This early '80s Maruishi Road Ace 7 was the first road bike frame that I ever owned, gifted to me by my 6th grade teacher after we reconnected a decade ago. He was a retailer for Maruishi and sold them out of his barn out in the countryside here in the San Joaquin Valley, and this frame returned to him after a season when a fellow wanted an upgrade. It sat hanging from the rafters of his barn until I came along, eager to start riding. The wheels, crank set, and a few other components were with the frame, and he also had some NOS bits to throw into the mix. I collected the rest of a Shimano 600 group set (not perfectly matched) and had it built up at a LBS.

I'm not sure if it was simply because the bike was a bit small for me (57x57) or if there was something weird about the wheels, or what... But I actually did not like riding this bicycle. It felt like a chore compared to some other vintage bikes I'd ridden by the time I had it put together, and it mostly sat around after it was completed. I sold it to a LBS owner last year for a couple hundred bucks fast cash in order to help fund a trip to Russia, where I met my fiancee. So, in the end, it turned out being useful. T'was a rather pretty bike!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/456653...57671969915576