I'll chime in on this... having owned a few Fujis over the years, and always being a fan...
The Fuji Hi Ten was basically 1020 tubing, and the early 70s S-10S models
were built with that and used the Sugino Maxy three pin crank and 5 speed
clusters. They were pretty heavy, but very sturdy. Earlier ones were
labeled "Special Road Racer" (now there's a bit of hyperbole for you!),
later ones said S-10S. In 1977, they went to a six speed cluster, 5 arm
Super Maxy crank, and the tubing went to double butted Hi Ten, and the bike
was still labeled S-10S. I know all this because the first bike I bought
for myself, with my own money, was a 77 S-10S. I later sold it to a friend,
who apparently still has it and rarely rides it, so I hope one day to
re-acquire it. Sentimental value and all that. Anyway, in '78, the S-10S
stayed the same, but they offered the S-10S LTD, with a cro-moly frame and
nicer brakes, as I recall. Then in 79 the LTD morphed into the S-12S, I
think. At least that's my recollection. That Fuji site is really handy
though. It helped me id my "new" 1981 Intermediate Track:
http://spokesofawheel.blogspot.com/
Now if I could only get my hands on a Finest or America in a 25"!
Tim
Andrew R Stewart <onetenth@earthlink.net <lt%3Bonetenth@earthlink.net>>
wrote:
>>Jerry- My understanding is that the Fuji HiTen tubing was basic carbon
steel, 1020 or 1018 or the Jap. equivalent if I had to guess. Those early
1970s S10-S's were quite heavy for a bike with lots of alloy parts, 29-30
pounds by my memory. This would make sense if the frame was thick walled as
HiTen frames usually are.
Now the Val-Lite tubing used in the mid priced Fujis of the early 1980s was much nicer and lighter stuff.
Andy Stewart
Raleigh, NC
<cnighbor1(AT)comcast.net> Cc: <onetenth(AT)earthlink.net> Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2009 9:15 PM Subject: Re: [CR] Classic FUJI Bicycle Identification Home
>I note the S-10-S is speciified with "High-Tension" steel tubing. Was this
>just carbon steel, or something a bit better?
>
> Regards,
>
> Jerry Moos
> Big Spring, Texas, USA
>
>
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