As promised, I took some better pictures once I had the Fuji all cleaned up. I just installed a new Brooks B17 saddle, all new cables and new brake cable housings. I'm not sure about the Brooks, yet. I'm still getting used to it. But it sure does look right at home on this bike.
Though it originally was 3x6, I replaced the freewheel with a custom 7 speed years ago, mainly to increase gearing range. If I wanted any more range, I'd have to get a rear derailleur with more capacity. I've replaced chainrings multiple times, due to wear and experimentaion, and finally settled on 50-40-28. I finally had to replace the chewed up Sugino crank bolt dust caps with Chinese aluminum ones. I like the look.
I just replaced the old, dried out hoods on the brake levers with new Cane Creek pieces. They fit like a glove, and complement the black of the bike pretty well. I did have to trim the cable openings just a little to allow them to fit over the cable end adjusters. I don't know of anyone else that still uses Grab On grips. But I've always liked them. This is probably my tenth set on this bike. The only downside is they can't be used to retain cables, like tape can. They rip too easily. So I have to use plastic cable ties where the bar-end shifter cables leave the bars. Not particularly elegant. But it works. The bar-ends are NOS Suntour units I bought on Ebay a few years ago. They're what came standard on the TS-V's back in the day. I love them.
Another cockpit view, showing my light and GPS for commuting. When I did the refurb, I found the stem was stuck in the steerer tube. It still is. But I was able to service the headset bearings and polish the stem in-situ. When I get an opportunity (i.e. not riding this bike every other day), I'll make a more determined attempt to free the stem.
That's an original Jim Blackburn rear rack, bought with the bike in '83. The fenders are cheap, plastic, Planet Bike ones bought a couple of years ago. They work great. Note I kept the dork disc, but trimmed it down to just larger than the largest cog on the freewheel. The 27" wheels are original to the bike. They're surprisingly straight, given the miles on them. I've used a syringe to add lube to the sealed bearings a few times. But they're original, too.
Non-drive side view of drivetrain. Because of the spare spoke mounts on the chainstay, I had to use an unconventional mounting arrangement for the cadence/speed sensor. It works, though. If the wheelbase were any longer, or my cranks any shorter, it wouldn't.
This shot shows the original bike shop sticker that came on the bike when I bought it. This shop is still around, and has a location in the town where I now live. They get a kick out of seeing this when I stop by from time to time. You can also see where I highlighted the lugs with red paint. It was the fashion back in the day. And I've always like to customize things. My bike wears it like a tattoo; a reminder of a younger, more foolish phase of life, with a mild sense of regret, but not enough to have it removed.
All in all, it's in remarkably good shape for it's age. I have no idea how many miles I've ridden on this bike. I had over 14,000 miles on the old Huret belt-drive odometer when I removed it in 1998. Now it's my faithful commuter bike. I never did take the cross-country tour. But someday, I still might. If not, I'm still glad we've spent a lifetime together.