The last time I will be reaching you from this blog until we are in the new year, and we have to thank you for the continued support and patronage you have given us during 2016.

 

Your favorite bike has been the 'Avenue Lo' in Chrome... therefore we are crowning it the bike of the year:

 

 

So I present you with TWO custom versions of the chrome 'Avenue Lo' to ride out the year with. The first one was customized by it's would be owner...

 

 

A person of refined taste it seems because not only do they make use of Diner's original carbon parts, they also add that mighty crankset from Sugino. With the final touch being the keirin styled drop handles bars by Nitto, all these parts add up to make a purposeful looking bike with the perfermance to back it up. 

 

An alternative take on the above could be this:

 

 

You may loose the added aerodynamics of the carbon wheels but you make up for it by keeping that consistent metalic feel that gives the bike a slightly vintage and sporty image...

 

Ride into 2017 with our 'Avenue Lo' chrome like this...

 

 

Looking back December has been an extremely busy month for me...

 

 

However I made firm resignations that I will set out to accomplish in 2017, so keep watching my progress via this blog like I am watching the screen in the above selfie...?

 

We have some exciting plans in the future and I only hint about them to you like this....

 

 

 

Intrigued? 

 

I am gonna sign out abrutly and allow Lord Tusk to help ride out 2017 ... OH and don't forget for those of you looking for some New Years Eve party fun, you can find the key information after the music!

 

 

 

Tusk drop...

 

 

2016-2017 “KOARA COUNT DOWN & NEW YEAR PARTY!”
2016.12.31(SAT)OPEN20:00-FIRST DRINK¥1000

MC: TOHRU-SHOT(PACINOS)

Thank you for DJ’s…
Shintaro Iizuka(COUNT DOWN DJ / GASOLINE)
Takuya Katagiri(COUNT DOWN DJ / GASOLINE)
tomitaka kiyama(RED HOTT)
chikashi ishizuka(RED HOTT)
Funacoshi(Flap)
TOSHI MAEDA(ONE / PEARLINGDUMPERS)
Terada(Flap)
KZ SUDO(Viking Station / Caribbean Dandy)
KZA(VINYLIZM / FORCE OF NATURE)
Kouki.K(VINYLIZM)
YMKW(VINYLIZM / SCRAMBLE)
はせはじむ(ランデブー)
椎名だい(ランデブー)
DJ SHIBATA(探心音)
HISASHI(探心音)
SOYAMA(hungmade / T.B. Brothers)
Andre McLeod(test press tuesday)
Naomi(test press tuesday)
Tikini(Water Works)
Konida(Water Works)
Koko Miyagi(Water Works)
YZMZ(#303)
TETSURO TAKAHASHI(#303)
Makkotron (ひよコアラ/ Weekend Records)
ICHIMURA(DOUBLE AGENT)
HIDEFUNKMACHINE(DOUBLE AGENT)
KANETOSHI(SUBSTANCE / SINDBAD)
KAI YAMASHITA(mudd disco / bon appétit)
Nehan(RELEASE)
Tropi(RELEASE)
Takehiro.(PARALELL.)
naoki(workshop / echolocation)
TOMONORI MIDORIKAWA(TOP GUN)
cwest(BLACK SUNDAY)
COUNTRY TAMURA(家☆族☆計☆画)
DEATH MIX(家☆族☆計☆画)
EL BARRIO DISCO CARTEL(EL BARRIO DISCO)
ケイタナカムラ(mix labo)
左宙右完(SUPER DRY!)
INAHO(SUPER DRY! / 天狗食堂)
BuN5(SUPER DRY!)
MARIMO(SUPER DRY! / Economical Dub)
COOLG(DEEPER DEEPER)
Naito(「楽」/ CANDY)
Komei(「楽」/ 眼)
DJ inou(GEEKS)
Yoshimoto(GEEKS)
Takuma(shaman)
Machiko(STREET SMART)
Terao(Diet Coke)
Yuta Ogura(Diet Coke)
&more
(順不同)
@KOARA
B1F Koritsu Build 1-13-15 Jinnan,Shibuyaku,Tokyo 150-0041
Tel&Fax:03-6423-0644

 

 

 

ニューディスコ・シーンを牽引している覆面ディスコ・デュオ Tiger & Woods、瀧見憲司、Monkey Timers、DJ NOA、TAARほかニューディスコ・ハウスアーティストが勢揃いするニューディスコカウントダウンの決定版!日本酒振る舞いサービス有り!
Tiger & Woods, Keiji Takimi, Monkey Timers, who are leading a New Disco scene, are having New Year’s Eve at Sankeys TYO. A treat of Japanese sake will be served to celebrate the New Years Bash. 

BASEMENT:
Tiger & Woods (T&W RECORDS | EDITAINMENT | from Italy)
Kenji Takimi (Crue-L | Being Borings)
Monkey Timers (DISKO KLUBB)
DJ NOA (MVLS)

TAPROOM:
TAAR
MASAYASU (MYSS | ANDY)
zaki (DECK THE HOUSE)
DJ 色彩
Mr.Tikini (OSIRIS)

9PM Open
¥4000 Door
¥3500 w/Flyer
¥3000 Before 11PM
¥3000 After 3AM
¥2000 Under 25
¥2000 Advance Ticket
日本酒振る舞いサービス有り

当日 4,000円 
フライヤーご持参の方 3,500円 
23時までにご入場の方 3,000円 
3時以降にご入場の方 3,000円 
25歳以下の方 2,000円 
前売 2,000円

TICKET INFORMATION
- Resident Advisor
https://jp.residentadvisor.net/event.aspx?915019 
- clubberia
https://ticketpay.jp/booking/?event_id=6676              
- iFlyer
https://admin.iflyer.tv/apex/eticket/?id=278826&tid=7998
Event Page
https://www.facebook.com/events/1742184506101492/

 

 

 

We start this blog with more good news, our last product release of the year!

 

 

We had the C.B.3 but now we are added a + to that name and some angle to the spokes that make it resemble a throwing knife (not a Shuriken)...

 

 

But the only cutting this wheel does is of the wind...

with the durability to withstand the street ride, and of course the standard light weight properties unique to carbon, but did you know carbon wheels also have a decent amount of shock absorption?

 



Another fact is that turbulence occurs when a wheel has a large number of spokes so by reducing the number of spokes to 3, the air resistance is suppressed one feature that makes carbon wheels run fast.

 

 

The specification of the wheel is as follows;

"C.B.3 +" has a rim height of 50 mm, a spoke width of 70 mm and Weighs 900 g ± 30 g (Front) specification.

CARTEL BIKES CARBON WHEEL C.B.3 + FRONT ¥86,400 - for more information call us 03-6427-2745  

 

As you can see from this my most recent portrait I have yet to upgrade but we'll see what happens in 2017:

 

 

Actually this is an outtake from yet another shoot we conducted last Friday, but my bike and I were not the main focus, but expect to see more expansions from the Cartel Network soon. An interesting highlight, was that after shoot I had a quick go at skating for the camera...

 

 

Laughs aside though we took a nice bike to Kanda last Friday...

 

 

As we went to visit Prime Skates:

 

 

Not much of a skater myself as I am sure you can tell from the picture I posted above, but still have a keen interest in the culture primarly because most of my friends skate I guess? 

 

 

Kanda is not the type of location you'd expect to find a skate shop, which is could be why Prime is a refreshing shop drop in when in the area, whether it be to simply the awesome sound system, which they use to play their selects of DVDs... your could be there to pick up their original boards?

 

 

The shop's VM is set up in a way that actually makes you want to look closer, to see what excellent a skate shop in Kanda sells, and with this special shelfing, you are able to see both sides of the boards quite effortlessly...

 

 

Our visit seemed to be welcome... so we'll also a send a big out to the Prime crew, be sure to check them out:

Prime Skateboard Store™️

Address : 東京都千代田区内神田3-22-6-2F

Phone : 03-3525-8874

Mail : contact@prime-skateboard.com

Open : 12:00〜19:00 Skateboard Store In Tokyo.Kanda prime-skateboard.com

 

Well it's been an extremely busy week for us here at the cartel and just for me personally, shoots upon shoots and a whole lot of DJing, but I want to keep it specific this post since we are pressed for time...

 

 

As I mentioned to you last blog post, we once again combined with Poweredby.Tokyo and one of my favorite video film production companies Yemma Films to shoot something that we hope to be epic...

 

 

We started in Odaiba, to set the mood for the rest of the video...sunset + beach...

 

 

With rainbow bridge in the distance does not hurt one bit at all...and if you think this is beautiful you just wait until you see the footage.

 

 

After sunset we delved we enjoyed what I can officially call tokyo's premium dating spot... I mean this guy have the romantic tunes on the PA and everything, but with views like this who could blame them? I'd milk it too!

 

 

No matter how many times I see it though I cannot help but feel that little bit of "sugoi"...and It's probably the last time I'll get to see it...but yeh:

 

 

We tried to work something in here... 

 

 

And took a time out shortly after that...

 

 

This was the easy part... between the above picture and below I promise you people, I shed some weight, riding over the various the bridges of Odaiba...all the way through to Kachidoki via Toyosu and ended up here:

 

 

You probably won't be able to guess but this is Tsukiji and specifically a part of the market, these back streets filled me with intrigue and once again I asked myself the question what would it be like to live here?

 

 

More than anything though I found myself amazed at just how small central Tokyo is once you have a bike... I am not joking people and this is not some kind of appeal, since after Tsukiji before no time you're in the clean streets of Ginza:

 

 

Which we only used as I means to get here...

 

 

Yurakucho...once again filled with it's own nooks and crannies; again this is something we can really appreciate when riding (or walking but you just don't get the range...and most of us won't make time to explore by foot).

 

 

I hope the film we present you to can make you feel something...

 

Speaking of central Tokyo this Saturday, catch me and the UGC here at Suki bar for their 10th anniversary:

 

 

Wishing you all happy holiday no matter what you do and here is a festive picture from my family archives...

 

 

On that note I will leave with another one of my festive interpretations...watching TOTP (That's top of the pops for those who don't know), and it was always a pleasure to watch it over the holiday season with the heating on in the company of the whole family:

 

 

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

It's Monday and we are getting closer to Christmas (did I say that?), well how do you get into the festive mood?  For me it was always music, catalogs, TV shows and movies... so allow me to set the mood with one my winter warmers:

 

 

Yes the mysteries of the world, for me winter has always held a certain aire of mystery that builds up the closer we get to Christmas but I guess since we're in Tokyo, it's more about the new year holiday - works both ways though but we'll talk about Crimbo, yes for me it was always the anticipation, which is why I use to flick through this thing or similar each year:

 

 

Usually dreaming about what I was going to receive and not what I could give...*sigh*, if you have any type of foresight you'll see where I am going to with this one - so once again allow me to set the tone;

 

 

 

...And introduce you to the Promenade custom of Cartel's 'rue':

 

 

Brooks leather form a harmony with Nitto aluminium that it sure to match any carols played this Christmas...

 

 

A new way to experience your road - 'Cartel' by Cartel Bikes. from Cartel Bikes on Vimeo.

 

 

And that's not all...Gents take a look at this custom black 'Avenue Lo':

 

 

Diner's original aluminium wheel set in harmony with Nitto's Aluminium in this one too.

 

These customs come courtesy of Diner and as such I'd ask you to contact them for further enquiries - 03-6427-2745

 

Enjoy these winter nights...

 

 

Experience your road...

 

 

 

We'll start today's blog by setting the tone with a video that in one way or another I hope helps you aspire toward getting onto two wheels or simply creating something unique and ...dare I say cool:

 

 

Actually the timing of this video is quite nice since we are also planning a shoot with our friends over at POWEREDBY.TOKYO...

 

 

Who are also very inspirational people in my humble opinion... and if your new here allow me to refresh your memory with the last thing we did with them:

 

 

 

It was my Tokyo guide; of three places within the city that I love, you can see which places I selected by sliding over to there site. After it's succesful launch event I was also invited to give a speech, the coverage of which made it to Yahoo news ...

 

 

SO what is next for us then? 

I won't give away too much but the biggest hint I can give you is this... 

 

 

Indeed it is still my dream to be able to ride on the Rainbow bridge, but if you didn't know you aren't allowed to do anything but push your bicycle:

 

 

Which is what we discovered back in the summer of 2015, when both myself and Daisuke Urano set out to capture the feeling of summer for the Cartel.

 

 

To this day it's still one of my favorite memories so far at my time here with Cartel Bikes, and Odaiba offered us many opportunities like this one:

 

I

 

And also this....

 

iPhoneImage.png

 

Well this shoot we won't be taking photos, it will be full on motion visual experience we will employ technologies such as the DJI's Ronin:

 

 

So rare for us to be allowed access to such Technologies, so I am very much looking forward to making the most of that...but more than ME the star of the show will be my bike which I have decided needs to be remain exactly as it is in it's current form:

 

 

Look again...

 

 

With this thing helping put all my speed down into the wheels...

 

 

I might however step upto the C.B.3 ... but who knows?

 

 

 

To end today's update I will leave you in the capable hands of the so called 'Chicken Connoisseur', the only food critic in the world who seeks the "pengest munch"...get to know: