The Yellow man and the iron donkey

Living in Japan, or just about anywhere in the far east, you get used to bicycles. Whether it's the sandy streets of Phuket, the crowded alleys of Shanghai or the glossy avenues of Nagoya City; Asians and bicycles go together like dim and sum. Yet lately, I've noticed a change in the attitude my Asian brothers display toward the iron donkey. No longer a utilitarian device, the bicycle is now an accepted fashion statement, a luminescent neon sign that screams "I have a lifestyle". And as with any lifestyle, you get the cliques, logos, rules and memos. I'm actually enjoying watching the evolution of cycling culture in Japan, and you know....it's a good thing.