Just the other day, as I was returning from Kyoto late at night, I felt sympathy towards a foreigner who'd somehow managed to get into the Hankyu train station... with his very expensive looking racer. There aren't any ‘no bicycle' signs located in any of the train stations in Japan (that I've noticed anyway) so I could understand how he might have assumed that it was okay to take his racer with him. Unfortunately, although he had gotten as far as the tracks without anyone noticing, one of the station attendants did spot his bicycle before he was able to board the train. I overheard a bit of their discussion where the foreigner was explaining that he'd cycled to Kyoto from Osaka! Just thinking of the time and distance separating Kyoto from Osaka really impressed me. The downside was that he'd ridden all the way to Kyoto, burnt himself out, and didn't have the energy to make it back again.
I can think of several times where the same thing happened to me in Canada, where I'd been riding for several hours and exhausted myself before starting off on the return trip. The only difference is that in Canada it's okay to take your bicycle onto the public transportation system so long as it isn't during rush hour.
The station attendant looked surprised to hear such a story, and it wasn't hard to believe considering the matching cycling attire that the man was wearing and the fact that he looked absolutely exhausted, but rules were rules. Much to the dismay of the cyclist, he was forced to leave the station with his bicycle because bicycles are not allowed on the trains. Well, now I know why I've never seen a bicycle on a train.
I think that if that man had been riding a bicycle equipped with an electric-powered unit, he could have switched over to it upon wearing himself out. Some people that I've talked to think that those types of bicycles are for lazy people while others claim that they're useful in such a situation. While opinions are divided on electric bicycles, I think that having the option available could be a lifesaver if you ever find yourself with a leg cramp or lost in the middle of nowhere. After all, you can use the bicycle as you would a normal one when the electric power is not in use so it isn't so different from a regular bicycle. In fact, if I had such a bicycle, I might find myself venturing off further into the far reaches of Japan, and more often. It might just provide a sense of security that will encourage people to use bicycles to travel greater distances and more frequently.
In terms of pollution, regular bicycles are completely harmless to the environment so they seem like the logical choice for keeping the planet green and clean. They're also fun and help me stay active so I prefer cycling about as opposed to worrying about the traffic and gas consumption of driving a car. If I had my way, I'd have 3 or 4 bicycles in my possession for different purposes. One for shopping, another for racing, one more for going through rougher terrain, and an electric one for long unguided treks