Out-of-the-saddle performance is excellent, with very little frame deflection under sprint force efforts. You see, I do some commuting but primarily I ride for pleasure, fitness and training for the inevitable and greatly anticipated century ride. The Ride:įor me, this bike is an all-purpose bike. cyclist could spend, that could result in a lower total weight of bike and rider, than this bike and I. There is no amount of money that even the most wealthy 170 lbs. The grips, I believe, are the very finest I have ever seen, secured with a small Allen wrench, and allowed for a comfortable and confident grip. Personally, I found the drop bars too narrow to offer adequate “out of the saddle” leverage when climbing. The dealer sent along flat bars in another box that arrived a little later. Initially, my Fuji arrived with drop bars. It’s somewhat basic, yet very attractive and no animals were harmed in the making of this saddle.
#Who owns fuji bikes pro#
It actually looks like the Brooks Pro saddle from my old Raleigh Professional but it is completely synthetic.
This Fuji Declaration came with a great saddle. This straight alignment of the chain results in a totally silent transmission of power while you are pedaling. The Chainline to the rear cog is now perfectly aligned after placing the chainring on the inside of the crank spiders, rather than the outside. The original equipment included a good alloy crankset, with a large 46 tooth heavy steel chainring, that I immediately replaced with an aluminum 38 tooth chainring. However, I do miss the sounds of the old Maillard and Atom freewheels from 1970s French bicycles, perhaps being reassured by the clicking from the pawls that they will surely re-engage when needed. The upgraded Shimano FS 1200 now performs this task without fail and in near silence. The original freewheel was a dangerous contraption with pawls that became dis-engaged without notice a very real danger, especially when you’re out of the saddle and grinding up a steep hill with your nose out beyond the front hub. With those wheels the entire personality of this bike was immediately transformed, becoming far more comfortable, controllable and less punishing to my hands on rough roads. It didn’t affect performance, but… I promptly replaced this original wheelset with a set of small flange crossed 3 wheels from my less expensive Retrospec Harper bicycle. The front rim, although packed well for shipping, had a dent. The original stock wheels consisted of a large flange 28 spoke front and 32 spoke rear that were both laced in a crossed 2 pattern using straight gauge 14mm spokes, connecting the hubs to some very rigid, unpainted 40mm deep rims, providing a most punishing and tiring ride on rough roads. Not knowing exactly where to apply my files and wanting to avoid any “cold setting” on this part of the frame, I have been opting for patience while “finessing” the rear wheel during installation, to attain a good alignment while obtaining proper chain tension. The rear dropouts also have some additional alignment challenges. Sadly, I found it necessary to use a small, round rat-tail file to remove a small amount of steel from one forkend, in order to get an acceptably fitting front wheel. This rough ride, however, has been tamed with a carefully thought out after-market wheel selection, helping to eliminate some of the bike’s inherent stiffness. This rigidity has also resulted in a fairly harsh ride on rough roads. The combination of high-tensile, seamed steel tubing and the chromoly seat tube provides me with an excellent platform for out-of-the-saddle climbing, with little or no frame flex. It is a pure workhorse as well as a work of art. Now, after completing some essential upgrades and modifications, my Fuji serves me as an all-around fitness, commuter, and Century distance touring bicycle. The Fuji Declaration is a single-speed / fixie bicycle that is beautiful to look at and magnificently practical.