herbg

I am reluctantly selling my 1983-vintage Sakai LDT "Long Distance Touring" 18-Speed touring bicycle. Being new to the vintage
bicycle resale scene, I thought that it would be wise to solicit an appraisal of this bike's value. I've lurked on this forum for a few
weeks and noted the extensive knowledge of many contributors so thought I'd reach out for some feedback.

I've owned the bike since new, purchased from Bloor Cycle in Toronto, ON in 1983, Serial No. M3D19956
It's unrestored and in good-to-excellent condition.

Here are some of the specifications:

Large Frame (63cm), Tange Champion No. 3 Tubing
Selle Italia Anatomic Leather Black Saddle (Vintage but perfect condition)
27" Wheels with 27x1 1/4 Tri-Sport Tires in excellent condition
SunTour arX GT RD-4500 slant parallelogram Rear derailleur
SunTour arX FD-2600 Front derailleur
Sugino GT Triple Crankset
SunTour 3090 Bar-Con Bar End Shifters
Dia-Compe Centre Pull Cantilever Braking System
Multiple mounts for water bottles, fenders, carriers.

This was a top dollar purchase back in the day and had all the goodies for a top-of-the-line touring bike setup, vintage 1983!

I welcome your thoughts and opinions!

Thanks,
Herb...

herbg

For some odd reason, I can't post the photos I have of the bike.

Mr. 66

Hello herbg, thanks for posting about your Sakai. Being new you need to build up a few posts and a few days, then you can post pictures. You should be able to upload to your gallery though.

herbg

Thanks for the tip!

herbg

Apparently, I need at least 10 posts before I can show the photos ...

DanseMacabre

Hi Herb,
In your album on your personal profile you can add pictures. Then someone else can do a pic assist and add them here in this topic.

herbg

Still trying to get the photos on this thread ....

wrk101

Comment on that era, top of the line touring bikes from 1983 usually did not have Tange 3 frames, nor did they have Suntour ARX derailleurs. Thats what appeared on middle of the pack touring bikes back then. Nice for sure, but not top of the line.

You tended to see either Tange Champion 1 frames, or Reynolds 531 on the top touring models. You would also see Suntour Cyclone GT or Shimano Deore XT derailleurs. They also often came with custom racks front and rear.

Nothing wrong with ARX or Champion 3.

non-fixie 

You are now at 10 posts, so the anti-spam ban should have been lifted.

And I, for one, am looking forward to pictures. The serial number suggests a Miki-built frame, which means excellent build and paint quality, IME.

herbg

Finally, here are the photos ... more are available if needed

1983 Sakai LDT

herbg

Perhaps not "top-of-the-line" as defined by the available Italian bikes around at that time but definitely top-shelf for a 22-year old dropping $800+ CDN in 1983 dollars.

wrk101

I made no reference to Italian bikes. Top of the line Japanese and USA touring bikes at that time were up a step or two.

plonz 

Clean ride but as stated, not at the level of sought after tourers from that era. Someone paying the dough for a vintage tourer will want higher end. This bike should have appeal to someone wanting a well-preserved, affordable vintage road bike. I see $200 +/- $50 USD here in the states, primarily due to the great shape it is in.

Mr. 66

That's pretty nice, the 27" wheels holds the price down some, Tange 3 does as well.

I see that as a bike I would post at local usd $375 and see what happens. Very popular styling people, like bikes they can put racks on.

non-fixie 

Thank you for the pics!

Not that that does anything for its value, but I think that is a very nice bike. Those frames lend themselves very well to building up with your favorite parts and go long distance riding. Maybe not with full camping gear, but with a front bag and a saddle bag I would expect it to feel just right.

herbg

Thanks for the input. Appreciate it. I have it listed for $425 CDN which seems to be in the range suggested!

herbg

.... and the bike was successfully sold at $425 CDN to a very appreciative, tall buyer! Happy it found a good home!

albrt 

Thanks for the update. Just curious, was this sold back in 2022 or did you have it listed for 18+ months?

non-fixie 

Nice to see that bike again. I still like it.

herbg

I ended up selling it in spring, 2023 on Facebook Marketplace. It took a while to move it ... mostly due to the large frame size. If the frame size was smaller, I'm sure it would have sold quicker!