jerrylis

Hi ... need help!

.. I have a flawless Blue (silver head tube) SR Maximo.. ... I love it , but don't know much about the brand.... I know SR as a brand of components... but did not they made frames ...as soon as I get 10 postings I will upload detailed pictures.


here is a picture of my SR

jdawginsc 

I could be wrong, but they and Araya seem to me to have contracted out? But I think it is the same company.

If not, I learned something new about Sakae Ringyo.

jerrylis

thank you jdawginsc... it would make sense that they are the same company... cycling is a small world to have 2 companies named the same... although, I would expect the bike to be full of SR components... weird!

IdahoBrett 

I am looking forward to seeing some pictures. If for the only reason that blue is my favorite color. That and it’s I bike I ain’t never heard of.

Many new folks add pictures to their gallery in their user profile prior to reaching ten posts. That way someone can give a picture assist and post it for them. Not telling you what to do as I dislike that myself. But I’d bet I “speak” for many here that we enjoy vicarious pictures of C&V bikes.

MrGastrognome

These are nice bikes and not related to Sakae Ringyo as one would suspect.

PhilFo 

The Asian Serial Number sticky thread is your friend. It helped my find out that my Univega Alpina Uno was made by Dodsun. So much cooperation and outsourcing of the Japanese mass production frames happened in the late 70s - early 90s.

SoCaled 

Edit: I see @MrGastrognome already answered this while I was typing
I have read threads here on BF and elsewhere that have answered this both ways, which leads to confusion. I pulled the thread a while back and found that "SR" bikes are not Sakae Ringo, but in the Windsor Enterprises family near San Diego. They were not made in house but contracted out. To who? I can't seem to find the BF thread I am thinking of where I read what seemed like a definitive answer?
Ah, found a good reference:
https://velobase.com/Resource_Tools/CatalogScans.aspx
https://www.radiolabworks.com/bikes/...Resolution.pdf -



https://www.radiolabworks.com/bikes/...ices%20too.pdf - Windsor price list with SR prices as well
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ng-pro-am.html - has a little info, Can't find the long BF thread that discusses this

SoCaled 

Here is the 1984 Catalog page for the Maxima, looks like it was the top of the line - https://www.radiolabworks.com/bikes/...Resolution.pdf

brian3069

I have a SR Maxima frame hanging in the garage. I read that these were manufactured by Araya and Mikki. The serial number on my frame starts with ARY.

dmarkun

Here's mine, my favorite bike. I think the frame is chromed under the paint because it flakes off a bit and frame is shiny underneath. The color is a nice very fine metallic. I was able to find a nail polish for touch-up.




This is not my direct knowledge, but a compendium of other info I've gleaned from my file. Probably some repeats here:

This is hands down one of the nicest frames I've owned. It is fully chrome plated and has Suntour Pro rear dropouts and Tange TF-R front dropouts. The fork is Tange and although there is no sticker I would assume the frame is also Tange. Instead of a chainstay paint protector they just removed the paint there to expose the chrome, keeps it looking great day in and day out. This frame is very nicely constructed. I am amazed at how much paint they put inside the tubes, somebody took a lot of extra time here. This frame was originally built up with full Suntour Superbe, so it was definitely a high end bike in its day. No rack mounts here, this bike was made to go fast. Designed for 700C wheels, recessed brake mounts. Whether you build it up as a quick general road rider, or a beautiful fixie fixed gear or single speed, this is a bike that is every bit as good as most out there, without being the same as what everyone else has. Great find.



There's not that much info on SR bikes, but here's other stuff I've found (just in case someone else stumbles upon this thread).

SR Bicycles, 2765 Main Street, Chula Vista CA 92011.



Edit: I called Kirk's bikes (original seller) and his shop is still open! After congratulating him on this accomplishment, he told me the SR bikes were sold/made by a Mexican family that also ran the Windsor factory in Mexico. The frames (and probably all parts) were imported from Japan. They probably ended up making some "SR" decals and slapped them on the bikes. Kirk commented how these bikes were an incredible value at the time.



Edit #2 from Kirk: "That is what we called the "Pro", not just the "Semi-Pro" which was a more more popular model to to low price ($299 if I remember correctly). I can't remember for sure what the Pro went for, but I'm pretty sure it was still under $500, a real value considering the performance capability."



SR Models:

Alpine Sport 82 Steel

Grand Course 82 Chromoly

Semi-Pro 82 Chromoly

Professional 82 Chromoly

Pro-AM 83 Tange #2

SR Maxima 84 Tange

SR Sakae Prism 94-95 Aluminum





I agree with THEOTHERGUY regarding the manufacturer of SR bicycles. The ads introducing the line, first starting appearing in 1979.



In the early 1990s, SR manufactured another bicycle brand called Prism, which had a bonded aluminum frame.



The source for the Mexican manufacture rumor probably lies with the name of the SR's US distributor, Windsor Enterprises Inc. To the best of my knowledge, this company had nothing to do with the Windsor bicycles, which were distributed through West Coast Cycle or Alpha Cycle and Supply, depending on the year.



However, there is some evidence to support the story of some design work for SR bicycles being performed in San Diego. The offices for Windsor Enterprises Inc. were at one time located in Chula Vista, just outside San Diego.



very clean JP frame, it should be a winner Tange #2 will be very stout in a frame this size. This one has the later more modern SR logo on the downtube.

FWIW, I'm one who believes that SR bikes had nothing to do with Sakae Ringyo, except they may have hung an occasional SR component on their frames.



I picked up one of these SR Maximas a few years ago on the cheap for the first generation Superbe bits. The frame had a lot of rust, having been a triathlon bike, but the components were decent. The serial number on the seat tube started ARY....., implying it was manufactured by Araya. It was a very nicely made frame, right up with anything I've seen from Miyata or Miki. They're mostly known for rims, but did do frames as well.They had a small presence here in the US in the early 70's, then later a bit bigger in the late 70's, early 80's with their own branded bikes. From what I understand, they did do a fair bit of contract manufacturing as well, and still make bikes for the Japanese market. (I also had a mid 70's Volkscycle Mk. 100 that was made by them -- identical to the "Araya Rex" frames that pop up every once in a while.)



Also agree that the SR Maxima is a very nice Araya frame. Chromed Suntour Superbe Pro dropouts on the rear - you can't ask for better, Light weight Tange Champion #2 tubing.



I have the same bike. Its a SR Maxima. I paid $569 for it in April 1984. I just found my original owners manual and the receipt was still inside By the way on the last page is the warranty it states; See your authorized SHGUN Dealer for service and replacement. So I imagine the frame and fork were manufactured by Shogun.


I was in the bike business from the mid 1970's through the 1990's. I never sold SR, but a competitor did. I got along well with my competitor and talked to him frequently. The SR bikes were distributed by Windsor Enterprises, a wholesaler in California. That has already been noted in previous posts. This same distributor also sold Windsor bikes, made in Mexico, but all the SR bikes I ever saw were made in Japan. During the early 80's, there were relatively few Japanese bike makers. Some sold ONLY their only labeled products. Miyata and Fuji come to mind. Miyata was still a family business at that time and Fuji was owned by a larger company (I think Asahi Heavy Industries) but only made Fuji labeled bikes. There were others I can't remember, but mostly small - Lotus for example.



During this period there were also several very large manufacturers that made bikes under contract for others who marketed the label. A good example of that kind of bike is Centurion - which was strictly a marketed label made by others. My memory is that the two largest contract suppliers were Bridgestone and Panasonic. Bridgestone was the larger of the two, but Panasonic was quite big. Eventually, both Bridgestone and Panasonic tried to sell their own brands in the US, with nominal success. Bridgestone withdrew from the US market in 1994. I can't remember what happened to Panasonic.



Bottom line, even though I don't know with any certainty, I suspect either Bridgestone or Panasonic made the SR bikes. The lugwork on the SR bikes is quite reminiscent of Bridgestone bikes which were very nicely made for production bikes. I do remember that the SR bikes were great consumer value bikes and I had a difficult time matching up my bikes lines against the SR stuff. Lots of "bang-per-buck" to the buyer.



thread: <https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...80-s-sr-3.html>

jdawginsc 

I have learned something new once again! SR does NOT equal Sakae Ringyo.

The Windsor connection is very interesting. Which is in itself a fascinating brand.

clubman 

There was also a Triathalon model, which had a longer top tube to get into a tuck. Here's the only crappy pics I've ever seen of one.

dddd

The later SR Prism "Litage"-bonded aluminum bikes were indeed connected to Sakae, it said so in the ads and even on the frames, and these weren't marketed by or sold through Windsor, Inc.

But the steel SR bikes (having frames made by various Japanese contract builders) were all distributed by Windsor, Inc. and none were connected to Sakae or Sakae-Ringyo.

The Maxima was I believe just a re-named Triathlon model (neither of which had any triathlon-specific geometry tweaks).
My Bridgestone "Triathlon Al" from the early 80's similarly had ordinary road racing geometry.
My Bridgestone Velo 4000 model does however feature the characteristic short top tube and slack head tube angle of 1980's triathlon-specific frames.

jerrylis

here is the picture....