Fujijon

It began with a challenge from my wife to get in 5K running shape but after a few runs and a lot of knee pain... I was looking for a bike. One evening while out jogging I found a nice Fuji Cambridge VI leaning against a neighbor's tree with a for sale sign. I stopped to chat and ended up buying a nice bike for a good price (less than the price of a tank of gas) and most importantly making a new friend that has been a great help in fueling my love for tinkering with bikes. Well I got it home, set it up for cruising and have been enjoying the south Ohio breezes ever since.

So now my wife needs a bike and I'm searching CL. I find a simple ad for "2 Fuji bikes" and the price seems right (again cheaper than a tank of gas). I email. No response. Email again the next day and this time send my number and offer to pick them up sight unseen. I get a call after 30 minutes and find out by phone the bikes were once owned by a husband and wife and he happened to be a triathlete. The son said he knew the father had around $1300 in the one bike. So I load up the kids and off we go.

I end up with a nice bike for my wife (Fuji Palisade, think it's an '87) and a Fuji Design Series with two flat tires (maybe an '87 as well?) Both bikes need a good cleaning and there is some very slight surface rust here and there but I think I can polish it out. So tomorrow the cleaning begins.

I will post some pictures and want to know what you guys think. I also have a few questions...

1. Were the Design Series bikes custom orders from your LBS? Could you pick your favorite equipment to outfit the bike?

2. I have seen most examples having the shifters on the down tube, mine are on the bar ends. Was this a change made sometime after the original purchase?

3. Also the rear gear-set is a really close ratio (no climbing gear) Original or not?

4. This bike is a twelve speed. Is that original equipment?

5. One more, I am 6'4'' (long legs, normal torso) and two-hundred and none of your business pounds. Could this bike be set up "right" for me?

Thanks for any help.

tugrul

They were sold as frame sets is my understanding.

So they were built up however the owner wanted, and that owner seems fairly serious about racing.

I think it's much too small for me at about 6'1" and close to 35" cycling inseam.

Here is the 1988 catalog page (right click & view image to see it at full resolution):

Fujijon

So if the bike is a little smallish for me it may not be a keeper. Don't think my wife is needing a full on racer quite yet.

Do the values on these bikes vary a lot depending on the installed equipment?

I think this bike is mostly Suntour Superbe Pro stuff.

tugrul

I haven't seen enough of them to comment.

I've heard some of that Superbe Pro stuff goes for good money on eBay, so it shouldn't detract from the value of this bike.

Giacomo 1 

Am I reading this correctly - you got 3 very nice bikes, of which at least one is high end, for less than the price of two tanks of gas?

Geez, where do you guys find these deals?

Snydermann

In my case it would be two tanks of gas all right . . . the underground storage kind.

Kobe 

The Fuji will never be close to fitting you, no way no how. BTW, what's in the cooler?

I think you have just become a bike flipper. Unless if fits one of your kids, it does look like a pretty small frame. If you have a normal sized car, you should be able to sell it for 4 tank fulls. The bar end shifters are a tankful alone.

wrk101

+1 100 No way that bike will come even close to fitting you. But the sale of that bike will fund the purchase of a really nice bike in your size. In my case, the sale of bikes that didn't fit funded the bikes I have that do fit. Its the hidden advantage of flipping bikes.

Fujijon

The colors are maroon on most of the frame and pink (I am guessing Fuji didn't call it pink but that's what it looks like to me) on the forks. Paint is in good shape. One small scratch near where the seatpost and top bar intersect.

Fujijon

You got it right! I raised the seat put two tubes in, aired up and went for a very uncomfortable, dangerous, on the verge of wrecking it ride.

Fujijon

Never been much of a salesman but I love a good horse trade! I'll probably hang on to it for a while and keep my eye out for another late 70's early 80's Fuji that's mo' bigger.

Fujijon

Ohhh, I read color. Need to stop drinking what's in the cooler...

ScottRyder 

4 tank fulls? I'd love to find one that inexpensive!

A Design Series with Superbe Pro is a very sought after animal, especially in good condition. Be careful and wise in your horse trading.

Scott

Fujijon

Thanks Scott,

I'd really like to keep and enjoy this bike. I'm in no hurry to let it go...so I'll just clean it up and maybe wait on my eight year old to grow into it I thought that it may be worth 500-700. It really is in nice condition. I'm cleaning up the Palisade right now and then I'll tackle the DS. When I get it ready I'll post some good pics.

Is there any sense to leaving the old cloth wrap on the bars? I hate to start changing too much. I would also prefer to not have clip on pedals but again I get the feeling that this was someones special bike and I want to respect that. Maybe I should just clean and let it be for now. What's your opinion?

I really enjoyed the pictures and info on your blog. Beautiful Fuji DS. The red and white looks great. Do you know much of its history? I was also wondering about serial numbers on these bikes. They don't match up with the stuff on the Classic Fuji site.

Thanks again for the help

jeepr

It looks like my size..

wrk101

Old bar tape is just another consumable to me, like tires, tubes and cables. Keeping the original components, paint and decals, that matters. Just one guy's opinion.

Fujijon

Thanks Thrifty Bill, My parents live above Asheville in Canton. Don't know if that's your neck of the woods but I plan to be down this weekend. Maybe we'll see you on the trails.

ScottRyder 

Fujijon, the red and white Design Series belongs to another forum member, here's the one I own in case you missed it:

https://vintagefuji.posterous.com/198...mpagnolo-super

The serial numbers on the DS and Opus models don't fit the guideline ... not sure why but both models were advertised as being "hand built". If and when you choose to sell it, with proper photographs and it all cleaned up, your $500-$700 is not unreasonable. The Fuji fans are are small group but they're out there, you'll just need to find them.

Scott