Fuji Bicycles Provence

Price Paid:  $1100.00 at Performance Bikes

Model Year:
2004

Favorite Ride:
Fuji Provence

Bike Setup:
54 cm Fuji Provence, Campagnolo Centaur drivetrain with Campy compact crankset and BB, Campagnolo Proton Wheels, Fizik Arione Titanium saddle, Ritchey Stem and bars, FSA integrated headset.

Summary:
Nice bicycle for the money I paid, though I quickly realized several problems with the stock setup.

The wheels are not up to par with the remainder of the components...they started to immediately go out of tru. Hence, I swapped out the Ritchey stock wheels with a set of Campagnolo Protons. The Campy wheels are several cuts above the Ritcheys. Personally, I didn't like the concept of a triple crank and therefore swapped out the FSA triple with a Campy Centaur compact. Magically everything on the bike started working better. Shifting was much more crisp with nary a hiccup from either the front or rear derailleurs. With the FSA crank, I'd get intermittant shift slips.

I've plowed some money into the bike with all these replacements but considering what I initially paid I'm happy. My Provence is now an excellent road machine. It climbs very well and is fast on the flats. The frame is responsive and comfortable and the Campy drivetrain is extremely precise now that I've mated a Campy crankset to it. I also replaced the saddle with a Fizik Arione...just a personal preference thing.

Strengths:
The frameset is comfortable and responsive. The bike seems to do everything quite well...comfortable on the long clibms and hammering on the flats. Campy Ergo system is the best road component system available.

Weaknesses:
The Campy Centaur drivetrain is not perfectly mated to the FSA crank. The wheels were sub par and I replaced them with a few months. One other annoying thing...this is NOT Fuji's fault...someone (e.g. Performance I presume) took out the FSA ISIS bottom bracket and replaced it with a cheap $15 Chinese knock off. I found this out when I put a new Campy Centaur in for my new compact crank. I guess Performance was trying to save a few dollars and they probably sold my FSA ISIS to someone else. I don't know if the original FSA Gossamer crankset would have worked better for me if the original stock BB had actually been installed in my bike. At least, I know I'll never buy another bike from Performance.

Price Paid:  $2100.00 at Eastridge cycle

Favorite Ride:
fuji provence

Bike Setup:
Campy Centaur group, FSA Gossamer triple crank with ISIS Bottom Bracket, Ritchey parts over rest of bike. Hutchinson tires.

Summary:
The Fuji Provence is a great bike for the rider who wants quality, functionality, and killer looks. The bike has an impressive ride due to the carbon fiber seat stays and carbon fork. The Campagnolo Centaur 30 speed group is amazing. The FSA Triple crankset made the bike look very mean. overall it is a great bike with a lot of potential. personally I highly recommend the Fuji line of bikes to anyone looking for a great ride for a great price.

Strengths:
Campagnolo 30 spd Centaur group. Triple crankset by FSA. Smooth ride with good parts spec.

Weaknesses:
The saddle is in my opinion a weakspot. The Ritchey OCR Wheelset is also a concern because of friends who have previously owned a set had problems with keeping them tru. My bike is still to new to see if '04 Ritchey wheels are any better. Was not happy about the way the handlebars were wrapped from the factory. I rewrapped and rerouted the shifter and brake cables. Campy takes a little to "break in".

Similar Products Used:
Giant TCR Alloy