Fuji Saratoga?
 

I found a 91 Fuji Saratoga on Craigslist that looks to be in decent shape and my size frame that I ride. From the research i've done, they are a touring bike. Any good or bad things to look out for on these? Worth pursuing?

Pics would help. What kind of tubing does it have?

If the bike fits you (and it looks to be around a 21-22 inch frame), then don't hesitate. This is a fine bike at a very good price.

Yep, grab it!

Grab it.

Now.


Deore LX components, indexed bar end shifting, nice gearing range, cantilever brakes- and if it's already at 700C wheels- Bonus!

I think the dual slotted brake levers are cool; I'm also a fan of the Myrricle mirror (maybe not on the right side, though- unless you're planning a trip to Europe). Everyone is going to say to get rid of the turkey levers- I would say to see how they work with the canti brakes. I have a set of turkey levers pulling some roller cams- perfect, modulatable stopping power- from pretty much anywhere on top of the bars.

Is it hard to remove the turkey levers? I would probably take them off and maybe swap on some newer handle bars and keep the bar ends.

Buy it now. That bike is underpriced by half.

A good option if you want to keep the top-of-the-bars braking is to get some aero levers and a pair of cross levers for the bar tops.

Great bikes. I have an '89 and have put a lot of miles on it. That's a fair price.

- John

I know the Saratoga is a little heavier than a road bike. Is the added weight going to be noticeable since its a touring bike?

Also, I contacted the owner and he is the original owner. He stopped cycling and the bike has sat in the attic for the last few years and will probably need new tubes. He also sent me numerous pictures of the bike and also one of the original invoice for the bike.

You haven't bought it yet? Whatcha waiting for?

Yes, it will be heavier than a typical road bike of the same period, and much heavier than a modern road bike. But I wouldn't want to hang 40 extra pounds off a modern road bike and expect it to handle any way other than scary. Nor would I want to go over a bump with said loaded road bike. If you want a road bike, then there's nothing wrong with getting a road bike in addition. But touring bikes make great commuters as well.

As far as speed goes, George Hincapie on a beach cruiser will smoke me on a $10,000 Tarmac at any distance. It's really mostly the engine.

I need to get my other bike sold first. Also, I am looking at this Bridgestone 300:
Bridgestone 300

Any insight?

I talked to Mrs. 09box and got her blessing so i'm going to try and go look at the Saratoga tomorrow.

Good luck tomorrow. The FUJI tourers are great bikes, sometimes they slip in under the radar. I have a Touring Series IV I got because no one else was interested.

I bought it today. It was in better condition than the pictures make it out to be.

Good. Even if you don't ride it, it's great wall art.

But ride it. Ride it a lot.

Here it is. I took off the turkey levers already. It got two new tubes, fresh bar tape, clipless pedals, my bags are getting swapped over and it will be ready to ride.http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=407817

Sweet!

Although I understand not wanting the bike to look like a "cheap" "beginner's" bike, I'm bummed that you took off the turkey levers- if they worked well with those brakes- that gives you a nice position for braking on the flats.

I'm looking forward to seeing more pix- and don't forget to post it in the "show your vintage touring bike" thread!

http://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...-bikes-60.html

I still have the turkey levers. I'm used to riding on the hoods more than anything. I can always put the levers back on and try them if I want to. I have them in a bag of parts in the garage.

Cool- the fashionable thing is to toss them, but depending on how well they work with your brakes, they can be handy. If they don't give you the braking power you need, you shouldn't use them. For me on the roller cam brakes, they stop about as well as my Superbe sidepulls.

After about mile 8, I'm looking for more places to put my hands and start switching all the time. If I'm trying to pay attention to the scenery, I'm usually up there on the flats.

I went and actually looked for some nice levers with the turkey levers for my High Sierra.


https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/40...0/197/l535.jpg


Your Saratoga looks like a fun, plush ride. I hope you're enjoying it!

The bike should be ready to roll on Saturday morning. I am in the midst of getting everything straightened out. I put my pedals on and ripped off the old bar tape last night. I am going to put my bags, lighting and cyclocomputer on next. New hoods might be in order as well. Upon further inspection, the bar end shifters are a little dirty and a little rusty. Any recommendations on how to clean up the gunk and rust on the shifters?

I've been successful in rust removal using Bar Keepers Friend. It contains Oxalic acid.

There are a million threads on the forum about rust removal.

That looks like a delightful bike for general purpose riding, touring, transportation, etc. It is precisely what I would want if I could have only one bicycle. I am glad you snagged it, and I support your suicide brake extension removal, having done the same on my Nishiki Competition shortly after I bought it.

Thanks. I wanted something along the lines of a Swiss Army knife of a bike. A do-it-all. I wanted a cross bike but they were out of my price range. This popped up and it was well within my budget and left some $$$ to tinker with it and still come out on top so I pulled the trigger.