This Week in Cycling

First, the good news is that following his big spill, Alin is out of the hospital, and if a bit battered (see below), still looking forward to his next ride.

Now, for some Tokyo bike news. Tim sent me a link to the following post from Japan Probe, about a new parking system for bikes at Kasai station:

Customers who come to the station by bicycle need only place their bike on a small platform and hit a few buttons, and the system will automatically store their bike in an underground parking garage that can accommodate 9,400 bikes. When the reporter asks the machine to retrieve his bicycle, it only takes 23 seconds to accomplish the task. The parking system costs 100 yen for a single use, or 1,800 yen for a monthly pass.

Here’s a video report on the new parking system.