JacksonF

Hello! I found someone selling a Sekai 4000 on CL. I'd post a link and pictures but I'm new here so apparently I'm not allowed. It appears to be in good condition with a Suntone Cyclone rear derailleur and Champion No. 2 tubes.

I hear these bikes are top of the line, so is their price of $250 a good deal for it? I'd definitely go check it out and take it for a ride before buying but I wanted to see if anyone here had any thoughts. I'd mostly be using it for a commute up and down the san francisco hills

Mr. 66

Are you sure it is a 4000? I thought those were Champion no.1, I have Sekai 2700 that is Champion no.2.

$250 is a good price if it is clean and strait descent tires, and no great needs.

One really needs pictures to determine.

JacksonF

Pictures can be found here, just put the link back together.

​​​​​sfbay [dot] craigslist [dot] org/sfc/bik/d/58cm-10-gears-sekai-4000-road-bike-made/7355543448 [dot] html

Clang

I was about to say that buying a high end road bike for commuting might mean compromises for a commuter: only room for skinny tires, few braze-ons for racks & fenders, etc- but this bike seems to get around those concerns. It looks quite nice for the price. Looks like it could use a bath and some new cables.

Mr. 66

Oh that looks really good, not great, really good. Older than my 2700.

Sekai as a classic is a little under the radar but that one at that price in your location is probably about the best deal you can do. Are you Mechanical? It will need service, maybe tires and or brake pads, but that will be the same for most bikes that are 40 years old.

$250 is good, try $200, but be quick that's a good price for your region.

Mr. 66

My 2700 gt Deluxe, same color even.

wrk101

Top of the line had Champion #1 tubing and chrome under paint. This is a half step down. Realize brands changed specs on models every year or two. So what might be totally off the charts stupendous could be average another year. Its another reason I rarely look for specific models.

3alarmer 

.
...I have a Sekai 4000 here that is the year they came in Champion #1. It's not something I'd choose as a commuter, if for no other reason than the limitations on tyre and fender clearance. The geometry is standard Crit for that era. My commuting conditions here in Sacramento would not lend themselves to that bicycle. The 2700 would make a superb commuter, but it's not what's for sale here.

The one in the photos looks like it could be made to work.

3alarmer 

...by this I mean that for a normal rider, the gearing as it exists is a little high for the hilly areas in the Bay. So your main issues will be your own overall fitness level, and any gearing range improvements you want to make further investments in. If you're not doing that stuff yourself, it becomes cheaper and more effective to actually just buy a bicycle already equipped with a triple crank, or some other used bike with wider range gearing, like a touring bike or a mountain bike.

And if you want to commute regularly, year round, even in sunny California you need to budget for fenders. On a commuter, it's very handy to also have a rack.

hose

$100 max

bikemig 

That bike is a solid deal at $250. It has good paint, a fine frame, and good parts. The only question is tire size. The OP might be better off with a bike that can take a little fatter tire and fenders. Hard to tell what size tires this bike can take from the pics but a 32c tire and fenders might be a stretch.

If the bike in post 4 is the bike on the San Francisco craigslist at $250, it's likely gone by now. That is a high dollar town and that bike is likely a very good deal given the location. Heck it might sell at $250 in Iowa where I live and this is a tough state to sell quality vintage bikes.

phtomita

I used to have a 2700 GT Deluxe in blue for my first commuter that I've passed forward in favor of Centurion Pro-Tour 15 that has all the braze-ons and like much more.
Mine was a Tange Infinity tubing and was a 53cm (PT15 is 51cm and fits better for me).

hose

id jump on this

https://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/bik...347417923.html

rando_couche

I worked for a shop that sold Sekai BITD, and IIRC, the 2700 was no.2 main tubes, the 4000 was all no. 2 and the 5000 was all no. 1. But that was a long time ago, so...

3alarmer 

....you must have an interesting commute.

bikemig 

+1. That bike fits me. I'd likely buy it at $250 if it were local to me. And I really, really don't need another bike.

orcas island 

I believe that earlier models of the Sekai 4000 were Champion #1 tubing, chromed under the paint (much like the Centurion Semi-Pro of that era). As mentioned by a previous commenter, they were quick handling Criterium bikes. I’d guess that although the model name remained the same, that these became more of a “sport touring” type of ride as tubing and component mix became a bit less high end over time.
It looks like a nice bike, and a good deal in the Bay Area

calstar 

The difference in the #1 and #2 Tange tubesets is a few ounces, not noticeable when riding unless you're some kind of tubing savant.