I built a wheel for a friend who had this old Fuji Special Road Racer leaning in the corner of his garage. I admired it out loud and he gave it to me. He has plenty of other bikes anyway and wanted the space more than a dusty, broken bike.

The rear rim was cracked. I figured I would salvage the crankset, because it's a 110mm bolt circle with holes for a third chain ring. I also fancied the Nitto I-beam style stem. I had plans to sell the frame on Craig's List after stripping the good stuff.


After looking at it for a while, I realized it might be worth saving as an entire bike instead of cannibalizing it.




I happened to have a spare 27" rear wheel . I installed the wheel, replaced the rear derailleur, and tuned lots of items. I didn't remove a single item for my own use. Each time I worked on it, I began to like it more and more. The checker board Fuji sticker caught my eye every time I walked in the garage.


The rusty finish became beautiful to me. The faded yellow is not available on any bikes today. It reminds me of the '65 Mustang my dad brought home when I was a little guy. All the neighbor guys gathered around to see the Mustang. It was a similar light yellow color. He was the coolest dad in the neighborhood that day and I was his proud son.

Too bad this bike way too big for me. Even if I pushed the seat down all the way, it would be too tall. Somebody else needs it. I rode it and it feels really light -- in a way that none of my bikes matches. If it were my size, I'd love to keep it for regular rides. Maybe there's a 56cm Special Road Racer out there for me somewhere.