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I ordered a bike last weekend and it was delivered this morning!!! I’ve been planning on getting a bike in Japan for some time now as I haven’t had my own set of wheels (2 or 4) for a long time. I ordered a cheap model off the internet for ¥12,400 (£60 / €75 / $120) inclusive of delivery.

It’s a Raychell MFWS-206R-08, 20″ folding bike with full suspension (the cheap stuff). It looks like it’s made of solid steel but it only weighs about 14kg. Actually, I thought it’d come in pieces but it came mostly intact. The only real thing I had to do was adjust the front brakes because they weren’t very good. It came with a rear reflector and a bell as I think that’s required by law. The mud guards make it look pretty cool and I bought a set of lights too for night riding.

The 6 speed cassette on the rear should help me out on windy days or on gentle gradients.

I did consider getting a full size, 26″ MTB. However, it seems more appropriate to try something different (small) in Japan. The added novelty/convenience that it folds should allow me to take it on trains and back home. The middle bit folds after releasing the lock and the handle bars and saddle can be removed easily:

Now, if only it would stop raining outside so I can take it out for a spin!