About RBRJ
Road Bike Rental Japan (previously Globalwheels) is passionate about cycling, Japan and exploration. The business was born out of a desire to bring the experience of cycling in Japan to all. We value freedom on the road and encourage you to create your own unique adventure.
The ‘Globalwheels’ Experiment
Road Bike Rental Japan was originally founded as Globawheels in 2016 in Osaka by friends, me (Gareth- left) and Ian. We both loved cycling and exploring Japan and felt that a quality Road & Touring Bike Rental Service that provided nationwide coverage was lacking. Whilst working our main jobs we began to formulate a plan.
After I started cycling in 2012, the idea of creating a Road Bike Rental business came to me during a ride along the Yodo River. It was just a ‘lightbulb idea’ at first. However, the ‘itch’ got bigger and wanting to share the feeling of Cycling in Japan with others, the Globalwheels experiment began.
Starting Globalwheels Road Bike Rental with two road bikes, three touring bikes and a website, we began working from the back of my house until moving to our HQ at Sakuranomiya in 2018. With demand increasing and the global popularity of Kyoto, we decided to open a second shop in Kyoto by autumn 2019. Things were going well and with the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan, we were asked to provide bikes for the families of the cyclists, who were bringing the whistle for the opening game from London. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics was just around the corner and we were eagerly awaiting for 2020 to start.
It didn’t work out as hoped. With the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic and borders closing, we were forced to close our original Kyoto shop. Later, Ian had to leave the business. Not wanting to give up, I continued with ‘the ride’ alone until borders re-opened.
Follow Gareth@ Road Bike Rental Japan on Strava and LinkedIn.
The RBRJ rebrand
Rebuilding the business after the pandemic, we made a fresh start by changing the name, followed by opening Road Bike Rental Japan (Kyoto) in 2024 to provide more Road Bike hire and Cycle Tour options in Kyoto city and prefecture.
The RBRJ Logo
We wanted the RBRJ logo to symbolise the sense of adventure and escape that cyclists experience on their rides with us. In essence, we wanted it to be reflective of what we think is the true beauty of Japan, its countryside and rural areas. Cycling through these lesser-known areas can give cyclists a sense of freedom, the same sense that inspired Gareth to start RBRJ.
Road Bike Rental Japan is a registered trademark under Class 39 (Travel Arrangements and Bike Rental) with the Japan Patent Office.
Working in Partnership with:
Associations
English 
Japanese 
Chinese 
Korean 
French 
Spanish 
Russian