Fuji is one of the oldest bicycle brands on the planet, and its catalogue of bikes is as vast as any manufacturer out there. The Feather sits in its urban range, coming in at a very reasonable £399/$530 for the steel-framed singlespeed or fixed-gear city bike. For the relatively low pricetag, you get a lovely, classic-looking bike, which is comfy yet nippy around town.
There are no branded components, which is to be expected at this price point, but the components you do get feel tough and are all finished to a high standard, like the timeless quill stem and ‘aero’ style alloy seatpost. That said, though great looking, the post is extremely short and offers virtually no movement in height, so you’ll want to make sure you choose wisely when picking a frame size.
The forks are a flat crowned, extremely vintage style, but feel tough when being beaten around the city streets. Wheels come in the form of a v-shaped alloy rim laced to a barely sealed ball-bearing hub – not perfect for a city bike, but another way Fuji has kept the price low on the Feather. Just make sure you look after the bike and these hubs will roll smoothly for years; it’s the same with the ball-bearing threaded headset.
The bike comes ready for singlespeed or fixed-gear use as a freewheel and fixed sprocket lockring come in the box, as do both front and back Tektro brakes. Stopping power is plenty enough from the alloy brakes and levers, which sit on top of a classic road-shaped handlebar, offering a good amount of hand positions, although it would have been nice to see a full run of bar tape as opposed to the track grips, which only give cover to the drops of the bars.
The angles aren’t the steepest, but definitely not the slackest of city bikes we’ve ridden, so you enjoy a real sense of speed and responsiveness when riding through traffic, with equal measures of comfort whilst perched upon the padded retro style saddle, which is colour matched to the grips for that real throwback look.
Our frame came in a lovely British racing-green finish, but there are a number of paint finishes available in the Feather, which is a rarity from most big bike brands these days. Fuji also offers a chrome-plated option for the more ostentatious rider.
There really isn’t much negative to say about the Feather. You get a great value-for-money bike, from a well-known and trusted brand, which packs some good-quality components; the ride quality is decent, and gives you a great amount of confidence whether you’re battling with traffic or out enjoying a countryside cruise.
The seatpost length reflects that of a vintage bike, and is definitely the biggest niggle with the build but, aside from that, the Feather is a pleasure to ride. And as you’d expect from a bike of this style, a breeze to look after.