Big and yellow: those were my requirements. When I moved from the punishing hills of Brisbane to the gentle flats of inner Melbourne, I was excited by the prospect of a new bike. I had saved for the move, for the rental bond, for the certain period of unemployment, and for a bike. All I wanted was a big, yellow bike.
When I laid out my requirements to a bike salesman in Fitzroy, he pointed to a big and yellow frame hanging on the wall and I would’ve kissed him, but he had tofu in his beard.
It’s an old Nishiki steel frame from the eighties. Nishiki was originally a Japanese company from Kobe. It changed owners over the years and is now in the Giant family. My bike is put together with Sakae parts, the same parts Nishiki frames took in the eighties, so it’s a very era-accurate machine.
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It’s a simple bike, easy to get your head around if you’re new to D.I.Y. bike maintenance. It is heavy as hell, but once you’re at speed, you stay at speed. Its frame is weathered and chipped in places but, regardless, it’s an elegant-looking bicycle.
My big yellow bike certainly has its quirks, but in the end it's a lovely ride and every day I think of that bearded and bespectacled Fitzroyvian stereotype and thank him.
Check out our other articles from this series:
Meet Our Graphics Guy and His Custom S-Works Tarmac
Meet Our Content Writer and His Scott Speedster 50
Meet One of Our Mountain Bike Guys and His Kona Big Kahuna
Meet Our Media/Comms Guy and His Trek Speed Concept 7.8
Meet Our Editor and Her Custom BMC SLR01
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