A Better Rinko Bag!

Rinko'ed bike waiting as I purchase a shinkansen ticket.

In Japan, cyclists need a "rinko bukuro" or rinko bag in order to take their bicycles on trains. The basic idea is to take your wheels off, clip them to your frame, put it in a lightweight nylon bag, and attach a shoulder strap. This way you won't get grease or other grime on other passengers, the train, or yourself, as you carry the bike. It works for all but the most crowded rush hour trains, especially if you choose a car at either end of the train. It works on the shinkansen, where you stow your bike behind the last row of seats in a car (or, in a pinch, in the area between cars). Now the shinkansen has reservations for seats that have extra space behind them at the rear of some cars for "extra large luggage", but in most cases, even on the shinkansen, you can still just take a bike in rinko with you, no extra reservations, no extra fees. Rinko bags generally roll up into a stuff sack that fits in a bottle cage, so you can ride with your bag on your bike. 

Although some old school types like a rinko-specific bike with fenders that split in two, etc., and you can study a 30 minute youtube video by the "rinko master" who will show you the right way to do every step of securing your bike in a rinko bag for maximum safety, stability, etc. ... most regular cyclists favor a minimalist approach.  But I want to just clip my wheels to my frame, pull up the bag, attach the shoulder strap, and run for the train. I can be careful not to bash my exposed rear derailleur, and nothing else is particularly vulnerable.  Some people opt for rinko designs that even leave the rear wheel attached. These result in very bulky packages, in my view, especially if you ride a large frame as I do, so I avoid these. I trade some grease and grime from taking the rear wheel off and on, in exchange for more easily stowing my bike on the train without bothering other passengers or getting requests/lectures from the train staff.  

Ostrich is the leading Japanese rinko bag maker. I have used their bags for many years. Giant, Tioga, and others make the "leave the rear wheel on" type. But for all of these, there is a dilemma for a long distance cyclist.

I would like to have a rinko bag with me in case I need it mid-ride. If I DNF and need to take the train home, wouldn't it be nice to have the rinko bag with me? But I need my bottle cages for hydration, and I don't want to carry a rinko filling up significant space and adding weight to a rear or front bag. Once, I tried the SR600 Nihon Alps and was blocked at Gero by a massive rain storm that washed out roads (okay, I was ready to abandon anyway). I ended up riding to Nagoya, buying a rinko bag that was too small to really fit my bike, and going home with a protruding bike. I had left my rinko hidden near Kobuchizawa to pick up at the end of the ride ... oh well. 

Now ... a solution!  One of the Japanese randonneurs who did Cascade 1400 last year (and goes by PEKO-chan) is selling a better rinko bag. It is much lighter weight ... but still very strong ... material.  An "extra large" size is available. Instead of needing to carry in a bottle cage, it easily slips into a rear jersey pocket. And it feels feather light. At 3000-3500 yen, these rinko bags cost far less than the "leading" brand.  All in all, a better product.  

They are available for sale direct on PEKO-chan's website, here.  But don't expect her to be accepting orders during Golden Week. Rumor has it she will be off on a long ride.

Left - my Ostrich rinko bag, right - my "otesei" rinko bag

With this product there is no excuse not to carry a rinko bag on a long ride ... or even on a shorter one if I think I might want/need to hop a train home.

I used 2 of PEKO-chan's bags for my 160cm long (plus protrusions) recumbent frame