# Fuji Special Road Racer...bought for the Belt saddle...



## HARPO

OK, first of all I know it's a bottom of the line bike. But I bought it for one reason...the scuffed up Fujita Belt saddle. (Bike is to small for my 6' frame to keep). The front rim isn't original, but the rest of the bike is, and it's in decent shape, looking for a cleaning and a good detailing. Another project to add to a recently growing list. 

Ah, you say, but what did you pay for this little puppy? Well, considering I'm going to pass it along (_sans original saddle_), a whole* $35*. C'mon, even the scuffed up saddle is worth that alone I figured. I'll make some money on it by replacing the seat with one I have, so I figure the Belt will be free, and some money for cleaning it up.

BTW...I'm figuring very early to mid 70's as a year for it.


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## HARPO

Appears to be a 1975 model...


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## HARPO

A few more...


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## juvela

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Thanks for sharing this new arrival!

That Nitto I-beam stem is a fun item.

Belt saddles come from Fujita.  This catalogue page may help you to identify the model -





Full catalogue here -

http://cyclespeugeot.web.fc2.com/reminiscence/fujita65.htm

There were also Belt brand saddle pillars. Their design was similar to Simplex.  Sorry, no image.

Dating -

the cycle's Sugino crank arms will be marked with a date code on the back side. decoder ring here -

http://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm#sugino

your closeup image of the rear Ukai rim looks to have a date marking of 74.


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## juvela

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Front Shimano hubbed wheel must be a replacement since balance of fittings are all from the Maeda-Sugino, etc _keiretsu._

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## Mr.RED

I got a Fuji a while back did the same thing I got it for the Belt leather saddle they are getting harder to find in good shape. I sold the bike and stashed the saddle and now that I think of it I pretty much hoard any old leather saddles.


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## 49autocycledeluxe

that is not anything close to a bottom of the line bike.


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## HARPO

juvela said:


> -----
> 
> Front Shimano hubbed wheel must be a replacement since balance of fittings are all from the Maeda-Sugino, etc _keiretsu._
> 
> _-----_




Hi Roger

Yes, I knew this going in as I immediately saw that the front rim was chrome. All else seems original with exception of the top tube cable guides. They're plastic, and I believe that I have a few in one of my stashes.

Thanks again for all the additional info...AS USUAL, lol!


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## HARPO

49autocycledeluxe said:


> that is not anything close to a bottom of the line bike.




Yes, I now realize that. In my haste to go and get the bike from Craigslist here on Long Island and take photos, I thought it was a Fuji Sports Tourer. Duh! Seems like I really did well on this. And I might even have a UKAI front rim to match the rear original. Another reason I tend to keep every part I can.

The hoods are dried as toast and I'll be replacing new handlebar tape on it. And the work begins!!


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## HARPO

@juvela  A look at the bicycle registration sticker at the bottom shows DADE COUNTY...so apparently it was originally purchased in Florida and traveled North. _Lol, usually that's the opposite here!!!_


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## juvela

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Yes, I had noticed the Florida provenance.  

BTW - you may wish to add it to the forum's "bike shop sticker thread" -

https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/bicycle-shop-stickers.127044/

The S10S model was the one Fuji shoppers seemed to opt for back in the early 1970's.

Somewhat analogous to the Peugeot buyers who all seemed to select the U08.  

She will clean up very nicely for you Don Federico and is most fortunate to have come to your expert hand!

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## HARPO

Looks like it's a 1974 model (though the rear wheel shield is solid instead of slotted as shown).
It's still wearing its dried out cloth tape, which needs replacing anyway, and I might even have some. If not, I have regular yellow handlebar tape I'll use.

_*BTW...the Head Badge is still covered by the original plastic from when the bike was new. It's only starting to peel off now.*_


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## juvela

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For BELT saddle fans there was just one posted for private sale over at BF.  At USD40 it is not exactly "garage sale priced"...but then it is not ebay priced either.  

Happily, it is a _marrone_ rather than a _nera._

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(tariffa does include drayature)

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## 49autocycledeluxe

I found cloth tape is hard to get, at least in my area. only one shop had it.


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## HARPO

SUGINO crank arm is stamped FUJI. Cool!

The cloth tape looks like Boris Karloff wore it in one of his Mummy movies...which will be a real pain in the butt to remove. Looks like it also has some old dried out paper tape over it.

The brake lever hoods. If I stare sternly enough at them, they will perish into dust. These cannot be saved.


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## juvela

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WOW, now that's a first.

Have never before seen a drop bar wrapped with _*paper.*  :eek:_

Wonder if it may be the crepe paper rolls employed for party decorations...

Was going to write that if the cloth tape original it is probably Cateye brand then noticed that the catalogue image appears to show the bicycle with plastic handlebar wrap.

Read a forum post last year from a cyclist who mixed up a batch of _goop _to "mend" some crumbling brake lever hoods.  What a calamity they created!  Something of a cross between leprosy and psoriasis...

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## mongeese

Great bike- one of my white whales is a drillium Fuji Racer. You done did good here.


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## 49autocycledeluxe

nice brake hoods! I have a Schwinn that is a few years newer and my hoods looked good, I was going to turn them back on themselves and weave the new bar tape under them and found they no longer bend.  they still look good, you just can't touch them.


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## HARPO

49autocycledeluxe said:


> nice brake hoods! I have a Schwinn that is a few years newer and my hoods looked good, I was going to turn them back on themselves and weave the new bar tape under them and found they no longer bend.  they still look good, you just can't touch them.




I touched the one corner and it fell off in three pieces...nothing I didn't expect.


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## juvela

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Question -

in post nr. 1 the third image is a closeup of the bottom bracket's drive side.  it appears there may be a spacer behind the fixed cup.  am curious if the bicycle has one of those odd bottom brackets with a notched lockwasher encountered on some early seventies nippon produce.

















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Two small differences between your example and the machine in the MCMLXXIV catalogue image are the pump pegs and the shift lever covers.  The catalogue two-wheeler has braze-on pegs on the downtube and is shown coming with a frame pump.  Your S10S has plastic pump pegs on the seat tube.  IIRC these are made by Primus.

Catalogue machine wears white shift lever covers and your machine black.  My "aesthetic"  thinks the white goes better due to the white arrestor lever booties present.

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## HARPO

@juvela


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## juvela

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_Grazie mille Don Federico!_

There appear to be spacers on *both* sides of the bottom bracket. [headscratch ikon fitteth here]

Perhaps with all the parts shortages of the boom they could only get spindles for 70mm shell so they needed these with their 68mm shell.   Would expect shell to be 68mm and spindle a 70mm model such as the 5(S).

Are there any notches on the underside of the shell?

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## HARPO

@juvela  No notches...


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## juvela

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Thank you Harpo!

Shore do look like notch on adjustable side.  Likely one on fixed side as well, just hidden by shadow & dirt.

These rings were a short-lived response by a few manufacturers to the problem of BB cups working loose.

Thanks again.  


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## dweenk

Nice catch for $35. My wife and I bought two S-10-S back in 1972. At that time they had 3 arm Maxy cranks and steel rims. We rode the hell out of those bikes. A couple of years later we moved to CA and I sold my bike. I got enough for the Fuji to buy a Nishiki Competition, so I was happy. My wife still has her Fuji and will not part with it until she dies.


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## HARPO

What a pain in the butt removing the original cloth tape! It's almost all off, just a bit more to go.


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## bulldog1935

mineral spirits


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## HARPO

bulldog1935 said:


> mineral spirits




Thanks. WD-40 can only do so much...


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## bulldog1935

also the best choice for cleaning chains


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## dweenk

I just make sure that the center of the bar is clean. The rest is going to be taped anyway.


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## HARPO

Saddle removed, and might wind up on that 1985 Fuji del Ray I'm working on.

Quick clean-up, not my usual time consuming detailing, but it will go off to Craigslist shortly. I replaced the saddle with one I had laying around and added new handlebar tape. And so another will leave...and I'm sure another will replace it...


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## juvela

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_BICYCLING! _ magazine review of  1974 S10-S -

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-...eview-1974-fuji-special-road-racer-s10-s.html 

same machine produced for company based in Van Nuys California & badged as Campania -

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1169876-my-new-campania.html 

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## HARPO

@juvela  Check out my new listing. I found ANOTHER one...but in green, lol!


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