McDave

We've got the 'Show us your Vintage Japanese bike' thread and the 'Show us your Vintage Mountain bike' thread, so I figured it's time for a Vintage Touring thread, particularly since mine is both Japanese and Mountain bike.

Miyata 610 and 1000, Specialized Expedition, Surly Long Haul Trucker, ect? Let's see them!

I had this '84 Schwinn High Sierra frame laying around and hadn't decided what to do with it yet when 531phile mentioned in the "longest chainstay" thread in the Touring Forum that they make great touring bikes. Light bulb flashes and I think "I can do that!". So here it is.

The 21" cromoly frame is triple butted, Schwinn calls it Tri-Caliber, and is very very close to the dimensions of a 54cm Surly LHT. The main differences being the High Sierra's seat tube laid back 3 more degrees, 1 1/2 longer top tube, and an inch longer wheelbase. All else is virtually the same.

I already had most of the components needed for the build and about the time I had gathered up the rest of the parts, I bought an old Schwinn catalog with all the specs for an '85 HS. It turns out I had outfitted this bike very close to how it came from the factory with a 26x1.75 Araya wheelset, Suntour Mountech derailleurs, and Dia-comp canti brakes!

Other notable parts are the Nitto North Albatross bars, Suntour XC Pro stem, Greenfield kickstand, and SR dual quick release seatpost. Gearing is Suntour 14x32 with a Suntour Micro-Drive 42/32/20 crankset. That ought to pull some hills! And it's going to need it too as this lightweight 5lb frame has gotten very heavy.

Rear rack is an old Blackburn, and one of my all time best eBay scores is the, like new full set of Madden panniers with a Topeak RakMule front rack for $125 plus shipping. Edit: I forgot the frame only cost $26 plus shipping!!!

I've nicknamed the bike "Electraglide" because the smooth ride reminds me of those big old Buick Electras. Here's a couple shots, more in my sig below...

Sammyboy

Here's my Raleigh Royal, sometimes equipped with a trailer, soon to have a front rack. It's my hack bike - I ride it everywhere, for grocery getting, sometimes for long rides, but never yet for a tour. When I do eventually get to tour at all, it'll be on my tandem.

It's all 531, with Weinmann centrepull brakes, Suntour Cyclone derailleurs with power shifters, a set of Shimano cranks, the model of which I forget, with which I replaced the original compact double. I had stripped the old crank changing pedals, but I found the gearing too low anyway, with a 38 small ring. This gives me 42/52, which suits much more. Nasty but comfortable old suede saddle, to be replaced by a Brooks when I eventually stop beginning new projects and start tidying up what I've got, and at the moment, mismatched wheels, because the rear you see here keeps flatting.

ricohman

Nice bikes!
Here is my 84' Nishiki Continental.


And since I road many tours on a bike just like this.....my 82' Raleigh Criterium

Sammyboy

What is it that's pretending to be a disk brake on the Nishiki front wheel? Is it an actual disk brake?

Mariner Fan

Whoa! Never seen one of those before!

ricohman

That is THE original Cateye LCD odometer.
I bought it new in 1983.
I can't believe it still works.

Buglady

Thanks, I just figured out what my BRC/Araya "road" bike officially is . The geometry on it is EXACTLY like Ricohman's Nishiki - long head tube and all. It has 26" rims and a triple crankset that were confusing at first, but it's got to be a touring setup. (It's got about a zillion eyelets, too). That had been my initial guess, but the sport touring bikes are a bit of a rare breed around here.

Pics are in a thread called "Mystery Bazaar Frame" or something along those lines.

I'm planning to put nicer fenders on, Brooks saddle, rear rack, and although it's not authentic, I'm having the shifting moved up onto the handlebars (bar end shifters in friction mode). I can't reach the silly downtube shifters without getting my own knee in the way. Later on I want to put a rack-mount handlebar bag and some randonneur lights on there.

Can one switch out the 26" rims (center pull canti brakes) for 700s with different brakes? Or would that just cramp everything up and make it less functional overall?

JunkYardBike

McDave - I'm curious: I'm running a compact triple, but with a 45T big ring, on a road bike with over the chainstay RD cable routing. I run a Suntour Cyclone MK II FD, but I have to mount it 3 or 4 mm above the big ring, not the most ideal setup for shifting. I tried a Mountech and it was too long. Are you simply not having this problem? I know the High Sierra is a MTB, so the cable guides may be positioned higher for this very reason.

matimeo

My 1984 Nishiki Royal, upgraded with Shimano 105 brakes, rear derailleur, Ultegra bar ends. Very nifty bike. I have panniers that I need to install on it, but for now it is my around town bike. Frame was free but everything was frozen on it, so it was a lot of work to restore.



This is my 1983 Univega Specialissima: Tange Champion Double Butted tubes, Suntour Cyclone, all orignal parts including the Avenir computer. $100 on Craigslist- hasn't been ridden much.



Sorry about the poor picture quality.

matimeo

Interesting you say all this: My Nishiki Royal shown above has a serial number that indicates it was made by Araya. I would be interested to know about Araya and their frame building relationship with Nishiki.

ronzorini

1983(?) Cannondale ST500. It's my go-fast touring bike.



Notable because it was one of the first mass produced aluminum bikes--a rarity in those days. Hard to believe that aluminum frames were hot stuff back then. Sold for $595 retail! Sure I like lugged steel--I have a Raleigh Kodiak I'll post later--but something about the simplicity and stealthiness of the Cannondale really appeals to me.

Hey, it even made it into Rydjor's Bike Collection:

https://collection.rydjor.com/bikecollection/1983can.htm

Antipodes

My 1981 Miyata 1000:


I am currently building up a new cassette hub 700c wheelset for it and will also be changing the Dia Compe cantis to Shimano STX-RC front and LX rear. It also now sports Dia Compe aero levers.

cudak888 

'82 Trek 728 - she's fallen into place in my stables as my dedicated yard-sale'ing machine:



Take care,

-Kurt

ollo_ollo

1984 Specialized Expedition:
Brooks B72, milled LaPrade seatpost, Matthaeser brake pads, Specialized embossed Superbe crankset, Soubitez BB generator(custom holdback), Specialized branded Nitto stem, Superbe Shifters & brake levers. Mountech rear derailleur replaced by a Shimano Deore with Carmichael aluminum pulleys. Swiss Army "Bread Bag" panniers. The 40 spoke wheels have Super Champion front, Mavic MA4 rear rims. Don

cyclotoine

Okay awesome thread!
1985ish Nishiki International soon to receive front rack and will be running front and rear ortliebs as it flys into glasgow and then proceeds through england, belgium, netherlands, Germany, austria, switzerland, and italy.

cyclotoine

lets have a close up of that RD, I'm thinking of swaping the long cage on my deore RD with the Deore DX I just refurbished, it's like dura ace for touring bikes.

Gary Fountain

Not knowing a great deal about touring bikes, I'm impressed with the individuality displayed on all the bikes. Racks, panniers, seat position, handlebar position,gears, accessories, etc, etc, its all individual preferences - simply great.

FlatFender

82 Voyageur S/P
I think I get to ride it tomorrow

Scooper

1972 P15-9.

tarwheel 

What kind of seatbag is that on your Cannondale? Looks like a nice large one that would hold a lot of stuff without being too bulky.

John E

For purposes of this thread, what defines or distinguishes a touring bike?

Scooper

I took it the OP meant a bike that has a frame with touring geometry (relaxed head tube and seat tube angles, relatively long chainstays/wheelbase, and dropout eyelets for mounting fenders) that could be fitted with panniers. I guess it would also help if the builder had advertised it as a tourer.

tuz

Relaxed angles, long wheelbase and tons of braze ons (for brakes, spare spokes, fenders, racks, water bottles, chainstay protector)

tuz

Relaxed angles, long wheelbase and tons of braze ons (for brakes, spare spokes, fenders, racks, water bottles...)

ronzorini

I designed it and my wife sewed it. Brooks saddles paired with canvas saddlebags are a fetish of mine.

For day tours, I wanted something bigger than a modern wedgie bag but smaller than a full-size Carradice saddlebag...something along the lines of a Baggins Banana/Orange-Velo/Berthoud underseat saddlebag.

I thought there was room for improvement, so I added lots of zippered security pockets, a spindrift expandable collar and some D-rings on top to lash extra gear.