It had been converted to flat bars and the wheels were different. The Fuji Finest is a superb example of a classic vintage Japanese racing bike in the traditional European style.Ī few years later, I encountered the same exact bike in the North Beach area of San Francisco parked in front of cafe. One interesting and clever detail is the chain hanger built into the cable stop for the rear derailleur that keeps the chain off the ground when removing the rear wheel. Some of the decals were missing and I found replacements. I switched from the tubular wheelset to a vintage MAVIC clincher wheelset with rare Specialized hubs and this bike still rides exceptionally well for when it was made. Although outmoded now by today's standards with STI, the Suntour shifter design still works remarkably well. The Power Shifters were a precursor to index shifters probably added in the 80s. It had been retrofitted with Suntour "Power Shift" ratchet shifters on the down tube of the frame. The tubular tires still held air, but tires needed replacing. The geometry is very responsive and stiff. This Fuji was originally a racing model, second to the Fuji Professional.
![fuji bikes vintage fuji bikes vintage](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/5e/13/f8/5e13f832c632302caa591f60467f73be.jpg)
I'd recently acquired a 1973 Fuji Finest with almost all original components, including the (super lightweight) tubular wheelset and rare original Fuji Belt leather saddle. Vintage Fuji, even their better models have never quite had the same status as European bikes, but many of which beyond the lowest end models are fairly good.Īs a follow-up to my last post on cotton handlebar tape, here's more of the story. One Fuji bike led another and as of this writing I've rebuilt at least 10 other Fuji bikes.
![fuji bikes vintage fuji bikes vintage](https://i.ebayimg.com/thumbs/images/g/QokAAOSwntdhJl9c/s-l300.jpg)
My first was an 80s Palisade I acquired around 2004, a bike I still use daily as a commuter. I was late to becoming familiar with 80s era Fuji bikes. An affinity for particular bicycle brands is something that can be attained only over a period of time.