bob307

I purchased my 1993 Sequoia new. I never came across another one. It hasn't been ridden for some time and I am currently cleaning it up. It came with racks, generator and lights. It is a US model (drop bars) burgundy in color.

Anybody here happen to ride one?

TiHabanero

I have ridden one, but never owned one. Good stable touring platform. Worked at a Specialized dealer and we had the opportunity to special order one for a customer. At that time I had a Fuji America Touring Series V and much preferred the Sequoia. I think it was the 27 inch wheels that I didn't like. We were also selling Miyata bikes and the Miyata 1000 was the best touring bike I had ridden, but didn't like the color, hence the Fuji.
The Sequoia is a great frame for touring and similar to the Miyata.

Jeff Neese

When you're talking about the very best touring bikes ever made, the top two would have to be the Miyata 1000 and the Trek 720. I had an '84 720 myself. But the Sequoia legitimately belongs in the same category. I'd love to find a Sequoia but you just don't see them for sale very often.

veganbikes

It is a shame what they did to it in the early 2000s and a shame they got rid of the new version which was closer to the original version. Would be a neat bike to own and build up. Would love to see yours when it is back together : )

bob307

I will do that... assuming that I have the required 10 posts required to post images.

bob307

The 1993 sequoia was delivered with Araya VX400 700c rims, Shimano Deore DX hubs. I have no idea when the change to 700 was made.

djb

My Japanese 1990 91 tourer came with araya 700 rims too, so my guess is maybe late 80s 700 started becoming more common? Bob, you'd have a better guess than me.

bob307

As a newbie (who is still learning) I find that I am not permitted to post urls to other sites until I have posted 10 times. I was aware that photos fell into that rule, but unaware that urls were included as well.

I found some old posts on the internet in regards to Sequoias like mine. Once I have reached the 10 post qualifier I will share the urls and some photos.

mstateglfr 

You may find some traction in the C&V forum too. There have been a lot of Sequoia pics thru the years in that forum.
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ing-bikes.html

veganbikes

If you like bikes which it sounds like you do, you will get to those 10 posts easily. Plenty of great active threads all over this forum and the many sub-forums like the touring one you are in currently. This is an awesome place to chat about bikes and bike accessories.

mtnbud

I have a 2006. The RD was replaced with a XT long cage derailleur and I added a 11-32 cassette. I put a 30 tooth chainring up front. The wheelset was replaced with 32 spoke Mavic A19s with XT hubs. The brake pads were upgraded to Ultegra pads. It works as a touring bike with the changes, but I wish I could get tires wider than 32s on it. The original bike was bought last minute when my frame broke on my Miyata Cyclocross bike just before a long tour. My town didn't have any bike shops with touring bikes at the time. (They really don't carry touring bikes now either, but you can order them...)

veganbikes

That would help but the carbon rear stay on an aluminum frame is not ideal but you make do sometimes.

mtnbud

Yep! It wouldn't have been my first choice for a replacement. It's worked well with the changes though. I've had no issues so far with the rear stay or the carbon fork.

AeroGut

For clarification - In the 80's, the Sequoia was a sport touring bike with caliper brakes, and the Specialized model competing with the Miyata 1000LT and Trek 720 for loaded touring was the Expedition, which was similar to the Sequoia but with canti brake mounts, mid-fork rack mounts and a third bottle cage mount. There are many who would rank the Expedition right up there with the 1000LT and 720 on the best 80's touring bikes list.

When the Sequoia name was re-used in the 90's, it was for a straight bar hybrid "urban transportation" bike which now had canti brakes and more rack mounts. These make great loaded touring bikes, either with the straight bar or converted to drop bar, but they're not the same as the 80's Sequoia.

veganbikes

They also had it as a drop bar bike with carbon rear stays but this might be late 90s early 2000s

Jeff Neese

Thanks for that refresher. Yes, my comments were about the Expedition (being a worthy peer to the 1000LT and 720) and not the Sequoia. I'd love to find either one of those in my size, and all of my saved searches include both.models. N+1 will hopefully net one of them someday.

bob307

I only remember hearing references to the Expedition and never saw one. My understanding was that the Sequoias (like my 1993) were delivered with straight bars in Europe and drop bars in the US. The Dutch catalog I have a link for shows the Sequoia with straight bars. I will post that link soon as well as photos of my bike.

It would have been nice if manufacturers planned to reuse the names of bikes over decades they would have assigned a model number so as to eliminate confusion years later.

bob307

I am now able to post links and photos. My Sequoia is still undergoing a clean up so photos will be at a later date.An internet search did lead to some information on the 1993 model. It is pictured on page 24 in the Dutch Specialized catalog (unfortunately I don't do Dutch):
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2...ec_Bikes93.pdf

A discussion on Roadbike Review from 2013:
https://www.roadbikereview.com/threa...-frame.309603/

An interview with a Sequoia commuter from 2011:
https://chasingmailboxes.com/2011/04...ppers-sequoia/

mattia76

This is Gandalf Greybike, my 1983 Specialized Expedition after I Rivendelled it. Fantastic bike that rides like a Cadillac. As I understand it, the Sequoias from this era are lighter and more springy, like my 1993 Bridgestone RB-T.