tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post5941258129333640450..comments2024-03-28T14:04:01.556-07:00Comments on Midlife Cycling: Fuji S10-S: It Brought Japanese Bikes Out Of The ShadowsJustine Valinottihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-29520044657191500642021-07-07T14:22:56.922-07:002021-07-07T14:22:56.922-07:00I still have my silver Fuji S10-S which I bought n...I still have my silver Fuji S10-S which I bought new in the late seventies after Consumer Reports excellent rating. Changed the seat, even with Gelco padding the hard leather seat as too uncomfortable. The bike is just sitting in my garage with flat tires, haven't ridden it for years and would like to sell it if anyone is interested I like in the DC suburbs.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16328421532429839447noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-78964078545227743362021-04-20T20:11:27.421-07:002021-04-20T20:11:27.421-07:00Hello I would be interested in this bike. Hello I would be interested in this bike. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04068761749404797179noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-15943173440908608232021-02-26T16:14:17.732-08:002021-02-26T16:14:17.732-08:00How about a beautiful METALLIC BLUE 1974 Fuji S10S...How about a beautiful METALLIC BLUE 1974 Fuji S10S Special Road Racer? It is pretty much like new. I am the original owner. I rode it just a few times, then my life suddenly got busier and busier and never let up, so I hung it on a wall and that's where it's been ever since. It has less than one hundred miles on it. All original parts, just a couple of scratches, but tires/tubes won't hold air because of age.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08061891931888548044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-34979903671839721992020-09-29T07:10:09.424-07:002020-09-29T07:10:09.424-07:00I bought a Fuji S10-S (12 speed) in 1977 or 78 aft...I bought a Fuji S10-S (12 speed) in 1977 or 78 after I went back to school after a stint in the USN. I believe it cost me almost $200 with tax, I didn’t know much about bikes back then, but that thing was a blast to ride. It was stolen a couple of years later which still makes me a bit angry after 40+ years. Anyway, just found one on eBay in my size (25”) and my color (green) in great shape. Anxiously awaiting its arrival!rbirellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02038184615027806418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-61319295162811734092020-01-28T07:05:53.611-08:002020-01-28T07:05:53.611-08:00Unknown—I don’t, but if I hear of anyone, I’ll let...Unknown—I don’t, but if I hear of anyone, I’ll let you know.<br /><br />I agree that the green one is really nice!<br />Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-91041585712610708252020-01-27T22:38:27.510-08:002020-01-27T22:38:27.510-08:00justine do you know anyone selling a green fuji in...justine do you know anyone selling a green fuji in this shade? whether an s10-s or any of the other "race"bikes... so beautifulAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01829176541102934138noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-24839773397556361742018-03-30T13:37:44.022-07:002018-03-30T13:37:44.022-07:00Unknown: I remember the boycott against Japan, Ru...Unknown: I remember the boycott against Japan, Russia and Norway over whaling back in the '70's and '80's. I didn't realize the Japanese were still whaling.Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-84674195320913788032018-03-29T22:14:39.304-07:002018-03-29T22:14:39.304-07:00Just a desultory acknowledgement: some people boyc...Just a desultory acknowledgement: some people boycott Japanese goods to this day, not because of Pearl Harbor, nor even Bataan, but because of whales.Karlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13559735279815988474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-32563024583185971132017-08-31T20:47:44.390-07:002017-08-31T20:47:44.390-07:00Hi Don--Thank you for your response. You are righ...Hi Don--Thank you for your response. You are right about S10-S bikes made until 1975. I could not specs for 1976 bikes, but I think they were also hi-ten. From 1977 onward, the frames were made of double-butted hi-ten. Check this out: http://www.classicfuji.com/1976_07_S10-SB.htmJustine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-68000260092086277872017-08-31T14:40:47.719-07:002017-08-31T14:40:47.719-07:00Thank for sharing your fine experience with the S1...Thank for sharing your fine experience with the S10-S. I enjoy the Fuji's from that era myself. I was wondering your source for the line "Its frame was built from double-butted high-tension steel, with clean brazing at the lugs.". I agree with the Hi-Ten steel, but would like to find a Fuji source for the double-butted part. In a Bicycling magazine review for the 1974 model it is specified as a "Straight Gauge Tubes". That article does talk about double-butted Hi-Ten steal bikes, but only as a reference toward weight and a comparison to other heavier bikes. A cursory read of that text could have lead someone into thinking the author was talking about the S10-S when the double-butting was brought up. If you have another source I'd love to investigate it. Thanks again.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02604481134328138452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-40900317954817533802017-05-27T23:04:03.919-07:002017-05-27T23:04:03.919-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15906533201798158530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-25465988406772111302017-05-27T23:02:59.351-07:002017-05-27T23:02:59.351-07:00I'm looking for information on an Acme labeled...I'm looking for information on an Acme labeled japanese ten speed from the 70's to 80's.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15906533201798158530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-62830801172998225242016-06-30T20:20:05.636-07:002016-06-30T20:20:05.636-07:00Brooks--I have never owned a Fuji, either, but I h...Brooks--I have never owned a Fuji, either, but I have always had respect for them--at least the ones up to about the early '90's. As Sheldon Brown points out, they were one of the last Japanese manufacturers to shift production to Taiwan, so they didn't develop the relationships other Japanese bike-makers enjoyed with Taiwan manufacturers--at least, not for a while. The mid- and late-90s Fujis weren't very good, but the ones from about 2005 or so have been good.Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-66578097496543466682016-06-30T06:55:09.418-07:002016-06-30T06:55:09.418-07:00Interesting post. I've never owned a Fuji, but...Interesting post. I've never owned a Fuji, but they definitely did help Japanese bikes become better accepted. The workmanship on models like the s-10 did seem to be better than a lot of earlier Japanese bikes. Also, that catalog cover image is really cool!Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12110998345857993287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-16551003075095566222016-06-24T20:02:00.499-07:002016-06-24T20:02:00.499-07:00Frenchy--Seikos are indeed great watches.
You p...Frenchy--Seikos are indeed great watches. <br /><br />You point out something interesting: Some people were more willing to "forgive" the Germans because they became our allies against the Soviets during the Cold War. That is certainly true. I think there was also an element of cultural bias, if not racism: Until recently, the vast majority of Americans were of European descent. So they could identify with Germans in ways they never could with the Japanese. (I think it's also the reason why people were so much less able to comprehend, at first, that the Holocuast was happening in "the land of Mozart" than to believe that the Japanese were capable of acts of savagery, even before the attack at Pearl Harbor.Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-82079671724866886472016-06-24T13:20:47.153-07:002016-06-24T13:20:47.153-07:00My Dad said there was prejudice against both Japan...My Dad said there was prejudice against both Japanese and German goods during the 1950s and it seemed to him to taper off somewhat by the late 1960s, perhaps a bit earlier in the 60s possibly due to Cold War sentiment (now the Germans are allies vs. the Soviets) and the popularity of VWs. My Dad, a combat veteran of the ground war France, Belgium and Germany, said he never took any of it personally - when the war was over he bought whatever products he liked from whatever country. We had all kinds of cars - Japanese, German, British. My Dad and brother started buying Japanese camera equipment in the early 1960s. In the early 1970s we started purchasing Seiko watches (I still have my very accurate Seiko wind-up my parents bought me) as well as Citizen and Pulsar. My personal favorites are Seikos; we have a number of old Seikos that still run quite well. Nevertheless, my Dad said he knew of other people who still had prejudice against Japanese and German products because of the war.Frenchyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00831853381218298474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-30522005981882086272016-06-22T20:18:01.924-07:002016-06-22T20:18:01.924-07:00Steve--I am sorry if I caused confusion. I made a...Steve--I am sorry if I caused confusion. I made a slight change that, I believe, should clarify the timeline a bit.<br /><br />The Safari indeed came out in 1972. To my knowledge, it was always marketed under the Nishiki brand. Also, from the information I've gleaned, it seems that the Kokusai became the International the same year. That would make perfect sense if--as I've determined--American Eagle became Nishiki in 1971.<br /><br />I don't mean to imply that the Fuji S10-S was the first good Japanese bike. Rather, I think it's the first bike that showed Americans, all over the country, that the Japanese were making top-tier bikes. (Until 1971, American Eagle/Nishiki, Centurion, Univega and other quality Japanese bikes were sold mainly on the West Coast and were not widely available east of the Misssippi.<br /><br />Wolf--An "American Eagle Outfitter" bike. That's funny. I'd bet, though, that if a bike were marketed under that name, it would sell.<br /><br />Leo--I remember those times, too, when people passed over "Jap Crap" in favor of stuff made in the USA. Even in the late 70s and early 80s, when I was in college, I knew people who refused to buy Japanese stuff because they fought in WWII, or someone close to them was wounded or killed by Japanese soldiers. (Oddly, I never saw the same prejudice against German goods.)Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-4068627092290732482016-06-22T12:50:41.685-07:002016-06-22T12:50:41.685-07:00Maybe Japanese products were "developing a go...Maybe Japanese products were "developing a good reputation in the 1950's", but the development was slow. I well remember as a kid in the 50's, going along on shopping trips with my parents, that reading "Made in Japan" someplace on an item was a total deal breaker: back on the shelf and look for something American. People would peal off or scratch off a "Made in Japan" label. It was embarresing for many to be seen with something Japanese. "Japanese junk" people said. Except for a few in the know (like about cameras), this stigma didn't really wear off until the mid or late 60's.<br /><br />Some of this was because of the nearness of the war and the racist propaganda of that time. Anti-Japanese racism was very much on the surface in the 50's. Once the racist genie is let out of the bottle, it is difficult to put back. The lesson is very timely in the US of this election year.<br /><br />LeoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-31865360944421094482016-06-22T10:59:15.643-07:002016-06-22T10:59:15.643-07:00I saw a Craigslist ad one time offering what the s...I saw a Craigslist ad one time offering what the seller proclaimed to be an "ultra rare promotional bike from American Eagle Outfitter" and "vintage, from their earliest days!". <br /><br />Of course you can guess what it was. Had me laughing.<br />The seller was a regular junk flipper, and his ads were always bizarre. I was never sure if his descriptions were the result of ignorance or purposeful deception, but he mostly sold $20 garage-sale-castoffs, so I doubt his customers were looking for gold anyways.<br /><br /><br />Wolf.N/Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14710395292374599493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-9353920945409261922016-06-22T09:51:38.432-07:002016-06-22T09:51:38.432-07:00According to http://midlifecycling.blogspot.com/20...According to http://midlifecycling.blogspot.com/2015/06/the-safari-before-bikecentennial.html Nishiki brought out the Safari in 1972. I believe the Nishiki International (and the earlier Nishiki Kokusai) both predated the Safari. Our S/N is KS154569 which considerably predates a S/N from Bike Forums. Fuji is a latecomer, and they may be unrelated to the Subaru Fuji which confuses me thoroughly. I guess "Fuji" translates to something like "Acme" in English.Steve Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13650405341304401203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8908461644259659419.post-73881383438459471902016-06-22T08:42:40.869-07:002016-06-22T08:42:40.869-07:00I think your timeline is not quite correct. By 197...I think your timeline is not quite correct. By 1971, American Eagle HAD transformed to Nishiki. We still retain our original Nishiki Kokusai from that time period. It would later become the ubiquitous Nishiki International. While our bike still has its "American Eagle" sticker on the seat tube, otherwise, it is a Nishiki all the way. I suspect that Nishiki actually led the way by a few months for brands such as Fuji (AKA Subaru in the motoring world). While Nishiki is, sadly, gone, we got a Nishiki floor pump about four years back. The Kokusai had the Suntour derailleur, half step gearing and Dia Compe brakes, along with a frame that is still solid today.Steve Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13650405341304401203noreply@blogger.com