The Countdown

With less than a week to go until I arrive in Tokyo I have gotten pretty much everything under control and in order. After the 24 hour scare relating to how i would get the bike there a solution that is reasonable has been found.

Initially the airline told me $390 for one way to bring my bike in the bike travel case. This wasn't going to happen, I didn't have that kind of money to afford that, let alone get it back home for the same amount...almost as much as the plane ticket it's self. In the interim I contacted the guys at Eighthinch.com to see if I could utilize their kick ass shipping rate through whatever company they ship globally with. They said sure and estimated it would be about $200, which is double my original estimation for the surcharge to bring the bike on the plane. So I figured this was the best option, but I didn't stop there. I looked into what it would cost to be SS Couplers installed on the bike. After getting an email back from the president of Waterford Precision Cycles (and Schwinn heir) I was directed to Bilenky Cycle Works, whom was previosuly featured in Cog Magazine's last issue. I checked out the price rate for the retrofit job and found that this would run me over $400. Plus, I really didn't have the time to have this done anyways as his shop is located on the east coast.

So, I stuck with the shipping option as my only solution. As I waited for replies from Eighthinch.com i pondered another idea and began measuring what my luggage would be like if I took the wheels, threw them in my wheel bag and then boxed up the rest of the bike after mostly disassembling it. I knew the box everything else would be in would be bigger than the allowed luggage dimensions, but not by much which might elicit only a smaller surcharge. I was also concerned about the time the bike would be in transit if i shipped it and needed to wait for a response from my friend in Japan about him receiving it. Plus with shipping it, I wasn't sure how I was going to get it home. I had decided i would have to leave it with my friend and work with him after that fact to get it back to me.

The next day, full of anxiety and uncertainty, I talked with my friend who needed to find out what his options were for receiving the bike, but he was certain he could get it back home for me for relatively cheap through the military. While I waited for response from him I called Eighthinch.com and talked with them. I had done some transit estimations with both UPS and FedEx and both of them could deliver the bike by the 18th is I mailed it the 14th...cool. But if the bike got mailed the 15th it wouldn't arrive until the 24th...not cool. This had me worried, especially on top of Noah at Eighthinch.com talking about how customs might screw up the delivery date. Also, to guarantee they could get it there in time I would need to drive it to Appleton myself, which meant taking off of work. I decided to call the airline again and see if I could get a better rate.

This time I explained the situation and went over all the details of the case with the rep. This is how it was explained to me; the estimated weight of the case is over the 50lbs luggage limit, but under the 75lbs excess weight limit. To get in that 25lbs bracket there is a $25 upcharge. Then, since the dimensions are larger then the 62" allotted there would be a $130 upcharge for that. So I was actually looking at $180 only to bring the bike with one way. This still left me with how to get it back home, but that portion wasn't as important. I talked to the rep about the price I was quoted the day before and he said the only way he can see how that price would come about would be from previous rep thinking this was an additional piece of luggage beyond the 2 free pieces allotted. I asked him some more questions and was satisfied with his answers and changed my course again. Now the bike was going with me on the plane for $20 cheaper then the estimated shipping cost. While it is still more money than I initially planned on spending for the surcharge, it was still doable.

In other news TKBMA (the group putting together the race) have been busy this week getting everything wrapped up. The posted pictures of the order forms and some info packets...http://cmwctokyo.blogspot.com/

Soon...

Wrench in the Plans

After doing the responsible thing and trying to make sure everything was set I called Japan Airlines to double check on the extra charge i will face for the bike case. Based upon the information on their website i was under the impression that it would be an additional $50.00 charge to bring the bike in it's travel case with. After working through the dimension and estimated weight with the rep for the airlines she came back and gave me a total of $390.00 each way. This is putting a large snag in the plans as I don't exactly have this kind of cash to put towards getting it there, let alone bringing it back.

So, with a week to go, I am stuck with this problem, but have already been sending out SOS signals to try and alleviate this situation. At the writing of this post answers are still pending, but I have even gone so far as to shoot Waterford Cycles an email querying how much and how fast they could fit the frame with S&S couplers which would allow me to fold the bike up and put in a standard suitcase.

At the moment I am faced with two options; somehow get the bike there cheaper or cancel the trip.

If I cancel the trip I would have to find out from JAL if I can even get a partial reimbursement on the cost of the ticket. The hostel is easy, I would just be out the small percentage I already paid to reserve my bed and they have open cancellation up to 24 before check in. I would disassemble the bike and send it back to the guys at Eighth Inch.com, as I wouldn't be able to promote the brand in Tokyo if I wasn't even going. If I can't get the bike there it is pointless of me to go and not race.

So I am at a crossroads at a late point in the game. If anyone has any ideas let me know, I'm open to pretty much anything at this point.

Two Week Deadline

With the 2009 CMWC's fast approaching TKBMA, the Tokyo Bike Messenger Association put together an informative video...fun to watch especially for the detailed instructions in how to properly use a traditional Japanese floor toilet.

CMWC TOKYO 2009 PROMO II: TKBMA Gives Some Advice from Eli Tokyo Jitensha-Jin on Vimeo.

Buy my bike!!!

Ok, well not really. But Eighthinch.com now has available through their online store complete scrambler builds. You can almost buy build my bike, with the exception of the white saddle and the red chainring, which is a Sugino Messenger ring, thanks a lot guys for that one!! You can check out the page here.

Also, I posted the bike on Velospace as well and got a few hits already on it, which is pretty cool. The first post on it though questioned why I went with the heavier 42mm deep dish rims when I won't really get any aero advantage until I hit 25mph, which is very true. I went with them for a few reasons; they are nice wheels, they look sharp and will definitly get attention. I'm not concerned with my aero abilities and I have been finding once I get up to speed its incredibly easy to maintain that speed. So from now until I leave the biggest thing i will be training on aside from my endurance is my standing starts. I need to kick this bike into gear on the drop of a hat and that is where the weight, especially with the wheels are playing a role. It's all about building up more leg strength. I'm not worried about it either since I have plenty of time. 8-)

If you want to check out the listing on Velospace click here. You can also link to my other bikes I have listed as well.

The Culmination of the Trip

With a little over two weeks to go before I head to Tokyo things are coming to a head. I figured it would be good to put out a sort of last call for those who would still like to donate towards the cost of the trip I am asking for those to come in, in the next week or so. I greatly appreciate everyone support, it means a lot and the support I have gotten has been awesome. This would not be happening if it weren’t for everyone, so thank you again. If you would like to donate through PayPal you can via my account sbilek@journalsentinel.com. Otherwise contact me at the same email address about donating physically.

The new bike finally came!!!

Last Thursday I put together the bike I was given by Eighthinch.com to race on and help promote the brand. (See photos below) It looks sharp but I need to get used to it, but that’s why I have it now instead of in two weeks. This thing is definitely going to do what they want it to do…be noticed and have people asking about it. Already it has gotten quite a bit of attention around town. I have also been strapping it to my car while running errands too; just to help a little bit more. I don’t always have to be on the bike to promote the bike; all I need is for it to be with me, which meant I went grocery shopping twice over the weekend with the bike on the car. Anyways, I’m incredibly grateful for the guys at Eighthinch.com for the bike.

Friday night was also night 1 of 2 for the Bicycle Film Festival, which has never come to Milwaukee before. The guys at Cog and the people at the Bike Federation helped to make it happen and they put on a good show. Pete from Cog was nice and comped me a ticket to the show Friday night in lieu of canceling his alley cat at the beginning of August. I rode the Eighth Inch down to the show of course and took in some interesting bike related films. After the showing there was supposed to be a race from the cinema to the after party, the race didn’t manifest, instead we did a huge group ride to the bar.

The after party was held at Stonefly Brewery in Riverwest where they had Goldsprints set up. I was pretty happy about this since it gave me the opportunity to try them out before doing them in Tokyo…and I’m glad I did. I went head to head with Captain Jake of Milwaukee Bike Polo and got beat. I didn’t feel to bad about it because he pulled the best time at that point of doing the distance (I never found out the distance) in under 21 seconds. I clocked in at mid 24 seconds but might have gotten a little better time if I would have kept the rear wheel from skipping on the roller. I was cranking so hard and didn’t have enough weight on the saddle that the tire wasn’t fully contacting the roller, thus not registering an accurate speed in the beginning. I might have been able to pull off a 23 second time otherwise. Also, halfway through I had been sweating so much I had to pull my glasses of and clench them in my hand while I cranked. So…for Tokyo I now know; take the glasses off and keep as much weight on the saddle as possible all while spinning my legs as fast as I can and go until they tell me to stop. It was fun. Pete from Cog ended up winning in the end, which is awesome because he was probably the oldest one there doing it.

Last week the TKBMA, the organization that put together the CMWC’s in Tokyo, released a detailed map of the race route, found here. Today they also posted the rules for the race, here. Now it is time to study the map and study the rules and try and figure out mentally how best to do this. I still don’t have all the pieces of the race puzzle, but those I will find out at the start of the race, which is part of what this is all about. This race isn’t going to be primarily about speed, all about efficiency. I can’t wait.

Click on the pictures for a larger view.

One Month to Go!!!

With exactly 1 month until I land in Narita airport outside of Tokyo everything is falling into place. The good people at Eighth Inch are putting my bike together as we speak so I should have that by sometime next week, I'm expecting. Can't wait to see it and I have been getting used to the handlebars that will come with it.

In another great turn of events the sales rep we deal with at the shop from Chrome (the company who made my bag) donated one of their Hip Pouches to me as well to take with to Tokyo. So thanks to Steven at the shop and the Chrome rep for the help!

I also took 3rd place in the 4th annual Shaggy 815 alley cat this past weekend and due to the coolness of Eric from Cog he traded me his winnings for mine as mine where a pair of swank Chrome Knickers that I would never be able to wear since they were mediums for his prize which was a Dank Bags hairnet 'helmet'. Now, much like the classic leather hair net helmets, this one doesn't actually save my brain from any form of trauma. What it does provide is a very portable 'helmet' that meets the helmet requirements for CMWC and NACCC. So instead of trying to figure out how the hell I am going to fit my Bern helmet into my messenger bag along with some of my clothes I now have a helmet that actually won't save my life but will let me race! I'll have to post a picture sometime for the helmet, because Dank Bags doesn't have a website.

Eric told me that people would be all over me about the helmet, wanting to find out who made it. He said everyone was mobbing him over his 'helmet' at the NACCC's (North American Cycle Courier Championship) earlier this month in Boston.

So, with everything almost in place I am just waiting out the time before I leave to face the world. I want to thank everyone for their support, financially, logistically and personally. It is awesome that so many people have rallied behind me on this event and I don't plan on disappointing. The next target on the list is at the end of the month. On August 28th and 29th at the Times Cinema in Washington Heights will be the Milwaukee installment of the Bicycle Film Festival. After the Friday night showing there will be a race from the theater to Stoenfly Brewery in Riverwest where the after party will take place. There will be Goldsprints at the party, which I'm incredibly excited about and am very happy to be able to test the competition out in a home crowd before I do it in Tokyo. So, I encourage everyone to come out to eh film fest and hand out at Stonefly afterward for good drinks (and if the grill is open awesome burgers).

Timetable for the CMWCs and the BFF

Time has been crazy lately with life and in getting prepared for Tokyo. The fine people at 8^th Inch should be sending me the new bike by the end of the month. They asked when I needed it by and I told them I would like to do at least the September First Friday race as a field test. I have been riding on the exact handlebars that will come with the new bike and am adapting nicely to them…they are quite a bit different then the drops I was riding for the past year.

The TKMBA (Tokyo Bike Messenger Association) has updated the website for the event and listed the rough timeline for everything…in Japanese. Luckily I can wing it with the Japanese and get some idea of what is going on. Registration is between Noon and 9pm starting the 21^st at a place located in Shibuya Tokyo called B1. It looks like they will have registration open for the first 3 days. On the 20^th at a bar called Club Asia, which is also in Shibuya, they will host their welcoming party where they will be doing Goldsprint competitions. I’m pretty excited about that since it’s something I have wanted to try for a while know and thankfully will be getting my first taste of it at the end of this month in town (more on that in a bit).

It doesn’t seem like much is going on the 21^st, but that will probably change. The 22^nd is the start of the race, with test runs and the qualifying rounds happening between 11am and 5pm. They will also be doing the backward circle competition at this time. After these events it looks like they will be doing some group photos, followed by people competing in best backward circles.

The 23^rd is the final day of the main competition, starting off with the final rounds of the main race and the skid and sprint portions. Later in the night will be the award ceremony then the party…which apparently goes until the 29:00 hour!! Not only will I be biking on the opposite site of the road but I will also be experiencing times I have never experienced before.

While I have not written about my First Friday races for a while, and probably will continue on that path, this months race is of note. Friday, August 7^th, saw cool and rainy weather. I rolled to the bar earlier than usual because I was working late and opted not to go home first. I sat and drank and chatted with O’Gallagher, which was fun. He questioned whether he was going to race if it was raining and I wasn’t so sure myself. Eventually a few more people showed up, waiting for the race to start. Every August now Pete from Cog has put the race on, dubbed the Aqualeader Race, after his old messenger call sign. Eric from Cog showed up to tell everyone that Pete had called off the race and everyone who showed up would get a free ticket to the up coming Bicycle Film Festival. I also found out that there was going to be a race on the 15^th, the 4^th annual 8-15 race by Shaggy, who is an ex-messenger and messenger bag manufacturer. I was unaware of his race last year but after hearing about the one from two years ago I had wanted to do his race…so here’s my chance for some insanity.

In addition to that, after writing Pete and email about the ticket, he told me that there would be a sprint race from the theater the fest is being held at (which is in my neighborhood) to a bar in Riverwest for an after party and Goldsprint competitions (thus my chance to test the system out with people I knew. The Bicycle Film Festival is taking place August 28^th and 29^th at the Times Cinema, so go check it out and maybe stop by the Stonefly Brewery for some after party activity, Goldsprint mayhem and one of the best burgers I have ever had on the 28^th.