Punctureless tires and other 'miracles' in Japan's bike town

Don't know how to change a flat tire? No problem. That is, if the so-called miracle bicycle is your method of transportation. The 'miracle' is punctureless tires, a solution to one of cyclists' most irritating pet peeves. It was recently developed in Sakai, the home of Japan's bicycle industry and Shimano, the world's leading maker of bicycle parts.

"The tire is very special. Inside, there is a tube made of solid material - but it's still elastic and made of rubber," says Tadashi Takeda, head of the Sakai Bicycle Assembly and Wholesale Association based in Sakai. Takeda demonstrated how the bike could still be used, even with several pins pushed into the tire's side. He explains that the new tires are made in Japan, and are a little more expensive than normal tires. In bike-friendly Sakai City, it's actually unlikely that punctureless tires would be useful. The streets and roads are clear of litter or anything that might pose a danger to bikers. But in areas affected by the magnitude 9 earthquake in Japan early this year, the miracle bicycles prove to be very useful. While Sakai was not directly hit by the March 11 earthquake - the biggest to hit the country in 140 years - residents still recall their experience during the 1995 Kobe earthquake. "Years ago we experienced a great earthquake here in Sakai. At that time, we had many bicycles but those were normal bicycles. That is why they punctured a lot," says Takeda. This time around, they produced the punctureless tires and sent 400 bikes to hard-hit areas including Sendai and Ishinomaki. "The road is full of debris, pieces of glass and nails. I was told that our punctureless bicycles are very useful there," says Takeda, adding that they will gradually increase production in anticipation of future earthquakes. "Usually you don't find punctureless bicycles, so maybe the government has to prepare these bicycles so they can send these to places where disasters occur," he says. Takeda adds that the miracle bicycle can also be useful in other situations. "If you are a lady trying to get back to your house at midnight, they can't find a bicycle shop so they have to walk the bicycle to the house, so for them it's very convenient," he says. Although the likelihood of getting a flat tire at midnight isn't very high, surely bikers would agree that not having to worry about getting a flat tire is a good thing, either way. From guns to bikes It makes sense that something like the miracle bicycle would be produced in Sakai City, where people of all ages and sizes bike regularly, whether around a park or to get to school or work. Once the biggest firearms-producing town in Japan in the late 16th century, Sakai's bicycle industry began with the gunsmith's skills. When the bicycle was first brought to Japan in around 1870, imported bicycles were rented out by the hour. Bikes became more and more popular, and the need for parts and repairs arose. With their mechanical know-how and experience with metallurgy, the gunsmiths took on the new job. Today, almost half of Japan's bicycles are manufactured in Sakai, which has come to be known as "Bicycle Town." Around 60 percent of all shipments of Japanese-made bicycles and parts come from Sakai. Bikes for rent The number of bikes in the city is greater than its population - around a million bicycles and 840,000 residents. Named a model ecological city in 2009, Sakai's city government actively encourages its people to use bikes with its Community Cycle program. "As one of our initiatives we started this program to rent out bicycles. That is one of the methods to reduce C02. We tried to encourage our citizens to change transport methods from automobile to public transportation, trains and bikes," says Yoshiaki Okamoto of the Sakai Bicycle Promotion Center. Launched in September last year, the Sakai Community Cycle has four bicycle ports where members may rent bicycles. "Sakai citizens can pick up and return at any of the four ports," says Okamoto. Although not many people actually gave up their automobiles, the Sakai Community Cycle currently has 3,390 members, with an average of 180 people using the shared bicycle per day. Free brochures and bike course maps are available, with routes, rules, and suggestions for places to stop by. "We want to focus on the community and ask as many people as possible to use our bicycles," says Okamoto. With its cool weather, clean air, convenient ports, spacious bicycle lanes and an abundance of ramps and parking spaces, it shouldn't be that difficult to attract more bikers in Sakai. - YA, GMA News The Sakai Bicycle Assembly and Wholesale Association is located at Sakai Bicycle Hall. 1-29, Kuken-cho Nishi 1-cho, Sakai-ku, Sakai and may be reached at (072) 232 0089.