Fuji Touring
 

I haven't heard much about the Fuji Touring bike. Their web site list it at $739 which to me sounds like a good deal. What are your opinions?

Here's the info on the bike....

Fuji Bikes | LIFESTYLE | CROSS TERRAIN | TOURING

I've had one for 15 years* and it's still my go-to bike (unless there's a good reason to pick another one). It'll go almost anywhere, except way off road, but good roads, bad roads, gravel roads as long as they're not too bad, the bike is fine with them all. It's a good value, reasonable parts selection. Fuji does good bikes with a low price through intelligent parts selection better than any other large manufacturer I know.

My only advice would be to take the wheels to a good wheel builder and have him/her tension and stress relieve both wheels ASAP after you get it. Fuji (like most other manufacturers) delivers machine built wheels, which don't last IME. Do it now and pay $50-75, or pay $20 per broken spoke until you bite the bullet and get them all fixed at once.

(*) Original parts remaining include the fork, seatpost, and brakes. Those have about 40,000 miles on them; other parts replaced as they wore (rear wheel, tires, brake pads, chains, crank), because I wanted something different (saddle, shifters, front dyno wheel), and the frame replaced under lifetime warranty at 12,000 miles. Yeah, I know, it's like George Washington's hatchet.

Really enjoy mine. I've had it for three years and it now has over 11,000 miles. I haven't toured with it yet, but ride it daily as my commuter bike. I do want to do a self-supported tour on it. Hopefully in 2015...

Mine has been pimped some.

1. Both wheels replaced. The stock rear wheel ended up with three broken spokes. Yea, I'm carrying more fat than I should, but I wasn't heavier than about 175 lbs. Wheels are now Mavic A719 rims, 36 DT spokes, and Deore hubs, front and rear. No more spoke failures. Tires are 32mm Schwalbe Marathons. They have been trouble-free on my commute. The stock tires were magnets for sharp, pointy things. Not so with the Schwalbe's.

2. Cantilever brakes were AWFUL. Now replaced by "V" brakes. MUCH, MUCH better. Oh yea. much better.

3. Stock Fuji saddle replaced with a Brooks B17 Imperial. Oh, the best saddle I've ever sat on. Mine didn't need any break-in as I've heard others say about their Brooks. It just fit from the beginning.

4. Replaced the somewhat ugly and not very touring-friendly Shimano Sora triple crank with a Sugino triple crank. Gearing on the Sugino is lower with 48/36/24 vs something like 50/42/30 on the stock Sora. No change, yet, to the cassette. (New chain, too, when the crank was replaced.)

5. Added SKS fenders.

6. Hybrid pedals. SPD clippy things on one side, platforms on the other.

Really do find the bike comfortable to ride, especially with the Brooks saddle.
Also do like the bar-end shifters. They work GREAT! Didn't think I would like them since my other bike has STI levers, but they just do their job without any fuss.

Maybe the next item to be pimped is the seat post. Maybe.

I am very satisfied with the bike.

Other than going internet direct, you will have a hard time finding a good touring bike at this price. It is an affordable and sensible touring bike. Here is the Adventure Cycling review of last year's Fuji Touring:

http://www.adventurecycling.org/defa...est_Pelkey.pdf

It's a good bike at a good price. Nothing really wrong with it. Not quite as good as a Surly but it's less expensive. I'd put it in the same class as the Trek 520 for a whole lot less. It's nice to see that they have used the Deore trekking crank. It's easy to drop the gearing to a 22 or even a 20 tooth inner if you want lower gears.

Even going to the internet, you aren't saving that much money. BikeDirect's Windsor is $600 and it doesn't use the Shimano trekking crank.

I dislike the Fuji bartape for various reasons but mainly because of comfort. I wish they would figure out some sort of Fizik 2 or 3mm clone because that stuff is super comfy (especially the 3mm).

As people said you might want to replace the wheels or get them properly trued and tensioned and you might want to upgrade or add certain things but that is generally true of most bikes.

jargo432, Bikes Direct has a less expensive version, but I think the Fuji is better equipped: Save Up to 60% Off Touring Bikes | Commuting | Commuter Bikes | Windsor Bikes - Tourist .

The remarks about the wheel set being re-tensioned and re-trued is good advice.

Brad

Interesting that they finally did a redesign and it now has a threadless headset and stem. I noticed on the BD direct site the new version of the Tourist costs $100 more than the old and is now only $40 less then the Fuji.

I built up a frame from Nashbar frame sale about a little more than a year ago. I am really enjoying it too.

Only complaint is that, it only has two water bottle mount bosses.


http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/a...ps677f6e69.jpg

I sold my '03 520 for more money than I invested on this build.

If your touring in the states on mostly paved roads the Fuji will suit you just fine. It's a pretty decent bike.

The Fuji Touring looks awesome for the price. I too am ready to purchase it, the only thing holding me back is that where I am from, I need to purchase online and am stuck on sizing. Would anyone share their height, inseam and weight compared to bike size? I am 180cm (5"10/11) with an 88cm inseam (34.5"), weigh 71 KG (small frame, long legs short torso). According to standard online recommendations I should go for the 56 yet my gut tells me that that may be too large with a 565 ETT. Not sure if the 54 (554 ETT)will be fine, except that it comes with 170mm cranks. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks.

everyone has different bodies, but I am pretty much your height and am very comfortable on a 54 with a 545 ett, but for me is very comfortable with a 90mm stem and bars that have relatively short reach.
I have ridden this bike for nearly five seasons and from this experience, I feel it is better to go slightly smaller than too big. This works for my body, may not for you but it sounds like we have a similar body shape.

Thanks for the quick reply. Yup, its what i am thinking, the 420 wide bars and shorter 100mm stem seem more appropriate for me, perhaps I would prefer to 175 cranks, but that should matter that much. BTW, do you mean 554 ETT, or do the older models have a 545 ETT?

I loved my 2008. It was comfy and sturdy.
There was talk of the wheels being sub-par and I questioned that at the time. However, looking back, I replaced more broken spokes on that bike than any other in my stable.
When it got destroyed, I would have replaced it with another but they had switched to bar-end shifters and I really prefer brifters.

sorry, didnt mention that my bike is not a fuji, but it is a 54cm with a ett of approx 545 to 550. I figure that a frame is a frame and ett will always be a given distance no matter the frame--that said, different stems, handlebars, seatposts with varying positions of where the seat is held on fore/aft , will always make small differences in the distance from seat to bars.

figured I'd give you my point of view anyway considering being rather close in height etc.

good luck with your choice.