Bikes Outside: Fuji Mount

It has been a while since we've gone downtown for Bikes Outside, so this morning finds us a stone's throw from the northeast corner of Bushnell Park, where this well-preserved old Fuji was locked up.

The all-steel wheels and cottered cranks suggest this was at the lower end of Fuji's offerings in its day, but the details in the half-chromed fork and handsome lugged frame show that budget-minded customers were not starved for quality or aesthetic appeal.

Green is my favorite color for a bike, and I'm usually game for an odd shade, the more dated the better. In that sense, the acidic lime hue of this Special Tourer does not disappoint. Very much at home with said color are the three-bolt chainrings, centerpull brakes, stem shifters, and 27" wheels with plenty of clearance for fenders. It's an unabashed 1970s period piece, and I love it. While I'm disappointed that Fuji no longer offers such a color, they have not forgotten their roots. Their site shows that they still make an old school chromoly-framed touring bike, as part of their retrogrouch-pleasing "Classic Series" They simply call it "Touring" now, but it's still pretty special.