1979 Fuji "Royale"

First and Foremost ... this is mine, a 1979 Royale I purchased when I got out of college.  I had been riding a Raleigh Grand Prix for years and the Royale looked and felt like a thoroughbred compared to it.  Light, fast and affordable at $279 dollars. 

I rode it for fifteen years, then it was stored in a family attic for another ten. In 2004 I returned to cycling and pulled the Royale out of hibernation and got back on the road.  Cycling had changed, old steel road bikes were a curiosity, time and time again I was approached by someone saying "wow, I have an old Fuji in my basement, would you like it?"

Yes I would!

 

Fuji Parts Catalog

A 1973/1974 Fuji Parts catalog.  This was included when I checked a Craig's List ad for a older model Fuji.  The bike was too small but I was able to walk away with a 1974 catalog and this parts brochure for free.  At the time I didn't have method to share them so the great website ClassicFuji.com was kind enough to host them.

1973 Fuji "Special Road Racer"

It's only original once.

The "Special Road Racer". One of the most perfect examples of an early Fuji model, other than a brief wipe down to remove dust, I've never touched, cleaned, polished or even added air to it's tires in the three years I've owned it. All original, as it would have come out of the box. A gorgeous Fujita "Belt" saddle, intact decals and even the original Primus pump. It's first (and only) owner cared a great deal for his Fuji and it shows to this day.

A 1973 review in "Bicycling Magazine" courtesy of Velo-Pages.com

http://www.velo-pages.com/main.php?g2_itemId=14070&g2_imageViewsIndex=1

http://www.velo-pages.com/main.php?g2_itemId=14074&g2_imageViewsIndex=1

1974 Fuji "The Ace" Part Two

On October 8th. I posted images of my newly acquired 1974 Fuji "The Ace". It was covered with grime and dirt, I decided to to a simple clean, polish and preserve to start things off. There was rust that needed to be stopped, the non original "splash" bar tape was a thing of nightmares and the components needed to be brought back to life. Some didn't survive, the skewers were beyond hope, the headset was too far gone. New "Dura Ace" cable housing clips were also needed. Thanks to my generous Fuji friends I was able to replace them all ..

Part Two: