Thomas R. Adams, Jr. wrote:
>The frame I picked up is a Fuji Del Rey touring style, 62 cm with a
>plush 105 cm wheel base, 58 cm top tube and 43 cm chain stays.
>Should be a comfortable ride . I'm hoping it's within CR date
>constraints, but at least it's a lugged steel bike with classic
>appearance: silver metallic with a bronze/copper seat tube panel.
>Double eyelets, TT cable guides, BB cable guides and 1 set of bottle
>bosses comprise the braze ons. Paint is in outstanding shape for
>such a cheap buy Really, almost nothing to touch up, although the
>decals are peeling.
>
>2. The tubing is Valite quad butted. The fork also has a Valite
>decal. I can't find a seam in the seat tube and I haven't pulled the
>BB yet. Anyone with data on the quality level of this tubing? The
>frame is not especially svelte, but the forks and stays seem beefy
>to my calibrated digits during the squeeze test.
It's good stuff, vanadium alloy. This was the top of Fujis excellent
sport-touring line. My daughter rides a 1986 Del Rey which I've
upgraded with RSX STI stuff. I actually used to ride this bike
myself, as a time-trial bike...it's way too small for me, but I
rigged it up with a long seatpost and cowhorn bars.
>
>3. I may put a very old original style Dura Ace crank on here. It
>is the earliest, non aero type with the fluted crank arm and
>spider, with Dura Ace cast into the flute in raised letters. What
>size spindle does this crank set normally take on a standard steel
>frame?
Mine came with a very nice Sugino crank, though I've substituted a
black Nuovo Record set I had kicking around, and put the Sugino
130/74 crank on the Sheldon Brown. I actually bought this bike
mainly for the crankset, which was one of the first 130/74 units
available. I wanted that 'cause it was the only way to get a triple
with anything bigger than 50 teeth in Biopace. I'm running 52/42/28
Biopace on it now.
>4. How old is this frame?
From the color, I'd say 1983-85. The 86 was metallic silver with black accents. This is at GREAT find. New Japanese frames of this quality are close to a grand. It's roughly comparable to an Atlantis.
All the best,
Sheldon
--
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