Bike Forums - My Fuji Del Rey

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- - My Fuji Del Rey (https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=1288723)

That is a really pretty frame. FYI- the water bottle cage that you replaced looked like a TA cage, popular with vintage bike collectors. The gold color Ukai rims were original. Nothing special but some collectors like them.

That looks cool but I don't know if I could ride it - I think I would pass out from my head being that much lower than my butt.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Insidious C. (Post 23161539)

Pretty sure I still have the cage but the rims were trash. For me riding > than collecting.

"The Del Rey was an excellent sport-touring bike." - Sheldon Brown

I like it @KeepPedaling . Fuji always did a great job with paint regardless of where it was in their lineup and yours in the dark green with gold lettering looks great. Nice job restoring it. For the chainstay, some of us here get a piece of aluminum tape and cut ovals in each end and tape it down to the chainstay to cover the chain rash and prevent new niks. I like using black vinyl electrical tape, cut the same way. Back in the day, someone was making stainless steel chainstay protectors that look great and held up well.

I had a pair of Belleri handlebars that had a similar shape to yours. I liked them. I ended up selling them with the bike. I used standard dropped bar brake levers with them because I do most of my riding on the hoods of the brake levers.

I like the brown seat as well. It goes well with the green. Those steel rims cleaned up real nice too. Some of us here don't like steel rims, but there are cheap steel rims and there are better ones, the only downside is with nice chrome rims, it could be hard to stop in the wet.

Are you going to go to a single speed on this? It does have a perfectly good Suntour ARX derailleurs and power shifter on it. If it were mine, I'd keep it.

Keep us updated. More pictures = more better.

The mods aren't my cup of tea, but the clean-up is impressive to say the least. To generalize on some of the notes above, pretty-much any components you remove from this bike for your mods are worth saving/selling. If nothing else, donate them to a local bike co-op / kitchen, or offer them free on CL. As said, the gold rims and Suntour power ratchets are prime examples. They're not making any more of them, after all. You may find yourself going back to those gold Ukai wheels, by the way, when you notice how much heavier the ride feels with those steel Femcos. As mentioned above, the braking will not be as good with the Femcos, esp with just a front brake. Kool-Stop salmon pads would be a wise choice.

+1 what Uncle Sheldon said about the Del Rey as a sport touring bike. Mine's been a blast, slower than my "go-fast" bikes but an excellent light hauler. Looks like yours is a Japan-made bike; it was probably one of the last (my '89 is a Taiwan bike).

Nice video and I appreciate your bravery showing your balding head...
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1dcbb9d243.jpg
Also digging the chalk! This seems to be basically a styling exercise. My bikes could see more style.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Velo Mule (Post 23162185)

Thanks! I'm probably going to keep it as my geared bike but might switch a few things around that I have in mind. I'll keep you updated for sure.

Quote:

Originally Posted by madpogue (Post 23162246)

Thank you! Those wheels were trashed tbh. The gold was all sorts of messed up also. I usually try to give stuff away when I can. One mans trash is another mans treasure is truest thing ever said!

Quote:

Originally Posted by 52telecaster (Post 23162276)

Chalk was incredible! One thing I would say is get a little softer chalk. Crayola probably would be best but I've tried a cheaper white chalk from an everything store and it didn't work quite as well. I would say the easier it is to write on a chalkboard the better for the polish.

Eagle's nests around the world, UNITE!!! 🪺🦅

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeepPedaling (Post 23162349)

Thanks! I'm probably going to keep it as my geared bike but might switch a few things around that I have in mind. I'll keep you updated for sure.

Thank you! Those wheels were trashed tbh. The gold was all sorts of messed up also. I usually try to give stuff away when I can. One mans trash is another mans treasure is truest thing ever said!

Chalk was incredible! One thing I would say is get a little softer chalk. Crayola probably would be best but I've tried a cheaper white chalk from an everything store and it didn't work quite as well. I would say the easier it is to write on a chalkboard the better for the polish.

Eagle's nests around the world, UNITE!!! 🪺🦅

Keep the vids coming too.

Del Reys are nice riding bikes, kind of miss my '86 but had others that rode as well and 2 other Fujis in better condition so it went to a good home and is being enjoyed.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d04b8bbb25.jpg

Had an '83 Royale II in the same color as your Del Rey and with the same gold wheels but it was a tad small.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8617307ff9.jpg

Good job. Although I would run a dual pivot brake if I only had one brake