The Bikes We Meet

We see cool bikes around town every once in a while. I had the presence of mind to snap a quick picture of this Panasonic Touring Deluxe that I spotted chained up to the racks at Walnut and Jefferson. Later in the afternoon, I happened to walk past this bike again with my son. Even from across the street, he noticed this machine (he asked if it was mine; I told him "I wish."). I've developed a fondness for these old touring rigs, and the Panasonics are among my favorites. I have no particular reason for this affinity...they're just so cool. These bikes can still be sold for decent prices if they're in good shape. This particular specimen is probably an early-to-mid 80s model, and I'd guess it could fetch $300 or more on the open market. I also wanted to check out what other restorers were doing with these bikes and came across this very fine resto-mod at N+1 Cycle. And while it's not the same model, this Pro Touring resto-mod is also very handsome.

In other cool-bikes-around-town news, props to my employer, Mercy, for these badass emergency services bikes that Ginger spotted at Rock n' Ribs on Friday. It's hard to tell in the picture above, but these rigs have front-facing emergency lights. If I had to guess, I'd say they may also have rear-facing lights as well. The Star of Life on the forks is also a nice touch.