Bravo, gentlemen! What a great adventure. The two of you seem to have some great cycling kit, too. IIRC, "ordinary" is the proper name for a penny-farthing bicycle in the UK also. I wonder what they're like to peddle up hill?! Japan has lots of hills although I guess it mostly pancake flat along the coast?
I haven't ridden a bicycle since I was a child. Cyclists get a raw deal these days. Most of the roads are too busy for cyclists to use without putting themselves and other road users at serious risk of death/injury. Unfortunately in Japan, it seems that cyclists choose to transfer this risk from themselves to pedestrians and their pets by riding on the sidewalk (where there is one). In every other country I've lived in, cycling on the sidewalk is illegal, as it should be. It is just common sense that wheels ("light vehicles") and legs should not share the same thoroughfare.
According to "The Yomiuri Shimbun" (Sept. 27, 2023): "The percentage of bicycle accidents among all traffic accidents continues to increase annually, and last year reached 23%. Accidents involving collisions between cyclists and pedestrians on sidewalks and elsewhere have been particularly conspicuous. The number of cases in which pavement walkers have suffered serious injuries, or, in some cases, death, has recently exceeded 300 a year." Bicycles on sidewalks have collided with me twice.
More needs to be done to provide dedicated thoroughfares for cyclists where they can ride without causing inconvenience and danger to themselves and others. If Japan can build thousands of kilometers of dedicated tracks for the shinkansen, it can do the same for bicycles.
Good Luck, Team Dharma. (I love the name of your project as it has several meanings in Hinduism but the meaning I like is - "laws of nature and destiny".)
Keep exploring, for every step forward leads to a world of wonder and possibility.
Adventure awaits, and you guys are its fearless pioneer!
Muthu -- Good to hear from you! I hope that you and your family are well. Thanks for your positive feedback and the detailed explanation about the meaning of the word Dharma. To the Japanese of 150 years ago, the primary connotation was associated with a wheel--hence "daruma jitensha" in Japanese, which meant "high-wheeler" or "penny farthing" but directly translated meant "wheel bicycle."
Mark and Eric are ambassadors of good will, generating much excitement and admiration of Japanese people as Mark and Eric greet them along the route. Reliving history is bringing it alive to the many people cheering them on along the way. How wonderful!
Thanks for your positive feedback. We're now more than halfway finished with the planned journey, but we still have a long way to go. Today Osaka; tomorrow Nara and Maybe Kyoto.
Bravo, gentlemen! What a great adventure. The two of you seem to have some great cycling kit, too. IIRC, "ordinary" is the proper name for a penny-farthing bicycle in the UK also. I wonder what they're like to peddle up hill?! Japan has lots of hills although I guess it mostly pancake flat along the coast?
I haven't ridden a bicycle since I was a child. Cyclists get a raw deal these days. Most of the roads are too busy for cyclists to use without putting themselves and other road users at serious risk of death/injury. Unfortunately in Japan, it seems that cyclists choose to transfer this risk from themselves to pedestrians and their pets by riding on the sidewalk (where there is one). In every other country I've lived in, cycling on the sidewalk is illegal, as it should be. It is just common sense that wheels ("light vehicles") and legs should not share the same thoroughfare.
According to "The Yomiuri Shimbun" (Sept. 27, 2023): "The percentage of bicycle accidents among all traffic accidents continues to increase annually, and last year reached 23%. Accidents involving collisions between cyclists and pedestrians on sidewalks and elsewhere have been particularly conspicuous. The number of cases in which pavement walkers have suffered serious injuries, or, in some cases, death, has recently exceeded 300 a year." Bicycles on sidewalks have collided with me twice.
More needs to be done to provide dedicated thoroughfares for cyclists where they can ride without causing inconvenience and danger to themselves and others. If Japan can build thousands of kilometers of dedicated tracks for the shinkansen, it can do the same for bicycles.
Thanks for your feedback. We are all in favor of more dedicated bicycle lanes and wider shoulders.
Mark, best of luck. This is simply fantastic. I wish you all the best. Thank you for sharing your experiences with all of us. So great.
Chad -- Thanks for your positive feedback. We still have a long way to go, but we're making steady progress. Hope that you are well!
Good Luck, Team Dharma. (I love the name of your project as it has several meanings in Hinduism but the meaning I like is - "laws of nature and destiny".)
Keep exploring, for every step forward leads to a world of wonder and possibility.
Adventure awaits, and you guys are its fearless pioneer!
Muthu -- Good to hear from you! I hope that you and your family are well. Thanks for your positive feedback and the detailed explanation about the meaning of the word Dharma. To the Japanese of 150 years ago, the primary connotation was associated with a wheel--hence "daruma jitensha" in Japanese, which meant "high-wheeler" or "penny farthing" but directly translated meant "wheel bicycle."
Mark and Eric are ambassadors of good will, generating much excitement and admiration of Japanese people as Mark and Eric greet them along the route. Reliving history is bringing it alive to the many people cheering them on along the way. How wonderful!
Pam Baran
Thanks for your positive feedback. We're now more than halfway finished with the planned journey, but we still have a long way to go. Today Osaka; tomorrow Nara and Maybe Kyoto.