Japanese bicycles have long been at the forefront of both competitive and recreational cycling—from top-flight racing bicycles to collectible custom fixed-gear frames. Today, the younger Konno focuses on incorporating Japanese artistic aesthetic into modern steel frames. The Japanese have a long history with the bicycle, with the first imported machines arriving in the 1870s, and domestic manufacture of steel tube frames started in 1890. The first book to chronicle the golden age of Japanese bicycle design. Where the de facto standard of bicycle tubing from European Bike Boom bikes is Reynolds steel, the Japanese de facto standard is Tange. Originally, Cateye was best known for its reflectors, which came on virtually all Japanese bicycles, and many from other countries as well.

Japanese Steel: Classic Bicycle Design from Japan Written by William Bevington, Photographed by Scott Ryder . Cateye also made handlebar tape (and the world's best handlebar plugs). They are a rival to the British-based tubing manufacturer Reynolds. Tange International Co. is a major Japanese manufacturer of high-quality steel tubing for bicycle frames, established before 1920. For the most part, bicycles were utilitarian and even today bicycle commuting is significant in … Cateye is still a major player in this market. Japanese master bike-builder Shin-ichi Konno took over Cherubim from his father, Hitoshi Konno, who founded the road bike outfit after the 1964 Tokyo Olympics brought an influx of European bike style into Japan.