I got the re-painted frame back last week and have been slowly installing the parts to get the bike up and running. Just a little fine tuning of the rear fender and wiring of the lights is all that remains on this bike. It is a 81 Fuji Supreme frame that I had repainted by Southwest Frameworks in British Racing Green.

Looks great! Why such a small frame, if I may ask?

Marginal weight savings?

I agree great looking bike!!

Stand over clearance. I've tried 52cm frames and find them uncomfortable, so I prefer 49cm frames, which is what this is. I have taken it for a test drive, and I need to replace the stem with a shorter model, since it is a little too long for my tastes.

I love the crank and the light setup. Putting a modern LED + Dyno hub setup on one of my bikes is one of the best decisions I've ever made.

Holy stem! Oh yeah good looking bike, too!

Yeh, with the exception of my modern CF road bike every bike I own is in the process of being setup with dynamo/led lighting. It is so nice to always have the bike ready without having to search for the battery light and making sure it was charged.


I frequently get up between 4-5 am and go for rides, particularly in the summer it is my favourite time to ride!

Oh, and the crank is the VO 50.4 MK II with a 30/46 setup. I am really looking forward to seeing how I like the setup.

PlanoFuji, Ask your frame shop if they can cut the quill for you. You may not even need to remove the handle bars. Good taste all around, congrats.

Brad

It's not the height I want shorter, but the length. Cutting that would require welding. A new quill would be cheaper I am thinking, but thanks for the idea.


I really want the handlebars about level with the saddle.

Oh, you are looking for shorter reach, not shorter height. Bike looks good. What drive train are you running?

It is an 8spd drive train. 105 front and rear derailleurs 11-30 rear cassette and a velo orange 30-46 crank set.

Well Velo Orange was able to get me another stem with a shorter reach (60mm vs. the 110mm I had originally) in two days!

I spent the afternoon swapping out the stems and reinstalling brakes and shifters. After a short test drive (~ 1 mile) I decided to install the cross brake levers as well. Got everything installed and tuned up on the bike stand then wired the lights. Just got back from another short, 2 mile) test ride and it rode wonderfully. Installed the saddle bag and handlebar bag again and it is ready for a longer break-in run tomorrow. Put the tools I might need into the saddle bag.

I'll take some photos of the final (hopefully) incarnation on the ride.

Well I took it for a break-in ride this morning of about 20 miles. This is my first bike with bar end shifters, and I must say that I really like the ergonomics, certainly over stem or down tube. And I may possibly prefer them over the 105 brifters on my roubaix, though time will tell. This is also the first time I've equipped a bike with cross brake levers, and so far like that they give me more options for reaching the brakes in various hand positions.

About the only thing that is very different is the Radonneur style handlebars. They are the same width as the handle bars on my roubaix; however, they feel much narrower. Not sure if I like that yet or not--just different. I will say that they are much more comfortable in the drops since they flare out a bit.

Only thing needed on this mornings ride was some fine tuning of the saddle height!




Not only was it a great ride, the scenery was particularly nice this morning!

Very nice build. I'm glad to see the light setup. I am also putting on dynos and LED dyno-specific lights on my second bike. They are so much better than battery lights, and it's sad that so few people appreciate this. I feel like a dyno evangelist.

How long have you had that frame, and did you ride it before this renovation?

I had a similar vintage Fuji back in the day, but it was stolen--it was also my last bike for nearly thirty years. I picked this up off a craigslist ad. I gave the original a quick ride (~ 15 miles), but that was it. I really don't feel comfortable with the narrow bars and large chain rings that were common back then--so I stripped it of parts and brought it over to the painters within a week of buying it. Oh, the original Fuji saddle was the most uncomfortable I had ever tried... The removed parts were donated to the local bike co-op.

Yeh, I really like the always there feature of dynamo lighting. I don't think I will ever go back to solely relying on battery powered lighting. The only bike that will be in my stable without dynamo lighting is going to be my roubaix.

Really nice bike, love the green with chrome. Enjoy it!

Great minds think alike. A lightweight racing bike for weekend fun rides can get a battery light attached to the handlebar. A bike that gets frequent utilitarian use should have dyno lights. I have trouble convincing people if they don't experience it for themselves. Yet Europeans wouldn't ride without them, and for good reason, I think. The lights have gotten so good lately, and decent ones are not more expensive than battery lights. My housemate took my commuter bike out one night and was so impressed, he is going to do the same with his bike.

Sorry if you've seen this already, but here is my article on how I built my system. I am extremely pleased with it. Soon I'll be putting dyno lights on my Raleigh Twenty.

Nope, hadn't seen that. Nice write-up. I was surprised about your thoughts on creating an easily detachable dyno lighting system. For me one of the main advantages of dyno is that it stays with the bike. For my general errand/grocery getter I use a variety of pitlock's to secure the lights and hub to the bicycle and minimize the chance of theft.

Love the build - great choices all around. My favourite things are the... reflectors! Never thought I'd say I liked them, but these are really cool. What kind are they?

Just some Sunlights I picked up off Amazon for a couple of bucks. https://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Bicycl...heel+reflector They have some of the best attachment mechanisms I have found on wheel reflectors--a plastic bracket with a clamping screw.

Cool - thank you! I may have to pick some up for my next build.

Very Nice build. Great looking bike. Love the color combination.