Rinko (and other tips on traveling Japan by trains)

[Takashi]

In another thread I was asked about rinko, so I thought I'd start a new thread about it.
Here is a picture of my Homer in rinko state:

(In the plastic bag are brake cables, headset nuts and spacers, and pedals)

And my Hunqapillar (taken several years ago but basically same now) :

I always pack my bike as small as possible when rinko'ing, removing fork and rear wheel from frame, but to be honest, I'm a minority. Most people just remove wheel(s) from frame and that's it.

I'd suggest that you pack your bike as small as possible, especially if you are not familiar with trains in Japan, for several reasons:

(1) Most railway companies do not allow bikes with only one wheel removed. To be accurate, sum of three sides must be smaller than 250cm, and bike with one wheel removed exceeds this size. (Although, in most cases, station/train staffs just let you get on the train)

(2) Trains in Japan is often very crowded, and you might have a hard time getting on, especially when carrying a big baggage.

(3) Even long-distance trains have poor baggage space if any.

(4) Compactly packed baggage is easier to carry than big baggage, if both are of same weight. Big stations such as Shinjuku, Shibuya, or Umeda, are like mazes and are often referred to as "dungeons". You won't want to wander such places with big baggage on your shoulder.

As for bikes and tools...

Brakes : Cantilever, V, or Centerpull. You can pack a bike with sidepull brakes, but there's more hassle.
Headset : Rinko specific headset is ideal I guess, although I've never used one. My bikes have ordinary cartridge-bearing headsets. Cup-and-cone headsets, needless to say, add hassle.
Handlebars : Simple straight bars or not-so-wide drops are easier to pack. Boscos are very difficult to pack.
Pedals : Quick-release pedals, such as MKS's Ezy-Superior pedals, are recommended.

Tools and accesories :
Apart from tools which you regularly carry, you would need 32mm headset wrench(es). I used to carry two, but after I swapped front brake cable hanger to Rene Herse's, I noticed that I need only one. (Rene Herse's hanger fits very tightly, preventing lower nut from rotating)

Frame pads to protect paint (you can use towel or rag instead).

Rear-end protector (pictured in 02 here)
May or may not be necessary depending on your rear derailleur and your rear rack.


There are some more to add, but that's it for now.

Takashi

[Bill Lindsay]

I just invested in two sets of Ezy-Superior pedals, and I'm starting to experiment with them.  

Good write up!

BL in EC

[Tim Wood]

Nice Takashi, your Rinko setup is tidy. 

I just returned from a 2 week bike tour of Japan and I’m in love. Such an amazing place to ride a bike; beautiful scenery, paved roads everywhere, kind people, fair prices, and amazing food. 

We tried to avoid big cities and focused our trip on Kyushu and Shikoku islands, but still did a fair bit of Rinko transits, but on quieter train routes and were able to get away with front wheel off, pedals on and seat lowered. 

Flying in from Canada we had the logistical challenge of having a bag that worked for both plane and train travel. We thought about storing a bike box at narita airport for the duration of the trip but elected to just bag the whole way and it worked out. Here are two photos of the bike packed for train:

(Tubus Tara protected the brakes and acted as a kick stand! It also allowed me to keep my fenders on.  I stored the Rinko in the saddle bag, it was quite bulky but necessary)

I can’t wait to go back. My goal is to return every 2 years until I’ve seen it all. Shikoku was bike touring heaven in my opinion. Wow. 

Tim

[Takashi]

Bill, that's a good investment for sure. 3 of 4 bikes I own have Ezy-Superior pedals.

Tim, it must have been a wonderful tour! I've toured in Shikoku but not Kyushu.

Are you planning to post your tour report somewhere? I'd love to see photos.

Takashi

2025年10月15日水曜日 12:24:35 UTC+9 Tim Wood:

[Takashi]

I forgot to say in my first post that it took me 18 minutes to disassemble and pack my Homer as pictured.

For everyone planning to visit Japan, I suggest you to check Yamato Transport's website.
Carrying a heavy bike AND heavy baggages is a hard work, and some of Yamato's services may be useful.
https://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/ytc/en/send/services/

Scroll down to find various services. I use "Sales Office Pickup Service" often because it's useful when I plan to camp.

Takashi

2025年10月16日木曜日 20:10:41 UTC+9 Takashi:

[Joe Bunik]

Hi Bill, all

I too have praise for the MKS Ezy-Superior pedals. I now have two pairs, plus one additional set of "adaptors only" - I can rotate the desired pair as I choose.

Two hidden benefits of the system:

- For hike-a-bike: detach the pedal and eliminate undesirable ankle/shin interactions. This has been a huge pay off more than once!

- For travel: sans pedals (and, removing front wheel/rotating the fork 90°), the bicycle-unit can be "flat packed" much more easily into the back of station wagon (read: Subaru). Braced/spaced appropriately, I've been easily able to bring along a PAIR of bikes, plus camp gear to remote locations.

It's so EZY,

Joe Bunik

Walnut Creek, CA

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[Jay Lonner]

Thanks for the writeup Takashi. It’s impressive that you can break your Homer down in 18 minutes! It looks like you use downtube shifters, which would certainly simplify things. I like the liberal use of John’s Irish straps, especially to keep the headset bearings in place.

Also, another vote for the Ezy-Superior pedals — my wife and I have them on our Bikes Friday.

Jay Lonner

Bellingham, WA

Sent from my Atari 400

On Oct 16, 2025, at 4:13 AM, Takashi <lachry...@gmail.com> wrote:

I forgot to say in my first post that it took me 18 minutes to disassemble and pack my Homer as pictured.

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[Josh Brown]

Another hidden benefit of the Ezy system is for security purposes. Removing the pedals at a quick stop will prevent the bike from being ridden away on. 

I typically do not bring a lock with me when I'm on brevets, likewise on any ride in Asia. 

If something gets my Spidey senses flaring I'll remove the pedals before I enter the control or convenience store. 

Knock on wood this has worked for me...

Josh NYC 

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Josh

[Bill Lindsay]

Josh

Do you remove BOTH or just one?  Seems like removing just one might still do the job :)

BL in EC

[Josh Brown]

It's true, however as easy as it is I'll occasionally remove both. Visually might just make the situation look even less hopeful for the opportunistic thief. 

A few years ago on a slow decent in Taiwan I bit it on some hidden moss and went down right on my knee. I was fine otherwise, but I had a large gash that required 10 stitches on top of my knee. I clipped back in with one foot pedaled the 10 miles home, a very gruesome sight I must have been. So yes, under the right circumstances one foot can move a bike.

Josh in NYC 

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Josh

[Ben Miller]

Ah man, the intersecting Venn diagram of Rinko and Rivs! My favorite! Thanks for having this thread Takashi! Very useful info here.

I've rinko'ed my Rambouillet for air travel. I use the Rene Herse padded rinko bag for this. I imagine it would not be super useful for more traditional rinko applications, because the bag does not pack down much and is difficult to carry on the bike. But if you have a place to store it, it works great. My Ram is pretty large (64 cm) and I have very wide drops (56 cm), but it all fits in the RH bag. The photo below is from my trip a few years back to the Nutmeg Nor-easter with the Ram in process of being disassembled and packed up. I caught New England stick in my RD and exploded it, which is why their is no chain on the bike for the return trip. I since have also got Sim Works Bubbly EZy-Superior pedals on the Ram, to make the next trip that much EZ'er :) I doubt I can get to 18 mins for assembly/disassembly, but I was surprised how quickly it can be done. Maybe 20-25 mins? I also use the Ostrich Rinko Dropout Stand. And I also have some RH branded frame protectors, just not a photo showing them. I have a sleeve of bubble wrap I put over the steerer cause I was worried it would scratch the HT. I carry 2 adjustable wrenches for the headset, which again, I don't think is ideal for more traditional rinko where you probably need to carry them with you. I also bring Wera Metric Tool-Check (regular, not the bike specific one). It's also probably over kill bit nice to have. I do have a older cup-an'-cone headset and dream of buying a fancy RH rinko specific HS, but haven't. The ball bearings are caged at least, I can not imagine dealing with the hassle of loose BB's! It is a bit messier than then a cartridge headset though. I've used both Voile and Johnny straps, but prefer the Voile ones (I also have a lot of Voile straps from my cross-domain sport of BC Ski Touring; The purpose they were originally designed for!) Both times I traveled I took my Ron's Bike Small Chest with me. I modified a Berthoud Decaleur to hold the bag up and away from the front brake cable and light. It's low profile enough I can leave it on the stem during packing. 

[Ben Miller]

I was just over on the iBOB Group joining in on a thread about Centerpulls. In the process of that, I reminded myself another design aspect of my Ram for making rinko as easy as possible: the use of the Paul Moon Unit brake straddle cable hanger. One can easily unhook the centerpull straddle cable as normal and then unhook the straddle cable from the Moon Unit to allow full disassembly. I guess most cable straddle hangers allow this, but I know some that do not. The Rene Herse cable straddle hanger for instance will not allow this (Shovel Research's very nice hanger also does not). RH does make a rinko-specific Centerpull brake to work with their hanger, so maybe if you are setting up a New Rinko and need centerpulls you could get those, but if you're using existing ones or cantilevers be mindful of the hanger design. 

Takashi, I'm curious of your experience with V-brakes and rinko? I'd think they'd be more of a hassle like sidepulls, in that you'd need to somehow completely disengage the brake cable? 

[Tim Wood]

It really was a wonderful tour. Absolute trip of a lifetime and can’t wait to return. 

I’ve had a couple messages about logistics and ride reports so here’s some info if interested:

-we planned our route ourselves and didn’t utilize a tour group.  We flew in to Tokyo, grabbed a cheap hotel by the airport and then a domestic flight the next morning to Fukuoka (peach airlines)

-we built our bikes at the Fukuoka airport and ate tonkotsu ramen, stayed the night then set off the next day

-our first three or four days we used gpx files from this website: 

https://www.fukuoka-now.com/en/cycling-routes-and-reports/

This resource was amazing and allowed us to access some quiet routes along the coast

-we stayed in a wide variety or accommodations ranging from traditional Japanese hotels, western hotels, nature hotels and even an ex-love hotel! Booking.com and Expedia were good. Also booked through local hotel websites using translate features. We usually booked accommodations 2 days in advance 

-we took a ferry to Shikoku and had no route files to rely on  but what we did was follow the shimanto river valley and it was amazing. I ran a garmin edge explore 2 and used the phone app to build routes. I just followed the most squiggly lines on the map and it was the best riding. What I failed to do was upload an open source map of the area before I left

so I had a route to follow but no road data

-if I were to do it again I would spend more time on Shikoku. It blew my mind. Kyushu was great, and convenient with stores and services everywhere, but Shikoku was the best roads and riding

-I don’t have any concise ride reports but I did document each day on instagram: @t_im_wood

My buddy also filmed on his dgi mini and has posted some vlogs on YouTube, search: drinkstrong adventures.  

-if anyone wants gpx files im sure i can figure out how to share those from the garmin app

Cheers everyone,

Tim 

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[NYCbikeguy]

Thanks for starting this thread, Takashi!

I'm lucky enough to have an S&S coupled atlantis and it made a world of a difference traveling with a bike.

I've done full frame rinko-ing with a Miyata 1000 in the past and while it was an adventure, I definitely bumped into many obstacles, at mass transit hubs (airport, train stations).

Not to discourage anyone from rinko-ing with a full frame, but I'm definitely encouraging people to look into coupled frames (even if it's not a riv!) for overseas travel.

The biggest advantage of a coupled frame is that the only things you are disassembling between transit stops are the couplers, cable couplers, and EZY pedals.

I also got away with covering sharp and dirty parts of the bike with just a blanket (as shown) and I was able to get through train stations without a hitch. 

I've done several tours in Japan already and zipped by Seoul, Korea for an academic conference with my bike as well.

Best,

IY

CT/NYC

[Ben Miller]

IY, that is one nice looking Atlantis! I can definitely see the pros of a coupled frame, like a S&S or Ritchey breakaway. But it also seems like a technological solution. I love the simplicity of the rinko whereas it's more of a design philosophy approach to the problem of making a bike compact for travel. Again, not saying either is better or worse overall; I'm glad we live in a universe where we have both as options :) 

But yeah, fantastic Atlantis build!

Ben

[Bill Lindsay]

I've modified at least two rear derailleurs for Rinko, and give a decent amount of thought to which of the contemporary models will lend themselves to Rinko without modification.  The rear spacer/stand offers a good solution to "normal" rear derailleurs, but I like geeking out on that little detail to make my Rinko setup not require that stand off product.

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[NYCbikeguy]

One more comment about rinko-ing on rivs-- it will only get harder to travel with new rivs as the chainstays become longer and longer...

I also think installing couplers on newer rivs will not make sense, as the two halves may not even fit into a traveling case.

Nevertheless, I would love to hear from someone with a newer riv (especially the ones with long chainstays) who have tried rinko-ing!

-IY

[NYCbikeguy]

Bill, this is just a thought I had-- if you own a nitto R50, you MAY be able to repurpose the QR portion of the bag holder, modify it to have some protruding piece that is longer than how much the RD sticks out, and use that as a spacer and stand when in rinko mode. 

-IY

[Bill Lindsay]

Sure, but my derailleur mods mean that you don't need anything, and some rear derailleurs would likely support Rinko treatment without modification and without an accessory.  Just like the proper retained-sealed-bearing Rinko headset which does not require tools, and the proper Rinko pedals require no tools, and proper Rinko brakes support tool free disconnection, a Rinko Rear derailleur should enable the art with minimal accessories and there's nothing more minimal than zero.  :)

BL in EC

[Ben Miller]

Bill, can you explain these RD mods that you did?? Very intrigued!

[Bill Lindsay]

I guess the first things is to state the problem we're solving.  In Rinko, the rear wheel comes off, and the rear dropout is resting on the ground, along with the trailing edge of the saddle.  Most rear derailleurs have a loop of housing back there and if one props up their bike on the rear dropouts and the trailing edge of the saddle, that loop of housing gets in the way and the assembly is not free-standing.  Worse that housing will get bent or kinked and it's inevitable that it will fail at some point.  That's the problem statement.  A Rinko Stand will solve that problem by propping up that rear part of the bike on the ground by a few inches, so that loop of housing is no longer in the way.  

To avoid that problem directly without buying an accessory, do some thinking.  The easy way is to commit to friction shifting, and commit to a compact double drive train.  That makes it easy to go with a practically free "road" derailleur from pre-indexing days.  Most rear derailleurs before indexing just have a housing stop, and no barrel adjuster.  The modification is just to slot that stop so the rear derailleur cable housing can be popped out in Rinko but not disconnected, and that portion of the bike can rest on the ground and nothing bad will happen.  That loop of housing is just out of the way, the same way brake housing can be gotten out of the way with slotted stops.  

Here's an album where I do a 650B conversion and partial Rinko treatment to a mid 1980s Schwinn Tempo.  

https://www.flickr.com/photos/45758191@N04/albums/72157659812335064/

Here's the album of the actual Rinko breakdown procedure:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/45758191@N04/albums/72157663523154721/

I'm sure there are other ways to solve the same problem

Bill Lindsay

El Cerrito, CA

[Takashi]

Ben, that's a very clean rinko job of your very beautiful Ramboulliet! Perfect.

I confess that I've never rinko'ed with v-brake bikes, but my understanding is that if you have brake levers for flat bars, or if you have drops with non-aero levers, you can first open v-brake arms and then pull the cable out from the lever. Then you can remove handlebars, in which case brake cables dangle from brake arm, not brake lever.

Tim, thank you for photos and videos! I haven't seen all of them yet, but I will later.

It sure looks you all had great time.

Here are some photos from 2016 when I visited Shikoku.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/77318553@N08/albums/72157671893633271/

Takashi

2025年10月18日土曜日 23:16:29 UTC+9 Bill Lindsay:

[Takashi]

Racks and bags:

Small front rack, such as Mark's Rack, should not be a problem when packing since you remove whole fork from the frame. Baskets and wide racks such as Riv's Basket Rack are not good if you want to pack small.  

When packing my Hunqapillar, I keep Mini Front Rack and Big Rear Rack on the frame.
As for the rear rack, I loosen bolts, tilt the rack towards the frame, and re-tighten bolts:

I put the frame vertically (rear-end protector not needed) :

And then I strap the fork and the rear wheel to the frame, as pictured in the first post.

Some French style bikes made in Japan have very small rear rack which dosen't get in way when rinko-ing.

https://grandbois.jp/gallery/20160720/16402/

With newer Riv models that have long chainstays, you MIGHT be able to leave a small but slightly larger rear rack (like Mark's Rack) on the frame and pack your bike, which I haven't tried.

I recommend using quick-detachable bag(s) especially when you plan to rinko.
I often use Carradice's SQR system. With it I can detach saddlebag in a few seconds, and also I can put saddlebag about 8cm higher than when I use saddle loops, so rear rack not needed (depends on your saddle height and wheel size).
https://carradice.co.uk/products/seatpost-quick-release-saddlebags

Takashi

2025年10月19日日曜日 0:31:44 UTC+9 Takashi:

[Justin Williams]

Just here to say this thread is fantastic. I love all these clever packing solutions (even if I'm mostly blessed to be able to roll my bike right on the train). 

Thanks for sharing all this great knowledge!

[John Rinker]

Like Ben, I too have a Venn diagram intersection that keeps me coming back to this discussion, but despite my name being 'Rinker', it's not so much the Rinko aspect. Rather, it is the Rivs and riding in Japan. On this second topic, there are many excellent sub-threads to be explored: fresh, delicious meals ready-made in grocery stores, free camping in public parks, swimming in gorgeous rivers, onigiri, quiet roads through lush forests, and so on. 

Takashi's experience with rinko and his understanding of the Japanese railway system can scarcely be improved upon. I can only add that my big bicycle in its bag was rarely questioned*, and I traveled everywhere with it- from rush-hour in Tokyo (not recommended!) to the most remote lines in the most rural of areas. The railway personnel that I encountered were always polite, helpful, and efficient, but this was also the case with the population at large. I've said it before: Japan has got 'civilization' dialed.

I guess I can add that on all trains there are sections for strollers and wheelchairs that- when they were unoccupied- provided plenty of space for my bicycle and luggage. These are marked on the platform so one can line up for the proper car and easily board when the train arrives. I don't know if it was in bad form on my part to utilize these spaces, but in my defense, I vacated these areas quickly when they were needed. I was always very mindful of being as unobtrusive as possible.

And, at the end of a long trip, it was nice to know that a nap on an empty train would not transgress the norms. 

Cheers, John

*Once, in Fukuoka, I was very politely asked to remove my seat as it stuck too far out of the bag. 

[Takashi]

John, I love the photo of Ekawasaki Station. There's something special about railroad station in rural areas.

Takashi

2025年10月20日月曜日 13:10:04 UTC+9 John Rinker:

[Takashi]

In "October 2025 Photos" thread I posted about my ride in northeast Japan.

Here's a photo of my packed Hunqapillar.

I'd like to add a few additional tips on using Yamato Transport service which I mentiond earlier in this thread.

I stayed in a hotel on the first night and camped on the second night.

Two days before I left my house, I sent a bag containing tent, sleeping bag, etc. to the hotel I reserved for the first night, so that I didn't have to carry heavy bag in addition to my heavy bike.

When you visit Japan from other country, you can send your baggage from the airport to the hotel you reserved, which will help you a lot especially if you are carrying your bike.

https://wwhttps://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/ytc/en/send/services/tc-receive/w.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/ytc/en/send/services/same-day-delivery/

(You can also send your bike, but to do so, the bike has to be packed in a cardboard box, and the sum of three sides of the box must be 200cm or smaller, so that's pretty difficult.)

I'd recommend that you ask the hotel beforehand whether they accept your baggage to be sent, and it might be difficult because Japanese people (especially in rural areas) are not used to communicating in English.

You can send baggage from Yamato's service counter in airport, Yamato's offices in town, or convenience stores.

If you aren't familiar with their services, you would ask a lot of questions upon filling a waybill, so I recommend that you send from either their service counter or office, not convenience stores.

https://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/ytc/en/send/preparations/invoice/

Search "yamato transport office" in Google Maps to find the nearest office.

If you are not sure whether the hotel accepts your baggage, or if you are camping and not staying in hotel, you can use "Sales Office Pickup Service".

https://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/ytc/en/send/services/tc-receive/

If there is Yamato's office near your destination, you can send your baggage to their office beforehand.

I hope my clumsy explanation makes sence...

Takashi

2025年11月3日月曜日 0:16:32 UTC+9 Takashi:

[Takashi]

The first link in my previous post should have been:

https://www.kuronekoyamato.co.jp/ytc/en/send/services/same-day-delivery/

Takashi

2025年11月3日月曜日 1:27:45 UTC+9 Takashi:

[John Rinker]

I completely agree, Takashi. I wish I had taken more photos of the many rural stations I passed through. I think such subject matter would make a wonderful photo book.

Here's one more I really like. Also from Shikoku.

Cheers, John

[Cheng-Hong Li]

The rear derailleur handling in Rinko is explained in this very detailed how-to-Rinko guide with photos of each step. In particular Steps 17-18: after removing the rear wheel, resting the bike on top of the removed rear wheel so the rear derailleur and the rear drop outs  do not touch the ground. And Steps 21-22: remove the rear shifter cable tension from the rear derailleur, so when the Rinko'ed bike rests on the ground, the rear derailleur is not damaged (also see the cover photo, i.e., the 2nd photo from the top of the webpage).

[Takashi]

Thank you for the link, Cheng-Hong!

This step-by-step explanation is very helpful.

By the way there is a video of rinko-ing by the same shop.

https://youtu.be/oQV18MPd_ao?si=8djobz2GD3g_PPWG

Takashi

2025年11月4日火曜日 1:17:20 UTC+9 chengh...@gmail.com: