Targeted Marketing...
So, I decided to check Fuji's web site to see if they still offer the Silhouette model. Alas, they don't. However, they do seem to have something very similar.
Talk about something designed to appeal specifically to me. The Absolute DX! It's not quite the same bike, though. The Silhouette was classed as a road bike, with road bike tires and equipment. The Absolute is classed as a hybrid, and it's got slightly wider tires (although nowhere near the width of the Univega). It's short a rear gear (eight instead of nine), and is a little heavier (okay, only three pounds, but I like being able to lift the Widowmaker with one finger). The heavier comes from using a lesser grade of aluminum for the frame, and steel for the fork. The Absolute LX addresses some of that, so it's closer to what I want, and would probably be my preference even over the Silhouette except for one teensy little detail. The Absolutes both come with twist shifters instead of the thumb-operated quick shifters I very much prefer. That could be a deal breaker. Will have to see them in person.
For comparison, this is the Silhouette:
Talk about something designed to appeal specifically to me. The Absolute DX! It's not quite the same bike, though. The Silhouette was classed as a road bike, with road bike tires and equipment. The Absolute is classed as a hybrid, and it's got slightly wider tires (although nowhere near the width of the Univega). It's short a rear gear (eight instead of nine), and is a little heavier (okay, only three pounds, but I like being able to lift the Widowmaker with one finger). The heavier comes from using a lesser grade of aluminum for the frame, and steel for the fork. The Absolute LX addresses some of that, so it's closer to what I want, and would probably be my preference even over the Silhouette except for one teensy little detail. The Absolutes both come with twist shifters instead of the thumb-operated quick shifters I very much prefer. That could be a deal breaker. Will have to see them in person.
For comparison, this is the Silhouette: