Classic & Vintage - Best of the old and new: 1981 Fuji Gran Tourer SE

Ok, the title is a little misleading. The Gran Tourer was hardly Fuji's finest offering, nor do I have the budget to buy the best of modern components. Nevertheless, I would like to share my 1981 Fuji Gran Tourer SE updated with a selection of modern components.

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7030/6615739065_11635111bc.jpg

More photos (http://www.flickr.com/photos/devinf/sets/72157628670721567/)

Some modern highlights include a new wheelset (hurray for aluminum rims!), a generator hub, and LED lighting. At the same time, the original brakes work great and the Nitto Olympiad bars are very comfy. While not original to the bike, the NOS downtube shifters give a nod to classic functionality and clean lines, as do the home made rack and bag combo.

This bike was from a his 'n' hers pair I was given on the promise to get them up and running again. As budget allows, I look forward to getting the "hers" (a silver Gran Tourer SE mixte) on the road with similar trappings.

Happy New Year!

Other than the seat angle, it looks great!

232240I've got a 77 myself. A great light bike and it seems they made a lot of them in extended sizes . Mines getting a repaint into Burgundy when the weather turns nice .http://i1230.photobucket.com/albums/ee493/GravityAided/FujiGrandTourer2.jpg

Great work, and I really love that bag for some reason! It's very organic-looking and a nice contrast to modern bags that look like they were made by robots.

Well done, that's one lucky Fuji.

Scott

Nice job on the front rack, sometimes home made gets you exactly what you need.

I am suprised you got those big Panracers and fenders to fit.

Other than the seat angle, it looks great!

This is a WSD (wide sit-bones design?) saddle from my wife's Trek. Before the wheelset upgrade, I had a Brooks Champion Flyer on here. I loved the look and the springs, but I always found myself riding on the rivets, not the leather. After trying a few different saddles sitting in the bin, this was the best of the worst, and this position puts is the the least objectionable. Getting new wheels was a higher priority. I'll move on to the contact points next: saddle, pedals, bar height and position.

232240I've got a 77 myself. A great light bike and it seems they made a lot of them in extended sizes.

When I got the bike from the original owner (a tall person as well), he said the availability of a very large size was one reason he got the Fuji.

The background in your photo looks very familiar. I'm in Champaign. I'll keep my eyes open for a black or burgundy Fuji when I'm out riding to the North and West. :-)

Great work, and I really love that bag for some reason! It's very organic-looking and a nice contrast to modern bags that look like they were made by robots.

Thanks. Given that it's 100% wool, I'd say its very organic indeed. :-)

Superb! I love retro touring bikes.

I am suprised you got those big Panracers and fenders to fit.

You and me both. On the whole, the clearance was quite good. With the original 27" wheels, clearance was adequate, and the shift to 700c helped a little as well. The fork has great lateral and vertical clearance, though the fender had to be bent to take a better line in front of the fork crown. The problem spot in the rear was the brake bridge. I decided to cut the rear fender and use brackets to span the gap. I may still cut new a stay for the rear fender to get a little more room at the end (this stay was cut before the fenders were chopped in two), but it seems to work now. Folks with less tolerance for tight fits should probably use a smaller sized tire, or a larger fender.


http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6620876305_d1c024ab14.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/devinf/6620876305/)

For reasons unknown, this image was not included in the original upload.