Bike Shops Tour in Osaka
Doing window shopping is one of my favourite activities when having overseas visits. In my latest Osaka / Biwako tour in end August, I had included optional visit to the following bike shops in my plan.
- Silbest Cycle near Nishi-Umeda Station
- Uemura Cycle Parts near Higashi-Umeda Station, and
- Sports Cycle Shop Beckon near Honmachi Station
Right before the day I returned to Hong Kong, I have spared some time to visit these shops.
Silbest Cycle
I had been to Silbest early last year where I had my first look of the just released top of the line Pinarello F10.
At ¥1,180,000 (approx. USD 10,600) with the latest Shimano DURA-ACE R9100 groupset and Fulcrum Racing Quattro, it was the star of the store at that time.
The store was not very large but had a lot of cycling clothing and accessories on display.
When I arrived at Nishi-Umeda somewhere near Breeze Breeze (a shopping mall) in the late afternoon, it turned out that the Silbest store was gone and the entire Sankei Building where the store was previous located are under renovation. 😱
Uemura Cycle Parts
Quickly I went to Uemura Cycle Parts. I have been to the shop a number of times and it is still the best shop for discount shopping.
Uemura was first known to me when I was having my family tour in Fukuoka few years ago. Their collection was so impressive that one can’t miss a visit to their shops.
Stores of the Uemura Cycle Parts are very large and fully packed with cycling items. From MTB to Road Bikes, framesets to fully assembled bikes, components, accessories to personal cycling clothing. I just wondered if it’s got every cycling items that a cyclist can think of.
Road Bikes:
On the upper left is the Colnago C59 Ottana. Released in 2012 with only 80 available worldwide. A limited edition now selling for ¥1,530,000 (approx. USD 13,800).
Fixies:
Younger generation of Japan love riding Fixies. With various customisable items like handlebar, seat, wheel and tires, cyclist bags, each rider can mix-and-match their bike to reflect their own personality. It is kind of lifestyle instead of a means of sport/commuting.
Foldables:
Helmets:
Something to remind you before entering the store:
- Prepare yourself with sufficient shopping time – You can’t be rushed and it usually took me over one hour before coming out.
- Have sufficient cash in your pocket – I had been to the stores a number of times and never can I leave with nothing in my hands. Furthermore, as told by the staff, they don’t accept credit card on discounted items.
- Stay calm and don’t be an impulse buyer – There are quite a lot of items with discount down to 40%. Think and only buy what you actually need.
Despite I have told you to be careful, see what I actually got after leaving the store.
Sports Cycle Shop Beckon
First opened in 2013, Sports Cycle Shop Beckon is mainly focused on road bikes and cross bikes available from major Japanese and international brands. With its 5000 Sq ft store, there are over 150 fully assembled bikes and full range of accessories on display.
Unfortunately, I had spent too much shopping time in Uemura Cycle Parts. By the time I left, it was already dinner time and my family was waiting for me at the hotel. Giving that Beckon was quite far away from Uemura, I had to give up the visit as I would be leaving the day after.
Hopefully, I can have the visit when I am in Osaka in the near future.
My Little Observation
From my past experience with these bike shops, there are some noticeable difference from those in Hong Kong or Taiwan.
- Shops are large and fully stocked with various bikes, components, accessories and clothing.
- Most of the items sold are more expensive when comparing to Hong Kong or Taiwan.
- High-end bikes and components (eg. Shimano Dura-Ace or Ultegra groupsets) are not very common for display or order.
- Discounted pricing is comparable to those available in online cycling stores like Wiggles or ChainReactionCycles but you have the chance to actually touch the product. This is good for items like helmets, cycling shoes, sunglasses, etc.
I personally like to dig for off-season discounted items and interesting accessories available in these discounted shops.
On the other hands, there are also high-end bike shops like Silbest in Namba and Rapha Cycling Club Osaka where you can find quality products at premium prices.
Other Useful Information
Later that night, I found out that the Silbest Cycle store was moved to Herbis Plaza Osaka, right behind the previous store. I was misled by the obsolete information shown in Google Map. The red place marker (シルベストサイクル梅田店) should be removed.
You can refer to the following link for the shops:
Rather interesting how folding bikes are displayed.
I think this is quite a space efficient way of display and somehow demonstrates the merit of folding bikes. 👍
We were in Kyoto for several days. I was quite disappointed by lousy choices for bike rental.
Oops, where did you rent your bikes? I have not rent any bikes in Kyoto before.
In 2018 I had rented three bikes from Biwaichi Rental Cycle @the Maibara Station for my family ride along Lake Biwa. That was a wonderful experience and all the bikes (Ridley, Corratec & Gios) were just like new.
We didn’t rent any. We just decided to walk alot and make use of hotel bus from main station.