In Japan, electric bicycles have gradually become more mainstream.

It seems that many of the bicycles used by mothers to take their children to kindergarten are electric bicycles.

Since around 2020, shared electric bicycle services have also been launched in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, and other cities.

While they have finally become mainstream, Japan is actually lagging behind other countries.

Let's look at the current situation in Japan and the common practices abroad.

■ Bicycle Sharing in Japan

Bicycle sharing is a service where you can rent a bicycle from a designated area called a "port" and use it for a certain period of time, then return it to any other designated port.

Many ports are located at convenience stores, and since you can return the bicycle to a different location than where you rented it, many people use this service for commuting to work or school.

While most shared bicycles are still city bikes, electric bicycles are now also appearing as shared bicycles in Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya.

This service becomes more convenient as the number of ports increases, allowing for more places to rent and return bikes, but it's not very convenient when operating on a small scale.

Due to the large initial investment, "Merchari," operated by Mercari, withdrew from the business, and another company took over the business as "Chari Chari," suggesting that it is not necessarily a profitable business.

■ Electric Bicycles in Japan

Japan's first electric bicycle is said to be the "PAS" electric assist bicycle, which assists human power with a motor, released by Yamaha Motor in 1993. This was the world's first mass-produced model.

By 2018, e-bikes were being released by various manufacturers, and a wide range of shapes and models became available.

Some refer to this year as the "first year of the e-bike."

Around 2010, "e-bikes" gained attention and became a boom in Europe and America.

They then became popular in Japan through reverse importation and have spread as they are today.

Today, Japanese electric bicycles often cater to mothers, and it's common to see many equipped with child seats near the handlebars or on the rear rack.

When you combine the weight of the mother and child, it becomes quite heavy, making it difficult to start pedaling and stop.

Electric bicycles are easy to ride because the motor assists when you start pedaling.

This convenience has led to many electric bicycles being designed for mothers.

As you can see if you go to a bicycle shop or look at advertisements, only completed electric bicycles are sold in Japan.

There are no options for handlebars, tires, derailleurs, or drive units.

If you consider other types of bicycles, assembling a bicycle by buying parts yourself, aside from road bikes, is a hobby for only a very small number of people.

In Japan, electric bicycles also come in road bike types, mountain bike types, and city bike types, but they are definitely a minority.

Moreover, almost all of them are completed products.

■ E-bikes Abroad

Overseas, electric bicycles are called e-bikes.

They have a drive unit, and frames are developed to match it, allowing riders to choose and assemble all their preferred parts such as forks, tires, handlebars, saddles, and derailleurs, just like with road bikes.

Japanese specifications are designed to stop assisting when the speed reaches 24 km/h, and the assistance power gradually decreases from 10 km/h to 24 km/h.

Overseas specifications stop assisting precisely at 25 km/h.

Japanese specifications have weaker assistance power between 18 km/h and 24 km/h compared to overseas specifications, but in return, the battery lasts longer.

Personally, I think the Japanese specifications are more practical.

I believe overseas specifications are optimized to suit the conditions of each country.

ICAN also sells e-bike frames.

Please check them out.

Carbon E-bike Frame E11