GS Astuto / Riders House and Cafe

Awesome and unforgettable 3 days cycling organised by Tim and Naoko on the Nakasendo trail. 100% recommend for people who like a challenging cycle and who want to get off the tourist track.

Leave your egos at home because this is a tough 450km (we should have aimed for 4-5 days really…), but Tim made sure we were supported the whole way in his van to get to Kyoto on schedule. The trail has it all: every kind of surface from tarmac to cobbles, every type of scenery from city to tiny post towns, mountains and lakes.

GS Astuto has everything you need to get you cycling either on their own bikes or can help you get your own bikes around Japan.

Thanks again from Alex and Rachel 🙏🏼🚴🏽‍♂🇯🇵

Best bike rental on planet!

Tim and his team gave me not only a super robust perfectly working gravel bike, but also very practical real fit-for-nature bags and savvy advices.

These guys really know what they are doing.

The surroundings are fantastic to tour around: small roads and passes will lead you through forests, hills and mountains. You can rest in Ryokans and recover in Onsens.

Couldn’t imagine any better.

We had a great time. Top notch service and excellent route recommendations. We rode locally on day one. The second day we ride to Kusatsu. Then took the Shinkansen up to Toyama and rode around the Noto Peninsula. It’s a great jumping off point.

We participated in the GS Astuto 'Perfect Day' Cycling package. This consisted of lodging, meals, bikes and guide. Altogether it was a Perfect Day covering more than 90km of forestry roads and highlighting the Kaurizawa and Annaka resort villages. Be prepared for quite a bit of climbing, but don't worry as they have e-assist bikes too! Great food and company plus visiting an authentic Japanese Onsen was lovely was to finish the day

Very highly recommended. Tim has great bikes and excellent local knowledge. I spent one night before a good early breakfast and then headed out for a loop as recommended by Tim which was the best 80kms I’ve ever cycled. Stunning scenery, beautiful ancient shrines, epic climbs on deserted roads and awesome food stops.

This was the best experience I have had with a bike rental. Not only did Tim rent me a premium bike, suitable for the riding I wanted to do, in very good condition at a fair price. He also helped me set up the bike, discussed the route according to the winter conditions, checked in to make sure I was safe when out there, provided alternative route suggestions and generally lots of knowledge. Thank you. Highly recommended. I will be back as soon as I can.

I rented a bike for six days from Tim at GS Astuto. The service and product were perfect in every way. Tim was very responsive to all my questions and sized the bike perfectly. I've used GS Astuto repeatedly and its the best top-end road bike rental service in Japan. Tim and his company are true heros in the global bike community and when you choose GS Astuto you are with people that do things for love not money. Choose GS Astuto : it's wheely good!

We spent 3 nights and 2 days hosted by Tim and Naoko. The bikes were perfect for the terrain and the fall colors and challenging routes were just what we were looking for. We highly recommend this spot as a home base for cyclists looking to explore this beautiful part of Japan. The local Onsen and yakinu restaurant were also highlights of the trip!

Dear friend! We didn't ask your name. But we are very glad to meet you. You repaired one of our bikes and we were able to safely continue our journey. Thanks a lot! We wish you a long and happy life in beautiful Japan. Thank you! Any traveler can safely contact you.

Friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable hosts. You’ll leave with your stomach full, a smile on your face, and with the information you need to enjoy the Nakasendo.

Little gem keeping it real. Great hosts, great location with endless adventures awaiting. Good food and an incredible treasure trove of bicycles and equipment and boundless knowledge and advice to go with it. What’s not to like.

If you are tired of city life, GS Astuto is the best place for you to have a countryside bike adventure. It has easy access to forest road, paved road and trails. I have been there many times but still the wonderful experience surprises me every time!

Awesome service. I rented a bike from them for a bike climb to Mt Fuji from Kawaguchico. The bike was delivered and picked it up from my AirBnB.

Tim brought a sweet carbon bike with all I needed (helmet, cleats ...), since I only brought my bib, jersey and bike computer with me. The Astoto SF99 was a solid bike and I enjoyed my 60 mile ride.

I also had a nice chat with Tim who was gracious enough to provide me with few tips about riding in the area.

Highly recommended.

I got my titanium travel bike from Tim in 2012 and it has taken me 40,000kms or more since, including London-Edinburgh-London, Paris-Brest-Paris, Hokkaido 1200, Okayama 1200, Tour de Tasmania, etc.
Others have had a similarly good experiences. Whether it is wheels, a full bike, or just a rental/tour, highly recommend.

Tim was on hand to provide our every need for our trip from Tokyo to Kyoto. He spent much time with us setting up our bikes to our exact needs when collecting them and was able to provide great detail before flying out from the UK to Japan. In addition he offered a service to transport our bikes back from Kyoto to his shop without which we would not have been able to do our cycle! Highly recommended - Thanks Tim and GS Astuto!

This is probably the best bike shop you can find in Japan. Totally opposite of the usual Japanese-run bike store. Little inventory, but Tim will make everything happen for you. His flagship domain is wheel building (he is the official wheel builder for the Rapha Continental team). However, he also runs his own line of bike frames. Amazing, break-through stuff, and Tim won't screw you for sure. I have seen him repair 5 year old builds for free for his customers.

I have got my bike build from Tim and I tell you he is damm knowledgeable person he knows in and out about the bicycles. I have choose culprit rodi frame with Astuto carbon 40mm wheels. Such a great guy to do a business with.
Lot of frame and wheels options you can choose from.

Tim is a master wheel builder a has all the goodies true cyclists are after. Ceramic bearings, power meters, hand built aluminum and carbon wheels perfectly balanced and tensioned using a space age balancing machine and PK lie trying stand, tires by Soyo, Veloflex and don't forget about all Campy love going on. Stainless and Ti frames built by master builders, custom carbon frames and even bamboo frames and NeilPryde frames are all within reach. He is also a certified coach with USA Cycling.
I am a mechanic for a pro cycling team here in Japan and this is my go to shop for anything and the espresso machine is there for when you have a moment to chop it up about Tim's past days as an Elite Cyclist.
Bike fit by certified a professional is also on tap.
Vast information provided on the best cycling routes available make it a great place to go if visiting Japan from abroad. REAL racing bikes on rent too.
Everything the doctor ordered

Tim help me out with a bike for the day - and shared some fantastic local knowledge of where to ride. Great service and help - cannot recommend more highly!

Here is the route I followed:- head to the north shore of the river and follow along about 10km - switching over to the southern side before the river branches (bridge at route 18) - follow route 173 all the way to Takao station (173 had pretty light traffic - road surface was great as well).

Route 20 up to the Otatumi Pass was very special - it was great to see the buildings, traffic and people thin out, as I got out of the suburbs and into the countryside!

Stopped and had some ramen at the place on the top of the pass (Fujiya Ramen Restaurant) - delightful.

I kept going down and around the lake - explored both sides of the lake/river. Turned around at about 2.30pm - basically retraced my steps.

Bang on 100km - such a great ride!

Stopped in for lunch and was super impressed! Absolutely fantastic pork burrito and English breakfast. Everything offered was superb and local ingredients make up the majority of ingredients. Highly recommend for a day trip! Love the mountain views!