SpeedofLite 

From Bicycle Guide, Mar 1986.

52telecaster

Excellent read!

old's'cool

Very thoughtfully designed and appointed. I agree with the reviewers about the half-step gearing. The chainstays could be a little longer, for better weight distribution and heel clearance with panniers.

sovende

I especially enjoy reading about C / V brands and models of bikes when I actually have one very near to the subject of the review. I have a 1985 Miyata 210 and find it to be a very nice bike. I have it set up for “day touring” and sadly, haven’t done much of that with it. (Perhaps this season!) Was a bit distressed to read that the ‘85 SunTour groupset was “kicked to the curb” and replaced with Shimano components. Won’t deny that the Shimano stuff might be an improvement but I do find the SunTour components certainly adequate and most definitely won’t be “upgrading”.
Thanks to the OP for posting the review!

52telecaster

I have a bunch of suntour and some light action as well. We're it not for the additional weight I might prefer the light action

sovende

Another reason for not “upgrading” my Miyata 210 is to maintain its nearly bone stock condition! I do have a late ‘80s Schwinn that has a Shimano Light Action RD and will be quick to admit that it does shift nicely and perhaps even better that the SunTour RD on the Miyata .

sd5782 

I like the way the light action shifts, but wonder about durability. A co-op short cage one I have had the parallelogram tension spring pop out of place turning the unit floppy and useless. I could see no way to get the spring reattached with its location. I saw another floppy one at the co-op too. I wouldn’t want it to happen on a ride. Pretty derailleur though and it is indeed light shifting. The 210 is a real value too, as is the 215GT.

grolby

What a delightful find! An old Miyata 210 of this exact model year was my first “quality” bike, acquired at the secondhand bike shop near the university back in December 2004. I made a couple small changes, mostly removing the original levers and padding for aero levers and vinyl bar tape, plus adding a set of fenders and some new tires. I otherwise kept it in stock condition when my friend and I set off up the Maine coast the following summer. We got most of the way to Mount Desert Island but my knee paid the price for the gearing and we had to abandon the trip a week in. It was indeed a very nice, lively ride that behaved fairly well when loaded (it was a bit flexible for the weight I had loaded up on both ends) but was plenty of fun when unencumbered. Sadly I only got about a year and a half out of it. First the original fork rusted out and failed - only the front rack held it together. It took me a day or so to realize why it was vibrating so badly under braking! Luckily the cranky old guy at the local bike shop had an old Nishiki fork that fit, and he liked me, so I got that fixed up. But not long after that, I ran into the back of a convertible at a traffic light when I had my head down and bent up the front end. I replaced it with a Surly LHT - a good bike, but it was a little like going from a Honda Fit to a Chevy Suburban. Similar cargo capacity, but a rather different driving experience. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.



Kittery, Maine, 2005.

dddd

I have one of these bikes tucked away, but in beautiful gold paint, 58cm and in brand-new condition.
Almost too nice to ride and the tires are also even still original so it just hangs there.
The paint quality is quite something, would do justice to a high-end bike.

I had two such identical bikes, but sold the more used one over ten years ago. Rode the one I still have just one time.

Touring bikes literally flooded into our foothills thrift stores during the early 2000's.
Some, like one clean blue 1977 Miyata 1000, went out the back door with a FREE sign on it!

For actual riding, my Six-Ten , Seral and Parabola are always waiting for their next on- and off-road adventure.

trucklet

Great reading as usual. I've run into a couple light action derailleurs at the co-op before and always wondered what the cable saver arm was meant for!

sd5782 

I think it was meant for popping out the parallelogram spring, never to be reattached.