Expecting a New Member of the Club! A French bike for a French rider.

Jerome and I rode on Saturday, despite sub-freezing early morning temperatures.

We headed up the Tamagawa until I got a flat tire just a few kms beyond Komae. My rear tire was pretty much completely worn out in one area--I could see through it when I held it up to the light. I must have skidded and shredded the already very well-worn tire (skidding inevitable once in awhile when braking with carbon clinchers).

Fire department members approach their vehicles.
Ready to enforce the massive "no barbeque", "no fireworks" and "no fun permitted" signs on the bridge support.

So we decided to stop by Y's Road in Fuchu for me to replace the tire. Y's happened to be holdin (through January 21) an annual inventory clearance sale (2017 and earlier bikes all 40-70% off).  Great prices, especially for Japan.

Jerome has been looking for a new Look bike to replace his 2010 Look 550 w/ Shimano 105 components.  Y's Fuchu had only one Look road bike in stock and it was too small ... but their inventory list showed many Look frames and bikes on sale at the Y's shop in Shiki, Saitama. Why not a non-Look frame? I guess if you have to ask, you are not French.

So we rode 25 kms or a bit more over to Shiki -- and checked out the Look inventory. Jerome found a beautiful Look 765 frame at a very reasonable price. It will be built up with Ultegra 6800. He'll use his existing front wheel (w dynamo hub).

We parted ways as he headed home, and I went to the nearby Arakawa and downstream to Akabane. Nice to ride a wide open, deserted path with a totally different feeling than the Tamagawa. Living further east these days, I suspect this will not be my last trip up or down the Arakawa.