ctak

Good idea. 38 Allrounds easily fit without fenders so 35s may slide in there. Went with Speeds as my routes require 25-30 miles of pavement cycling to reach the gravel trailheads, but now that I think about it both models wear rather quickly and have similar rolling resistance, so maybe there's no downside to taller knobs

RiddleOfSteel

Thank you! I am working on a better, official document/chart, though not Excel or Sheets as I'd like it a bit more permanent...or just able to format it the way I like! Lots more work, but should be exhaustive from 1984-2010.

JaccoW

As one of the first steps towards the restoration of this bike in my own style I contacted a company to make some new decals.

For those interested in the pictures and the sizes on this bike, take a look at this album: IMGur - 1993 Koga-Miyata WorldTraveller stickers

It all depends on what's your favourite way to work on things. I'm fairly competent with Excel and like it for visualizing large amounts of data. And it's very easy to share and manupulate for later.

​​​​​​​Yeah I have heard similar stories about them. How quickly do they wear for you?

RiddleOfSteel

It does indeed. Since I don't consider the component and feature specs of various Koga-Miyata models to be complete--this is due to varying catalog information, quality of PDF scan (legibility), and not being able to speak/read Dutch, to say nothing of having only so much space and only being concerned with certain things--I choose to not use Excel. Koga-Miyata, through the years, shuffled names around, as well as evolved the specs and features of models as things went on. Nothing surprising, but it does make it a challenge to categorize!

I just completed cataloging the 66cm frames as seen in catalogs from 1984 through 2018. LOTS OF WORK. Now to split it into smaller chunks (it's basically a big long digital scroll right now) and create a thread of it for all of internet history to see.

JaccoW

Frame blocks to remove dents. Sounds like a good DIY candidate right?

They are easy enough to make though tolerances are tricky to get right. And it turns out even 120kg (260 lbs) of clamping force hardly makes a dent.
I will probably try again some time with some better wood and a better construction method. But for now a dril bit and a hand saw was good enough.

I did manage to remove the ovality from 31mm to a little over 30mm on the widest point and up from 27mm to almost 28mm.

cudak888 

Use a vise. Those clamps won't be enough.

-Kurt

JaccoW

Jup, that's what I found out as well. It's what I had though. I'll order a vise soon and try again.

alexnagui

Great find and a cool project, Jacco! A friend of mine has a World Traveller, I think. The top tube decal is gone you see, so I am not 100% sure

Bummer on the top tube dent, but I have dented top tubes on my bikes as well and I can live with them. I wouldn't bother with the blocks too much, if you plan to repaint the frame you can fill the dent with some filler material. Definetely stupid to put an extra saddle like that even for a child, I've seen a similar configuration on Marktplaats th other day, apparently it's a thing.


Friend's Koga Miyata, only a NDS picture unfortunately

JaccoW

I like NDS pics. They are rare and show much more of the frame than the standard DS shot. Without decals the only way to find out is to cross reference the colours. But there's a good chance that's a WorldTraveller or one of the other touring models of that time. Not many bikes that have the bottom bracket dynamo like that.

I spent some time the past few days to derust the inside of the top tube with oxalic acid. One side went pretty well and was fairly easy to seal but the front end was virtually impossible to seal due to the hole in the headtube. It was just too greasy for tape. Still, it showed the insides mostly had a thin layer of flyrust.
Another thing was the scanning of the 1993 brochure and specifications folder which can be found in the Show us your Koga-Miyata thread. There is a ton of information availble in the brochures, which I will be scanning the next few weeks, but it's also just very nice to see the difference in quality:


Koga's online brochure scan


My own 300 dpi scan.

JaccoW

Right so while I took the WorldTraveller out to work on it this weekend I never managed to touch it and work on the dent in the top tube.

Instead I helped two neighbours on their bike, her old Gazelle ladies bike that she uses for commuting. The rear Shimano 4-speed hub didn't work anymore (no engagement whatsoever) so we spent a few hours taking it apart, cleaning and lubing it but no such luck. She had been riding it since she was 12 as a daily commuter but, as is quite normal here in the Netherlands, has mostly spent the bare minimum to keep it riding in the 20 years that she has had it. So now it's simply finished, the only option being replacing the innards of the hub or a new wheel.

Instead she opted for another option;
Rebuilding the 1995 Koga-Miyata Adventure mixte into a 1x7 bike. She used to ride for Koga so she was very pleased. Together we made it into something nice with the parts we still had lying around.
No pics yet but I just thought it was fun to share.

For my own bike I have been looking at some parts. I'm pretty sure the front will be a polished H+Son Archetype and silver anodized Son 28 Disc Center Lock but I'm still thinking about the rear hub.

On the one hand the SunXCD Large Flang hub that I have used on my Batavus Randonneur GL works well, fits the bill and is relatively affordable.
The other side in me wants a hub to match the front and is looking at similar high-quality options. These are all in the $400+ range so I'm still thinking on whether that's something I want to spend but other than that, let's fantasize for a bit.

Then I came across this video by BlueLug Japan where they test the sound of several hubs: (turn on subtitles if you want to get a feel of what they are talking about)

Two of them stood out for me;

• The Phil Wood model because of its pleasant sound for a pawl spring based hub and its classy looks.
  • I would probably get the Center Lock model or the Classic model but only the classic has a 36H option.
• The Onyx Racing Products model because if its utter lack of sound.
  • The technology behind it is pretty cool too with its sprag clutch. Meaning extremely low drag when freewheeling, no noise and instant engagement. Reviews seem good too.

Time to ask them how they feel about touring on these.

Thanks for indulging my gear geeking. Now to see if I can find room in my budget for this.

JaccoW

I'm off for a weekend in the wilderness and hopefully some snow with the Koga-Miyata SilverAce but in the meantime I have ordered the first serious parts for the WorldTraveller.

The IRD Double RollerDrive threaded headset is a modern interpretation Stronglight A9 needle bearing headset and I've used it before on my Batavus Randonneur GL. It's a harder wearing headset which virtually eliminated any shimmy on my Batavus in the past.
Back then it was nearly impossible to find these for sale anywhere but when I checked online today I found a lot of them in the UK (shame I figured this out after they left the EU. Would have saved me some VAT ). Most notably VeloDuo, SJSCycles and SouthernDistributors. Rivendell seems to sell the needle bottom/ball top IRD NeedL BlastR where reviews mention similar anti-shimmy experiences.

Other than that a Velo Orange Randonneur front rack canti and a Velo Orange Mojave bottle cage.

Still contemplating whether I want to spring for a pair of silver Dia-Compe CR-X / Dia-Compe GC 999 cantilevers straight away as well but I guess I can wait till after the weekend.

JaccoW

Got a response from Onyx today, looks like I know what I will be saving up for.

What I sent them:
Their response:

JaccoW

Right, some more faffing about here while I wait for the first parts to arrive and decide on which frame blocks I want to order.

The headset and front rack are still stuck in customs but I was inspired by the '57 Lenton Grand Prix by Bulldog1935 and its use of the Simplex chainguard. Tom Wellington over on Flickr has a beautiful painted one on a Nishiki Century mixte.
So I found one on French eBay and bought it. The bashguard on the Batavus Randonneur GL works really well to prevent shredded trousers but I find my my clothing still dragging against the chain meaning everything still gets black and dirty.

Which led to me doing a bit more playing around in BikeCad and mostly modelling the chainguard and a different stem.
Still not sure on the cream vs. black tyres but whatever. I just like playing around with it for now.

alexnagui

Those Onyx hubs seem to come in any possible color. Did you already order one?
If I had to go with a nice cassette hub myself, I would definetely try VO hubs, the feature of taking them apart without any tools is just great, isn't it? Apparently, they are made to last forever if bearings can be found easily.

That colour scheme above is great Is that the one you gonna go with? Do you already know where you gonna paint the frameset? Is the dent that bad that you do need those frame blocks? I feel like you can just use some filler material and call it done. One of the guys from SteelRides in Rotterdam is a frame builder, I bet he can fill it with silver or brass for you which after sanding will be like new.
Those Simplex chainguard are very petite and beautiful indeed, my Gazelle was supposed to come with one but it was probably just lost at some point. I like how they look with a front derailleur together, they kinda merge together. But in your case it will be painted, which is also cool.

JaccoW

Not yet. It's a decent amount of change ($470 + shipping) for the hub alone and I will probably be hit with a hefty import tax when it arrives here. The stuff I ordered from the UK after Brexit had an effective 28% income tax (21% over the combined item + shipping and a handling fee) so I will be saving up a bit first before spending that amount + the probable €100 ($120) in import taxes.

The VO hubs look nice, the ability to pull the freehub is something my SunXCD hub has as well. Haven't needed it yet but it's good to know you can.
Something to keep in mind at least, especially since these are much more readily available and a lot cheaper too.

The dent is visible from above and it bothers me. Especially since I know I can probably make it nearly invisible. Not sure yet where I will have it painted or whether it will be a powder coat or an actual paint job. I have various powder coating places around me but if I were to have it painted I would probably drop it off at a place specialized in bicycles.
The plan for now is to get the bike in riding condition and just clean and clearcoat the rusty bits before spending a lot on paint. Besides, I might have more money and the ability to actually visit the place in a few months time. I am thinking a dark metallic red with gold accents but it depends on what shade of red is available.

I kind of like how the original derailleur they were meant for had an option to just bolt these on with a single screw. I believe the Shimano Deore LX that came off this bike could be modified to do the same but at the risk of ruining a perfectly functional front derailleur.
Anyway, let's fit everything first and then try modifying stuff.

The front rack and some other goodies should arrive tomorrow so perhaps some real progress soon.

alexnagui

Yeah, I saw the price yesterday..I don't think I would pay that much for a hub, but if it can last you forever than probably it's a good investment. Plus it's a really fancy hub, I know.
The Brexit thing is annoying, I ordered some Brooks mudflaps in November and I am still waiting for them

I watched this video and I understand how it can be done. The VO design however is much more ingenious it seems. No tapping and knocking is involved whatsoever.

JaccoW

I don't believe mine needed that after the first time disassembling either but I think they are very comparable hubs in that regard.

Installed the rack and bottle cage today. I might try bending it a later to get it to sit a little bit lower but for now its fine. Not fenders installed yet anyway.

Rooney 

I don't know if you're still taking opinions on the frame color, but I gotta say; that original paint/decal color combo is one of the best I've seen on a bike. I was disappointed when I found out Aston Martin F1 replaced BWT as their main sponsor to avoid a British Racing Green and pink car tho — maybe I'm biased towards pink and green.

That said, between the two red options, I prefer the cream tires. They're having a quiet conversation with the decals that really cements the theme. You don't notice it's missing with the black tires until you see the cream ones on there. It looks more intentional and complete.

JaccoW

The green and pink is definitely a thing of the 90's. But if you want to play around with the colours and make an awesome colour combination feel free to experiment a bit in BikeCad.
If you open the colour wheel at the top you can play around with virtually every single part, colour and shade you want.

That's exactly the sort of play I am going for with this bike but we'll see if I can get my hands on them when the time comes. As far as I know there are not a lot of cream skinwall 37-622 tyres.

JaccoW

I'm currently talking to someone who is selling a 58cm 1994 GentsTour which has the exact same colour scheme. If you're interested?

Rooney 

Alas! Beauty that it is, I ride a 63.5cm VSP. Get a load of those fairings tho!

JaccoW

As mentioned in another thread I am now one N+1 Koga-Miyata richer. Thanks @RiddleOfSteel!

This time a 1992 Koga-Miyata Traveller in a size 66 for the measly sum of €20 + €25 in fuel.

The paint is fairly decent but most of the parts are pretty worn. The seller was getting rid of it since the cost of replacing everything was too much for him.

I'm thinking of turning this one into a gravel/xBiking bike without fenders but with drop bars and fat tyres, similar to what alexnagui 's friend did in post 58. My guess is that 42mm tyres should fit without fenders.
For a moment I was afraid the seatpost was stuck due to oxidation but it came out easily.

The paint is a sweet looking two-tone metallic black with gold flakes in it combined with turquoise blue.

Not sure what the frame differences are compared to the WordlTraveller but it seems like a Shimano Deore DX groupset + SR parts for the Traveller at 15.6 kg (~34 lbs) VS. Shimano Deore LX + Nitto parts at 15.9 kg (~35 lbs) for the WorldTraveller.

RiddleOfSteel

Glad you were able to pick it up, Jacco! So cool! And you're welcome, of course.

Crazy to think that the standard weight of various Travellers is well north of 13kg. My '85 Trek 620 is just 1cm shorter with a slightly longer top tube and longer chainstays, and that came to 11kg on the nose. Granted, 32H non-touring wheelset (7400 hubs, MA2 rims, slender butted spokes) and "33mm" (30mm actually) Soma tires do a lot to help the weight issue vs. the 36H heavy, wide touring rims, 36x2 straight gauge spokes, and ~35mm anti-flat touring tires. I'd say there's an easy 1-2kg right there. The rear wheel lock, kickstand, and rear rack also add a good bit of weight. The Deore LX crankset has some weight over my triple-ized 7402 cranks, and that rear cassette likely outweighs my 10-speed cassette by 100g. So now we can get an idea of how the weight delta comes to be.

Looks like you have a lot of elbow grease and paint love to give on this one, Jacco. Super fun project. I'd be curious to see what the frame, fork, and headset (together) weigh. My 620 was a little north of 3.5kg, and I (at least) know that anything with Miyata in the name or build contract meant the frame was stouter than most. Even if this Traveller is a double FM-1 tubing (frame, fork) combination--the best!

cudak888 

We definitely need group pictures of your Koga-Miyata collection so we can keep track of them, Jacco

-Kurt

alexnagui

That's a great find for 45 euros! Like your idea of turning it into a gravel/offroad (touring) bike. Actually, I have a similar project in mind, so I am curious to see what you gonna do with it. How's the World Traveller doing, by the way?