B Family Travels: Check Out Who's On That Hog

I'm sure most of you have heard by now, but I bought a hog. Well, it's really just a bicycle - a Yamaha PAS Kiss Mini motor assisted bicycle to be exact. No big deal.

When we came to Tokyo on our house hunting trip, Stephanie told me the first thing I should do is get a bike with two child seats. The thought of riding a bike with one, let alone two kids attached sounded terrifying. I started noticing mothers all over town doing it though (in stilettos, many with a baby strapped in the front pack), so I figured there must be something to it. We quickly realized that the bicycles all had motors to assist with pedaling - without that it would be nearly impossible to ride around hilly Tokyo with all that extra weight.

It took me a few weeks of pushing my Phil and Ted's double stroller loaded up with nearly 60 pounds of little girl to start to more seriously consider getting one of these terrifying bikes. The hills, heat and humidity are no joke here and I started to dread having to go on outings with my massive stroller/tank.

I asked around a little bit and posted a question on the Tokyo Mothers Group Facebook page about where to check out bikes and was directed to a bike shop called Motovelo that lets you test drive the bikes before buying. Joe dropped Annie and I off one Saturday afternoon and we took 3 different bikes for a spin. The first bike I tried had a standard sized frame and wheels and one seat mounted on the back of the bike. I immediately didn't like the feel of this, but it's hard to say whether it was due to the higher mounted seat or the fact that I can't remember the last time I rode a bike that wasn't stationary. I then tried a bike with a smaller frame and smaller wheels which meant the child seat over the back wheel was much lower to the ground. Not only was it way easier to load Annie into this one, it felt much more comfortable and safe to me. I tried a third bike, similar to the second, this time with Annie riding in the front child seat. This was the part that I feared the most - haivng the weight of a kid sitting between the handlbars HAD to affect the steering, right? Surprisingly, it was fine! The bike was specially designed to hold either a child seat or large basket in the front between the handlebars and I barely even noticed she was in there. In short, small wheel radius + small, heavy frame = lower center of gravity, therefore less fear of ever tipping.

Long story short, I asked the sales person a LOT of questions about all of the different models trying to figure out what would be the safest and most reliable choice for us. I talked to Joe about it that night, then went back a few nights later and made the big purchase. It was somewhat difficult as the sales person helping me didn't speak the best English, and I of course speak NO Japanese. Kind of scary to think I was spending such a big chunk of money on something I basically knew nothing about. But, when in Rome! The Yamaha that I picked came with a battery that lasts up to 37 km before needing recharging, as well as the front child seat that converts into a large basket when not in use. I had to purchase the back seat separately for about 15,000 yen ($150), and since they didn't have that in stock I had to come back a few days later to get it installed for 2,000 yen ($20). I also had to pay about 4,000 yen ($40 US) for a pre-ride inspection where they did things like attach the pedals (important to have those!), fill up the tires and make sure everything was in working order. There was a significant amount of paperwork to go through and after another 1,000 yen ($10 US) for registration I was finally all set. I decided to just ride the bike home that night rather than wait for the 2nd child seat to come in because I wanted to get some practice riding it on my own before I put the girls on.

It definitely felt a bit like an impulse buy but I was worried that if I didn't just bite the bullet I would indecisively mull it over for weeks. In hindsight, I'm really happy with my decision! It only took a few rides to feel comfortable on the bike and it really has made my life here in Tokyo significantly easier. I can zip around town with the girls and now look forward to our daily rides. I really was feeling pretty confined to a small radius around our apartment. Despite the public transportation being excellent here, it's still a bit confusing and a somewhat stressful undertaking to try it with 2 kids. Especially by myself, as not all subway stations are stroller friendly.

The Battery. It comes off with a key and I pop it onto a charger that plugs into the wall.

Mounted on left handle bar - number tells you what percentage of battery is remaining. Up and down arrow buttons allow you to select electric assist level: low, medium or high. Another button turns the front headlight on (required by law!)

It really is amazing how much the motor helps in pedaling up inclines. We live at the top of a pretty steep hill and I often see people having to get off their bikes and push them if they don't have a motor.While it still takes some leg power (thank goodness I've been spinning my face off for the past year) I can pedal right up the steepest of hills. The motor also gives you a nice little burst of power when start up again after stopping, eliminating any wobbly factor that usually occurs in that situation.