Bikedued

I got another touring bike, and my friend is bringing it by after work. According to him it looks nearly NOS condition, so I am pretty psyched to see it. This one is a Univega of unknown model. Mangalight(lite?) forks, Suntour Mountech, and braze ons aplenty. Sugino GT triple, Dia Compe canti's. He also mentioned some odd looking apparatus on the chainstay, possibly a spoke holder. If it is, I will be extremely happy, hehe. Pics will have to be tomorrow morning, since it will show up after dark. Maybe I can roll the kitchen tables back and shoot it indoors.

Does anyone have Univega catalog scans, or a link to some?? From the parts he was naming off, I'm thinking late 82 to early 84 vintage, but it does have 27 inch rims. My friend knows bikes as well as I do, and says it looks amazing. Gun metal grey metallic color, with light grey or silver graphics. From what I saw of the ad, it has the old multiple stripe lettered graphics...,,,,BD

From a few web searches, I think it may be a Gran Turismo? Sweet....~!

USAZorro

Hopefully too small for you.

Pictures and I'll forgive your persistent great fortune.

Bikedued

Update of the Trek 1200 I found last weekend. I swapped all the RX100 for 600 from the torture machine Cannondale, except for cranks of course. I got offered a fairly low mileage Dura Ace 7400
crankset for $80, though I'm not sure if it's what I really want. I would kind of like a tricolor 600
in charcoal to complete the group. I added the Salsa stem from the "box o junk", Bike Ribbon vinyl
from Pro Cycles here in Houston, and a $60 Terry Fly from CL. I know brifters aren't vintage, but neither is the bike really(1990). It's very comfortable now, and rides pretty close to some of my steel bikes. Way nicer than the CAAD3 C'dale in any case.,,,,BD

Bikedued

Hehe, 35 inch standover on the Univega, and 61-62cm. Just about right. The stem may be too long as usual. I am comfortable on a bike that size, but the stems always turn out to be on the long side It was the era of the 100+ mm stem, so I run into that alot. I have a long torso, so a bike that is supposed to fit me feels cramped usually.

Side note....Yeah the cables are crossed on the Trek. I read about that on Sheldons site, and it made sense. They make an X under the down tube. It seems to work just fine, but will confuse the hell out of you come adjustment time, haha. The shifter housings are a little long. They were pre cut at the shop, and I guesstimated. Better to error on the too long thing, than too short. I was also not sure of how much the bars would have to be tilted, so I left them long until I can ride it a while. I will probably trim them down some in a few weeks.,,,,BD

Old Fat Guy

I got a pair of Mavic MA40's laced to Dura Ace 7400 hubs, rear 7 speed freehub w/cassette for $20 because the guy who had them said the LBS told him they were trashed.

I guess the LBS doesn't know how to adjust cones and true a wheel.

Dead nuts round and true after a few minutes...Original Wheelsmith built wheels, now sporting Veloflex Pave's.

Thanks Wheelsmith!

PlatyPius

My favourite tires ever.

Bikedued

My Buddy was a few hours late, but he showed up around 8:30, wiith a Univega Gran Turismo!. WIDE 27 inch rims, like 90's mtb width, lol. You know those skinnier ones found on Rockhoppers, etc. We're talking fat! It has the coolest lookiing Suntour hubs, that also look like they came from a MTB. My buddy says he has the same hubs on his early Cannondale MTB. Looks like cartridge bearings. Of course the Suntour Mountech mentioned earlier, and the sweetest looking set of cranks. Small ring is a 28 I believe? Has fork rack mounts with posts extending a 1/2" or more out from the fork legs, very nice! Built in fender mounts with the allen head bolts still all there. Friction clamp on DT shifters. Seatpost is a Sugino I think? The clamp area is painted black, as are the flutes on the shaft. Now for the bad stuff, which is not that bad. Tubing is only double, not triple. I don't care that much, still a very nice bike. Also it's not quite as clean as I hoped for, but it's still pretty darn clean. A few scrapes on it, but not those 1/4" wide down to the metal type. Just the small scrapes that can be touched up with one of those little bottles from the auto parts store.

Overall a SWEET catch! It's one of those few bikes I have that I immediately felt comfortable on wiithout changing anythiing. Stem is even the right length, what are the odds? Everything is just right? I raised the seat a couple of inches, aired it up, and rode it down the street and back. Pure enjoyment. I'm going to like this one a lot!

Pics tomorrow! I promise! The price you ask? $80, a set of Suntour/Araya rims, and a set of Shimano DX pedals from the "box o junk" deal. I actually threw in the whole repaint Nishiki Int. (where the rims came from) since he was nice enough to go get this for me.,,,,BD


This lucky streak has to end soon, lol. Otherwise I will have to sell off some more bikes to make room...

Gordo Grande

I almost bought a Univega Gran Turismo new in 1983. Damn, I wish I had pulled the trigger on that one! :-( Enjoy it, it's a nice bike.

Doohickie

If you do... PM me! I might not have the money but if I do I'd love to get first crack at some of the stuff you've shown us.

Bikedued

Fair enough. You ride a 60-62cm frame? Most of the stuff I kept is in that range more or less.,,,,BD



Hehehe, ceiling cat. I always chuckle a bit when I see that pic. I have "Top of the cabinet over the fridge cat".

brandenjs

BD..You are one of the luckiest CV'ers out there. How much are you paying these guys to find bikes forya.....I really like that Trek if you do decide to clean house a little...I've got the tri color 600 group on my Kestrel and I really like it. Those shifters are still bringing good money on the market. It always nice to see what you find and to see the end result when you're finished with it. All bikes deserve that respect and care..

Bikedued

Lucky yeah, I will admit to that. I do seem to have an Italian curse though. The only two that have shown up have been way too small, and were bought by someone else because I wasn't there.,,,,BD

One was a 105 equipped Faggin that is now on Houston CL, and the other a Benotto with I believe Campy SR? May have been
a refit, but man what a nice looking group.,,,,BD

jimjim79

Just got this in a second hand shop in town. Is it worth anything? Only reason I got was because all the parts looked high quality. Paid £38.80

USAZorro

It's worth it, but the post belongs better in the other sub-forum.

jimjim79

what value would you give it?

cudak888 

^
^
+1, please submit your valuation questions in the Vintage Value Inquiries subforum.

-Kurt

jimjim79

thanks cudak, done

Bikedued

Here's the Gran Turismo. It looks like it had an easy life for the most part. Cleaning and relubing to follow when I get time. Rides like a few people I saw talk about them on line, a little like a station wagon. Most station wagons rode very smooth, so I'd agree with that. Freewheel is a Suntour Pro Compe. So, is that just a fancy cone setup, or is it actually a cartridge bearing?,,,,BD

Might have a small dent above the seat tube bottle cage. I didn't notice it in person though. Probably a minor problem IMHO. Install a cage, and no more dent, hehe. Amazing, it has a Hyperglide chain, aren't they $40? That might get put on the 1200.

DavidW56

You guys probably already know this, but possibly someone doesn't...there is an auction site called www.shopgoodwill.com, which is sponsored by Goodwill Industries. It works something like eBay, only the sellers are Goodwill stores only. There are some nice vintage bikes there from time to time for very low prices. The big drawback is they do not ship - pickup only. I have noticed that the most frequent postings are from the Goodwill serving northeast Nebraska/southwest Iowa, and the one serving Santa Ana, California. If any members live in those areas, this is a good resource. It's how I got my 1988 Peugeot.

wrk101

Bikedued: Yours is a 1983 based on the serial number. I have a 1982 model, serial starts with a "K". A fair number of changes between the one year difference. Suggest you post yours on the Univega appreciation thread.

USAZorro

Halfway decent Nishiki there (Nebraska) for next to nothing

BikePunker

My bike. I'm pretty sure it's worth nothing, but, you know. I keep saying I'm going to fix it up, but nothings happened with that so far. It's a 3-speed Hercules, don't know what year.

Doohickie

It seems like all the bikes are in Omaha, NE.

Gordo Grande

Bikedued, I am seriously jealous now. That Gran Turismo looks to be in great shape. Now I really wish I had bought that one way back then. (I ended up buying my first racing bike instead).

I didn't think they had low-rider braze-ons yet in 1983. It must have been one of the first years for them.

Gordo Grande

Thanks for posting this. I had known about this, but had forgotten it. I live in So Cal, so I'll start watching.