PDRcycling

I just picked up this (I think 1991) 914 SE off my local CL for 250. Looks to be in really good shape, just needs new tires and tubes. Shimano Ultegra Tricolor throughout. Wolber TX profil hard anodized rims.

Serial #SU52202

Can anyone (calling T-Mar) tell me a bit more about this specific model?

I'm think about making it a little more comfortable of a ride with flat pedals and slightly wider tyres than the 700 x 25c that are currently on it. Any thoughts are appreciated!

PDRcycling

Link to photos is listed under my bikes because I can't post links yet.

Piff 

If my eyes don't deceive me, it looks like the internal cable routing holes along the top tube on your 914 are reinforced? I'm not sure when it changed, but Miyatas of a certain year(s) are known to develop cracks at those holes. Consider yourself lucky to have picked a later year when the issue was fixed, but I think it would still be prudent to check up on it now and again.

example: Cracked Miyata

I'm sure T-Mar can rattle off some technical aspects of it, but what's there to say? It's a very nice, upper range road bike. Ride it. Love it. I love riding my '82 1200. As with all craigslist bikes, best to do a full teardown and rebuild. You may be able to squish 28mm tires in there but I wouldn't hold your breath.

PDRcycling

Unfortunately not, those are just small plastic hoods that surround the cable routing holes. Thank you for sharing that thread I'll make sure I keep an eye out for any cracking. Really hoping I don't run into that issue.

I just happened upon a recent thread about putting on 32mm Conti GP5000 tyres on the Wolber TX Profil 700 rims, so we'll see how that goes for them before I give it a try.

Piff 

Is there not a raised lip surrounding the hole that is different when compared to the pictures of the 1400's cable routing holes in the other thread?

I'm 99% sure you won't be able to fit 32mm tires into that frame, btw. A quote from a thread I found by googling '1991 Miyata 914':
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!to...0b/P0CZSoeipTI

RiddleOfSteel

Hi and welcome @PDRcycling. Excellent looking 914, and in the proper 63cm size, of which I also ride.

That being said, may I exhort you to google, say, "Miyata catalogs" or "Miyata 914" so as to find out things yourself firstly? T-Mar is not some bike knowledge butler to be summoned by anyone at will.

Here is the location for Miyata catalogs. Dive in and sleuth. If original equipment, which your 914 appears to have, it is no earlier than 1988.

A 914, and this with proper 6400-era 600, is a high-end machine. You have more or less a race bike in a tuxedo. I would think a nice thing to do to make it more comfortable is to knock that stem down to 100mm (aka changing it) and change the bars to Soma Highway One or equivalent to get your hand position rearward, not being so hung out over/beyond the front axle. Long stem plus old school long-reach bars just make for way too stretched out a fit, and I can see the result of that with your saddle jammed fully forward. An interim solution is to rotate the bars up/back a bit.

The frame may fit 28s in it. Otherwise, you'd be better off finding a Miyata touring bike, or Triple Cross. Tons more tire clearance and the express initial intent of not being a race bike, and thus designed more for comfort or relaxed riding.

cb400bill

Pic Assist

PDRcycling

Piff After taking a closer look, yes there is a raised lip compared to the 1400s on the other thread. Hopefully that will do the trick in preventing any cracking! Sounds like 28's will be the widest option like you were saying originally.

RiddleOfSteel Thank you for your input, I sincerely didn't mean to ruffle any feathers as I am new to the forum. I have done a lot of reading on other threads regarding Miyata 914s which is why I presumed mine is a 1991 as the components seem match up - Shimano Ultegra Tricolor throughout, Wolber Rims, Simano clipless, decals, etc. I like the idea of changing the bars/hand position. As for the saddle, that is just how the previous owner had it set up when I bought it as he was a bit shorter than me. I may try and squeeze 28s and see how that goes otherwise going to stick with 25s.

Piff 

Good news

Just a word of caution about trying different handlebars. Sometimes race bikes can be a bit twitchy if you swap to something like north road handlebars that offer a more upright riding position that unweights the front wheel. My advice, before buying a bunch of parts, would be to dial in your fit on the bike as best as possible, and take it for some rides. At least 100 50 miles spread over several rides, possibly tweaking the fit after each ride if need be. Figure out how you'd like the handlebar to be different (if at all) and then make a decision.

dddd

Are the currently-installed "25mm" tires actually current, 25mm tires?

I ask because "25mm" tires from the days of yore can be as small as 20mm in width on vintage (i.e. narrow) rims (some even have tiny raised letters stating "20-622".
The same was true of older 1" tires (as in 27x1"), which so often had "20-630" digits on them.
I actually find modern, 25mm tires on narrow rims to be ideal for spirited riding on our coarse foothills pavement.
A couple of added millimeters goes a long way, and allows a more-than-proportional decrease in tire pressure (since tire volume increases logarithmically, or as "X-squared" to tire width).

I recommend using the most-forward saddle position that the rider can stay comfortable with, especially for more spirited riding in hillier terrain. Keith Bontrager made the recommendation to adjust stem length to one's out-of-saddle preference as a starting point, and I somewhat concur, but tightening up the span from saddle to bars is often part of the recipe for a comfortable bike. Note that some saddles have the straight spans of the rails positioned quite differently than others in the fore/aft sense, and that your Miyata has an offset seatpost.

Anyway, I'm going on 60 and was at least able to retain the factory-stock stem length on my Nine-Twelve. My bike (after well-tested adjustment) has the saddle set well forward on rails that reside toward the rear of this particular saddle, so the saddle did end up in a similar (to yours) forward position relative to the post itself.
I'll dig up a pic here, got it. Sorry for the "busy" background but I have no really good places to photograph a bike here at most times of the day.

Edit: Note that the pictured tires are actually the old skinnies! Running 25mm GP4000S-II now.

RiddleOfSteel

Not a problem. We've had a zillion new members in the C&V section--a good thing overall--and many have all had similar first posts where they've seen or picked up a bike and then gone immediately to here asking for information about it, with no stated indication of any research done beforehand. T-Mar has been an invaluable resource, but I do not presume his immediate response (or any) upon any question of mine. Only if I have presented my research and findings on something unknown, do I then ask [everyone]. My personal aim, and the aim in general here, is that I and we are all respectful of each other's knowledge, availability, and time. We all like to help, and it has gone a long way into making and keeping this sub-forum what it is.

There are many Miyata fans here, including me, that have plenty of knowledge and riding experience with these machines. You've gotten that idea already via numerous responses, which is great. We have several threads dedicated to Miyatas, which I'm sure you've come across. It's a great club to be in, and finding/seeing top-level models grows increasingly less frequent. You have a rare bird, IMO, and that's cool. The Miyata catalog site has moved recently from its previous location online to another. There were a few threads about that, but it can always get lost in the shuffle, especially if someone new like yourself isn't aware that that has even happened. Heck, it's even tricky for a number of us that do know about it. I love digging through catalogs to play Match The Bike To The Picture, and so I thought it good to give you the link for current and future reference.

Thank you for the context on the present saddle position. @dddd brought up good points about saddle setback relative to the bottom bracket and overall fitment for comfort. I personally prefer to not have slammed fully back, but also, not full TT bike forward. We're all different, and I'm sure you'll find a suitable position. The Keith Bontrager recommendation is actually a great one, if out of saddle antics is one of your bike performance metrics (it is mine), otherwise I wouldn't worry about it.

If those are true or true-ish 25s on there presently, then given the position of the brake pads in their slots, 28s have a very good chance of fitting in. Clearance is clearance, even if it's only a millimeter or two--it counts!

madpogue 

Hey, another bike model that's the same as a car model!

Gashepherd

The 914 SE is indeed a 1991 model, as it was a one year only model according to the catalogs, this is my 914 SE before having most of the components replaced back to original, I'm not sure what was going on with the seat post