Sunday, May 31, 2009

What a Difference a Day Makes

Hello and Welcome. I found this beautiful old Fuji "Gran Tourer S.E."on Craigs list Sat evening. I had recently been admiring one like it on oldtenspeedgallery.com So when I ran across this one for sale in Milford, I had to go check it out. At first glance it looked a little dingy. But I noticed all the decals were intact. And that even though it was filthy, I did not see many scratches. The original owner Joe told me that He had up-graded the 27 x 1 1/4 inch wheels. And that He had also invested in some better side pull caliper brakes. And He was not finished yet. He has changed the shifters from stem mounted shifters to the down tube mounted shifters. "I really like the way this guy thinks" So I took it for a short spin. It felt tight and the front wheel was "dead on". And even though it was filthy from laying around for 15 years, it shifted fairly smoothly. I`m really starting to think this bike has great potential. I must have it! lol..I loaded the bike onto the rack and shook Joe`s hand and told him thanks. Then he reminded me that I had not paid him for the bike yet. Opps! I did apologize a couple times (feeling like a total jerk) and paid the man. Then off I went. Fast forward about 8 or 9 hours . Now I have had some time to clean the Fuji up a bit. And I am absolutely amazed what a nice bike this is! The tires while "not new" by any stretch are still soft and have some decent tread left. And while they are not the same brand, the tread is a near perfect match. And the color of the gum-walls is a good match too. I can tell someone really put some effort into the selection. I`m guessing Joe had a blow-out and was not able to find the exact tire. Well the ARAYA Alloy 27X1&1/4 wheels cleaned up great. And the Dia Compe side-pull caliper brakes (and levers) cleaned-up nicely as well. Will this be my new main ride? Will it dethrone my new MotoBecane Mirage Sport? I doubt it. But I am gonna finish the restoration and ride this one a few times before I decide. I wonder how much I could get for a very low mileage new MotoBecane? Ride Safe and remember to RESCUE-RESTORE & RECYCLE




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