Chr0m0ly 

I found the catalog from ‘84, but I can’t see any geometry specs?
anyone know the angles, chainstay length, or possible tire clearance for one of these?

https://univegacatalogs.wordpress.com/1984-2/

Chr0m0ly 

Full cromo frame!

looks like the “highest level” bike that still has eyelets, wondering if this is more of a race bike, or more “all sports”. It says “fast touring” in the description, but it also says short wheelbase...

I’m hoping for something like 42.5 / 43cm chainstays and room for 25/28mm with fenders and 32 without?

Salamandrine 

I remember assembling and selling these BITD, but it's been a while. They were pretty tight IIRC. I kinda think you'd be lucky to get 28's on there. It came with 20c tires -- to make it seem sportier and more aero I guess. They were still kind of pushing the aero thing at the time.

To a degree, race bike, all sports and fast touring is just semantics and marketing. In this case it simply has to do with the spec level and hierarchy in the line up. They were a road bike, and had the same general geometry as the racing bikes at the top of the line like the Superstrada and (arguably) the Gran Premio. The Gran Rally was a notch below the Gran Premio in the line up, with slightly cheaper components and spec. Therefore it was more fast touring than race bike.

Chr0m0ly 

Shoot. I was hoping for something a little more generalized. It’s frustrating that in order to get the better frame and components you often need to compromise with tire clearance and practicality.

Lucky to get 28’s... that’s pretty snug...

Salamandrine 

I should emphasize that I'm not 100% certain on that, but I recall they were pretty tight with race geometry.

If you can find one, try to get a Specialissima from around the same time. While sold as a touring bike, they are considerably sportier than other full tourers of the era, like say a Trek 720. It's more like a 70s race bike with cantis. I had one BITD and used it a couple cyclo cross races. It'll take 35mm tires without fenders no problem.

Chr0m0ly 

I've just moved to New York from Chicago and I'm picking up my '84 Trek 520 from bike flights today. It's the only bike I'll have in the city until June/July when I and the wife will end our sublet and move to a more permanent rental.

The 520 has 28's and fenders now, and hauling capability of course, so the Rally doesn't need to shoulder true workbike tasks, but 28s with mud guards is sorta the minimum clearance I’d be happy with.

If anyone has a more recent experience that’d be great, and thank you Salamandrine!

Whit51 

OP, thanks for posting that catalog, I’ve never seen it. I’d love to find the 81 catalog.

SurferRosa

News to me. I had two of these, an '80 and '81, and neither had eyelets.

The '80 had 27" wheels, so a 700c conversion could, of course, take a wider tire.

HHxc

Chr0m0ly, firstly I am sorry to post this on an unrelated thread but I cannot PM you yet. I saw a post of yours on dia-compe turkey levers from a few years back and wondered if you still have a spare with the red pin?

Chr0m0ly 

PM sent 🙂

HHxc

Resolved. Thanks though!

Beasus

Hi Chr0m0ly, what tires did you end up going with? I'm building on a Gran Rally frame, and like you am wondering how wide of tires I can get away with. Thanks!

SurferRosa

What year is it? And what's the wheel size, 27" or 700c?

Beasus

Its from the early 80's, my best guess from looking through the forums here is '81 to '83. I bought the frame alone, so im assuming the wheel size is 700c.

T-Mar

The serial number will allow us to narrow that down to at least two model years and possibly even provide the exact model year.

squarenoise 

I had an '85 Gran Rally for a time and ran 700x28 tires no problem. I don't recall if there would have been enough room to include fenders though.

Beasus

Serial number is: L977276

Beasus

awesome thank you

T-Mar

The serial number indicates that it was manufactured during the 1983 calendar year but the sequential number is so high that the chances of not being a 1984 model are extremely small. BTW, it was contract manufactured by Miyata of Japan, which is typical for Univega of this era.

Beasus

Thanks for the info! This is really interesting, and I'm having a blast learning all about and building out this bike. I'll eventually start a thread with photos of this build.