tarwheel 

I recently bought an old Specialized Sequoia frame and fork that I plan to restore. It's an early 1980s model in deep metallic blue. I was hoping that some other owners might be able to offer me some guidance and suggestions.

My first question is if others have installed fenders and what is the largest tires that fit with them. With no fenders, I can easily fit 700c wheels with 32-35 mm tires. However, the clearance appears very tight for fenders and it looks like 28s might be largest size tire with fenders? I really would like the option of using 32 mm tires with fenders if possible.

Another question concerns bottle mounts. It has two of them on upper and lower sides of the down tube, but none on the seat tube. I really need two water bottles but don't want to use one under the down tube, for sanitary reasons as well as appearance. How have others handled this issue?

Finally, I'm considering getting the frame repainted due to numerous chips and some rust spots. I might also just touch up the paint but know from experience that it can be difficult matching colors. Does anyone know the paint code for blue Sequoias and Expeditions from the 1980s?

3speedslow

If repainting is an option, it would be a good time to change those bottle placements to your liking. Those frames are a good value and well made.

From the few I have seen, I do not think you will get a good fit with fenders running more then 28's.

looking forward to pictures.

bikemig 

That came with long reach sidepulls, right? I'd be surprised if it could take 32c and fenders. The bike might be (or might not be) a good 650b candidate; if so, you will be able to run a fat tire and fender.

You can keep a 2d water bottle under the down tube but drink only out of the one on top of the down tube, just transfer the water over to the clean water bottle. That will keep the bike pretty clean as you can run your pump on the seat tube; or get any of a number solutions for a 2d water bottle cage like the zefal gizmo, GIZMO UNIVERSAL - ZEFAL

For the paint job, you'd be surprised how decent the bike can look with some touch up paint. I'd try that first before a repaint unless the paint is really shot.

Great bike by the way; the early sequois, expeditions, and allezs are all very desirable vintage bikes.

tarwheel 

The frame takes standard reach brakes (47-57 mm) with 700c wheels. However, the previous owner used 650b wheels and I'm beginning to realize why. It looks like I might have choose between using smaller tires, no fenders or switching to 650b wheels.

I plan to attempt touching up the paint before going the repaint route, but it looks like the color will be hard to match. My VW Golf is a similar color and I tried using the touch up paint from it, but the match wasn't even close.

i will probably use a Zefal Gizmo for extra water bottle mount unless I decide to repaint the frame, in which case I will probably get mounts and a pump peg added.

bikemig 

Suzue 650b Trekking and Commuting Wheelset

In case you decide to drink the 650b kool aid,

tarwheel 

Thanks for the link, bikemig. This will require some careful consideration on my part. Right now, I'm thinking I would rather spend the money on getting the frame repainted than converting it to 650b. Doing both would require a much larger investment than I was planning to spend on the bike.

Lascauxcaveman 

Situation normal.

prathmann

My Sequoia is an '84. When I had fenders mounted I was using 28mm Armadillo tires and they were a pretty tight fit. Don't think 32mm would have worked, but tire sizes vary and some that are a nominal 32mm might fit if they run small. Currently I have tires labeled as 38mm but no fenders. Mine came with water bottle mounts on the seat tube and both above and below the down tube. I have cages in all three positions so I can carry two water bottles and one gasoline as cooking fuel when touring.

bikemig 

Ain't that the truth.

lesterp66

Any pictures? I have an '84 and it has 3 bottle mounts, it also requires long reach brakes...

The Golden Boy 

Pix or it didn't happen...

You've been here long enough to know that!!!

tarwheel 

Here's a photo of the bike as built up by the previous owner, with 650b wheels. I'll try to take some newer photos later this week.

Right now, the frame is what I would call a "Monet" -- it looks great from a distance but not so much up close!

TenGrainBread 

I really like how the previous owner built it. The crankset isn't my favorite but the other modern parts look nice, especially those TRP brake levers (I have a pair waiting for a custom frame coming later). Are you planning on using period parts only?

If it were me I'd go 650b for the extra width, especially if I was planning on touring with it. Are you hesitant about that because you already have 700c parts ready and would have to buy new brakes/wheels for 650b?

Any close up pics of the problem areas you were talking about? The frame looks great from that distance. A little patina doesn't hurt.

tarwheel 

I already have several extra 700c wheels that I can swap among my bikes, so that's part of my reluctance to getting 650b wheels. The cost is another issue. Another reason is that the frame will fit larger tires just fine without fenders. I do not plan to tour on the Sequoia because I already have two nice touring bikes that have clearance for larger tires, fenders and racks (Soma Saga and Bob Jackson World Tour). I got the Sequoia mainly for commuting and riding on local greenways and unpaved roads and trails. Although I would prefer to put fenders on the bike since we've had so much rain in NC the past few years, I've got three other bikes with fenders that I can ride when it's wet.

I'm not bothered by small paint chips, but concerned about a couple places where rust is bubbling the paint, mainly on the top tube. The spots are not large and the rust is not serious, but I want to "nip it in the bud." I tend to maintain my bikes very well, and the finishes on the bikes/frames that I bought new are nearly flawless. So, I take a certain pride in ownership in riding bikes that are clean, nicely painted and rust-free.

I plan to build up the bike with parts that I have on hand, plus some of the original components. I plan to keep original headset and seatpost (if it fits). Will get most of other components with parts from other bikes -- Nitto DX stem, Soma Highway 1 handlebar, Cane Creek brake levers, Tektro long-reach brakes, Shimano derailleurs, Open Pro or Dyad wheels. I bought a new Stronglight compact crankset that is more period correct and similar in appearance to the original Sugino that spec'd on the Sequoias.

noglider 

!

tarwheel 

I took the Sequoia up to my bike shop yesterday and we loosely fitted some different brakes on it. There's no way it will fit tires larger than 28s with fenders, and 32s are a tight fit even without fenders using caliper brakes. However, 32s look like they will easily fit (without fenders) if I use center-pull brakes on the bike. That is odd to me because the frame was originally equipped with Suntour Superbe caliper brakes. Apparently touring bikes were designed very differently back in the early 1980s. It is baffling to me that Specialized would design a touring bike that could not handle at least 32 mm tires with fenders.

I could fit larger tires and fenders if I convert the bike to 650b wheels, but I would rather not go that route because of the extra costs -- and the fact that I have lots of 700c wheels on hand.

I am going to try touching up the paint by hand this weekend, to see how closely I can match the color. If I can't get a decent match, I will probably have it powder-coated as close to the original color as possible. I really like the original color but the rust concerns me.

leaping_gnome

There were two early designs for the Sequoia. The first (~1981)was the Tim Neenan design which was a true light touring bike and had more clearance front and rear. The second (~1983) was the Jim Merz design, which was advertised as a "Sport Tour" so that it did not compete with the Expedition. That design has the steeper frame angles and much tighter clearances. I have 32mm Michelin Protek Cross Max tires on my 85 and have had 35mm Vittoria Randonneur Cross tires on it in the past. Very little fork crown clearance and difficult to install an inflated 35mm tire/wheel in the back due to the chainstay bridge. No fenders for sure!

tarwheel 

Hmmm ... I'm pretty sure that my frame has a sticker on the left chain stay that says "Designed by Tim Neenan." However, it seems to have the steep angles and tight clearances of the later models. It seems to be a transition model, perhaps 1982, because it lacks a water bottle mount on the seat tube and a pump peg on the head tube.

leaping_gnome

Yeah, those dark blue ones were made by some different manufacturers. Looking at your picture again, it is not a steep/tight as my grey 85 but it's hard to compare with those 650B wheels on it. Is the RH chainstay dimpled for chainring clearance?

tarwheel 

The frame does not have dimples on either chain stay.

tarwheel 

I took some photos of my Sequoia frame, with closeups of the clearances for tires. The tires in these photos are Rivendell Ruffy Tuffy 28s, and the clearance is about 0.5 cm from the top of the tire to the brake caliper and about 1.5 cm from the top of the tire to the bottom of fork crown without the brakes installed. With Rivendell Jack Brown 33s, the clearances are much tighter, with only about 1-2 mm between the front brake caliper and the tire. The Tektro 539 brakes that came with the frame extend about 1 cm below the fork crown, which seems to be the biggest problem. I could easily fit 32 mm tires and perhaps fenders in the frame with brakes that did not drop below the fork crown.

From photos sent to me by @leaping_gnome, I should be able to fit 32 mm tires on the frame using Suntour Superbe 4700 brakes, which is what originally came on the bike. They do not appear to extend below the fork crown like the Tektro 539s. I also fitted some old center-pull brakes (Mafac Racers, Weinmans) on the frame at my bike shop, and they do not extend below the fork crown either. So it looks like I need to find some different brakes for the frame.

I touched up the paint using some Testors hobby paints that I had on hand and was able to get a very close match in color. From a few feet, you cannot even notice the difference in color.

Kobe 

I have Tektro 521's on mine and they don't seem to come below the fork crown. This picture is with 38 mm knobies. I don't think I could get a fender on it with these on but I am sure I could do it with a less knobie 35.

tarwheel 

Yours has more clearance with 38mm knobbies than mine does with 32mm road tires and about the same as with 28s.

tarwheel 

My Sequoia went to the bike shop yesterday for building. I decided not to have it repainted but touched up the paint as close as possible and it looks very nice from a distance of 2' or soo. I was able to pick up some old Suntour Superbe brake calipers and levers from another BF member, and the frame can easily handle tires and fenders with the original style brakes. I am planning to run 28 tires on the bike because I have several other bikes that can handle fatter tires better and the 28s are ideal for commuting, which will be the bike's main use for now. Here's the obligatory garage door shot before I took it to the bike shop. I will probably add fenders and a rear rack after it's built.

tarwheel 

First ride today on my new Sequoia. I had it built with a the retro touch, using the original-style Suntour Superbe brakes, MKS pedals & toe clips, the original La Prade seat post, the original Specialized headset and a Nitto Deluxe stem. The crankset is a Stronglight 50-34 compact, comparable to the Sugino AT crank used on the original bike.

Although it was just one 15-mile ride, I could quickly tell that this is going to be a sweet-riding bike with a magic carpet feel. The brakes stop surprisingly well for 35-year-old single pivots, due in part to the Kool Stop salmon pads. The pedals are gonna have to go, based on my ride to work. I hadn't ridden with toe clips for many years and had forgotten what a hassle they are to clip into. With all of the traffic lights on my commute route, it was a major pain clipping in again after every stop and the clips were scraping a lot.

The frame has an unusual (to me) arrangement for water bottle mounts, on the top and bottom sides of the down tube. I don't want to put a water bottle under the down tube, but really only need one bottle for commuting anyway, so will get by with one cage for now. However, I bought a Zefal Gizmo strap-on mount that I can put on the seat tube, if I decide to add one later.

Not sure if I will keep the rear rack or use a Carradice bag with Bagman seat rack. Plan to add fenders later, since this bike will be used mainly for commuting.