Fifty Plus (50+) - Meet my Fuji Thrill

As mentioned on another thread, I purchased a Craigslist Fuji Thrill tonight, for $30. It needs a fair amount of work to get it in running condition, but I must say that it looks far less complicated than the bikes I'm riding now.

The earliest information I have found on the web on the Fuji Thrill was 1993, and I think this bike predates that. For example, the '93 was a seven-speed, and mine is a six speed.

The front DR is a Shimano Biopace SG. The RD and the brakes are labeled EXAGE COUNTRY, which I've never heard of. The frame is cromoly. The cranks are 175s, and I haven't measured the bike for size yet. I'm guessing it's a Large or about a 56mm.

The tires are rideable but trash. The wheels may need truing as well. Where does a beginner, in terms of bike repair / maintenance, begin with a bike like this? After I clean it up, what's my next step? (Told you there'd be a lot of questions!)

Look about 1/4th of the way down this page to see a 1985 Fuji Thrill

http://wildlifeuk.net/blogs/kingfisher/2007/09/

I'm not a bike mechanic (and I don't play one on TV, either) but I would develop a relationship with a mechanic in your area, and let him know what your intentions are. He can guide you as to what priorities you should have, and what tools to buy. If you buy the tools and parts from his shop, then it's an equitable trade-off.

Post lots of close up pictures.

Though I've been tinkering with bikes since childhood, I don't
consider myself a mechanic. That being said, I purchased a
couple of do-it-your self bicycle repair books and found them
to be very easy to follow and very helpful. Your LBS can
probably suggest a title or two and set you up with some
basic tools, tire levers, basic wrenches etc. You want to start
with basic jobs such as changeing the tires and tubes and
learning to adjust the deraileurs and brakes. These are readily
learned tasks and if you can't pick them up from the books
your mech. will most likely be glad to help you. Leave Bottom
Bracket work and wheel truing and dishing for the experts for now.

Happy trails on your new steed :)

The front DR is a Shimano Biopace SG. The RD and the brakes are labeled EXAGE COUNTRY, which I've never heard of.

The Biopace was developed as an idea to help with knee pain. Some people say it really works. They have a following.

Whenever I start to do something to one of my bikes that I am not sure about, I go to these websites first.

Sheldon Brown has more good info about anything to do with bicycles than anyone on the internet. About the most important link anyone interested in bicycling could have.
http://sheldonbrown.com/repair/index.html
http://sheldonbrown.com/home.html

Park Tools has an extremely helpful repair site. It shows you what tools you'll need and what to do with them. Just click on the part of the bike you want to work on.
http://www.parktool.com/repair/

If you are learning to maintain a bike, I suggest getting a good bike repair book in addition to the online resources. Park's Blue Book and Zinn and the Art of Road (or Mountain) Bike Maintenance are usually recommended.

Geez, I'm jealous. On the DC Craigslist, there are never any $30 or $50 decent rigid mtb's...even the Magnas are asking more than that.

Sheldon says:

Exage ("EXcellence" + "New AGE") This was divided into Exage Country and Exage Trail at one time. The first group to feature front indexing, roughly comparable to Acera-X/Alivio.

+1 for Zinn and the Art of _ Bike Maintainence. If you aren't planning on getting into suspension bikes the "road" version is a better choice. They have both at my neighborhood library so you might want to check there. Once you grasp the concepts in the book you can use the park tools web site for reference. Also, this site is supposed to be good:

http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/fix/

re biopace - I have a bike with it (1st gen deore XT) and I don't really notice it one way or the other. What I do notice is that for road use (I have my MTB set up with slicks and fenders) I only have about 3 useful gears. The rest are too low. When I used to pull the kids in the trailer the low gears came in handy but the "kids" are bigger than me now :)

Wow. Biopace. And a freewheel. Threaded headset, I bet. But I don't think the bike is old enough for you to join The Wheelmen.

My motto is "......IF YOU KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING ABOUT IT, WORK ON IT ANYWAY...." and if it doesn't fit, then force it. Or get a bigger hammer.

This could be the challenge of 2008...................Can the forum lead DG through the maze of bicycle repairs and :eek: tools :eek: without the Earth's orbit changing, or massive storms in California, or.....................hmmm, it could already be too late.

You can do it DG, and we can help.

Clean it up, lube, get the saddle and bars adjusted and ride it! See how it does. Check the chain for stretch, replace if necessary. Can the wheels spin without rubbing on the brakes? What shape are the brake pads in? I'm guessing it probably has cantilever brakes, if so and they are the long ones do you have any heel clearance issues? Resist the urge to upgrade anything that isn't broken or worn out. Steel rigid mtb's are fun and will make you a good rider.

Cool...looks like a real Chick Magnet too.

Here's some pix...the bike needs a LOT of work. :(

Less likely to be stolen if you keep the mismatched tires. And the spoke protector.

Less likely to be stolen if you keep the mismatched tires. And the spoke protector.

:beer:

Geez, I'm jealous. On the DC Craigslist, there are never any $30 or $50 decent rigid mtb's...even the Magnas are asking more than that.

OK, I lied. Tonight I bought a 1991 Bridgestone MB-4 for $60, and the seller threw in a like-new frame pump and cable lock. This bike is going to become an Xtracycle (http://xtracycle.com/), if it's in good enough shape.

After removing some ugly fenders and a bent front basket, here she is, in all her red glory:

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee64/divingbiker/bike%20photos/bridgestonemtb1.jpg

OK, I lied. Tonight I bought a 1991 Bridgestone MB-4 for $60, and the seller threw in a like-new frame pump and cable lock. This bike is going to become an Xtracycle (http://xtracycle.com/), if it's in good enough shape.

After removing some ugly fenders and a bent front basket, here she is, in all her red glory:

http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/ee64/divingbiker/bike%20photos/bridgestonemtb1.jpg

THAT IS A GREAT FIND!!!!

We need to start a rigid club! It has* to be a trend.

I believe divingbiker has just 1-upped Solveg & DG.

Yes!

This Fuji Thrill thread is just so old hat now.

I believe divingbiker has just 1-upped Solveg & DG.

Hey, that wasn't my intention! I just wanted to share in the fun!

Shoot, I'm sharing in the fun just knowing you got a Bridgestone! I think it's just terrific!

Hey, that wasn't my intention! I just wanted to share in the fun!

And you did! Welcome to the party!!! :)

OK, I lied. Tonight I bought a 1991 Bridgestone MB-4 for $60, and the seller threw in a like-new frame pump and cable lock. This bike is going to become an Xtracycle (http://xtracycle.com/), if it's in good enough shape.

DING DING DING!!!

We have a winner!

Here's some pix...the bike needs a LOT of work. :(


Nothing real obvious from the pictures. What have you noticed being wrong. I would get the tires to hold air and see how things work. Then I would get busy taking it apart, breaking it down as far as I could. Then clean every part as much as possible, lubing as needed. Then start putting it back together, deciding which parts, if any, need to be repaired or replaced.

DG,
You could remove that useless old spoke protector (i.e., dork disk) with one good smack of a hammer! And you might just want to check the alignment on that rear wheel a bit -- the tire looks like it is rubbing on the left chain stay!!

DG,
You could remove that useless old spoke protector (i.e., dork disk) with one good smack of a hammer! And you might just want to check the alignment on that rear wheel a bit -- the tire looks like it is rubbing on the left chain stay!!

It is...I rode the bike one block and the rear tire moved into that position. I centered it again (by hand) and another block and there it was again.

If you find a way to remove the dork disk intact, then send it to me.

Rear wheel quick release may be shot, not clamping tight enough to hold the wheel in place. Or it might just be loose.

I'm not a bike mechanic (and I don't play one on TV, either) but I would develop a relationship with a mechanic in your area, and let him know what your intentions are. He can guide you as to what priorities you should have, and what tools to buy. If you buy the tools and parts from his shop, then it's an equitable trade-off.

DG,

Though I assume members of this forum will tell you *everything* you need to know about fixing your bike, one thing I've found useful when I get stuck is a mobile bike repair service. I just googled for one in San Diego and found this:

http://www.brokenspokebikerepair.com/

A couple of times when I wanted to tackle things that were just over my head I resorted to a mobile bike repair guy that I've developed a relationship with. He fixes it in my driveway, letting me ask dozens of questions along the way and figure out *exactly* what I need to do.....in a shop, it always seems to me there is going to be a limit of one kind or another in figuring out they are really doing to your bike, but when he's doing it in your drive you can learn a lot. Also (since you're paying by the hour...) they're always happy to run through your other bike(s) and provide advice / help on things that you've been meaning to fix but weren't quite sure how to do.

I've tried to learn from books, websites and even taken a class or two...but nothing like watching a really smart mechanic work on your bike while you fire away w/questions.

Just a thought..

DG,

Though I assume members of this forum will tell you *everything* you need to know about fixing your bike, one thing I've found useful when I get stuck is a mobile bike repair service. I just googled for one in San Diego and found this:

http://www.brokenspokebikerepair.com/


Just a thought..

What a cool idea! I've bookmarked the site. Thanks!

Da guys down at the union hall have noticed dat da bike is blue........are we going to have a problem here?

DG,

I've tried to learn from books, websites and even taken a class or two...but nothing like watching a really smart mechanic work on your bike while you fire away w/questions.

+1. But if you don't have a mechanic to watch, just start messin' with it anyway. There's nothing to substitute for doing it wrong, starting over, doing it wrong again, trying something different, reading another book, etc. until you start to understand what's going on. Its hard (but not impossible!:() to do anything irreversible if you go slow and take digital pics of how things were originally set up and positioned.

+1. But if you don't have a mechanic to watch, just start messin' with it anyway. There's nothing to substitute for doing it wrong, starting over, doing it wrong again, trying something different, reading another book, etc. until you start to understand what's going on. Its hard (but not impossible!:() to do anything irreversible if you go slow and take digital pics of how things were originally set up and positioned.

DG, I'm the complete opposite, having never done anything mechanical before.

I'm on my 3rd bicycle repair class, just because whatever I'm working on never ends up matching what the books tell me to do. In class, the teacher is constantly saying something like, "Well, on YOURS, X has happened, so we have to do this first".

Plus, it's invaluable to have someone show you how much or little muscle you should use on any give thing. Some things you have to force, some things you have to baby. And when they tell you to lube something, some things you put a lot of grease in, other things you lightly grease. I love having someone there that I can check and say, "Am I right so far?" or "Check my work so far..."

Plus, you make friends with the mechanics of the shop, so when you're doing something at home, they'll let you watch in the shop and explain stuff when it's too much for you.

The trouble I get into most is trying to figure out what parts I can use with what. It's very confusing. Even chains are meant for different speeds. So I always bring the bike in to the shop for parts, even though it would be cheaper to order them on the internet. Someday I'll be able to, but right now it confuses me too much.

Anyway, the traveling bike repair guys are expensive, and you won't want to do that much. You can take a class for the cost of one visit. You must have a bike coop in your area. Those are the best, as they let you work on your own bike with their tools. Our coop charges something like $5/hour to rent a work area. Plus, they'll help you as much as they can while you're there, free of charge.

The other thing I'd recommend is getting a torque wrench. It's inexpensive, and it comes with a list of how much torque should be applied to any particular part. You can ruin your crank if you don't get it tight enough, but there are other things you can ruin by over-tightening.

Also, take lots of photos so you remember how things go back together. When you take apart small pieces, string them on a plastic twist tie in the order you're taking them off.

I just bought a similar Fuji Thrill for $40, including a Kryptonite lock, a rack, Zefal fenders, and a kickstand. Here it is:

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/csd/bik/694678094.html

The fenders sealed the deal, because I specifically bought this bike to ride on the beach. It is a seven speed, probably from about 1990, with Biopace, many Exage parts, including low-profile cantilevers. The drivetrain and spokes are very rusty, but the wheels are true, and everything works with the exception of the front shifter. I put a bunch of 3 in 1 oil on the chain and now it turns pretty smoothly (I don't want to waste my good teflon lube on this one). For the moment I have adjusted the FD stops so that it is fixed on the middle (38t) ring. But does anybody have any suggestions for fixing the early STI front shifter? When I press the upshift (to larger ring) lever, the der moves fine, but there is no click, and it does not hold--it just falls back to the small ring. I shot a bunch of WD40 in and worked the levers but nothing changed. Is there any value in taking it apart, or is something simply worn out? Also, if I decide to live with a non-shifting front der, I would like the option of getting off the bike and manually moving the chain over to the proper chainring (for example, if I'm going to do a big climb I'd like to move it onto the small ring). What's the best way to set this up? Using the limit adjust screws works, but I can imagine stripping out the screws after a few trips. I can imagine removing the spring in the FD, but I have a feeling that wouldn't work well. The shifters are 200GS, and the FD is Exage (or maybe it's the other way around).

Overall, the bike feels like a blast from the past. The stem is so short and the riding position consequently very upright, but again, maybe this is appropriate. Already it feels liberating to have a bike that can simply sit on the back patio, unlocked, propped on its kickstand, that I can just hop onto for a quick run somewhere. And if it gets stolen, who cares?