JulianS10

Thanks! These are very nice tips to take off weight I really like the M13II idea!

Cougrrcj 

Velomine has them in Fixed Gear, and 5-6-7-speed freewheel or flip/flop hub 27" or 700c size... https://www.velomine.com
Be advised that these are NOT hand-built wheels and may need final truing later!

GWGorham

Hey everyone,

I just picked up a 1974 Special Road Racer. Serial number is K9J00442. Mine is one of the blue ones. Question, is there a general rule about repainting (to original scheme) a vintage bike?

Sadly this one is in mildly rough shape.. need a replacement rear wheel (it has a mavic), need a head badge, replacement saddle and so on. But it will be totally worthwhile to me i think.

Once I can post pictures on here I will (I apparently have less than 10 posts).

Cougrrcj 

Yours was built in October '74 (a month later than mine) as a 1975 model year bike.

My S-10S has a K9I serial prefix (for Sept '74 build date) is on its fourth wheelset since new. I built a top-shelf set in 1977 that lasted me ~30k+ miles, then a cheap replacement set when I taco'd the rear wheel while on tour, and now mine rides on a set from Velomine, with sealed bearing (freewheel) hubs and Sun M13-II rims. Back a few years ago, the wheelset from Velomine was ~$120 for both. Well worth it, especially considering the original Ukai wheels were straight-wall (not hooked) and there is some difficulty in keeping tires on the beads at high inflation pressures... The Sun rims are hooked, so inflating to 100+psi is not a problem! BTW, I used 27x1-1/8 tires on mine almost since new!

My S-10S is definitely showing its age - lots of scratches, chips and nicks in the paint over the past 45 years/55k miles. But I tend to view those as 'character marks' Besides, trying to match that candy-blue paint would be tough to duplicate! That, and the dark gold lug lining paint accent. Replacement decals for the S-10S are available, but the long reflective V-shaped fork applique unique to the '75 model year is not reproduced to my knowledge. I used automotive pinstripe tape of black/white to set off the demarcation between the blue paint from the chrome on the fork and rear stays - that just makes it 'pop' a bit more...

Saddle? Thankfully, mine still wears its original Fujita Belt (Brooks B-17 clone) leather saddle. It is getting rather 'checked' so a few years ago, I sourced a replacement on eBay, should I need it.

Pompiere

There is a lot of debate over repaint vs. leave original. Repainting never makes sense from a financial standpoint, but in the end, it's your bike, so if a repaint will help you enjoy it more, then go for it.

When I got my S12-S LTD, it had already been repainted (poorly), so there was nothing to lose by doing it again. I always liked the blue that Fuji used on some bikes in the 1980s, like the America. I used Rustolium Cobalt Blue Metalic. It's not a exact match for Fuji's blue, but I like how it turned out.


1981 Fuji S12-S LTD

StevePGN10

Special Road Racers had a very special finish, cromovelato. The whole frame was chromed, and then the transparent color was applied over it. I can't imagine trying to redo that nowadays. One of the beautiful aspects of the finish is that the chrome layer is very effective in preventing rusting. I vote that you keep your original finish unless there is significant rust, in which case saving the frame seems more important. Those bikes have a great ride quality.

Regards,
Steve

Tom M.

I'm a newbie and I'm not sure if I'm allowed to post this here, but specialmonkey asked if Cougrrcj wanted to sell. I am the original owner of a 1974 Fuji S10S Special Road Racer (serial K9E00386) with 23" frame. Not long after I bought it, my life suddenly got busier and busier and never let up, so I just hung it on a wall and that's where it's been ever since! It has less than one hundred miles on it. All original parts including the belt seat and hand pump. Only a couple scratches on it but tubes and/or tires need replacing because of age. I even have the original catalog, parts and maintenance manuals that came with it. I might be willing to part with it for the right price. If not, I might just keep it hanging on the wall until it's a 100 years old because even just on the wall, it's quite the conversation piece because it's one nice piece of machinery.

bikemig 

You are not allowed to sell here unless you are willing to become a paid member ($10 a year I believe). In any case, you'd be better off selling it locally. These are good bikes but not particularly valuable. Prices have gone up with the pandemic but I see quality vintage Fujis available locally for around $100 including the bike you own.