Bike Forums - Fuji Valite Quad Butted Steel tubing

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- - Fuji Valite Quad Butted Steel tubing (https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/395574-fuji-valite-quad-butted-steel-tubing.html)

Quote:

Originally Posted by T-Mar (Post 17375627)

The one thing that I never understood was why it was Magny and not Mangy, given the manganese content. I know that I'm always tempted to type Mangy and I've even seen it transposed that way in print. Consequently, I'm wondering is it another one of those Japanese to English translation errors that used to be so prevalent?

Maybe because a savvy Japanese exec was aware of the English definition and didn't want the tubing associated with a "mangy" old dog?

Is it odd that I could spend an afternoon reading about the history of Japanese bikes, and more specifically, the history of various Japanese tubing?
Stuff is fascinating.

Quote:

Originally Posted by well biked (Post 6308082)

My guess is that it's very comparable to Tange Infinity. I've got a friend who's got a Fuji from the mid-'80's, its a lower end bike with Valite tubing. I think Valite is a vanadium steel alloy, not a chromoly.

According to Old Roads some years ago it was chrome vanadium and seamless, and Todd Downs of Bicycling Maintenance and Repair said it was nothing but high carbon steel. However later it was discovered that Ishiwata made the tubeset from their EXO-V marketed tubeset which was manganese-moly and seamed, and EXO-V was the Ishiwata house brand for Valite. And the controversy I'm sure will continue, but whatever it is it's plenty stiff.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cuda2k (Post 6307632)

Interesting. Would it be a better tube set than say Tange Infinity? A slightly heavier tubeset would likely be fairly ideal for a sport touring application I would venture to guess.

There is no better, just different and personal opinion, which is what I mentioned in my first post on all of this. There are custom builders who swear by Tange Infinity even though years ago they got a bad rap because it was low costing and thus how could it be any good mentality which was the similar mentality the cycling industry had about Suntour due to them being the lowest costing component group, now people know better!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chombi (Post 10903203)

I guess the quad butting could result in a stiffer tubeset as it might place more steel farther down the tube, away from the lugs, but as some have mentioned, it could mean a slight weight penalty. I did remember looking over brand new Fujis in my LBS back in the 80's and finding them not specially light in weight. I thought they weigh similar to bikes made with Columbus Tretubi tubsets. I was more impressed with the Fuji's flawless build quality and finish back then, and considered the whole quad butted thing more of a marketing gimmick. JMOs
Frankly, I can see quad butting more appropriate with track frames where ultimate stiffness comes into play.

Chombi

I'm not sure about this weight issue, my 84 Fuji Club for some reason weighs 20.8 pounds both on my scales and at an LBS scale which makes it my lightest steel bike, but according to the Fuji catalog it's suppose to weigh 23 pounds, my frame size is a 58 so not sure if their 23 pounds is for their 64 size or not. My bike is entirely original, so again not sure why there is a weight difference. But even at 23 pounds that is really reasonable for a lugged steel bike made in the mid 80's with mid level components; Fuji's lightest bike in 84 was the Professional and it had quad butted tubing but they didn't name it Valite it just didn't have a name, but it weighed 20 pounds according to the catalog.

Old ass thread I know

but FYI the 85 Club Fuji catalog puts it at 23 pounds.