robertj298 

I'm curious how you found out this information? I can find no catalogs or specs on the !984 Sequoias?

robertj298 

Vintage_Cyclist

I've got a pdf of the 1984 catalog from a now-defunct Yahoo Miyata 1000 / Specialized Expedition forum (Yahoo killed user created content in Dec. 2019).

Here's the relevant pages.

robertj298 

Thanks for posting.

jdave5917

Hi - If you still have the pdf of the '84 Specialized catalog, could you post the comparable page(s) for the Expedition in this thread? I can find '83 and '85 but not '84. I only need the page with the description/features since the specifications/components table that you already posted convers the Expedition.
Even better if you're willing, I can provide an email address if you're willing to send the pdf of the full '84 catalog.
thanks

jdave5917

I'm curious what the "Miki format" refers to regarding serial numbers. Everything that I've found says that you can't ID model or year from a Specialized serial#. Is that not the case for these bikes? I just acquired what I think(??) is a 1984 Expedition with serial number M238313 - can anyone interpret the month/year from this number? Does the leading "M" in both serial numbers stand for Miyata, by chance? thanks

rgvg

1) Yes you can for at least some of ones that were produced by Miki (the slate gray Sequoias and I don't know if others)
2) If your Expedition was produced by Miyata then it would follow the Miyata serial number system, in which case M would stand for 1984. Is it slate gray? First character in Miyata serials stand for the year the frame was produced. I understand at least some Expeditions were manufactured by Miyata
3) I lost this argument it was an 85 Sequoia we were talking about

jdave5917

Thanks for the reply. Yes - the Expedition that I have is the Slate Gray color. I found the info below in a site that explains the decoding of numerous Japanese models from the 80s. I never heard of "Miki" before even though I've been restoring bikes like this for 20 years. So, was Miki a bicycle manufacturer back then?

From https://classicjapanesebicycles.com/...-number-guide/

rgvg

Yes, to my understanding they were a smaller but excellent manufacturer for some other brands, including Centurion, Sekai, and others. I read here in Canada they did the Sakai bikes (not same as Sekai from the US) as well as possibly some early Rocky Mountain bikes. If I could find another one of their bikes or frame in good condition and price in my size, I would probably go for it.

jdave5917

Thx. Well, that potential Rocky Mountain Connection is a surprise. I bought one of their mountain bikes new in 2001 and they really marketed that "Made in North America" reputation back then. I know some, or maybe all, are made is Asia these days.

75lechamp 

Here is the link I found for the 84 Specialized catalog when I was doing research on my '84 Allez:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1fni...fMqDHacx8/view

Your bike looks fantastic, and from what I can tell mostly original. Nice find!

jdave5917

Thanks for that catalog link! I searched exhaustively and couldn't find one. The bike in this string is not mine. I found this though one of my searches and noticed the mention of the '84 catalog. I just acquired a 1984 Expedition a few days ago and will post after a comprehensive refurbishing. $50 OBO from a Facebook Marketplace ad that described it as a "10 speed" and included one very poor quality photo. I assume most bicycle enthusiasts lost interest with the 10-speed label. I had to use a magnifying glass on the photo that was in the ad to sort-of see the "Expedition" sticker on the downtube. It's crusty with years of accumulated dust but everything is in amazing condition under all of that. Mostly original with some exceptions like saddle, Accushift 7s barcons, levers and stem/bar. These photos are as-bought. Sorry it's the non-drive side. BTW - I asked the seller how long they had it and they said they acquired it at a yard sale a few years ago. I didn't ask, but I suspect it was about a $10 purchase for them.

hopperja

Just to correct some often repeated misinformation about the Expedition. PortlandJim, aka Jim Merz, worked at Specialized and confirmed recently here on BikeForums that he designed the Expedition. It was modeled after his own touring bike design and the frame was made my Miyata in Japan. It is NOT a clone of the Miyata 1000 (it has slightly different geometry).

Additionally, the '83 had Suntour Superbe Symmetric downtube shifters, whereas the '84-'86 had braze on downtube shifters.

I recently found a very nice '83 in my size and picked it up. Here it is on my first overnight at Ipsut Creek Campground, Mount Rainier National Park.

abdon 

I would have paid $150 for that bike and it is not even my size.

Yes, I realize I have a problem. I can't say no to vintage touring bikes

hopperja

Ha!

I added the racks, bottle cages, and fenders. On this trip, I also learned the gearing was not gonna work for the kind of riding I want to do with it. Stock should have a low of 25 gear inches, but for some reason this had a 28t large cog, so I had a low of 27 gear inches. I've since replaced the stock middle and smaller rings 28/44 with 24/36 and the freehub 6 speed 13/28 with a 7 speed 13/32, giving me a low of 20 gear inches, which is what I need.

abdon 

For the ultimate functionality spread the rear to 135mm, it will give you access to all sorts of modern mountain hubs. 130mm would do fine if you don't mind low spoke count on a touring bike. While that could do 8~10 cassettes (11?) I always run 8 speeds on my touring bikes.

My favorite touring derailleur is Shimano XT M7702. Modern'ish but a solid performer for big(ish) rear sprockets. I quantify that "big" because of the modern one-by gigantic rear cassettes out there nowadays.

And of course bar end shifters and a Brooks saddle

hopperja

I'm running the stock RD, hubs, rims, BB, shifters, etc. I changed out the brake pads because the stock ones were there, and I assume the rubber compound had probably dried a little in the past 40 years. Rear wheel is 40 spokes on a cartridge bearing hub (NSK bearings). And the spacing on the IRD 7 speed is very even, so hopefully that'll work out. If the RD needs replacing, I'll definitely look at that XT you suggested.

I have several Brooks saddles, but put the Velo Orange touring saddle on this bike (it's a buffalo leather Brooks clone that VO no longer sells). I can understand why because the leather was so hard when I got it, I could barely tolerate it for any length of time. I put it on my bike trainer, figuring I could handle 30 minutes at a time. 10+ years, thousands of miles, and gallons of sweat later, it's finally broken in and comfortable.

abdon 

I have 100% stock touring bikes I enjoy but my main touring bike has been updated so it can be a modernized loaded mile shredding machine. Well within reason; I find 8 speed cassettes and triple cranks to be perfect, and friction shifting let's me throw just whatever wheels I have laying around in it, knowing that it will handle them.

hopperja

I've re-read this thread, and checked my serial number (L151355), confirming my new-to-me Expedition is a 1983 and that it was made by Miyata (as PortlandJim said).

I've got about 40 miles on the new IRD chain and 7 speed freewheel. It's got very even gear spacing, and the low of 20 gear inches works for me for the hills around here.

kwhiner

Mine has the Cyclone Mk2 derailleurs along with the AT crank. Had thought it was an '84. Glad to get confirmation.

hopperja

A member in this thread said the following re: identifying the year of an Expedition (my formatting and summary):
1983 - Suntour Symmetric down tube shifters
1984 and 1985 - braze on down tube shifters
1985 (not 1984) - S logo on the fork crown.

This one has down tube shifters and the S logo, so according to this other user, it's an '85.

I would suspect but don't know if the same differences are true for the Sequoia.

hopperja

A member in this thread said the following re: identifying the year of an Expedition (my formatting and summary):
1983 - Suntour Symmetric down tube shifters
1984 and 1985 - braze on down tube shifters
1985 (not 1984) - S logo on the fork crown.

This one has down tube shifters and the S logo, so according to this other user, it's an '85.

I would suspect but don't know if the same differences are true for the Sequoia.

Finally, I have stated it was made in '86 also, but it looks like that is probably not the case. A 1986 Specialized catalog could confirm it if anyone can find one.

jdave5917

[QUOTE=hopperja;23042391]A member in this thread said the following re: identifying the year of an Expedition (my formatting and summary):
1983 - Suntour Symmetric down tube shifters
1984 and 1985 - braze on down tube shifters
1985 (not 1984) - S logo on the fork crown.

This one has down tube shifters and the S logo, so according to this other user, it's an '85.



Well, I'm thinking that the serial number stamped on the bottom bracket of my Expedition (this thread has both Sequoia and Expedition mentions in it, so that may be causing confusion) is a more reliable method of dating, and this one (with the "S" on the fork crown) has a serial number of M238313 where the leading M would indicate a 1984 model using the MIKI method of decoding for Miyata-made bikes from 1972-84.See the post from 9-15-22 for more info on the MIKI decoding system for Miyata-built frames. I suppose it's possible that a '85 fork ended up on this '84 Expedition, but that's a long shot.

hopperja

[QUOTE=jdave5917;23042464]I would agree the serial number should be the most accurate way of dating it. The information posted in the other thread seemed to be valid, but I don't know that it's confirmed.

We do know it's a Miyata-built frame and the serial numbers conform to the Miyata system.