Originally Posted by The Golden Boy

Historically, M1000s were loaded with a mix of top and 2nd from top of the line stuff- and they kind of went back and forth on stuff. In 87 it was specced with 600 and XT, in 1990 it was specced with 600 and DX. A bunch of the parts on my 1990 were chewed up and replaced, so I decided I was going to go with M900 XTR/M730 XT/DX/MT-62 Deore and IRD brake levers. It turned out pretty cool. (I keep saying I'm going to swap out the cage on the XTR derailleur with an M735 cage... but...)

If you have the intention of using an M1000 as some sort of tourer you would need a more purpose driven gear set than a modern road set would include- specifically the low end. If you throw a road group on it, the bike is really too heavy and lax for that type of riding. It's not light and lively- but it's what it needs to be to haul a load all day. The beauty of the old frames- ESPECIALLY the STB Miyata touring frames is that they're sturdy, stiff, beastly frames- without being excessively heavy. The "Luxe Touring" iteration throws down some of the best components of the day- XT and 600 and Deore/DX shaving of weight and increasing cachet. If you look today, the big tourers are rolling with Sora- and the frames are tanks. There's not even the attempt to make them luxurious, prestige laden machines like the M1000LT was.

Originally Posted by hose

Have any suggestions for a cheap rear- rack?

Originally Posted by sd5782

Also having an 89 LT I can comment on the chainstay protector wire loop. It does protect the chainstay but also creates some minor annoyances. When on the small chainring, and shifting to increasingly smaller rear gears, the chain can easily start banging off of the loop in an irritating way. Of course, small/small should be avoided. This is also exacerbated by the oval biopace chainrings, and the 28 small is VERY oval. Proper rd function and chainlength is a must, and even then, at certain cadences the chain can get a rhythmic bounce.

Switching to a smaller front ring to get a lower low gear also can be a problem. I put on a 24 tooth and with proper chain length, I can use 5 out the 7 on the rear cluster and avoid the chain hitting that protector. It is probably a good indicator either way of a proper setup so as not to have such a slack chain in the first place. Before putting on that 24 ring, be warned that the FD won’t really accommodate it as I found out. There are posts about that here.

Originally Posted by tjfastback66

So is there any truth to the Miyata 1000 and the Univega Specialissima sharing the same frame?

Originally Posted by sovende

Thanks, mostly see the long thin pads that cover the top surface of the chainstay. How well does the wire loop type work?