1983 Miyata 210 Touring Bicycle

I've been out of bike commuting / touring for about 18 months while focusing on restoring a couple motorized projects. I've been missing it, but with most of my hobby money into the other projects, I was on a tight budget.

Luckily, I came across a decent condition Miyata 210 light touring bike for $50, which is perfect for me. High quality, good components, but low enough of a model that I won't be tempted to do a full restoration and sale.

Happy Riding!  

                          

I've been working on other projects for a while, and it was time to put together a new bike for the spring. I recently found a decent condition Miyata 210, which by its serial number appears to be a 1983 frame.

The Miyata 210 was the entry level touring bike in the Miyata line, with straight gauge cromoly frame tubes and a hi tensile steel fork. After working on bikes that fell much higher on the model hierarchy in the Cromoly, double butted Univega Specialissima and the columbus tubed Italvega last year, I was expecting the 210 to feel very heavy. It doesn't. It's a very similar ride to the Univega Specialissima I rode last year, with possibly a bit more top tube length, although I haven't measured. It's a reminder that the improvements these bikes made were incremental, and the actual reliability and performance differences between many of these frames are probably not as extreme as their advertising materials indicated.

The nice thing about this bike is that I've got a nice riding, decent condition cromoly touring bike with alloy components for a very low price, and it's a low enough model that the low resale value will probably keep me from flipping it, allowing me to finally hold onto one of the bikes I build!

So far, I've been able to resist a full restoration; I changed out the seat, bars, brake levers and shifters, swapping for a brooks B17 and old light aluminum drop bars with aero brake levers, vintage ratcheting friction barend shifters, and new cables and housings. The bike works perfectly, so I'll probably ride it out this summer and do a complete disassemble/reassemble next fall. 

Mixte Univega Custom Ten

   







A few months ago, I posted my 1984 Univega Specialissima on Craigslist, thinking I'd sell it and begin a new project.

Instead, a potential buyer commissioned me to refurbish a Mixte frame Univega Custom Ten she'd purchased, since my Specialissima was not the correct frame size for her.


   






The bike was pretty rough - the brazing for the rear brake support had cracked, most of the drivetrain was old, steel, and rusted.

In the end, the build went relatively quickly, I think because someone was actually waiting for it unlike my usual routine in which I slowly build a bike over several months.

I wish now I'd weighed it, as we ended up replacing almost everything except the frame with alloy parts, and I imagine the weight savings was substantial.


   

DIY Headset Installation Tool - 1971 Italvega Nuovo Record

The Italvega Nuovo Record build is proceeding, and for headset installation I used a length of threaded rod, washers, and nuts to press the headset bearing races and cups into the head tube. 

The photo shows both regular nuts and wingnuts at each end, however this was just how I assembled the parts before purchase, figuring I could decide later which worked. In the end, the wingnuts look better, but functionally I think the regular nuts worked better, as the cups fit tightly and are difficult to insert simply using hand strength with the wingnuts.

The tool worked well, and allowed me to install my headset without damaging anything.

1971 Italvega Nuovo Record - Fresh Powdercoat and Decals finished

On to the next project - the 1971 Italvega Nuovo Record has been waiting for about six months for it's rebirth, and it's time to get started. 

I really like the Italvega/Univega story, and despite the fact that Ben Lawee was more of a designer/distributor than a bike builder himself, I find his frames to be some of the prettiest and most graceful of their time period. I suppose if you can't do it yourself, find someone to do a good job for you!

Anyways, after spending the past year or so working on the Specialissima, I thought it would be fun to work on an earlier Lawee product, one of the Columbus tubing/Campy equipped Italvegas. 

Although I didn't keep the original color, I did select a color that Italvega used during this time period for my powdercoating. Like the other bikes I've refurbished, I went with Triple A Powdercoating in El Monte, CA because of their excellent work and fair prices. Once again, they did a great job. Up close, this  frame looks like it's been nicely sprayed with quality paint, despite the fact that the coating is an industrial strength protective coating. The attention to detail they give is really exceptional. In the end, this bike has a beautiful, almost unscratchable period correct finish that I'm very happy with.

The decals are also new - purchased on ebay, they went on easy and have a UV guarantee.

   

 

No Turning Back - Mid Fork Rack Braze-ons

The holes are drilled - I've tried a few times with the small Bernzomatic oxy-propane torch, but my flux seems to be burning off too quickly. Also, I'm using 45% brazing wire, so I might have to switch to 56% at some point.

Anyways, I'll post pictures as progress continues...

Out With the Old...1984 Univega Specialissima For Sale!

I've decided to put the Specialissima up for sale, I've enjoyed riding it a bit too much, and hung on to it longer than I intended, but I need to get to work on my newer projects...

She sure is purrty though...

Anyways, here's the Craigslist Ad if anyone is interested:

http://losangeles.craigslist.org/wst/bik/2971040531.html

And, the ebay auction:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/120902222147?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1555.l2649#ht_1010wt_1187





 

Bernzomatic Oxy MAPP Torch

I purchased one of the hobby-sized Bernzomatic Oxy/Mapp torches, and once it arrives, I'm ready to do some braze-ons.

I considered a straight Air-Mapp torch, but since I got this used, it ended up being cheaper than a new MAPP only torch, and the small amount I expect to use it should keep the disposable Oxy tanks from getting too cost prohibitive. It will be nice to have the additional heat from the Oxygen, and I figure I can always pick up an inexpensive Air/Mapp torch later.

Unlike the current model, this older version has a pressure gauge for the Oxygen tank, which is a step up from the newer, cheaper torches that replaced it.

I'll start out on the bent fork from my old Trek 720 Multitrack. I am building these bikes into highly functional commuting/touring bikes, and this bike is already getting a new touring fork with rack/fender brazeons on the dropouts, leaving the old fork for experimenting.