fuji 1980 touring bike?

xmichaelx

I am considering buying a 1980 Fuji S12-2 LTD Men's Touring Bike, and I was wondering if anyone here knew anything about this bike. Like, how suitable it is for self contained touring over very long distances. I looked all over the internet for some info and couldnt find any. Here are the specs:

Frame Fuji Double Butted Chrome Molybdenum Steel Tubing, 331
Fork Cromoly 331 tubing
Rims UKAI 36H brushed aluminum - Made in Japan
Hubs 80 Sunshine Gyromaster Sealed Bearings with QR Sunshine levers
Tires/tubes New Kenda GW 90 psi tires 27" x 1¼" & new presta tubes
Pedals MKS QU-2K racing alloy w/Mira toe clips and YFC leather straps
Crank Fuji forged alloy J12 - 36-44-53T - 170mm arms-Made in Japan
Chain HKK OG Made in Japan
Freewheel Suntour Perfect - gold in color: 14-17-19-22-26-30T
Front Derailleur Suntour NSL Fuji - swing direction is opposite normal
Rear Derailleur Fuji Vx direct mount alloy
Shifters Suntour friction bar end
Handlebars Nitto Fuji Olympiade 115 alloy
Stem Nitto Technomic alloy
Headset Tange Seiki
Brakeset DiaCompe 1160 w/QR levers
Brakelevers Weinmann
Saddle Fuji Seamless
Seat Post Sugino SP-H 26.6 mm
Color Black and Silver
Size 58 cm center to juncture (23") 22½" c-c
Weight 28 lbs

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mike elkins

daveornee

Pretty old bicycle and tough to get information on.
I have a similar vintange Sekai that I used for one short loaded tour.
1. Replacement parts are getting harder to find for this vintage.
2. Chain rings are too large for loaded touring
3. Frame isn't good in stiffness and makes stability quite a challenge.
4. The brakes aren't strong enough or easy to get good control.
5. Shifting under load is tough
6. I road the same tour with the same load on a Bruce Gordon BLT a week later. I was absolutely amazed how much easier it was to ride and how much more I enjoyed everthing that much more.

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David Ornee, Western Springs, IL USA

tacomee

I wouldn't buy it to tour on... too old. In fact, it's worth about 20 bucks. Feel free to buy it cheap and smash around town on it, but don't tour on it.

Good luck

Malcontent

I'll be the contrarian and say that it sounds like a decent bike, depending on the price.

If you go for it (or went for it, what with me posting a month late), be sure to put some good brake pads on there like the Kool Stop Salmons or the like. I'd change the handlebar (I have nightmares about breaking bars), overhaul the hubs and BB, replace the cables and housings, and go have some fun. Before a tour, be sure to check/overhaul your deraillers, shifters, and all that like you normally would.

And if you bought it and no longer want it, drop me a line.

North"wet"

I bought one (black) in 1982 from the Corvallis, Oregon bicycle shop. Had the shop put on Randonneur bars.
Great bike! At that time half-step gearing was popular for touring so I changed the chain rings to 36-44-48. The 36T is as small as you could go on the stock crank. Changed the back to a 34T granny gear.
I put about 6,000 miles on it but changed to a Sugino triple crank with a 24T inner chain ring after hurting a knee going over a steep pass with full touring gear.
A corporate move bent the frame and wheels, and broke the rear derailleur so insurance paid off for a replacement. I would have preferred to have kept an undamaged bike. If I find another S12S LTD in a garage sale I'll grab it.
North"wet"

jsirabella

Let me ask you if you had a choice what do you folks think would be a great bike for touring. I have a Cannondale F600 and some guys in my shop think it could be fine but others say I need steel and different brakes. Another guy tells me I need a McGuyver type bike and wondering which bike falls into that catgeory at less than $1,000...If you had a 1,000 what would you buy?

Also how did you get hurt, planning my first run and wanting to be prepared for the worst.

-John

Fendercrazy

I would fork out an extra $200 and get a Trek 520.

http://www2.trekbikes.com/Bikes/Spe...g/520/index.php

jsirabella

Thanks for the info. Guys in my bike shop were recommending a last year Bianchi that they feel would be as good at a discount. I checked Bianchi Site and they really do not look like they do much touring bikes.

Who makes the best? I see alot of people choosing Trek bikes, who else is good?

-John

Fendercrazy

Bianchi has a bike called the “Volpe”. It would probably be a good touring bike but it's a downgrade on the components from the Trek 520. The “Fuji Touring” looks ok but like the Bianchi it’s a downgrade on components. Co-Motion has some REAL COOL touring bikes but they start around $3000. The Cannondale T2000 is comparable quality and components but it’s $1500 (neat bike though). I don’t think you’ll find a “touring” bike in the 520’s price range that comes close on component quality. The frame is great also. If there are comparable price/quality bikes to the 520 I would like to learn about them.

John, keep us posted on what you decide on :-)

jsirabella

I checked out the CO-MOTION website and they do have some very beautiful bikes. I would imagine it is the difference between the 1,500 and 3,000 bikes much be pretty big in terms of performance. Do you feel that is true?

Also I been checking sites and honestly it seems like cyclo-cross bikes are very similar to touring bikes. Do you think that is true? What is the difference?

More important, thanks for all the advice.

-John

Fendercrazy

I think the touring bikes still have a longer wheel base and are set up better for racks and carying loads.

jsirabella

After some more thought and debate I think for Boston I will stick it out with my Cannon F600 and change my tires to a wider set. Someone recommended a great tire for touring. I was riding today when the snow was starting here in NY, do you know of any good tires for the snow/ice.

BTW, great call, I went to my local shop and it was a Volpe. It is strange my two local bike stores here in NYC seem to not like Trek. They do not carry any of them but both admit they are huge. For the Bianchi they were asking almost a 1,000 but said it was last year model and I could get a better price.

-john

jsirabella

I was looking at the latest issue of Bicycling and was amazed how few touring bikes they look at. I could only find the Volpe and one other bike. I guess just not sexy enough.

-john