robertj298 

I've had this in my garage for some time now. Paid $150 for it over a year ago.









Finally took it to the local bike shop
and paid$50 to get the seat post unseized .The bike seems to be in great condition
and I'm wondering if all these components seem to be original. Right now I'm
waiting on the weather to warm up so I can clean it up a little more and see what else it needs

bikemig 

$200 for this bike (cost plus labor) is a heck of a deal. This bike looks pretty much unmolested.

orcas island 

Looks original to me. Probably came with clips and straps though...

robertj298 

I'm curious. It's that a pump holder on the bottle holder?

Vintage_Cyclist

That's probably an 85. Specialized Catalogue 1985 | Catalogues | Retrobike

The 84 had an Avocet saddle, Sugino AT crank, Cyclone MKII rear derailleur
The 85 had a Specialized saddle, Specialized crank, Superbe GT rear derailleur

robertj298 

Strange. The serial# equates to 1984 and the rear derailleur is a cyclone MKll

Vintage_Cyclist

An 84 serial number would be the year the frame was made. It wouldn't be unusual for an 84 built frame to be marketed as an 85 bike.

The pictures above show a Cyclone MKII front derailleur, but a Superbe GT rear.

The Golden Boy 

The rear derailleur is the rare Superbe GT.

That bike is really really sweet.

IMO- it's one of the finest "all-rounder" bikes ever.

Vintage_Cyclist

That bike looks to be in great shape. Another 1985 feature is the pump peg on the headtube.

Regarding the previously seized seatpost, that might have been caused by moisture getting down via the flutes on the seatpost, since the flutes are almost completely into the seatube. You might consider changing the seatpost to a smooth one so the issue doesn't recur. You can always hold onto the original, in case you sell the bike later.

rgvg

I haven't seen any 84 catalogs, but I my Sequoia's serial starts with M4, and looks like the one in the picture (same fd, rd, cranks). If anyone has a catalog page for this one, I'd be keen to see it.

rgvg

One more thing... 85 is supposed to have recessed brakes. Mine and this one does not.

Jeff Wills

The rear quick-release is tightened wrong. You need to unscrew it and use the cam lever to hold the wheel in place.

It needs brake lever hoods, handlebar tape, new cables, and brake shoes front & rear.

Beyond that... sweet bike! For $200 out of pocket you have a bike many here lust for. I hope it fits you- the frame looks pretty large. (If it doesn't fit you... I'll take it off your hands. )

OutnBack

Picked this one up last month for $75. M2 Serial #, Sugino AT Crank, Superbe Brakes, Shifters, & Pedals, & Cyclone MK-II Deraileurs.

Pompiere

Yes, it is meant to hold a compact pump.

robertj298 

I did use the lever to tighten it.

Andy_K 

If the picture in the '85 catalog is to be believed (and I think it is), they changed the color of the Sequoias that year. The '85 catalog says the Sequoia is "Slate Blue Metallic" and the picture shows a fairly gray (slate?) looking frame. The earlier Sequoias, like the OPs, are more like the "Medium Blue" Rockhopper pictured in the '85 catalog.

Not having seen an '84 catalog, I don't see any reason to think the OP's bike isn't an '84 with the same components as an '85. Maybe they all had these, maybe they transitioned later in the year. Who knows?

I agree that Superbe GT rear derailleur is a nice item.

Edit: looking at the color again, I could be wrong. Lighting variations could be tricking my eyes.

davester

Jeff said that because your photo shows the cam lever in the "open" position, which would indicate that the lever was tightened incorrectly by turning it to tighten instead of the correct method which is to turn it to loosen slightly then flip it over to clamp the dropout. It's not uncommon for folks to not know how to properly use a quick release and then complain when the wheel shifts in the dropouts as a result.

robertj298 

How can you tell the can lever is open? It will close no matter what position it is in.

davester

The concave curve of the lever is facing away from the wheel. This means that the quick release cam is open. The quick release can only be tightened incorrectly (i.e. by spinning the skewer using the lever) this way and will not be sufficiently tight. It will also close incorrectly (and loosely) if you spin the skewer so that the concave curve faces the wheel. The correct way is to rotate the skewer anticlockwise a turn or two then flip the lever over so that the cam engages and tightens the wheel (much more tightly than turning the skewer can achieve). Like this:

Vintage_Cyclist

That quick release is in the open position

rgvg

My money's still on 1984 because 1) brakes aren't recessed 2) looks like mine which has a serial number prefix of M4H - April 1984 for the Miki format. It has a made in japan decal, so not Merida. It would also help if we knew what the serial is for the OP, even if just the first 3 character.

robertj298 

My mistake. I thought I just put the front wheel on and I know how to do it and then I reread the post and noticed it said rear wheel.
I'm glad someone caught it because I bought it that way and never checked. I don't know how it was put on that way but I
had to take vise grips to get it loosened.

Vintage_Cyclist

the 1985 catalog, posted above, shows brakes being nutted.

rgvg

Touche! Yet the specs page lists it recessed. And april is still early in 1984, so not likely to have been 1985. But sure, it's questionable. That's really one reason I would like to see the 84 catalog. I guess until somebody posts it the best I can say is the frame is 84.

Jeff Wills

No worries- at least we caught it before you had to fix a flat tire!

Again, congratulations on a great find.