Current project
 

It's been a while since I've posted anything, but wanted to share my latest project. I know it's nothing special on the market, but it has meaning to me. This bike was purchased new by my father. He rode it on/off for a few years, then hung it in the garage. It's been moved to 6 different garages over the last 30-40 years. He recently moved into a pre-retirement facility and no longer has a garage. I decided to rescue it from the garage sale, clean it up and ride it. My original thought was to get it road worthy and take it and leave it at my daughter's condo in Colorado so I have something to ride when I'm there. However, after riding it, I'm thinking of keeping it and turning it into a touring bike.

Before pics:
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...19651162b0.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0137a868b9.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...95256f0b99.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c16566f6e0.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...df391c958e.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...68c2dda884.jpg

And cleaned up:
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...49893a113d.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a249f09924.jpg
https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fd9f0f8f99.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d996c6a758.jpg

It rides real nice! New tires are next on the list. Then I'll start looking into changes for a touring setup.

Please feel free to comment and/or recommend.

Very cool back story. I’d put the fattest, lightest tires I could find and ride it all over town.


Thanks for keeping it clean and on the road!

Cleaned up nice, great job on the lug lining! I'd put Panaracer Pasela 1 1/4" wire bead gumwalls on fwiw.

That is a beauty. Glad you were able to save it.

Great job, wish I had a bike from my Dad but he was not a cyclist, he did ride, made sure I had some good bikes and most of all passed the mechanic gene onto me in spades so I have been able to work on just about anything I put my mind to.

Bikes, drag racing motorcycles, cars professionally and much else, been a good, wild ride, not over yet. ;)

I would encourage you to save this one as is, ride it spiritedly while thinking of Dad as much as you can.

A dedicated touring rig will likely need a "better" base platform, not that this could not be used but any escalation of seriousness will benefit greatly from something a couple of rungs up the ladder.

Forged dropouts and the commensurate quality that comes with it, better construction, lugged and better tubing make a world of difference going forward. ;)

Good background. It is great you have this from your father. Personally, I would not worry about keeping it as is. I would do what I thought would make it a bike that I want to ride in a way that I want to ride it. Whatever those changes may be, the connection to your father has gone nowhere. It looks like it has plenty of room for touring type tires. I cannot see rack mounts, but that can be overcome.

With both handlebar and saddle bags, larger size type, it could be a day tripper without racks. A compact triple crank and eight speed would make it very versatile. New, or used, modern wheels, do not have to be high dollar, might be good for increasing tire selection. You would be looking at some cost, but that can be minimized with lower level or used components. To me, the frame/fork look more suited for that, rather than an actual tourer.

Just me, but I would lose the turkey wing brake levers and the stem mount shifters. Think about what you want to do, make a plan, do research that may be necessary to determine the feasibility and cost, and go for it if it all fits. Though I do not know him, I think your Dad would be pleased.

Thanks for the comments and suggestions guys! I appreciate it! :)

That Azuki looks to be of the same vintage as my mid-'70s Fuji. I've ridden mine quite a bit more than your old man... and as such, I've also converted it over the past 40+ years into a tourer...


https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6012a46e20.jpg


Triple crankset, and six-speed ultra-spaced freewheel were the biggies. The first lighter/better wheelset was put on in '77- (It is on its fourth wheelset since new!) Likewise, the cheap Pletscher rear rack has also been on there since '76 - with the front rack support - and tire savers - and the bar-end shifters... The suspension seatpost was a more-recent acquisition - probably ~30 years ago from Bike Warehouse (now Nashbar)...

Nothing 'wrong' at all about riding an old bike!!!

I was going to say, and the S-10S has them, that the OP should remove the stem shifters and replace with SunTour barcons as above. I'd also recommend that he remove the extension levers, grind down the red pin, and cover the brake levers with Cane Creek replacements. PG

If you really want to tour with this, then you'll need to change the crankset to something wider range. Possibly a Sugino AT triple, with some thought to the gear ranges you'll want (affects which larger two chainrings you'll choose). Play with Sheldon Brown's gearing calculator to find the range, but I'd suggest something that spans ~20 to ~100 gear inches as appropriate. You may be able to get away with the current front derailleur, or might have to change that, too. Of course, chain length may be affected, but not necessarily so.

Also, locate a decent rear rack like a period correct Jim Blackburn.

I'd remove the extra brake levers and the kickstand. Whether you should get a rear rack or a different crankset depends on the topography, the climate, your ambitions and likely accommodation, your musculature, etc.

If anyone says you don't need the dork disc -- well, no, you don't need it. However, it's extraordinarily bold and handsome. Wear it with pride!

my first bike shop job was assembling Azukis for the Christmas "rush"
there were only 2 models the 420 and the 440. yours is a 440

I have a similar story. When I worked at Bikecology during the Bike Boom (1972-74), we sold a few Azukis when a dock strike caused a Nishiki shortage. I remember that blue color well. :)

One thing I appreciated in the higher-end models was that Azuki adopted integral derailleur hangers one model year before Nishiki did.

One of my coworkers generally didn't care for my puns, but he did appreciate: "What do you use to get into a menagerie? ... A zoo key."

I have a similar story. When I worked at Bikecology during the Bike Boom (1972-74), we sold a few Azukis when a dock strike caused a Nishiki shortage. I remember that blue color well. :)

One thing I appreciated in the higher-end models was that Azuki adopted integral derailleur hangers one model year before Nishiki did.

One of my coworkers generally didn't care for my puns, but he did appreciate: "What do you use to get into a menagerie? ... A zoo key."

Great job on this bike. You don't need to do much to make it into a "touring" bike. A triple and good tires will do the job.

The stem is set high. It may of course be a tall stem, and therefore safe as it is; but have you checked?

++ On the clean up, you did a nice job! I definitely agree with the suggestions to ditch the "safety levers". IMHO they cheapen any bike and offer little in the line of safety. Personally, the kickstand would go too, but there seems to be a market for them and I could be wrong but the "touring crowd" may be the ones that like them. The good thing is that removing the kickstand isn't a destructive process so it could be put back on if desired.
I have a bike that appears to be quite similar RE: vintage and hardware. It's a Chimo made in Hong Kong. It wasn't my Dad's bike. I got it at a storage unit sale for $10. So, no provenance whatsoever. It might not clean up as nice as yours has. Others have suggested replacing those totally huge stem shifters with either newer (smaller) ones or even bar end shifters. I won't be doing either but perhaps you should. I'm not totally knowledgeable as to what needs to be done to make it a "touring bike" but lower gearing will figure into the mix. Racks are a given but they are pretty easy "add-ons". I look forward to seeing what you do with your "heirloom"!

I admit it, I am a bike snob.
I will blame it on Eugene A. Sloane.
That written, it is nice to see an effective refurbishment of a bike.
The advantage of the 70's Japanese bikes was that they endured time well.
Many hours in this one. It does show.

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I actually quite like the "dork disc"! It makes a statement ... probably something like, "Look at that old guy on that old bike!"

The brakes will get changed with the handlebars. I'm really not a drop-bar kind of rider. I'm looking at the Jones Loop Bar or a Butterfly bar. Depends on what I decide to finally do with it. Also may go with a trailer, which would do away with the need for a rack of any kind.

I appreciate all the opinions though!

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Thanks! It was a fun and educational project! However, I know my wife was getting tired of the smell of citrus degreaser, Nevr-Dull, and marine grease, while I cleaned, polished, and repacked bearings from the pile of parts sitting next to me on the couch at night! (Ha!)

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Thanks Sovende! I do tend to like having a kickstand, but prefer a center-stand. I put one on my commuter and love it! This one may depend on whether I decide to use a trailer or go self-contained with racks. I'm a little worried about going long distance on the older frame with a heavy load. I'm about 225 lbs right now (but hope to be down quite a bit by next Spring!) and think that another 30-40 lbs would be too much to ask of it. Which is why I'm thinking a trailer may be a better way to go. My ultimate goal is to ride from my home to my daughter's in Denver, which is about 700 miles. Still doing research and arguing with myself about what to do! :)

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I have thought about that Microcord, and I appreciate the concern. It's as high as I thought was safe. There's no mark to indicate the max extension, so I made a judgement call and set it as tall as I felt was safe. I will definitely need a taller stem no matter what handlebars I end up with! My "extended energy pack" I carry above my belt won't let me ride as low as I used to go! :)

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Thanks Steve! Do you know what the difference between the 2 models is? I've been looking for any info I can find on the bike! I would really appreciate any details you can pass on!!!

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That is gorgeous!!! :beer:

I measured a few HB stems I have in a parts box and the "minimum insertion" depth appears to be around 2 1/2 - 2 3/4 inches. That's measured from the tip of the angled cut not the bottom of the wedge. Depending on who determined this measurement ( an engineer or a lawyer) there may be a certain degree of added safety (or reduced liability) factored into the "minimum insertion" depth. I'd err on the side of safety and have at least 2 1/2" inserted!
RE: your goal of doing a loaded touring ride, a trip from Tulsa to Denver is a daunting one to be sure! You will definitely need to train up for that trip. I have no experience with loaded touring but can say that you would likely encounter some oppressive headwinds along most any route you might choose. Add to that the 4,500 ft of elevation change and the accompanying breathing issues. It will be quite a trip indeed. Do a blog. Many would enjoy reading it!