Sunday May 27, 2012

JAPAN NEWS AND DISCUSSION

Pedal power

New Products Aug. 24, 2010 - 04:16AM JST ( 7 )

Colombia Sportswear Japan, in collaboration with Austrian design firm Knog, has released a pair of specialized bike-riding shoes. The shoes, which have an LED light installed in the heel, retail for 15,000 yen.

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7 Comments

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alladinAug. 24, 2010 - 10:36AM JST

That is some expensive shoes just for a light being installed in it. I would never buy a shoes like that. First of all, the design of the shoe is just awful and the color is just terrible.
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rizaricAug. 24, 2010 - 02:00PM JST

Your comments crack me up every time alladin...
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NuckinFutzAug. 24, 2010 - 02:45PM JST

As a cyclist I have to say the idea of a shoe with a light in the rear is unique. For riding at night the more I do to increase my profile to drivers the safer I am. Now on a point of style I have to say these are the UGLIEST shoes I've ever seen! There is nothing wrong with yellow but they look more like they belong on a golf course than a bike!
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DuraAceAug. 24, 2010 - 08:01PM JST

"Specialized bike-riding shoes" eh?

Don't look like any shoes I have ever ridden.

You can get a pair of Mavic Avenir's for about 17,000yen in Japan, and a hell of a lot cheaper online.

Reflective 3M tap is just a good on the heel of riding shoes (which is why most high end shoes have exactly that built in.

These yellow monsters look like everything a riding shoe should NOT be

-Heavy -Wide heel -Clumpy sole -No doubt without a carbon sole -No doubt no facility to install SPD cleats (or similar).
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CarcharodonAug. 25, 2010 - 12:56AM JST

sometimes when I ride at night on dodgy roads, I get two flashing diode bike lights (100 yen shop items) the ones with belt clips. Hook the belt clip piece over the heels of my shoes and ride. Extremely effective - much more than those hideous Colombia shoes above and more effective than a stationary diode on your bike seat, though I have one of those those too...and one on the back of my helmet. There can be know excuse by any motorist that they didnt see me from behind! Riding a bike (epecially beyond mama chari level) in Japan is like playing Russian roulette, more lights = more chambers in the roulette barrel.
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DuraAceAug. 25, 2010 - 08:59AM JST

Carcharodon; I would disagree; when you get into high-end road bike territory you will have a lot less problems on the roads in Japan, as you graduate from trundling along in the gutter on the side of the road, to a fully-fledged road user.

Admittedly, you do get the occasional idiot (mainly lower class people) who see you in the middle of the lane and do that pathetic Japanese scowling face thing they all do, but on the whole, you command a lot more respect when you are flying at 40kmph+ in the middle of the lane, keeping up with the flow of traffic.

I agree on the lights thing though; the more the better.