Fuji Sport 12 bent wheel

[metropical]

It's about 30yo. A few years back I bent the rear wheel on our poorly paved streets. I've since acquired a more modern daily ride (CAAD 9) that I quite like.
But I was thinking about refurbishing the Fuji.
I assume that exact parts would be near impossible to find.
Could I modernize the wheel, chain and perhaps the cassette, or is there more to it than just that?

[cny-man]

You can still find compatible wheels, just Google "27 inch rear wheel freewheel." You need one compatible with the number of cogs on your freewheel. Then all that's needed is to switch the freewheel (special tool and vise or long wrench needed) and tire/tube/rim strip. A bike shop can cheaply remove the freewheel for you. It's expensive to replace the wheel, cassette and chain for an entry level bike.

[metropical]

thanks very.

will a newer wheel hold up better than the original or are they more or less the same?

[GeorgeET]

You can get a new wheel here:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/wheels/630.html

BTW vintage Fuji bikes were high quality the upper end ones had great frames.

http://classicfuji.com/

Here is mine 1985 Fuji del Rey, that I restored. It has a quad butted Valite frame.

[cny-man]

Depends somewhat on the quality of the rim and to a great extent the quality of the build. For longer life make sure you buy from a source that verifies correct tension or have a bike shop's wheel person properly tension the wheel after purchase. Even a properly tensioned wheel can be bent by impact or accident.

[metropical]

(09-19-2014, 02:26 PM)GeorgeET Wrote:  BTW vintage Fuji bikes were high quality the upper end ones had great frames.

http://classicfuji.com/

Here is mine 1985 Fuji del Rey, that I restored. It has a quad butted Valite frame.

mine did pretty well for me for almost 30 years.

[cny-man]

(09-19-2014, 02:26 PM)GeorgeET Wrote:  You can get a new wheel here:

http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/wheels/630.html

BTW vintage Fuji bikes were high quality the upper end ones had great frames.

http://classicfuji.com/

Yes, Sheldon has them but per the recommended Google search lots of other places as well. Of course you also have the option of getting the wheel from the bike shop or having them do the switch.

Yes, Fuji made good quality bikes, but the Sport 12 was entry level, including (I think) steel rims. Need to replace them will alloy rims, much safer.

[GeorgeET]

Yes CNY , you are correct it is unfortunately low end, with steel rims indeed.
Alloy wheel will be an improvement.

http://classicfuji.com/1981_Thumbs.htm

I have my radar up for a vintage Panasonic America high end bike , but see mostly low end bikes. The good thing about low end bikes like say Schwinn Varsity is that they put a lot of people on bikes.

My first bike was a Czechoslovakian made Favorit that I got for $25, new, back in 1960. I rode it everywhere including off road.:-)))

[metropical]

well lookie there. 34 yo.

whoda thunk

[1FJEF]

(09-19-2014, 12:02 PM)metropical Wrote:  Could I modernize the wheel, chain and perhaps the cassette, or is there more to it than just that?
Will a newer wheel hold up better than the original or are they more or less the same?

GeorgeET & I disagree a bit when it comes to your question, (we've discussed it before) unless you want to spend very little, in which case I agree that as long as you are under 200lbs & ride carefully, you can easily find a 27" (630mm) rear wheel with 36 spokes & 126mm or 130mm rear drop out spacing (O.L.D.) made to fit a freewheel (your Fuji doesn't have a cassette). This lets you use your old tire & tube & keeps the cost around $50ish + shipping. (Amazon, ebay, even LBS)

Your new set up would not cosmetically match. You could buy a set of two for $100ish + shipping & you would be set. If you went to the $150 range, George gave the link, (I think they charge almost $40 for shipping) you'd get double wall alloy rims which should be as tough, or a little tougher than your old steel wheels (some say way tougher). As cny-man said, brakes will be much more effective, especially in the wet. You'd still be using the thread on freewheel for rear gears. You could also go $200ish & get a custom hand built set of 27" double walls with a rear freehub so you can use modern cassettes (7 speed). More money will get you an 8 speed, but I wouldn't bother.

Where GeorgeET & I disagree is on the 27" wheel. I feel that if you are even considering new tires, then you should switch to a 700c wheel (622mm) like on your CAAD. You just need to make sure your brake pads will adjust "down" about 1/4" (4mm is technically the difference, but 6mm is safer. About 1/4")
This gets you a rear cassette style with 7 (or 8) speeds.
It gets you a huge selection of wheels.
It gets you a massive selection of tires.
You can now go to bigger tires to get you some rough road protection, probably easily a 700c x 37mm tire if not a 40mm or larger. (perhaps just on the rear?)
If you're cheap, like me, you could go with just a rear wheel for now, with a 700c x 37mm, maybe even a "gumwall" look, like the Panaracer Pasela, then upgrade the front at a later date.

Don't think me at odds with GeorgeET, he's a good guy and I completely agree that if you are only going to change a wheel or wheels & nothing else, and you're not a fat guy like me, then machine built 27" is the way to go.

Old School:

[GeorgeET]

Do not ever remember having a discussion re 27" vs 700c wheel. But than I weight 160lbs and any wheel will do me.

The issue was price effective fix, miss matched wheels BFD its a thirty year clunker its great that its still working. If you are going to spend a lot of money on it do it for sentimental reasons , as some really nice vintage bikes can be had for that money..

Nigel found three complete bikes for less than the cost two wheels, on another bend wheel thread.

As for more choices in the 700c all I need is two wheels and two tires do not need a big menu to make a bike go.

Now if you are talking high end bikes and heavy riders, these bikes were build for light racers, just give the bike to me before it gets wrecked.:-)))

[GeorgeET]

BTW here is another choice. I like Sheldon because there is a lot of info on his site and its a good start page.

In retrospect after spending a lot of time and running around finding parts to rebuild my Fuji wheels I should just have picked up a new sealed bearing SS spokes ones.

At that point consideration of 700c vs 27" might have been given. But I would need more inducement than just more choices. If there is more to it I am all ears......

I had no problem finding 27" tubes and tires in a around the corner bike shop.
Finding hub cones was a PITA>>

Heavier riders should not get 14 lb plastic bikes, no matter what wheels it has. So rider weight appropriate for bike model is a valid consideration.

Perhaps everyone should state their height and weight, before getting advice. :-)))

http://www.amazon.com/Sta-Tru-Silver-Alloy-Freewheel-4-Inch/dp/B004YJ2GR8/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1411430360&sr=1-1&keywords=bicycle+wheels+27%22

MIAOP

[1FJEF]

(09-22-2014, 08:16 PM)GeorgeET Wrote:  Heavier riders should not get 14 lb plastic bikes, no matter what wheels it has. So rider weight appropriate for bike model is a valid consideration.

Perhaps everyone should state their height and weight, before getting advice. :-)))

I think that's a good idea a lot of the time. Less behemoths trying to buy 28 spoke ebay wheelsets, lol.

[cny-man]

(09-22-2014, 05:36 PM)1FJEF Wrote:  ...as long as you are under 200lbs & ride carefully, you can easily find a 27" (630mm) rear wheel with 36 spokes & 126mm or 130mm rear drop out spacing (O.L.D.) made to fit a freewheel (your Fuji doesn't have a cassette).

...and I would disagree with the implication that a freewheel equipped 36 hole wheel requires a sub 200lb rider or careful riding. Millions of riders rode millions of miles under such conditions without much problem. Even steel rims on a properly tensioned wheel and properly inflated tires can deal with heavier riders and rough conditions. Yes, freewheel hubs have more axle problems, but mainly when abused by poor adjustment or poor inflation. If one has a wider-spaced freewheel hub there will indeed be a higher level of problem.

[GeorgeET]

In typical fashion , once the OP realized he did not have a rare family heirloom but a $50 bike he went MIA. We see this a lot here and never know if the issue gets resolved and how. We usually wind up talking among ourselves yet again and the thread drifts. . However frequently good info comes out, and so it goes.............

[1FJEF]

(09-23-2014, 01:58 PM)GeorgeET Wrote:  In typical fashion , once the OP realized he did not have a rare family heirloom but a $50 bike he went MIA. We see this a lot here and never know if the issue gets resolved and how. We usually wind up talking among ourselves yet again and the thread drifts. . However frequently good info comes out, and so it goes.............

I TOTALLY agree. The OP vanishes, we never know what they went with.

[1FJEF]

(09-23-2014, 05:56 AM)cny-man Wrote:  

(09-22-2014, 05:36 PM)1FJEF Wrote:  ...as long as you are under 200lbs & ride carefully, you can easily find a 27" (630mm) rear wheel with 36 spokes & 126mm or 130mm rear drop out spacing (O.L.D.) made to fit a freewheel (your Fuji doesn't have a cassette).

...and I would disagree with the implication that a freewheel equipped 36 hole wheel requires a sub 200lb rider or careful riding. Millions of riders rode millions of miles under such conditions without much problem. Even steel rims on a properly tensioned wheel and properly inflated tires can deal with heavier riders and rough conditions. Yes, freewheel hubs have more axle problems, but mainly when abused by poor adjustment or poor inflation. If one has a wider-spaced freewheel hub there will indeed be a higher level of problem.

You and I are never going to agree on the rider weight versus cheap OEM rear wheel longevity. I mean ever. My friends and I have direct experience.
I have never stated that a properly hand built rear wheel with 36 or even 32 spokes cannot handle a 200 + lb rider. I should know, I own a number of them.
Funny that the Sheldon Brown/ Harris Cyclery Page states that for the wheels in question "The intended use is for casual daily riding under good road conditions". If you call them (which I have) they'll tell you 200lbs is max recommended.
There is a need for the Clydesdale section on the "other" forum which is 200lb & up for men. The ability of wheels to handle rider weight is of great concern there. (I assume in spite of your abrasive often aggressive, hyper critical even occasionally antagonistic writing style you're still allowed there).
Peter White agrees with me, I know, I've spoken with & purchased from him.
My frequent references to rider weight & rear wheel issues concerns mainly OEM product & narrower rims, not some 32mm wide Electra cruiser wheel with 3500 miles on it.
Sometimes cny you take the fun out of it for me here. There is a certain camaraderie here that you sometimes don't seem to agree with.
I literally do not post or hesitate to post because of you.
Go ahead, flame on. But if I see many more of your posts hammering someone for not googling instead of asking here, or inferring that someone is dense I'll cancel my Repair Guide subscription, cease posting (there again, who cares) & just contact the knowledgesmiths directly. Yeah, it's Nigel, Painkiller etc.... If they don't know, I'm probably in deep ca ca.
Please excuse me, abrasive people bother me, I'll try to not let it happen again.
I'm going outside to address a rear, off side 13ga single butted spoke that has started to click & protest against the laws of physics at 2159.88 miles. Not bad for a 32mm wide, 559mm 36 spoke wheel with 345lbs of bike, rider, locks, lights, rack and front basket. The record for a machine made rear wheel on that bike is about 900 miles before taco.
Gentlemen, have a good evening

[cny-man]

Very odd that you castigate ME after GeorgeET's snarky post (with which you TOTALLY agreed) where he assumed he knew the reason the OP posted and the reason he left - especially when the post of mine to which you reacted was merely my (different) opinion rather than disparaging yours. Although I greatly respect his opinion, Peter White is in the business of selling wheels, and all retailers do a bit of CYA by being very conservative about such things as recommended rider weight. After 20 years in the bike biz, 100's of wheels built, thousands trued, well over 20k miles of loaded touring, and 100's of thousands of miles total I also have a pretty well-informed background.

As for the knowledgesmiths, I've provided substantial numbers of accurate solutions here. The participation rate in this forum is so low that if not for my posts and the two others you mentioned manay problems would go unsolved.

[DaveM]

Yeah, you know if I want to read people caustically declaring how many X they've built, accuse people who disagree with their general recommendations of being shills for big bike, castigate newbie posters for not using the proper terminology, and other assorted d!ck waving, I'll go over to bike forums.

[Addressed to no one in particular...but I see where this is going.]

[GeorgeET]

CNY I was trying to stay out of this, however since you invoke my name, and having seen your abrasive early posts I'll add that I agree with 1FJ. You also frequently got impolite with me and I have not responded in kind but focused on the good info part of your post. You know bikes but you need to learn to loose your NYC tude to post here. BDDT...........

Nothing snarky about my post, must be to you...annd 1FJ and I have been on the list for a while and have had many conversations and have mutual respect.

10-4 Dave. ANND please everyone do not go anywhere your knowledge and input is valuable.

Anyway we are no longer talking bikes and this is a bike list,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,