Just picked up bike last week and i gotta tell you, I am loving getting around Tokyo by bike : ) For one, Tokyo isn't really that big (which you don't realize if travel by train all the time) so everywhere is within striking distance. But the biggest plus by far is I can ride it to work which means NO MORNING PACKED TRAINS! woo-hoo! Sweaty-bodied salarymen pressed against you in sardines-packed rush-hour trains are a probably my (and most people, it seems) least favorite thing about summer in Tokyo. Anyway I digress...
I didn't get a mama-chari, but a regular mountain bike and it folds in half for easy storage. Its not a high end one, but seems fun to ride and not bad for what i paid for it. Pretty much EVERYONE has a bike here and since bikes ride on the sidewalk with pedestrians (bad for them) instead of the street, its less dangerous and easy to get around. I think its the best mode of transportation in this city : )
