Commuting - Fuji Osaka or Kyoto

Has anyone seen the Fuji commuter bikes Osaka and or Kyoto for sale here in the United States?

according to the Fuji website, those bikes are only available in Japan and European countries...

I did my best to replicate the these bikes with my Fuji Supreme. Got the butterfly bars, rear rack, and fenders cheap from Nashbar. And I just added a generator light this weekend. I'll post pic's later. Tell me what you think, ok?

Sure will. I am planning to do the same with my '70's era Fuji Finest and Ace. These bikes are set up for 27" tubuler tires and I hope to put 26" rear wheels I have laying around with shimano/Sturmey hubs on them. You would think the bike companies would see there is a market for these bikes but I guess not.

In case anyone wants to know, I e-mailed Fuji and asked them when they are going to sell these in the United States-I have not yet received an answer.

Well, here's my 2002 Fuji Supreme.

...And the rear view.

wow, those are some strange-looking handlebars.

..and i thought moustache bars were wacky.

I know! They're either called "Butterfly" or "Bowtie" bars. They use them on city bikes over in Europe and Japan alot, it seems. And I believe the Schwinn Criss Cross from many years back used these exact same bars. Basically they're just straight bars with built-in bar-ends that curve over the top. The extra top bar really helps make for a comfortable ride. My next little project for this bike is to add these weird brake levers that bend upwards at the ends, so you can brake while holding the "bar end" part of the handlebars. To do that I need a 7-speed revo-twist shifter, which seem to be in short supply.

REI sells equips their "Safari" 26" touring bike with those bars. This has always struck me as a pretty good candidate for a commuting bike, needing only fenders and lights.

They sell the bars separately for $20.

Hey Beatswalking, lookl like you have a real good commuter, are you going to add an internal gear hub?

Nah, I'm happy with my 21 exposed gears. :-) I do have a chaincover that should fit over my front deraillier, however. I'll put that on as soon as I figure out how to remove and re-install my crank.

Originally posted by Rich Clark
REI sells equips their "Safari" 26" touring bike with those bars. This has always struck me as a pretty good candidate for a commuting bike, needing only fenders and lights.

They sell the bars separately for $20.

I commute on a Safari, with added fenders and lights and it rules. Also great for the bit of touring I've done so far. Especially nice if you hit some gravel, dirt roads, trials etc. The Butterfly bars have been great for long rides. The saddle needed immediate replacement though.

I commuted for years on an old Specialized MTN bike, and I chose the Safari based on what I liked/disliked about that with touring as an additional factor. Plus here in WA we have a lot of great Rail/Trail paths that are hardpacked gravel, and I wanted a bike that would handle that well.

I know this thread is years old, but thought I ought to mention that there's a shop here in Eugene with a bunch of Fuji Osaka's for sale. Standard and step-through, front and rear suspension, 7-speed Nexus hub, Shimano Dyno hub with auto-on headlight, racks, fenders, kickstand, adjustable stem. $530! A lot of bike for the money. WheelWorks, here in Eugene, Oregon.

Kurt

Nice, I love it when someone necropost. :)

Can somebody repost the pics, please.

Just to add in, our shop sells the Kyoto 2.0, but I do not recomend it. I recomend just getting an older steel roubaix and adding a rack or getting the Crosstown 2.0 and adding the lights and rack. I don't like the shimano dynamo front hub.

It would have been cheaper for me to buy a new Fuji Kyoto than to buy my used Ciocc, but I bought the Ciocc and I'm much happier having done so.