concordino

Hello,
Looking for Jamis catalog scan from 1991/92 showing a hybrid model “Quest” made of Ishiwata plain gauge chromoly 4130.

looks to be entry level with Shimano 200GS but has a distinguished neon pink or conch color.

thank you

T-Mar

While I don't have catalogues, I do have price lists for those years. The Quest was 200GS in 1991 but 400LX equipped the following year, so we can rule out 1992. 200GS was introduced in 1990, so that's also a possibility. The photo is good enough to show March 1990 and June 1990 date codes on the crankarm and front derailleur respectively. June isn't late enough in the year to rule definitively rule out 1990 but I'm heavily leaning towards 1991. That year, the Quest was the bottom model of three hybrids and had an MSRP of $339 US.

concordino

Thank you very much for the info T-Mar. what were the other two hybrid models above the Quest in terms of frame material and components?

T-Mar

The two Jamis hybrids above the Quest were:

Jamis Tangler: unspecified Tange tubeset, SunTour XCE, $475
Jamis Coda: unspecified Tange tubeset, SunTour XC LTD/X-1, $575

The Quest was originally a road model, introduced in 1988. That year, it used a Tange Infinity frameset and mostly SunTour Alpha 5000, at a price of $450. I don't know exactly when it morphed into a hybrid but converting entry level road models into hybrids was a pretty common occurrence in the very early 1990s, as road bicycle sales continued to decline. The 1991 price list doesn't contain any Jamis road bicycles, only seven ATBs and the three hybrids.

concordino

Much appreciated , the Quest started as a road model and eventually also returned to the road family.

This will be my first Jamis from the era, what is their reputation? Taiwan or Japan made?

T-Mar

So far, all the ones I've seen have been out of Taiwan, from Fairly and Hodaka, both reputable manufacturers but 200GS is very basic group.

concordino

Yes, not a bit fan of the 200GS, am planning a rebuild eventually with Deore LX or equivalent.

The subject aside:

Do you have any info to share on a 1992 GT Virage Hybrid? It was Aluminum, maybe Taiwan made and was top on GT’s hybrid lineup for 1992.

thank you

T-Mar

As you note, it it's an aluminum frame (7005) but the fork is CrMo. At least it uses 700C wheels and not 700D like the Tachyon and Continuum. The group was Shimano's short lived 500CX save for the 500LX hubs, SR low Fat pedals and a generic headset. Quirky features are a seat stay mounted U-brake, horizontal front dropouts and a flip flop stem. MSRP was $649. It was 1st or 2nd in a line-up of 5 to 7 hybrids, depending on how you classify the 700D Tachyon and Continuum.

I don't know where it was manufactured or have any experience with the this particular model or the 500CX group, though I do have the catalogue in this case.

concordino

T-Mar , you are a true bible on this forum. The info you provide is invaluable to myself and other vintage bike collectors. Thank you.

In my usual search on the web for GT catalogs, I couldn’t find any reference to the Virage on available GT 1992 catalogs online. Would you be so kind to share a catalog scan of the GT hybrid lineup for 92 with the specs chart.

It is also claimed on other forums that the Virage was offered in 1990 by GT with 700D wheels like the Tachyon and Continuum, is there any truth to that ?

Also, please check your messages.

T-Mar

Unfortunately, my printer-scanner hasn't been working properly for several months now. To provide scans for members, I've been taking my literature to the library about once a week but now the library is closed due to the Corona virus, so I've lost that resource.

The Virage isn't mentioned in my 1990 catalogue. The only other hybrid that year was the Arette ( hi-tensile with CrMo seat tube, Shimano 200GS). The Passage with Shimano 100GS was added to the line in 1991. The Virage dosen't appear until 1992. The Cirque (Tange MTB, Shimano 500CX/400LX) and Vantara (Tange CrMo, Shimano 500LX/300LX) were also added in 1992. All the hybrids during this period are listed as 700C. except for the Tachyon and Continuum.