Bike Shops for Cycle Touring Gear in Sapporo City

Posted on Aug 1, 2018
10
Posted on Aug 1, 2018
0 10
There are a handful of really well-stocked and knowledgeable bike shops in Sapporo City that cater very well to cycle travelers. Which one you choose to visit will depend a lot on what you're specifically looking for. Here's a list of our favourites, with a few notes on each.

Last updated May 9, 2019

Shugakuso Shiroishi Outdoor Store

Practicalities dictate that the gargantuan Shugakuso Outdoor Store in Shiroishi Ward is listed first here. While the staff on the cyclery floor might not ooze pure bicycle passion as much as those at Sam’s Bike (below), the basement cyclery floor is very well stocked with touring-specific bikes and gear (think Surly, Brompton, Tern, among others) and the rest of the three floors of this massive outdoor temptation factory is, well, pure temptation. This could be your one-stop shop if you’re short on time and in need of not only bike-specific products and service, but also general outdoor gear.

  • Location: About 2km east of the Shiroishi Subway Station on the Tozai Line. The Shiroishi Cycling Road is also nearby. Google Maps link.
  • Good points: A one-stop shop for both bike stuff (touring bikes, fatbikes, high-end folding bikes) as well as outdoor gear.

Sam's Bike

If I had to give an award for Sapporo’s most passionate bike shop (particularly when it comes to adventure cycling), it would go to Sam’s Bike. Everyone I know who are even remotely into adventure cycling are customers of Sam’s Bike, and the staff lead the charge in that area. Their technical expertise is second to none, and the culture they have built around their shop oozes authenticity and homeliness. I’ve had all my wheels built by Sam’s Bike.

  • URL: http://www.samsbike.jp/
  • Location: About 1km west of the Hassamu Chuo Subway Station on the Toho (blue) Line. Google Maps link.
  • Good points: Awesome culture, super friendly staff, and second-to-none technical knowledge.

Cycle Shop Ono

Cycle Shop Ono is somewhat of an enigma. They don’t really specialize in any particular type of bike. As such, they sell $100 shopping bikes alongside $5,000 road bikes and high-end mountain bikes. Their bread and butter isn’t in touring and adventure bikes per se, but they still have a selection of gear to keep most touring cyclists happy. They’re on the other side of Sapporo City to the first two shops too, so if you find yourself in that area, you should pay them a visit. I’m also told that they hold a small stock of old bike boxes should a cycle tourist need one for their flight out of Hokkaido.

  • URL: https://onosapporo.jp/
  • Location: About 1km north of the Maruyama Subway Station on the Tozai (orange) Line. Google Maps link.
  • Good points: A very wide range of bikes and parts to suit any budget. 

Southern Wind Bicycle

Since we’re giving out awards, we’d happily give Arimori-san from Southern Wind Bicycle the award for smallest (decent) bike shop in Sapporo. The size of the shop doesn’t matter too much, however, because he specializes in folding bikes. I bought my Tern Verge Tour folding bike through Arimori-san, and I appreciated his expertise and enthsiasm. Don’t expect a huge range of touring-specific parts and gear on stock, but if you have a good-quality folding bike, then your options are either Shugakuso Shiroishi (above) or Arimori-san. 

Nakamura Cycles

Nakamura Cycles is a centrally-located bike shop that specializes in mid- to high-end road and mountain bikes. They have some non-touring-specific parts available, and will do a good service job on any bike. They also have some of the best priced rental bikes in Hokkaido (but their booking process is all in Japanese). 

  • URL: http://www.csnakasp.com/
  • Location: About 200m from the Hosui Susukino Subway Station on the Toho (blue) Line. Google Maps link.
  • Good points: Decent, skilled service, and great deals on rental bikes.

Other Sapporo Bike Shops

Here’s a list of other bike stores that have been mentioned as having friendly, helpful staff. No guarantee they’ll be able to service your Rholoff though…

  • Bic Camera Bicycle Section (ht: Mike O’Connell)
    While they may not have as much technical expertise as stores listed above, they’re right next to Sapporo JR Station, so they might be a good spot to take a boxed up bike that you need put together (or taken apart at the end of your trip).
    • Location: Inside the mammoth 4-storey Bic Camera shop in the Esta building at Sapporo Station. 3rd floor. Google Maps link.
    • Good points: Helpful staff, and the closest cycle help to Sapporo JR Station. 

Bike Shops in Hokkaido (outside Sapporo)

Here’s a list of bike stores outside of Sapporo City (see our list of bike stores in Chitose City here) that have caught our interest.

Comments | Queries | Discussion

10 thoughts on “Bike Shops for Cycle Touring Gear in Sapporo City”

  1. Hi there Rob. Is it possible/legal to ride an e-bike on winter roads in Furano?

    I’m thinking of of a daily 800m uphill ride to Kitanomine Gondola building on Kitanominedori. This road is usually clear of snow in winter.

  2. I’m a bit late to this article, but I am looking to do a bike tour of Japan starting from Wakkanai and going through a lot of the wild areas of Hokkaido. I’m hoping to get hold of a good e-bike in Sapporo, as well as gear to set off with! Did you notice any of these places with a decent selection of high end models that might be suitable?

    1. Good question Colton. You might want to try cycle shop Ono in the list there. Most shops mainly cater for non e-bikes though, so might only have a few e-bike options available.

  3. Meghan Fitz-James

    Hi Rob,

    I have a question. I wonder which airport to fly in and out of…I want to create a one month long cycle route that does not involve any transfers…Just riding. Can you make a circle route suggestion from best arrival/departure city. I am thinking of doing this this September so not much time to plan. I appreciate any suggestions you might have. I want to get out of big cities as soon as possible and get the best of the weather and direction of travel to work in my favour. I will be camping or staying in small accommodations that will allow me to store my bike.

    1. Hi Meghan, great to hear you’re heading up this way. If you have a month, then landing at New Chitose Airport will be just fine. Besides Sapporo City, there aren’t really any huge cities in Hokkaido. Just link together some of the routes we have on the site, and you’ll be set.

  4. Asahikawa — we went into the Fuji Shoukai bike shop which in 5 minutes from the railway statuionm — they were very helpful and spoke reasonable Englishhttps://www.fujishoukai.com/

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BEST MONTH(S): Time of year a route is suited to visiting. Some pop all season, some are more limited.

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Bike Shops for Cycle Touring Gear in Sapporo City Difficulty Rating

Category

Grade

Points

Strenuousness

Vertical Gain

D

25

Time ascending

D

0

Technicality

Altitude

D

0

Hazards

D

Navigation

D

Totals

25/100

GRADES range from A (very difficult) to D (easy). Hazards include exposure to avalanche and fall risk. More details here. Rating rubric adapted from Hokkaido Yukiyama Guidebook 北海道雪山ガイド.