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Univega Viva Sport - Worth building back up?

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Univega Viva Sport - Worth building back up?

Old 08-15-19, 11:59 PM
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Zestiquant
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Univega Viva Sport - Worth building back up?

Hello everyone!

I've got this Univega Viva Sport that I picked up a while back for 10 bucks at a thrift shop and was wondering if I should build it back up with modern parts or keep it as is. It's a nice gunmetal-ish blue colour with a sticker on the top tube that says triple-butted chromoly frame and stays as well as a mangalite fork. Honestly the paint is in pretty good condition other than some cement on the stem and handlebars, as well some white paint drops on the frame.
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Old 08-16-19, 12:02 AM
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The groupset also seems like it's all original, with mostly suntour cyclone components as well as a crankset that has "signature" on it and dia compe calipers. The saddle seems pretty nice as well, an old worn out italia which I think is made of leather.
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Old 08-16-19, 12:55 AM
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Originally Posted by Zestiquant
The groupset also seems like it's all original, with mostly suntour cyclone components as well as a crankset that has "signature" on it and dia compe calipers. The saddle seems pretty nice as well, an old worn out italia which I think is made of leather.
Man. You made out. I just bought this for $60 and I thought I did good.
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Old 08-16-19, 02:18 AM
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Spend as little as possible to get the bike road worthy and safe to ride. Then ride is for a month or so. If the bike feels good to ride, then decide to restore with original components or upgrade with new ones.

For what it is worth, every time I get a new bike, I make it road worthy, spending next to nothing, then I Test Ride it. Been doing this for years and have had good luck with it. The last test ride was on this (no need for a transmission during test rides)...


Which is now in the paint, art and then rebuilding stage and will look something like (except it will be blue) this when done...


Also, keep in mind that the bike can be original only one time. It can be upgraded or restored anytime and many times, when and if you wish.
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Old 08-16-19, 11:09 PM
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Originally Posted by Cycle Tourist
Man. You made out. I just bought this for $60 and I thought I did good.
Yeah I'd say I was pretty lucky with it. Unlike yours the decals on mine are a bit scratched up, so I might try and touch 'em up or replace them with some from velocal. I'll be sure to post some pics of mine when I get back from vacation!
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Old 08-17-19, 09:24 AM
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I thought I was doing good when I paid $120 for my '84 Viva Sport. Only double-butted CrMo frame, and Mangalite fork. I replaced everything except the frame, fork and handlebars. Wheels are now Sun M13IIs on sealed bearing hubs and stainless spokes, a better seatpost, a used Fujita Belt saddle, replaced the SunTour BL derailleurs for 1st gen Cyclone, DiaCompe 500 side pulls were replaced with Tektro dual-pivots, pedals are VO road... In all, I got the weight down to 23.4 pounds. Rides exactly like my '86 Miyata 710 now...
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Old 08-17-19, 09:45 AM
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I wouldn't change anything until you have a 50 to 100 miles on it, I mean unless something is broken. Nice find.

That top mount shifter can be problematic when trying to upgrade to a more modern indexing system
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Old 08-17-19, 11:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Bianchigirll
I wouldn't change anything until you have a 50 to 100 miles on it, I mean unless something is broken. Nice find.

That top mount shifter can be problematic when trying to upgrade to a more modern indexing system
The bike that I have actually doesn't have top mount shifters like Cycle Tourist has. They're mounted on either side of the downtube. I have a 1992 (I think) Specialized Allez Comp I got from a thrift store that I suspect originally had similar downtube shifters, but it seems like the previous owner converted it to STI shifters and put in a pair of RSXs to replace the 105 downtube shifters. I'm not the best at explaining things and I'll post some pics soon. Hopefully the ones I have at the moment suffice as I'm not home until a week from now.
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Old 08-17-19, 11:52 PM
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Originally Posted by Cougrrcj
I thought I was doing good when I paid $120 for my '84 Viva Sport. Only double-butted CrMo frame, and Mangalite fork. I replaced everything except the frame, fork and handlebars. Wheels are now Sun M13IIs on sealed bearing hubs and stainless spokes, a better seatpost, a used Fujita Belt saddle, replaced the SunTour BL derailleurs for 1st gen Cyclone, DiaCompe 500 side pulls were replaced with Tektro dual-pivots, pedals are VO road... In all, I got the weight down to 23.4 pounds. Rides exactly like my '86 Miyata 710 now...
Why does it seem that each Univega model had a ton of different variations? When I was looking into my Viva Sport I saw people with hi-ten frames to double butted chromoly to triple butted chromoly.

Also that setup sounds pretty cool. All you people keeping your Univega's somewhat vintage may just sway me the same way...
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Old 08-18-19, 04:18 AM
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Originally Posted by Zestiquant
Why does it seem that each Univega model had a ton of different variations? When I was looking into my Viva Sport I saw people with hi-ten frames to double butted chromoly to triple butted chromoly.

Also that setup sounds pretty cool. All you people keeping your Univega's somewhat vintage may just sway me the same way...
Agree, Univega bikes can be hard to figure sometimes.
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Old 08-18-19, 07:58 AM
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Originally Posted by Zestiquant
Why does it seem that each Univega model had a ton of different variations? When I was looking into my Viva Sport I saw people with hi-ten frames to double butted chromoly to triple butted chromoly.

Also that setup sounds pretty cool. All you people keeping your Univega's somewhat vintage may just sway me the same way...
Univegas were contract-built at Ben Lawee's direction. (check out the Univega appreciation thread)

Univega model specs changed every year because the actual manufacturer of the frames changed their own specs every year. During the '80s, when Univega frames were made by Miyata, their own bike models changed with the advent of better tubing sets, so likewise, the framesets that Miyata made for Univega 'upgraded' as well. First CrMo, the butted CrMo, then triple-butted CrMo. Forks went from Hi-ten to Mangalite, to CrMo. My '84 Uni Viva Sport was specced out almost exactly the same as a Miyata 710 of the same year -- same frame tubing, same fork tubing, wheel hubs, etc - EXCEPT for wheel size. The Viva Sport held on to 27", whereas the Miyata 710 got 700c.

Sometimes features were introduced mid-year, like the mid-fork rack braze-on for the front rack on my '84 Uni Gran Tourismo (equivalent corresponding to the same year Miyata 610). Right on the Univega catalog, https://univegacatalogs.wordpress.com/ , there is fine print that states 'Specifications are subject to change'
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Old 08-18-19, 11:25 AM
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Originally Posted by Cougrrcj
Univegas were contract-built at Ben Lawee's direction. (check out the Univega appreciation thread)

Univega model specs changed every year because the actual manufacturer of the frames changed their own specs every year. During the '80s, when Univega frames were made by Miyata, their own bike models changed with the advent of better tubing sets, so likewise, the framesets that Miyata made for Univega 'upgraded' as well. First CrMo, the butted CrMo, then triple-butted CrMo. Forks went from Hi-ten to Mangalite, to CrMo. My '84 Uni Viva Sport was specced out almost exactly the same as a Miyata 710 of the same year -- same frame tubing, same fork tubing, wheel hubs, etc - EXCEPT for wheel size. The Viva Sport held on to 27", whereas the Miyata 710 got 700c.

Sometimes features were introduced mid-year, like the mid-fork rack braze-on for the front rack on my '84 Uni Gran Tourismo (equivalent corresponding to the same year Miyata 610). Right on the Univega catalog, there is fine print that states 'Specifications are subject to change'
Pretty cool to see how the models progressed. Looked up the serial number for mine and apparently it's a 1986 manufactured by Miyata.
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Old 08-18-19, 11:30 AM
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Finally got 10 posts so here are some pictures I took when I first got it. Not at home with it now but I'll try and take some better photos once I'm back in a week. (Sorry for the non driveside photo lol).






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Old 08-18-19, 01:02 PM
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I will echo @bianchigirl and say ride it, alot and then decide. I appears to be in good shape, nice components and tubing, the important thing, does it fit? do you like how it rides and feels? Riding it will tell you if its a good fit and ride and will tell you if you want to change things (saddle, bars, pedals etc), Have fun.
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Old 08-18-19, 01:50 PM
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Originally Posted by Zestiquant
Finally got 10 posts so here are some pictures I took when I first got it. Not at home with it now but I'll try and take some better photos once I'm back in a week. (Sorry for the non driveside photo lol).
Looks like a winner! You did REAL good. Enjoy!
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