“Mama-Chari” have any of you ever heard that word before?
“Mama” just means “mom” and “Chari” is a casual way of saying the bicycle in Japanese.
Fun fact, no one knows the origin of why bikes are called “Chari”, even though the word is used since after WW2. The correct term for bicycle in Japanese would be, “Jitensha”. Nothing is related in those both words. Weird right?

Let’s get back on track here. So, if you translate “Mama-Chari” English, it would be “Mom Bike”. Bikes for moms!
If you been to Japan once or if you know some bits about Japanese culture, you would probably can picture what I’m talking about.

This is what a Mama-Chari looks like. Did it ring a bell for ya?
Typically, the mom bike is a step through type bike that has rear racks, plastic front baskets, front and rear fenders and a huge kickstand on the rear. And they’re unbelievably cheap.

A bit stereotypical but these kind of bikes were rode by moms from ages ago.
This is literally their “everyday bikes” as we like to say.
It is safe to say that these “Mama Bikes” are the most traditional bikes in Japan.

In fact, they’re not just bikes for moms. It’s more like bikes for Japanese families.
If you were to visit a Japanese home there’s bound to be at least one “Mama-Chari” parked on their porch.

But WHY THE HELL am I taking about this? Well, that’s because our latest creation from the Blue Lug Sewing team is heavily inspired by the Mama-Chari culture.

Introducing the Handle Covers!

In Japan, there are dozens of “Mama-chari” related bike accessories in the market. And this is one of them.
Around November, the Mama-Chari riders start to equip this cover to protect their hands from the freezing cold breeze.
Of course we new about this bike accessory, but they just wouldn’t fit the bikes we ride.
But hey, we’re a bike shop based in Japan! Why not make our own that fits the bikes that we love and respect our own culture!


The Handle Covers will fit perfectly with the swept back handlebars, like the Losco bar, Bosco bar, and Choco bars.


Here are pictures of our Handle Covers on an actual Mama-Chari!
They will fit an actual Mama Bike, but if the bike has a big shifter levers or bells around the handlebars, it’s more likely to not fit.


Just two simple velcro belts to attach!

Be sure to place the outer cables in the proper position so that the cold wind doesn’t get your hand.

One other awesome feature for these Handle Covers are that they are water proof!
There are tarpaulin nylon fabric sandwiched with X-PAC or waxed canvas on top and a warm fleece material on the inside.

Gloves are nice. But not so much in the rain.
I think we’ve all been in that situation where you ride in the rain with gloves and by the time you reach your destination, you can’t even feel your hands. It really sucks.

But that won’t be a problem anymore with the Handle covers! You can even get rid of the time to put gloves on!

People out of Japan may not be that familiar with the Handle Covers, but trust me it’s NICE.
Give it a try! I bet this will become your essential item for the winter!