ID This Fluorescent Bike
#1
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ID This Fluorescent Bike
#2
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Very interesting. Looks like diamond frame racing geometry. But, it's got threaded eyelets on the dropouts. And, Exage is usually 6 speed not 5 speed. Unicrown fork makes it at least mid 80's or, later vintage. If the wheels & tires are in good shape then, $125 is probably a good deal. It's got to be re-painted. Maybe a rattle can laquer job. In accordance with my personal bias I'd say it's something made in Japan. But, who knows what. It's a mash up of parts.
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It's a 12-speed. Seller was not home when 1978 called and left a message on his Phone-Mate answering machine, saying it wanted its decades-irrelvant "10-speed" designation back. Boggles the mind how many people, probably half of whom weren't born when "10-speed" meant anything, still use the term. Also, from what deep recess of the seller's mind s/he got the notion of "road/track frame", it's anybody's guess.
Odd frame indeed. I've seen those horizontal dropouts, not fully cut out, on some ca. 1990 MTBs, but not on a road frame before. There MIGHT be some info on the steerer tube, but the fork may not be originally mated to the frame. Frame material is anybody's guess. As said, the components are a random mix. Like a "box o'crap" build. Even the rear skewer is from (or for) a bike with a wider rear triangle. Seller could at least have found a saddle that's not torn, and cleaned up the hoods.
Odd frame indeed. I've seen those horizontal dropouts, not fully cut out, on some ca. 1990 MTBs, but not on a road frame before. There MIGHT be some info on the steerer tube, but the fork may not be originally mated to the frame. Frame material is anybody's guess. As said, the components are a random mix. Like a "box o'crap" build. Even the rear skewer is from (or for) a bike with a wider rear triangle. Seller could at least have found a saddle that's not torn, and cleaned up the hoods.
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OEM Shimano Exage Action would place it upper entry level, circa 1988-1989. Given the location of the cable tunnels for the rear brake and semi-filled dropout, my leading candidate would be a Giant.
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I think the answer is in the welded brake cable stays on the bottom of the top tube. I keep scratching my head trying to figure out who did it like that.
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^^^^ Good question. I just looked at my '89 Giant Kronos, and it resembles the OP's bike in most ways (fork, lugwork, part-filled dropouts, eyelets), EXCEPT, it has two stops for the rear brake cable rather than three guides. I would still lean toward the Giant designation, but it's still a bit mysterious.