The Trove goes beyond being an ordinary Japanese city bike, adding a little extra adventure to everyday life.

This custom version retains the convenience needed for shopping, commuting, and getting to school, while making weekend detours and slightly longer routes even more enjoyable.

Stable 26×1.95-inch tires, an easy-to-use six-speed drivetrain, and a staggered frame that is simple to mount and dismount. It combines everyday urban comfort with just a touch of touring and gravel-bike character.

It does not need to be an extreme performance build, but it should still feel personal. True to the phrase “Dig Into Your Local,” the Trove brings small discoveries to familiar roads. Here, we introduce a practical custom example and the ideas behind it.

【OUTLET】Lit Trove Custom Ver. I

【Price】¥168,000 including tax ⇒ SALE ¥134,400 including tax
【Color】Fog Blue
【Size / Recommended Rider Height】420 / 158-173cm

The Trove: Reimagining Japan’s Everyday City Bike

The Trove began with a simple idea: what if Japan’s familiar mamachari could become something more free and enjoyable?

As bicycle enthusiasts, we have often focused our attention on sports bikes and may not have given enough appreciation to the everyday city bike that is so deeply rooted in Japanese life.

Yet the mamachari is, in fact, a highly original style of bicycle that has evolved specifically around daily life in Japan.

The Trove also belongs to this broad category of everyday city bikes, but it clearly steps away from the conventional template.

It retains the approachable, easygoing character that riders expect from a practical city bike, while adding 26-inch MTB-standard tires, front and rear caliper brakes, bottle-cage mounts, and a dedicated center-stand mount.

By incorporating elements inspired by touring and gravel bikes, the Trove offers a fresh alternative that is not restricted by traditional ideas of what a mamachari should be.

The theme behind the Trove is “Dig Into Your Local,” adding small adventures and discoveries to everyday life.

It was designed not simply as transportation, but as a companion for enjoying the places around you.

Leave your usual route for a while. Follow the river a little farther upstream, or explore the road beyond the familiar edge of town. Small detours like these may reveal personal treasures you have never noticed before.

A bicycle can make an ordinary day feel slightly more special. The Trove was created to make that experience accessible to more people, as an urban cruiser designed for city riding and a little more.

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A Detailed Review of the Trove Custom Parts

The standard Trove deliberately uses a clean and simple setup without a basket, fenders, or a chain cover.

At the same time, it is designed to accept a wide range of accessories, including racks and fenders, making it an excellent base for customization.

For this build, we made full use of that potential and created a thoroughly customized example.

▼Custom Parts List

• Grips: RINDOW TARUGATA VINTAGE STYLE GRIP (PVC) (GUM BROWN)
• Handlebar: GIZA AL081 Handlebar
• Saddle: BROOKS FLYER (HONEY)
• Tires: FAIRWEATHER for Cruise Tire (Cream/Skin) 26×1.75
• Fenders: SimWorks by HONJO Smooth 60 for 26″
• Pedals: MKS XC-III Bear Trap Pedal (Titanium/Silver)
• Brake and Shift Housing: NISSEN
• Front Rack: NITTO Rivendell 52F-2 Basket Rack
• Bottle Cage: KING CAGE Stainless Steel Cage

Grips

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• RINDOW｜TARUGATA VINTAGE STYLE GRIP (PVC) - GUM BROWN
  The TARUGATA grip features a distinctive oval shape with a pleasantly nostalgic appearance.
  
  It pairs naturally with leather saddles and vintage-inspired bicycles. The translucent Gum Brown color looks especially attractive alongside a leather saddle.
  
  Made from PVC, the grips are also resistant to becoming sticky over time, helping them maintain a comfortable feel through extended use.

Handlebar

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• GIZA｜AL081 Handlebar
  This handlebar is distinguished by a softer, more flowing curve than the standard model.
  
  Its compact 580mm width makes it easy to handle through narrow streets and crowded urban areas. A 50mm rise and 59-degree backsweep help reduce strain on the wrists and shoulders while creating a natural and comfortable upright riding position.

Saddle

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• BROOKS｜FLYER - HONEY
  The FLYER is a sprung version of the legendary B17 saddle made by BROOKS, the long-established British brand founded in 1866.
  
  BROOKS leather saddles are known for feeling firm when new before gradually molding to the rider. The FLYER adds springs beneath the saddle, providing a more comfortable feel from the beginning while retaining the classic appearance and long-term appeal of leather.

Tires

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• FAIRWEATHER｜For Cruise Tire - Cream/Skin 26×1.75
  This special tire was jointly developed by FAIRWEATHER and Japanese tire manufacturer Panaracer.
  
  Based on the classic Pasela, it features a cream-colored tread and tan sidewalls that create a distinctly traditional appearance.
  
  At 26×1.75, it is wider than the tires used on many conventional utility bikes, providing reassuring stability and a comfortable feel for relaxed riding through the city.
  
  The calm, understated appearance of the skin sidewalls is also an excellent match for the Trove.

Fenders

SimWorks by HONJO｜Smooth 60 for 26″
These fenders are made by Honjo Koken, a Japanese manufacturer founded in 1949. They have been fitted to a wide variety of bicycles, including randonneur bikes, tourers, and sport-touring models. Their beauty has earned them a reputation as some of the finest mudguards in the world, attracting admiration from cyclists internationally.

The aluminum construction gives them a refined finish. Installation requires careful shaping, drilling, and fine adjustment, but the final fit is exceptional. Once fitted to the Trove, they immediately give the bike a more polished and distinctly classic appearance.

Pedals

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• MKS｜XC-III Bear Trap Pedal - Titanium/Silver
  This model is a modern reinterpretation by Japanese manufacturer MKS of the celebrated SUNTOUR XC-II pedal, which was widely popular during the 1980s and 1990s.
  
  The aggressively toothed bear-trap cage holds the sole securely and provides excellent grip. It retains a classic appearance while offering improved precision and durability, making it suitable for everything from city riding to more adventurous outings.
  
  A broad selection of colors also makes it easy to coordinate the pedals with the style of your bike.

Brake and Shift Housing

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• NISSEN Cable
  NISSEN is a Japanese cable manufacturer based in Kishiwada, Osaka. Its exceptionally flexible housing reduces unnecessary resistance on the inner cable, resulting in very smooth operation.
  
  The brand also offers an unusually broad range of colors, allowing the housing to be coordinated with almost any bicycle. It is an ideal component for a custom build that values both function and appearance.

Front Rack

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• NITTO Rivendell｜52F-2 Basket Rack
  This front rack was commissioned by RIVENDELL BICYCLE WORKS of Walnut Creek, California, and manufactured by the long-established Japanese component maker NITTO.
  
  Its distinctive dull-plated finish produces a soft metallic luster, while slender 9mm chromoly tubing and smooth fillet-brazed joints provide both an elegant appearance and excellent durability.
  
  Unlike a traditional basket with raised sides, this is a flat porter-style rack. Luggage can be placed directly on the platform and secured with Voile straps, or a basket such as a WALD can be added later. It is a versatile rack that creates plenty of room for further customization.

Bottle Cage

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• KING CAGE｜Stainless Steel Cage
  This celebrated stainless-steel bottle cage is handmade in Durango, Colorado, USA.
  
  It combines the strength and durability of stainless steel with a lightweight construction. Compared with many aluminum cages, it flexes less and holds the bottle more securely. Its clean and elegant design brings together dependable practicality and understated beauty.

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Conclusion

Its foundation may be the Japanese mamachari, but the Trove is more than a simple means of transportation.

This urban cruiser was created from the desire to add something extra to city riding and help more people enjoy everyday life through cycling.

It is not a bike designed to race over mountain passes, conquer technical trails, or win competitions.

Instead, it lets you connect with the city, enjoy spontaneous detours, experience nature through all five senses, and make familiar days feel richer. That is the appeal of the Trove.

In this article, we introduced a wide range of custom details to help you imagine how the Trove could become a bike that feels even more personal.

We hope it provides inspiration for creating a Trove that is entirely your own.

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▼ Lit Trove Custom Features