Classic & Vintage - help identify year please!

so a friend got a couple bikes for free a while back and we were going to rebuild them. i decided to start with this one but i am curious about what year it may be. heres all i know. 1) its a nishiki 2) it used to be red ... and thats about all i know but heres a pic, hopefully it'll help. http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/6017/0301071707fn6.th.jpg (http://img46.imageshack.us/my.php?image=0301071707fn6.jpg)

Well, for starters the forks are bent.

Yep - bent front forks. Does the seat tube and down tube look to be 'creased' near the short, front head tube? If so - throw the frame away. It could be fixed but this would be very expensive and it is difficult to find someone with those skills. If the frame's not bent - change the forks but you must replace your fork with a fork with the same size steerer tube and take the correct size wheel (probably 700C) which is reasonably easy to find.

I would say that the frame was a 1970's frame (clamp on front derailleur, one set of bottle mounts, cable guides brazed to the top tube, plenty of space between the rear wheel and seat tube).

handlebar stem looks like a colnago one that i have !

I agree on two points so far.

1) The fork is bent

2) Probably 1970's

I can also add another obvious point, that it is a tall frame.

All based on gut feel from the look.

If the components may be original, check the date codes with vintage-trek.com and also the someone here may have a more precise idea if you provide the serial number from the frame.

I agree on two points so far.

1) The fork is bent

2) Probably 1970's

I can also add another obvious point, that it is a tall frame.


And... it's lighter than air! ;)

And... it's lighter than air! ;)

:eek: I had to go back and look... In my mind it looked so much like a bike on a stand that I didn't even notice the lack of a stand...

:eek: I had to go back and look... In my mind it looked so much like a bike on a stand that I didn't even notice the lack of a stand...

Must be Sealed Helium Inert Tubing Technology (S.H.I.T.T.:lol: )

i thought the forks were bent but i wasnt quite sure... everything else on the bike is fine though and it works well. I have it hanging from wire because i had just painted it.