![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagY-4lfTZC2q19FnZ6iKTDDujDzDheTVGvWTTMctaY2HMQxdEF1bLDnckYmOnE1RUxlFRxQyDTHHs-3xDWMHw9eHArnxqV9j7W4GqWbgcrJs-DRyrOU6dWQdVgrXCIPLpT4b8TzNkUuQ0/s320/Aki1.JPG) |
Aki's Flevobike remained unconquered |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiD17vzcy7pWcm7409zYqXj6CjldSF3W9C19uNQs7b1MN9bS73o46DwGMzf24nEsNPxVf8dQNeQSK9DnRQRIQbhmBR-pYz2q-nH9PU_UuOpkYJN-m78FYqnfoBCj6VqBjvYQMVD_nLI9nE/s320/Aki2.JPG) |
The smaller of the 2 penny farthings Aki brought out was a "Roy Cooper" from England |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5DvFpxNl6TJQ4DNrp4TBb0-hv7FEZiDTkCGeZnNYvHWdqva-sKmi13iYM_Qn30l8-IrOmJamJmmR8LUcracBATeyMdUu4pkcQC5lZr8IP_YvErPLXBBqF0cs_GDnQCWEJPivI7o3e-2fn/s320/Aki3.JPG) |
Small Unicycle and stilts |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYBjBZolp2-O-0820jo85FvM_t33IIvGggx__4XBLkiRq-iY2XM52OjPCD4RenIHNEqlM8YZbYB_N1m2NErRhgrC5YZkOfpo2daVEbCahyphenhyphenFShR8htMS8oh57ZsIr5n-XTDFCdKE9deVfla/s320/Aki4.JPG) |
Very small bicycle. Sitting on the seat caused an immediate wheelie. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoPEu6fB43ICBTNtBpR11gtw3lf7-iA_963-ofeOT0gnYAQNw51ul5rGrul8rmEHR7rSkhBXsyw91eJzFwHFQBKyku3o-KpUFn6iCdl03kJ6AK_V-9PJ3edMQQJf8GIzssiyz32L1NdlO_/s320/Aki5.JPG) |
On the "Roy Cooper" Penny |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmS3gI4npvu_-KKkAr49Ik0QyQ7TwabJsjHkrysMjDtXyeVE8zQmWKPwsMFQAdj_YXvYQOyNIj9vxgah0uoPdSDjX1tKutpEwW_LD7TDvpQnLEPqGuDb1fW_4LEPfg3AK59DfOL1Y0wJly/s320/Aki6.JPG) |
Heading off from the barbecue to Aki's place to get more bikes |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikAZ1b0H3TvRUuVxX5W_19QLcI6Aqz6Xzxcr3wzbbGICmS-Aa-mM1q_mQshL-bFXlatfNUezArk9-vltIgcWGD6psSe5zVhGpTUXsRi2clWlL3IP5jYkoGWMJ6qdrmheIb4PwqF8y-9E7u/s320/Aki7.JPG) |
Buddy Tandem |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5m5NTTlsArRUU3fuPffya-TTQxvJNVdVWkdzFLf2S8Uh4CwRkaCNW8RLCj1TlPkb7Um2jq-dHou3BPhV-n_XJrhFOtbGelOWIHeaLA39o48KYrgAVZbLu3s2lmf_toDjKPHF6jL_yFHG/s320/aki8.JPG) |
Aki on his big Penny |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizyEoPlaFbIdaOTBsoGdgtFBSMWS6LgLolBfispAJKuW3wtQbJwnjV-PtJtAHP-ZFyKevfECXRcnOmo6aHh5-kMdLrDvlgRgJr8sD1EV57olCdt36NJxFtkTQZsyTSlctY-Vu7Eur4p4lh/s320/aki9.JPG) |
Aki And George |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIdq9txVDdYCi9OOqsq7UbDv4lug16qpmxhRGpauaaGGesscow6KhPlverP19s7msCDaGcZY0Ql2hjWVXwnDMm1Q4iZwgPX126M44MpQTRs_fS85jjK4RM2f8rRHN67gvO1ioGIQ-je2iI/s320/aki10.JPG) |
Fraser Rowbike, I got to try one for the first time. It was lots of fun and not too hard to ride. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_9k74faW1-5iU9QAnjf2fJ87YGP3P7DgSkhZAnXGdB6B6R4fd7-4jjnuWJBsL1PC6jw-lT9rNspsSeiMJsmW-8rnimq9r_PqB3N1Z3LNmA90Q4NjREOn7kGRKEQDcZKjTxxwrLekJ7Oa/s320/aki11.JPG) |
Workcycles Tandem, the front bit folds backwards |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELoQz7hKSV9ewlxEwbcENndutxCahD1V-tL6r5hmKkY2mjdfc-A_3EEeLW2kw0LdlvkWN2IUUgFrO2OLokjwGkrTt1sF-AOBNq_0X5dRdUzH-N5ErXZ9Br3N68EjlbCYC2RJlX_iU3Nmf/s320/aki12.JPG) |
Aki's Recumbent trike |
Hi
A few years ago, I sold a recumbent bike to Aki Kubota and I kept in touch with him and he visited the
OzHpv challenge in 2014. Hadn't heard from him in a while, but a few days ago, I received an SMS from him asking me and other cycle enthusiasts over to a barbecue at his place. Today was the day, and I headed over to Camberwell via my Mum and Dad's place in Kew.
Aki lives in a unit just near a park, and when I arrived he was bringing bikes from his place to the barbecue area in the park. And what a lot of bikes and variety of bikes! He had bought most of them cheaply second hand (for example the trike was $100). Aki works at a hostel for international students and he has held this barbecue for three years, bringing students and coworkers from his work together in a park to ride his bikes. For all of them, these sorts of bikes were completely new to them, but they had a great time trying them out.
The Fraser rowbike was fun to ride. Its quirky but once you get moving, not too hard. I don't know about setting off round the world on one but its good for a pootle in the park and has a nice luggage rack.
This post links to a video I made of one several years ago.
One of Aki's bikes is a classic Flevobike. I couldn't ride it, and Aki has never mastered it himself, although he is a past master at the Penny Farthing. Maybe I will have another crack at the Flevo next year.
Regards
Steve Nurse
No comments:
Post a Comment