Today’s entry, from Dave S, sports what has to be the plushest saddle I think I’ve ever seen. All you SDGCS lovers out there (ahem! Russ Z and  Joe B) can eat your heart out!

I found this Azuki tourist-10 at a second hand store several years back. I have read with interest the other submissions of Azukis, and wanted to add mine to the mix. It is now almost finished with its rehab, and I wanted to let others see it.

It is an Azuki tourist-10, and as near as I can tell it is from the early to mid seventies. The clue that I am basing that date on is the rear derailleur. It is a Suntour Honor, and the design matches that of the ones manufactured in those years, according to the photos on a website I found. Comments about the date welcome and appreciated…

The drivetrain is all suntour, the front derailleur is marked suntour “Spirt.” That is not my typo, if they meant “spirit” they mispelled it! Wheels are UKAIR2 27×1 1/4, and came with petrified 27×1 1/4–55psi blackwall tires. I have replaced them with Club Roost Cross Terras, 27×1 3/8–65psi, seemed appropriate for a 40lb ten speed! Brakes are shimano tourney with quick release, handlebar riser is WIN. Disassembling this bike and getting it lubed and tuned was a labor of love, and it came out as wierd and shiny as when it was new. It is mechanically like new, but it seems to have spent some time outdoors, and I did my best to take off the spotting of rust, especially on the pie plate, under the fenders, and the cotterred crank arms. Paint is in excellent shape, metallic silver gray, with perfect decals. The funky Troxel saddle came on it, thinking about changing it for a more conventional one from a Japanese Schwinn Traveler from the same vintage. If I keep it and ride it myself, I will probably put on some high pressure 27×1 1/4’s. It is not quite ready for a shakedown cruise, and we are still having wet spring snow up here in Hailey, Idaho…. I am still riding my unbreakable early nineties Scott Peak 12-speed.

My thanks to Gaige for his photo showing the mounting of the rear reflector. I wondered what that bracket I found stacked with the washers and spacers on the rear brake was for! I was thinking generator…I know I still have that around here somewhere…and I will glue the hot pink stickers back on the crank bolts too!

Thanks for the great site and discussion forum,

Dave

Thanks Dave