tbreihan

Hello. I recently purchased a older Fuji Sagres from my S/Os boss for the low, low price of $25 and I am interested to find out something about it.

The bike is made is Japan and would seem to date from the late-70s to early-80s. It is constructed of "Fuji VaLite Triple-Butted Tubing" which I understand was Fuji's proprietary chrome-vanadium steel tubing used on their midrange bikes, and has Nitto alloy stem and Nitto "World Olympiade" or something allow Maes-bend drop bars. The bike has a six-speed rear cassette and double-chainring Sugino crankset, which seems to be chrome plated. Front and rear derailleurs are Suntour AR, and the shifters are stem-mounted Suntours. Brakes are alloy Dia-Compe 500 sidepulls, and wheels are 27X1-1/8" alloy Suntours. Headset is a Hatta, and the seatpost is a 26.8 mm Sugino. The bike is remarkably free of extra braze-ons (it's single water bottle mount is really the only one) which seems to suggest that it was more of a performance-oriented and less of a touring-oriented model. The stem mounted shifters seem like more of a touring-bike feature, however.

The bike is silver with a blue wrap-around decal on the seat tube. The decal has flat edges, not the diagonal edges seen on the late-80s Fujis. The downtube decal says "Fuji Sagres" and the the top tube has a "VaLITE Tubing" decal on it.

The bike is a very nice ride and I put Shimano Tiagra aero-levers and new Fuji-branded Velo racing saddle that I got as a take-off from a local bike shop for $15. The bike is very light, much lighter than many new "affordable" aluminum frame bikes that I have ridden. It has a wonderful, snappy feel to it.

So, I would just like to know how old folks think this bike is, what (approximately) it retailed for new, and where it was in Fuji's contemporary lineup. If anyone can help me out, I would appreciate it. Thanks!

Tim

Seeker

Doesn't look like your getting a lot of bites on this one Tim. Too bad, I also have an older Fugi Sagres I picked up at a pawn shop for about $50 only mine is black and has Shimono index shifters I suspect someone added on. These Fugis are nice rides though. To think I was only looking for something inexpensive to ride while I refurbish my '77 Raleigh Grand Prix. Kinda like opening an oyster and finding a pearl.

sydney

I just saw a decent one at a thrift store for $12. Suntour index.

ninian

You found yourself a VERY nice bike for the money. I can give you some information on it, having bought a new burgundy Sagres in 82 or 83. (Sorry, close as I can remember...) Your components are the ones that came with the original model, except that it originally was sold with a 5-gear cluster. The frame was designed to accommodate a 6-gear cluster, though, and I suspect many owners opted to swap these out, as I did. These Fuji frames were made in Japan, unlike the current Koren models. The Sagres sold for about $300, as I recall, and was somewhere in the middle of the Fuji line. I still own this bike - haven't been able to bring myself to part with it - and it's nice to learn that there are still a few others around.

beaverstuff

I also have a Fuji Sagres, 67.5cm c-c. If it's not too much trouble, please, look on the steering tube and see if "Ishiwata" is stamped thereon. I think they supplied the tubes to the bike. Can anyone tell me when Ishiwata went under?

azpilot85

After digging around in our scary, dungeon of a basement, I found an old Fuji Sagres, which has the exact same specs as yours (although mine is charcoal in color).

I've only recently gotten into cycling, and my commuter is a Trek 7.5fx. Can anyone tell me a bit more about this Sagres, and what steps I might take to get it back up to spec? The wheels are a wildly un-true. Does this mean an accident somewhere along the line, or do i just need to tweak the spokes? Also, anything I can do to upgrade the shifting system?

The cassette looks a bit rusty, but other than that the bike seems to be in good shape. Any advice on where to go in terms of simple maintenance, and possible upgrades would be fantastic. I'm pretty excited about the find.

Best,
Landon

roccobike

Landon, How about taking some pics and posting on the "Fuji Serial Number Database" thread. I know you'll get some responses on that thread.

mobile homeless

Speaking of, sure wish you would throw in your 2 cents in that thread on my question. You're one of the few that has had almost identical Fuji models (quite a few that are almost the same besides name) that have every similarity BESIDES the types of VALite. I'm trying to get my nephew into the whole disease and he's loving his Fuji.

JohnnyBee

Sorry if this is a hijack, but if any other Fuji lovers out there has a headtube badge they
could part with and sell, please let me know.

Thanks,
JohnnyBee.

geekrunner

Hopefully we can keep this thread alive! I'll post my Sagres pic soon, I just joined the board. Mine is burgundy/brown, 12 speed with Sugino crank and (I believe) Suntour derailleurs, UKAI rims and unknown hubs. Bought it for $90 in '94.

geek

azpilot85

I just rediscovered this post after six months! Unfortunately it only brings back sad memories - the day after I posted, that sweet, old Fuji was stolen in broad daylight.

Desperate petty crook? Or vintage bike thief!? Who knows...either way, my Fuji is no more.

How is everyone else doing with theirs?

AlbaSurf

I just purchased a road bike, Fuji Sagres SP (circa 1980's?) and was looking for more information on the bike and well as questions about how easy it would be to modify certain aspects of it. I am new to cycling and don't know much of the vocabulary so I will post with pictures and more info soon. For now, just trying to revive the thread!

Yippykyae

My 23 " 1985 Sagres says Tange 4.I on the steer tube.

beaverstuff

Ishiwata went under approximately 1992, due to the Japanese recession and currency devaluation.
I think Tange, as good as Ishiwata, also went the way of the dodo.

daveinconyers

Tim, I just saw your question from a long time ago and thought I would give you a response just on the chance you see this post. I remember when I was in college I wanted a Fuji touring bike like yours but could not afford it. If I remember correctly the Fuji touring bike similar yours in 1972 sold for about $400 then. What i wound up doing in 1972 to get a bicycle was that a friend of mine at Georgia Tech who was a very avid bicycle rider (he had a Campenola equipped Reynolds aluminum bicycle) helped me build a bicycle in his Georgia Tech dorm. We bought a steel Raleigh frame from a large bicycle shop that had gotten the Raleigh bicycle in new but the box has been partially crushed in shipping and they agreed to sell the undamaged frame to us two college kids for cheap. My buddy was listed as a “distributor” with the local Atlanta wholesale bicycle parts distributor (he wasn’t sure how this had happened and he had gotten this designation) and we bought all of the parts and built me a bicycle from the ground up on this Raleigh frame. I enjoyed riding this bicycle from 1972 until 1995 when I had an unfortunate accident and bent the frame. I started looking for a used road bike in 1995 to replace my bicycle and low and behold I found a Fuji Sagres touring bike made in the 1970s like the one that I wanted and could not afford in 1972. It was for sale on consignment in a bicycle shop in north Atlanta and I bought it for $90. It is very similar to the specs on your bike including color. I still ride this bicycle 5 miles a day pretty much every day to this day in 2022. (I just finished my daily 5 mile ride when I just happened to see your post). I still love this bicycle, and bicycle shops I have visited to get periodic maintenance on my bike always try to sell me a new bike, but I would not trade it for anything. Dave