edsall78

I just went to check this one out--pretty much stock and the frame paint is in very good/excellent condition.



The bike looks like it hasn't been ridden in at least 20 years.

Those are Campy waterbottles.

Any advice would be appreciated.

wrk101

Depends on the price. Was the bike complete (wheels, chain, etc)? Incomplete as is = huge discount (great for buyer, bad for seller). What's going on with that white area on the top tube? Tape? I would be suspicious of possible damage and as a minimum, will be a headache to clean up.

As is, I would make my offer based on just the white Suntour components (if in good shape, they have some value to them alone) Around here, that bike would not get much response, would probably go for about $75. Myself, that would make a great buy, as I have plenty of wheels laying around, and I like the white components and Fujis in general. I would have to peek under that tape first, or lower my offer to $50 (I would assume the frame has issues unless I can verify otherwise).

My basic rule of thumb on bikes that are not rideable, I just assume what I cannot inspect has defects or issues. I will base my offer on a few of the components instead: in this case, the crankset, derailleurs, saddle, shift levers, and brakes. Pretty good value in those parts alone. So if you need some parts, or have a wheelset handy to complete this bike, it could be a really nice deal.

In general, my best deals (buys) are on incomplete bikes, or bikes with issues. Most buyers want nothing to do with them, and sellers just want them gone.

Without the wheels, you are missing the Suntour freewheel, which means the indexing is out.

edsall78

The original wheelset was there..it was a complete bike..actually. I'm tempted to re-list it for the guy..a very poor salesman--he def. needed the money more than bike. And if someone is into Fuji's--there are some interesting bits on that bike.

I snagged a Lotus Legend (1981) aside for some very light surface rust on the chrome, chain and freewheel ..this bike was actually in very good condition--and I paid $40 less than I was willing to go. I've always suspected that my current Lotus is slightly too big--i'll find out if I was wrong.

Snydermann

I think for the $200.00 the guy was asking for the pair of bikes was a great deal (they did come with wheels). I had half an eye on them myself but the Lotus wasn't my size, I didn't know the Fuji was a Fuji, it's a bit of a drive for me and I already took a bike road trip last week.

Hey, they guy says the were appraised at $1,000.00 so how could you lose!

The Legend is a popular model and if one wanted to part it out the Shimano 600 parts and Ukai rims bring a good buck.

Congrats on your purchase, now go get the Fuji!

edsall78

Snydermann-

I have another thread on this--inadvertently picked the wheel-set for the Fuji over the Lotus--both are UKAI rims (the fuji's are Sansin hubs).

The cluster is Suntour OLE..13/24..i'm wondering if there will be issues with shifting later..It's probably worth picking up both bikes i just don't have any room in my Brooklyn apt.

I wrote to him--offering to buy the Shimano 600 wheels..i hope he gets back to me.

I love your website:
I've owned (3) road bikes all Lotus:
-1987 Lotus Excelle (Sports Series)--pearlescent (23")
-Lotus Challenger SX--it's the non mixte version (blue)..(21")
-1981 Lotus Legend (21")

Snydermann

Thank you edsall, I also posted on your other thread.

Maybe some of the Fuji experts can chime in here and help you out, I think if you can make a deal the Fuji it shouldn't be a difficult sell, the guy's craigslist post really sucked marketing wise.

The Fuji wheels are probably (a guess on my part) superior to the Lotus wheels, but that vintage Lotus needs the original wheels.

edsall78

The hubs on the fuji are the same as the stock Lotus Excelle 1987..Sansin CE-60..UKAI versus Araya--It's not that big of a deal. I've got it in my head to just get the wheels to match so at this point it's just a matter of finding the guy again and taking the trip.

If anyone wants the Fuji--let me know and I'll get it for you with the correct wheels (which I already have) for my cost--(under $100)..I'll check on the size but 54cm..seems about right.

edsall78

So I went back and took a closer look at the Fuji--partly to get the arabesque wheelset that belonged to the Lotus. It turns out that I had the wheels after all--(note to bike buyers; don't shop in the dark).

What's going on with that white area on the top tube? Tape?
I took the bar tape off..looked fine and the residue seems easy enough to peal off. I think the person didn't like the logo-which admittedly looks very lame.

The one thing that was not original was the back wheel/cluster(OLE)..it was replaced...The front is original UKAI/Sansin..And, after having the guy go through all the trouble of meeting me again--I bought the bike anyways.

The frame is very light and has just a few scratches..overall I would say it's in "very good" condition. I'm surprised at how nice some of the components look and function after all these years--except for the OLE components being a little yellowish..but, I suspect that can be cleaned.

The bike also came with a (scott) tri-bar and computer.

Without the (back)wheel, you are missing the Suntour freewheel, which means the indexing is out.

Is a compatible suntour freewheel hard to come by? I hope i don't like the bike too much (it's my size)--i honestly have no room for it.

wrk101

To get one that you can trust (no skip), they are expensive. Do a search on ebay for NOS Suntour freewheels (many Suntour freewheels are not indexing either, so do a search on which models are). They go high. I need one myself. For now, I am running my bike in friction mode.