motosman1

Just conversed with the seller. My size, all there! Price is right and provides opportunity for me to get my hands dirty. Going this afternoon for look see! I will have cash in-hand, just in case! Luckily for me, my boss is out of town and I have been able to spend a couple hours, this morning, doing research of FUJI's, Special thanks to T-Mar for the Fuji serial number thread which led to this site;

Fuji Bicycle Serial Number Formats - 1971 through 1991

Seller provided S/N and verified it had aluminum rims and bars. S/N shows frame to be built in November for 1980 model year. Catalog says "straight gauge, chrome molybdenum tubing" and 12 speeds. However, the color matches the 1981 catalog which states 18 speeds. Without a pic of the drive side it will have to wait until I get there to determine.

https://dallas.craigslist.org/mdf/bi...643298873.html

I think I'm starting to get excited...wish me luck...

motosman1

I have been looking at this one, also, treebound. Just a little over my pricepoint.

squirtdad

Good luck
it is 18 speed you can see from the pic of the back side of the crank

Hudson308 

November 1980 build would indeed be for the 1981 model year.

Aubergine 

Classtime 

motosman1

OK..trigger pulled, bike in possession! Just my luck. Get the bike home and can't make the time to caress it and evaluate it for needed TLC. Domestic duties take priority due to anticipated rain, last weekend. Then the job takes me out of town all week. It will be this weekend before I get pics. All in all, I'm pretty happy with it. Patience and perseverance paid off. 1981 Fuji S12-S, complete including the dried and shriveled leather toe straps for the pedals. Not sure if the tire pump is OEM, but it is there. Hopefully it works. The "old man" (literally) selling it said his grandson left it in his garage, along with a "cherry" red Schwinn Le Tour, a couple years ago after the grandson discovered "girls". It appears to be all original and "garage kept" most of it's life. A little bit of rust on the steering stem bearing cups and fork crown. Time to research rust removal products! Aluminum rims are super straight and spokes have retained a nice finish. I can honestly say this bike is exactly what I was looking for, as far as quality, condition and price are concerned. He was firm on his $35 price and even offered to throw the Le Tour in for another $30, although I declined. Kinda' second guessing myself now (IDO still have his cell #). I hope that's not one of the first steps leading to "N+1"!
Anyway, all the bearings feel smooth and end play is snug but not binding. All bearings feel dry, but smooth. Brakes are not frozen, I may even get away with retaining the existing cables, but purchasing new pads. I also know that I will pull every axle, shaft, bearing and cable to inspect, clean and lubricate. Can't help myself. So, I have a couple questions. Allow me to preface these with some info. For the past 30 years I have been in an industry where the "dealerships" (often referred to as stealerships) are despised and avoided at all costs. Unfortunately, that has become a way of life for everything. Uninformed, inexperienced and generally uncompassionate toward the customer, employees are motivated by management to "make the sale" and "close the deal" all the while collecting on an unbelievable and disgusting profit margin. Am I to be encouraged to visit my LBS as much as possible? Or is it truly more advantageous to purchase as much as possible, online? Or, is there a balance? I am on a "shoestring budget" but I also don't want to be the guy that refuses to see the rewards of giving a little back to the guys at the shop. Any opinions?
So, simple questions:
1. Bearing grease, what kind and where to buy? I'm thinking lower viscosity the better (re. rolling resistance/friction), clingier(?) and stickier is better. Yes or no?
2. Tires, again what and where? Remember, first bike. I wont know the diff in ride quality without riding different tires, back to back. Are the $17 Conti's on ebay good enough? Hard for me to justify putting $70 in tires for this bike.

This will get me started. Thanks in advance for all your expertise and experience!

tiredhands 

ParkTools Polylube 1000 is great stuff for all yer bicycle grease needs. For oil, there's Phil's Tenacious Oil.

It might seem hard to justify at first, but good tires make the difference between an "old" bike and a bike you want to ride. 27" wheels, probably? Panaracer Paselas, no contest, unless you can find a set of SwiftTire Sand Canyons (also made by Panaracer).

Some LBS are better than others (and some are just awful). If you know exactly what you're looking for, you're probably better off getting stuff from Amazon mostly because your LBS might not have what you want in the right size. If you want input or suggestions, an LBS is better than Amazon reviews.

Also: pics please!

squirtdad

congrats....

I like phil wood grease.....you really don't use a lot. Phil oil is good. a spray silicone is good for cables.

good repair references:

https://www.parktool.com/blog/repair-help

https://www.sheldonbrown.com/

you might want to consider a basic bike tools kit like the nashbar, and then get things one by one as you need

https://www.bikenashbar.com/cycling/...xoCjWsQAvD_BwE

Hudson308 

That S12-S will be the perfect project for your first bike. The only left-hand thread you'll encounter will be the left (non-drive side) pedal, and everything else is pretty standard. The seat post is a weird diameter, as I recall.
Bike shops, like any human enterprise, can be really good, really bad, or anywhere in between. I've had the best luck with the small mom-and-pop shops as opposed to the big chain shops. I also agree that you'll need a few bicycle-specific tools. Crank extractor, pedal wrench, cone wrenches, a chain break and a couple headset/bottom bracket spanners will get you started. You'll also find that a bicycle work stand is worlds above crouching and rolling around on the concrete. Here's an '81 S12-S (Nov. 1980 serial no) that I rebuilt for my wife...

motosman1

Panaracer Pasela...folding or wire bead and why, other than the obvious of carrying a spare tire in a toolbag. Any diff in performance?

tiredhands 

I think when it comes to Paselas, a kevlar bead (folding) is a little lighter, otherwise the same as the wired variant. Wired vs folding is usually an indicator of tire quality, with folding tires having a nicer casing. But wired Paselas are just fine. Probably better to use on older rims as they're also easier to mount.

squirtdad

with clinchers unless you are touring not a big need to carry an extra tire. Do carry a spare tube and patch kit, other wise the flat tire demons will make you pay . and of course a pump

motosman1

Also, the bike has rotted Mitsuboshi Silver Star 27 x 1-1/8". They appear to be cloth/thread sidewalls. I have read about tires with a sidewall TPI (thread per inch) count. Were these tires an exposed thread or were they gumwalls that the gum has deteriorated and fallen away from? There doesn't appear to be any gum residue to be found. 1981 Fuji catalog lists Silver Stars as the factory installed tire. I would not be surprised if these are the OEM tires. The bike shows little evidence of wear, misuse or abuse. Just a lot of dormancy.

squirtdad

probably gumwalls that have rotted.....don't worry about TPI for this build....save that for future N+1

motosman1

Oh yeah, I realize that tire TPI is further down the road for me.

Referring to my knowledge of auto/motorcycle tires, if the tire width increases and the aspect ratio remains the same the sidewall height increases proportionally. I see the bicycle tires show no aspect ratio, just a bead diameter (older wheels) and width. Will going from a 27" x 1-1/8" tire to a 27" x 1-1/4" result in a taller (softer) sidewall and subsequent smoother ride? I am 56 yrs old and muscularly soft. I would sacrifice a little lateral stiffness if it negates some harshness.

Panaracer Pasela, wire bead, $27 Amazon Prime. Any opining of gumwall vs. blackwall? Pros and cons?

Grand Bois

Bicycle tires are basically round in cross section. The aspect ratio is 100.

motosman1

Well, here are pics! Sorry, I don't know how to make them smaller.

Like I said before (I think), it's all there just a little rust in some places. All bearings feel smoothbut I will pull all axles and steering stem to clean, inspect and lubricate.

motosman1

In the last pic of previous post, there is a crescent shaped chrome spacer(?) upward and rearward of the axle on the RH dropout, retained by a Philips head screw. It looks like it locates the axle in the dropout but there is not one on the left side. Can anyone explain?

motosman1

Thanks for the info.

Aubergine 

squirtdad

thats what I have always seen with bike of this vintage

MiloFrance

Looks like you're starting on the right foot! That Fuji branded rear mech is awesome!

Pompiere

The spacer helps you put the axle over the derailleur for better shifting. You can put it on either side or both sides if you want. I use one on the left side, and center the tire between the chainstays.

As for tires, Panaracer Pasellas in 27 x 1 1/4 or 1 1/8 inch will give a bit of cushioning, especially if you ignore the recommended pressure on the sidewall. My 1 1/8 Paselas says "Keep inflated to 105 psi". I weigh 160 lbs. and like them much better at 85-90 psi. I have a pair that are 27 x 1 inch and I run them at 90 psi vs. the 115 psi on the sidewall.