early rides. The second floor is devoted to the "evolution of the bicycle" with various kinds of modern bikes on display and a few different models where you can try out different braking and gear systems.

Andrew Hampsten's 1988 Giro winning Huffy.

The basement is given over to education with a cycling library and a breath taking "open storage warehouse", basically a huge room holding 250 of the bicycles in the museum's collection that are not displayed elsewhere.

A 3Rensho track bike on display in the basement warehouse

The Open Storage Warehouse.

Tour Of Japan 2013 Stage One

The first stage of the 2013 Tour Of Japan took place in Sakai, Osaka yesterday. Before the main individual time trial for the tour the venue played host to the Sakai International Criterium races.

 Meanwhile "backstage" the mechanics and riders were getting ready to do their thing...

The legend that is Yoshiaki Nagasawa was on hand to offer advice

 And then, right on cue as the time trial was about to begin, the heavens opened and the real, heavy rain came...

The stage was won by Taiji Nishitani of the Asian Racing Team, by that time we were in the Bicycle Museum drying ourselves out! More on that later. You can see the thrills and spills from the day's racing on the Tour Of Japan's Youtube channel.