Tommy has been working as a bike mechanic at Blue Lug for over ten years and is currently building his own bicycle brand, UNVER, based in Tokyo, Japan. We first met him at Blue Lug’s Yoyogi Park store, and we’ve never missed a chance to catch up whenever we’re back in Japan.
To mark the opening, Tommy answered a few of our questions and shared a glimpse into his world through his own perspective.
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what you do? 自分自身について、そして普段どんなことをしているのか、少し教えてください?
I’m a mechanic at BLUE LUG and also the designer/director of the bicycle brand UNVER TOKYO, where I make bicycle frames.
I’ve loved bicycles and cars for as long as I can remember. Fixed-gear bikes are my favorite, and I love riding through the streets of Tokyo. But I also enjoy touring, camping, and riding trails, so I somehow ended up with way too many bicycles, haha.
Outside of bikes, I’m also really into cars. I’ve had a VW Golf Mk2 (1990) for eight years, and recently I got a Porsche 911SC (1978). Both were dream cars of mine since I was a kid, so now they’re basically medicine for my soul, haha.
I also love film cameras, especially compact cameras. I like using them to casually capture everyday life as I see it.
バイクショップ ブルーラグ メカニック
バイクブランド UNVER TOKYO デザイナー/ディレクター。自転車に乗ること、クルマでドライブをする事が大好き。自転車はFixed Gear Bikeが1番お気に入り。UNVER TOKYOというブランドを始めて、フレームを作っているよ。クルマは8年乗っているVW Golf mk2(1990)と最近ゲットしたPorsche 911SC(1978)。子供の頃からクルマが大好きで、この2台は僕の夢だった。今では僕の心を癒すの薬だよ笑
そして車に自転車を乗せて色々なところに行くのが本当に最高！
車と自転車は僕にすごく良い景色を見せてくれるし、素晴らしい経験や出会いを与えてくれるんだ。実際に自転車はモレンドと出会うキッカケになったしね！
自転車と車が僕のアイコンだし、僕の必需品かな！
あとはカメラも好きだからその事も書いておくよ。フィルムカメラが好きで、今まで撮った作品を送るよ。特にコンパクトカメラで、思うがままに日常を切り取るのが良いと思ってる。
What bicycle have you been riding lately for your daily life? 最近、普段の生活でどんな自転車に乗っていますか？
Fixed gear is still my favorite, and I often ride around the streets of Tokyo with it. Recently, though, I’ve also been taking longer rides, sometimes doing 100 km round trips just to visit a hot spring.
I like having different bikes for different things, whether it’s riding around the city, going on tours, camping, or hitting the trails.
東京のストリートを走るのが好きなんだけど、最近は温泉に入る為に往復100km走ったりしているよ。
Fixed Gear以外ももちろん好きで、ツーリングしたり、キャンプしたり、トレイルを走りに行ったり自転車が沢山ありすぎて大変なんだ 笑
