Prudy

Hi All,

I have been planning a bike touring trip in BC for about a year and also looking for a touring bike to ride all the while -

well, I came across a Miyata 1000 today on CL so I went for it.

I got it for a great price ($200) but it definitely needs some work...some of the parts are a bit rusted though the frame, fork and wheels look to be in good shape.

My question is mainly this: before I take my touring trip this summer (about 1000km) is there anything besides regular maintenance that I should consider? AKA, changing to 700c wheels, upgrading the crank, etc.

The bike is all original in the drivetrain area - triple Sakae SR Axel cranks, Suntour derailers, Suntour hubs...the only thing changed was an upgrade to the bar-end shifters.

I want to be sure I'm well equipped for the long haul.

Here is a bad pic, but a pic nonetheless...thanks!

rhm

Nice score! Better photos, please! Especially of the fork; I don't want to sound alarmist, but there's something about the angle of the fork in the photo that I don't like... it's probably just the photo.

With a Miyata 1000, you're basically dealing with the best equipment available when it was new, so "upgrading" isn't quite the right term. You can modernize, though. A modern crank will have ramps/pins to make shifting smoother. A modern freehub/cassette arrangement will have that and more gear options. 700c rims have more and better tire options. Whether any of these are actually necessary, however, is debatable.

I would suggest you start with cleaning, lubing, adjusting, and getting to know the bike. Don't change anything until you've got it working as well as possible and found it unsatisfactory.

IceNine

If it is an 81 it would have come stock with a 5 speed 14-28 freewheel with 120mm spacing between the rear drop outs. It also would have come stock with a half-step plus granny set up with 52-47-34 chainrings. I think the lack of a serious low gear is probably one of the biggest knocks on the Miyata 1000, but that is something you can change easy enough. I believe it would have had suntour cyclone which should work fine for a lot of miles, but hard to say how much it has been used to this point.

If you stay with a 5 speed freewheel, then your best bet would be the IRD 13-32 from Harris. I'm not a fan of half-step plus granny so I'd probably change the chainrings to 46-36-24 or something like that, but many people back in the day were happy campers with half step plus granny. At the very least I think you'll want a smaller granny ring.

But I completely agree with the above poster who suggested cleaning, lubing, overhauling bearings, and ride it as is for awhile before you change anything.

Bruce Enns

Wow, good score, I'd call up the guy you bought her from and ask if he has the racks stashed somewhere in the garage. I'd bet with a good rebuilding she wouldn't need much other than what you want updated. My 1981 version needs a smaller chainring on the triple for loaded touring. The Sugino Triple from Velo Orange will soon be on my bike.

Ashen

Glad a local BFer got that one, it will really clean up to a be a nice bike. You would have had competition from me if it had been a size larger

Prudy

Hi,

Yes, it's just the photo - the fork is fine. But, I will definitely take some more pics this weekend when I get a chance to get it out in the sun.

I already have a nice new pair of hand-built Mavic Open Pro wheels I was thinking about putting on the 1000 - they won't be great for heavy touring but would be great for long rides with light gear. The Open Pros have a 7 speed cassette on them.

I'll get it all spiffed up first and then see what's needed...I'll probably have some more questions!

Oh, and the original owner already changed to bar-end shifters and lowered the gearing - it starts with 47...

Squeazel

If you change to 700c wheels, and you have 27" wheels now (I was under the impression that 1000's came with 700c?) then keep your original brake calipers- they will have enough adjustment range. Newer calipers don't, I've heard.

Prudy

I've heard that, too - it does currently have 27" wheels.

2Fer

Just an FYI, the One Thousand has cantilever brakes, not calipers...............
2Fer

sesmith

My suggestion is clean and repack all the bearings, check and adjust the brakes and dérailleurs, replace the tires and chain, if needed, true the wheels and ride it as is. I have Miyata 610 of the same vintage. I replaced the shifters with a set of suntour barcons and replaced the brake levers with a newer set of cane creek levers (and, of course, added a B17 saddle). Other than that, its original and I love it. The old sun tour dérailleurs are bomb proof. I happen to like the half step/ grannny front rings. The half step setup allows you to get more usable gears out of the 5 gear freewheel. It takes a little getting used to, but it's a neat setup...you just find yourself shifting the front up and down more to get the half steps rather than the rear. The only other thing I did to mine this year was I replaced the 12-28 freewheel with a 12-34 (that's the largest the rear dérailleur will handle). This will give you a 36-34 low gear combo (maybe 34-34 on the 1000). You can find the original parts specs for your bike here:

https://www.miyatacatalogs.com/

and you can find new old stock freewheels for this bike on eBay. Also, there's absolutely nothing wrong with 27 inch wheels. You can get a set of Pasela Tourguard tires for it (as well as other brands). Enjoy it. It's a great find!