Behind the Barriers
An easy to view list of the Behind the Barriers episodes:
Season 1:
S01E01: http://vimeo.com/15415166
S01E02: http://vimeo.com/15454445
S01E03: http://vimeo.com/15594701
S01E04: http://vimeo.com/16053701
S01E05: http://vimeo.com/16275951
S01E06: http://vimeo.com/16579221
S01E07: http://vimeo.com/16885681
S01E08: http://vimeo.com/17308783
S01E09: http://vimeo.com/17529112
S01E10: http://vimeo.com/17842734
S01E11: http://vimeo.com/17943375
S01E12: http://vimeo.com/18127798
S01E13: http://vimeo.com/18389897
Season Finale Teaser: http://vimeo.com/18575849
S01E14: http://vimeo.com/18823159
Summer 2011 Specials:
Special Summer Edition E01: http://vimeo.com/24366749
Special Summer Edition E02: http://vimeo.com/28468730
Special Summer Edition E03: http://vimeo.com/29124040
Season 2:
S02E01: http://vimeo.com/29546161
S02E02: http://vimeo.com/29956978
S02E03: http://vimeo.com/30376013
S02E04: http://vimeo.com/30785035
S02E05: http://vimeo.com/30940214
S02E06: http://vimeo.com/31241633
S02E07: http://vimeo.com/31572937
S02E08: http://vimeo.com/32101765
S02E09: http://vimeo.com/32565236
S02E10: http://vimeo.com/33215252
S02E11: http://vimeo.com/33974273
S02E12: http://vimeo.com/34463673
S02E13: http://vimeo.com/34849718
S02E14: http://vimeo.com/35230996
S02S01: http://vimeo.com/35438844 (Hoogerheide World Cup Bar Cam Footage)
S02E15: http://vimeo.com/35561309
S02S02: http://vimeo.com/35681607 (Koksijde World Championships Bar Cam Footage)
S02E16: http://vimeo.com/35858803
S02E17: http://vimeo.com/36767922
S02E18: http://vimeo.com/37671745
How About Some Hardcore
Before the Cyclo Cross Tokyo 2012 race on Saturday, we were introduced, by Daisuke Yano, to the owner of Bonsai Cycle, a special bike shop in Tokyo.
Upon meeting the owner, he told Tim Johnson he made “replica helmets.”
“This one?” Tim asked, pointing to his Red Bull helmet?
“Yes,” he replied, “This one is very difficult.”
We were intrigued by this and looking forward to the opportunity to meet him at his shop, especially since we had also been told, via THE INTERNET, to visit this shop for it’s coffee. Coffee, mmmmmmmmm.
Two days later, our hosts, Hiro Ito, Hideyuki Suzuki, and Koichiro Nakamura, brought Tim, Kaiko Shimura, and me to Bonsai Cycle. It would turn out be a more amazing experience than we could have ever expected.
I am pretty sure that says, “Bonsai Cycle.”
When we had first met the owner, he was dressed in street clothes and a traditional cycling cap. He looked like a bike messenger. When we met him again, this time in his establishment, he was dressed to the nines, in a fine white shirt, sweater vest and bow tie. The pride he took in his business was obvious.
Upon entering Bonsai Cycle, we were welcomed to cyclocross-themed muffins and espresso drinks made by the shop’s barista.
In broken English, the owner explained that, to him, cyclocross was all things brown; Mud, Coffee, and Chocolate.
The muffins were tasty. And brown. And chocolatey.
I am a fan of hyperbole. I do not use hyperbole when I say that I had the best macchiato I have ever had at Bonsai Cycle. The Barista was more skilled than I have ever seen, as was evidenced by her cappucino art.
After sitting with our muffins and drinks, the owner then gave us a tour of his shop.
He then led us to the replica helmets he had made. BY HAND.
First, we saw his Jeremy Powers Team Rapha Focus Edition helmet.
And Tim tried to steal it.
Then he led us to the Tim Johnson Red Bull Edition helmet.
We saw the inspirations for his creation.
And the materials he used to create it.
The visit to Bonsai Cycle was yet another amazing experience in this visit to Tokyo. After finishing off what remained of our coffees and muffins, we headed into the streets of the small neighborhood that housed Bonsai Cycle with Koichiro and headed to Shinjuku for Tempura with Kaiko.
