You want a bicycle for getting around town.
But buying a new bicycle costs more than 20,000 yen…
For budgetary reasons, you’d prefer to keep it under 10,000 yen.
But buying a bicycle through flea market apps or private sales can be risky, right?
That’s why I recommend recycled bicycles.
I searched for recycled bicycles and was able to purchase a 27-inch city bike for 8,300 yen (including registration fee).
In this article, based on my experience, I’ll explain what recycled bicycles are, how to find them, and how to purchase them.
Choosing Used Bicycles to Save Money
When purchasing a bicycle, you generally have two options: new or used.
A new bicycle will cost around 20,000 yen or more to get on the road.
If you want a bicycle for around town and want to keep it under 10,000 yen,
buying used is likely your best option.
When looking for used bicycles, consider these purchase methods:
- Flea market apps (Mercari, Yahoo Auctions, etc.)
- Jmty, other private sales
These methods can help you find bicycles under 10,000 yen.
However, when purchasing through these methods,
you need to find trustworthy sellers and pay attention to the bicycle’s condition.
Specifically, thorough information gathering is needed to avoid risks such as:
- Unintentionally buying a stolen bicycle
- Immediate breakdowns after purchase
- Poor maintenance
- Problems with after-purchase support
When considering these risks, it can be difficult to commit to buying a used bicycle.
In that case, purchasing a used bicycle from a local bike shop
may be safer and more reassuring.
That’s where recycled bicycles come in.
What Are Recycled Bicycles?
Simply put, they’re bicycles that someone stopped using, which have been serviced and are being resold.
Based on this description alone, they sound identical to used bicycles.
However, recycled bicycles also include "abandoned bicycles" from places like train stations that are recycled and sold according to appropriate regulations.
Typically, "abandoned bicycles" left in no-parking zones around stations are removed and stored for a certain period. Unclaimed bicycles are then disposed of.
However, among these unclaimed bicycles, those that can be reused are transferred by local governments to dealers for recycling.
*Note: Many local governments use the term "recycled bicycles" rather than "used bicycles,"
so I’m intentionally using the term "recycled bicycles" in this article.
Since these are bicycles previously used by someone,
which are ultimately serviced and sold by bicycle shops:
- There’s no risk of getting a stolen bicycle
- There are no issues with bicycle maintenance
- You can expect after-purchase support
These aspects make them very attractive.
Above all, they’re very affordable compared to new bicycles.
While I don’t have specific evidence, recycled bicycle prices seem to be predetermined, and for city bikes, you can generally buy them for under 10,000 yen.
The pricing structure seems to be as follows (as of June 2024):
*Including registration fee
- No gears, manual light: 7,200 yen
- No gears, automatic light: 8,200 yen
- With gears, manual light: 9,200 yen
- With gears, automatic light: 10,200 yen
Of course, since you’re buying from a bicycle shop, they’ll handle the registration process at purchase.
Even though they’re used, there are no concerns about getting on the road.
Above all, utilizing existing items is eco-friendly. Very SDG-friendly.
How to Find Recycled Bicycles
While recycled bicycles sound great in every way,
finding them can be somewhat troublesome.
This is because local governments distribute recycled bicycles to affiliated bicycle shops, so you need to gather information from websites published by each local government.
Example of Adachi Ward
Let’s look at the example of "Adachi Ward."
In Adachi Ward, information about recycled bicycles is available on the following website:
https://www.city.adachi.tokyo.jp/kotsu/kurashi/kankyo/gomi-jitensha.html
A list of "Recycled Bicycle Retailers" is published,
and recycled bicycles are distributed to the bicycle shops listed here.
Example of Kawagoe City
Next is the example of Kawagoe City:
https://www.city.kawagoe.saitama.jp/kurashi/gomi/kankyokanren/kankyoplaza/risaikuru-kagu.html
These are sold first-come, first-served every Friday.
Tips for Finding Recycled Bicycles
In any municipality, there’s no specific information about the types or numbers of bicycles available.
Your options are either to persistently call the shops or visit them in person.
It seems that recycled bicycles aren’t always in stock;
rather, a few come in irregularly and sell out quickly. So calling to inquire is recommended.
I suggest calling and asking: "I’m looking for a used bicycle, do you have any recycled bicycles available…?"
Once you’ve done this and found a recycled bicycle, all that’s left is to purchase it.
Recycled Bicycle Sales Methods in Various Municipalities
We’ve compiled the sales methods for recycled bicycles in various municipalities in the following articles.
Please use them as needed.
Tokyo
https://gonkunblog.com/recycle-bike-info-for-tokyo/2081/
Saitama Prefecture
https://gonkunblog.com/recycle-bike-info-for-saitama/2091/
How to Purchase Recycled Bicycles
Basically, you just visit the bicycle shop directly and make the purchase.
You can be riding your new bicycle in less than 10 minutes.
Note that in some municipalities, recycled bicycles are popular and are distributed through a lottery system.
In such cases, you need to check the monthly lottery schedule and follow the process of application > winning > purchase.
Since recycled bicycle initiatives are undertaken by each municipality,
even if your municipality doesn’t handle recycled bicycles, it’s worth investigating
neighboring municipalities.
Don’t give up, and get yourself a good quality, affordable used bicycle.
Summary
In this article, I introduced recycled bicycles.
They’re recommended for those who want to purchase a bicycle for around town as cheaply as possible while ensuring basic peace of mind.
