kolarshooter

I bought this Dave Moulton Fuso FR-1 new from Art's Cyclery in San Luis Obispo, California around 1990 and have loved it ever since. It has full Dura-Ace componentry (8 speed, of course) and to this day is just as sweet as ever to ride.

I went to a body/paint shop to have some touchup paint made, since my profuse sweating has contributed to some rusty spots on the top tube cable guides and a few other nicks and chips elsewhere on the frame.

Still ride one, or ever owned one??? Chime in!

East Hill

Bump. Nobody else has one of these gorgeous bikes?

East Hill

caloso

Nope. I wish.

kolarshooter

I guess I'm alone regarding Fuso ownership/experience.

I sent Dave Moulton a brief note along with a few pics of the bike. Upon seeing the pics, Dave wrote to tell me that my frame is "somewhat special" because the seatstay caps are not standard, that they were Columbus "samples" which he tried out when he built this frame.

This is just such a nice bike, I can't say enough about it!

DiabloScott

The rest is on my blog.

https://diabloscott.blogspot.com/2000...t_archive.html

top506

Dave himself is a member here and posts from time to time.
Top

kolarshooter

Great Blog!

But now I won't get ANYTHING productive done for the next several hours.

55/Rad

I'm sorry I'm late to this party. I just bought a 1985 Fuso off Ebay TODAY - below is a photo from the auction - after wanting one for several years.

I can only hope it cleans up 1/2 as nice as Kolarshooters - beautiful bike!

55/Rad

kolarshooter

Sweet Bike! The 600 components are fine. I don't think they are SIS, but they might be.

Giro D'Italia bar, Cinelli 1A stem, fluted seatpost, 36 spoke wheels (3x), Turbo saddle, 600 headset (which needed special tools to adjust the rounded, curvy nut and upper race)...you sir, are in a time warp...congratulations!

There are a number of sellers on eBay offering older Dura-Ace brake levers (of the same vintage)...also offering NOS gum rubber hoods for them. These might be a sensible addition to the bike if you cannot find replacement hoods for the 600 levers. You will also find white NOS Cinelli cork bar tape on eBay. I don't know if they still make it...it has great texture and looks great. I've bought several rolls...just be aware that the adhesive will be shot, but so far the bars I've used the stuff on have been fine with no unravelling (my yellow Fuso in the first post has NOS Cinelli cork tape.)

Deep cleaning, a coat of wax, some tan-walled tires and your "pedals-of-choice"...time to go for a spin!

Again, Congratulations!

Robert.

55/Rad

Thanks Robert. I'm not sure how I will fix 'er up at this point and will wait to see it in person to "get inspired". I do know I have lots of choices - from leaving as-is with just a thorough cleaning to modernizing the entire drivetrain, or something in between. See my other projects below for examples on how I approach things.

I do know it will be special and I can't wait to get started. Thanks for the inspiration.

55/Rad

caloso

You're out of control, Rad. Seriously, you should seek help.

East Hill

Gee, I was just thinking it was a good thing I bumped this thread, because that was all very interesting information (and of course, great photos of beautiful bikes )!

East Hill

DiabloScott

Beautiful, I remember lusting after one like that myself.
If you decide to keep the brake levers, please do some cable re-routing, that's just heinous the way it is.

kolarshooter

I am amassing the parts to assemble a NOS 1989 Eddy Merckx TSX frame (Telecom scheme) which I bought from a collector in Germany. It has never even had a BB threaded onto it. I went with 8 speed Dura-Ace since these are components I know well and am really impressed with the performance of (unlike my wife's early '90's Colnago's componetry...a mix of C-Record and the "next line down" (was that Athena or Chorus...I don't remember...please help me here!)

I have found all the components on eBay...including Brand New DA cranks. chainrings, everything! From Belgium I bought a set of 8sp SIS downtube shifters (Dura-Ace, of course) NEW in their box for $50. I overpaid a bit for a NOS Dura-Ace stem which features the DA logo engraved in the front of the stem. All looks new, and was (reasonably) inexpensive...but patience was required in seeking the exact parts I needed. The wheels were the last thing I found...silver Mavic rims laced to Dura-Ace "Integrated 8" hubs. Sew-ups...been a while since I rode sew-ups...I have fond memories of the feel of these tires. I guess I should correct myself and say the the tires will be the last component for this project since sew-ups are a bit pricey and equal the cost of what most of us would define as a "component."

You've likely found a real jewel there...I am confident that you will love riding that bike (some we love to ogle, others we love to ride, huh?)

Best Wishes,
Robert

DiabloScott

Found this in the 1985 Coor's Classic fan program.

Full size here: PICASA

DiabloScott

And for you Robert, I have this attachment:

kolarshooter

Wow, thanks! I guess I'll reconsider the Dura-Ace drivetrain.

CardiacKid

[QUOTE=55/Rad]I'm sorry I'm late to this party. I just bought a 1985 Fuso off Ebay TODAY - below is a photo from the auction - after wanting one for several years.

I can only hope it cleans up 1/2 as nice as Kolarshooters - beautiful bike!

55/Rad
QUOTE]
Rad, you keep buying these bikes on Ebay that I wanted but decided for logical reasons, not to bid on. I need to stop thinking logically, because you are beginning to P___ me off.

55/Rad

Hee hee - I'll sell it to you after I've redone it....

CardiacKid

I just need to remember that envy is one of the seven deadly sins.

Retem

I am riding #1483

purchased from a friend for $250
soon to get a full dura - ace 8spd group and maybe even a replacement fork if I have luck
unfortunately the orginal was lost to the sands of time

Dave Moulton

It is nice to know that some of my children have good homes and are loved. Here are pictures of my latest wheels, a Recherche that I built in 1985. I just picked up the frame which was NOS and had never been built into a bike. What were my chances of finding a brand new frame in my size?

For those of you that don’t know the Recheche was a private label frame that I built from 1985 to 1987, only a little over 200 were built. The frames were built with the Fusos so the geometry is exactly the same. More about the Recherche here.

Road Fan

55, di you mind saying how much you paid? There's another on Ebay right now, frame only for $995 BIN from an ebay store.

Road Fan

ethebull 

I looked at this on ebay too. Considered bidding but the top tube rust held me back. I managed a shop from 1983-1993 and we were a Fuso dealer from 85-90. Dave was a very soft spoken intellegent man, a pleasure to have met him at Interbike a few times. Very sweet frames - far better workmanship than anything out of Italy. Hope the rust is not as bad as the picture seemed to indicate. Good luck.

55/Rad

$500 for a complete bike - nobody else even bid on it. Plus $100 for packing and shipping. Check Ebay completed listing #150126470981.