Miyata 710 still a good triathlon bike?
 

If a person had a Miyata 710 bike upgraded with Campagnolo Ergo levers or STI levers would it still be a good triathlon bike?

Cheers

Maybe. Maybe not. Is this a bike you intend to use just to 'dip your toes in the triathlon waters' to see if you like the sport? If so, then yes. But that frame is probably quite heavy. It might be a nice bike to restore and use as a general road bike...which can suffice for general tri conditioning. But for a dedicated tri race bike...No. So unless you want to restore the bike for general road riding...I wouldn't put too much money/time/effort into it. Leave the downtube shifters, clean it up and get everything well-adjusted. Stick a set of clip-on aero bars on it, and do your tri to see if you like the sport. If you do...move to a bike more suitable for triathlon. Keep and restore the Miyata for general road riding.

Dan

Thanks.

I've already restored it. I was just wondering because apparently around 1985 it was a Triathlon type bike and I suspected that technology had left it in the dust.

It's a lovely riding bike.

As for being a dedicated tri race bike...I think technology has buried it in its dust. But, as you indicated, it is and can be a very nice bike for general riding. Even for training...a dedicated triathlete doesn't need to do every single ride on an aggressively-angled aerodymic CF bike equipped with disc wheels and aero bars. Conserve the state-of-the-art expensive bike for race days. But hey...I like old bikes. Most of my road bikes are old steel frames that I've cleaned up and/or restored myself.

Dan

You can do tri on anything that the rules allow. Doesn't have to be a fancy bike. Just depends on what you want out of doing it. Some people do shorter triathlons on greenway bikes or mountain bikes.

That's a road bike. No matter the age, the riding position even with clip-ons gives up a lot of aero versus the position on a triathlon specific bike. Not to mention the setup so you can "run off the bike" of a triathlon bike.

So, nothing wrong with it. Enjoy it and ride it. Just realize if you race it that you're giving up a lot of speed from the position. That's all. It doesn't take an expensive modern aero tri bike either. Classic round tube tri bikes that have extensions get you the body position. The aero frames and such are the more expensive last few % of the equation. Fit is everything.

The upgrades are irrelevant. In a time trialing context, downtube shifters versus STI isn't particularly impactful, unless maybe if the time trial in question is a charge up a hill with rapidly-alternating extreme gradients. (Or if your bike doesn't fit. Bike fit matters in weird ways with downtube shifters.)

But this is all besides the point... the question you're asking has become somewhat meaningless because, starting in the late 80s, the meaning of "triathlon bike" changed in a way that causes a Miyata 710 to not be a triathlon bike. In the modern vernacular, "tri bike" refers to a style of racing bike designed around an aerobar posture, and the Miyata 710 definitely is not this.
Starting in 1984, Miyata did label the 710 as having "triathlon specific design", but this was mostly marketing fluff. At the time, "triathlon specific design" wasn't a phrase that contained very much meaning.

You can certainly go do a triathlon on a Miyata 710, though. Loads of people ride Tri on road bikes. It's typically significantly slower, but for dabbling in the sport that's not necessarily a big deal.

Thanks to all who replied and for the clarification of what the Miyata 710 actually was.

Cheers

Just a note, a guy I know won a triathlon with an 80’s chromoly bike about 12 years ago against people who had hi-tech carbon and alu bikes... yeah he was an amateur and he still won, because he trained harder than anyone else. The true weight difference on a modern tri bike is the position (due to bike geometry) and the weight, and some people say you can adapt both of those parameters on oldschool steel bikes (to a certain extent) that would bring you close enough especially if you’re on a budget.

Why is there no mention of the specific bike’s stack and reach measurements and the rider’s measurements?

Since many modern dedicated tri frames HA is in the 71-73 degree range, If the frameset’s size is small enough relative to the rider’s size, is there really a non-aero reason any road (or even gravel?!) frame cannot just have a zero-offset seatpost, a short stem, some drophorn bars with aeroclips mounted and be perfectly fine for their first few years of racing?

I don’t compete by I can tell you my LBS guy won a triathlon using an old steel bike, same range as the 80’s Miyata models we’re talking about. As previous posters mentioned, if you can slam the stem low enough (if the frame isn’t too big) and adjust stem and fit like a modern tri bike, you’re fine.

I for myself have a Miyata 310 from 1985, with entry-lever carbon rims, a Fizik saddle, a bullhorn handlebar and still have the downtube shifters, 7 speed cassette. It’s 20lbs (I could make it 18lbs by switching seatpost and crank). The difference it makes compares to carbon frames is almost irrelevant unless maybe your bodyfat% is below 8 and you’re a pro racer (at which point you’d be sponsored anyway).

It’s fun to have a modern bike but for the money you spend I believe it’s mostly just for the look and the thrill of it for most riders, maybe also the feel.