Classic & Vintage - Can anyone ID this frame?

Hello, I just bought a used frame to build up a bike from all my spare parts. It's been painted over and in some spots, where the old paint shows through, a hint of celeste green (I think) can be seen. The BB is 68mm though which may or may not make it a Bianchi. The rear stays are 130mm so it may not be too old (unless the spacing has been cold set). The cable guides are my only "guide" to identifying the frame. There is only one set of bottle cage bosses on the downtube. The fork has "AKISU 86" stamped in it. The serial number is F6122422. Can anyone recognize it?
http://henrymar.home.mindspring.com/frame-bb.JPG
http://henrymar.home.mindspring.com/frame-dropout.JPG
http://henrymar.home.mindspring.com/frame-forkcrown.JPG
http://henrymar.home.mindspring.com/frame-headtube.JPG
http://henrymar.home.mindspring.com/frame-seatstays.JPG
http://henrymar.home.mindspring.com/frame-seattube.JPG
http://henrymar.home.mindspring.com/frame-whole.JPG

what I can tell you you may already know. It has stamped steel everything-bb, lugs, fork crown, indicating it's a relatively low level bike. Those may be cast dropouts. look down the seat tube with a flashlight in the bb and see if you can detect a seam in the seat tube; do the same with the fork steerer. No seam would tell you it may have cro-mo tubing. It is probably a ring brazed, production line frame built in either Japan or Tiawan, probably the latter. The Celeste could indicate it is a Bianchi. Not much help I know; sorry.

I doubt that such a cheap fork would come on a Bianchi. However, the underlying color certainly looks like Bianchi celeste green. The blue overspray is quite poor, and too thin. The lack of shifter bosses on the downtube makes me think that this bike might be mid-80's, but before 1990 (short horizontal dropouts). Or, maybe somebody added the cable-end bosses. Who knows?

From what I can see, if it IS a Bianchi, it's likely the lowest-priced model they had at the time.

Dave,
Given the cable guide on the BB and the underseat
cable guides I'd say early 80's.

Marty

Thanks for the info guys.
I'm thinking it's some kind of touring bike because:

1) The downtube cable stops suggests it may have had bar-end or flat bar type shifters originally.
2) The seattube is 48c-c but it has a rather longish 55c-c toptube.
3) With standard calipers, 700c wheels seem too small so it may have originally had 27" wheels.

At least the horizontal dropouts allows this to be a single-speed. The lack of shifting gear will just about make up for the 6lb. frame weight... doh!

it is an early to mid 80's 27" frame, popular in asian countries. I see similar frames here.

These come with high-t steel and most are made in japan. But some do come with tange Cr-mo Maintubes(TT and DT)

Custom frame builders do use similar lugs as those used on that frame, but the tubesets used are either tange, reynolds, etc and mixed cr-mo+High-t steel stays.

You can tell its a touring frame.. wheelbase is wide..

An odd mix of lowish and mid-range bits. Some of the workmanship at the chainstay bridge is crude , but the seatpost is not cut straight, but curved to redcue stress on the post. The lugs are pressed, but the dropouts are investment cast.
Its definately not a proper touring frame, there are no rack mountings and only one set of threaded eyelets. Its a standard "clubman" or sport touring bike.
Bianchi made plenty of mid-range bikes which were nothing special, fairly heavy, but good to ride. This looks like one.

I sure hope that cheap fork crown wasn't a Bianchi bit!

try e-mailing bianchi with the serial number. they actaully will e-mail you back...I forget the actual e-mail, but you can get it in the website: www.bianchiusa.com

that looks remarkably like an early Niskiki Century.

Anyone out there with a Fuji Absolute? I think this frame has same very similar characteristics to a Fuji Absolute I saw on www.fixedgeargallery.com.

I agree Nishiki~ish.

I would agree with Fuji~ish. The lugs, dropouts and fork crown all look very similar to those on my now defunct '77 Fuji, but my bike had less braze-on cable guides, etc. I would have to guess that the '86' in the fork stamp is a production date; but I'm not sure whether the 'F' in the serial # would indicate Fuji or not?

It could be a miyata frame?

I just got any email back from the guy on fixedgeargallery that had a similar frame. He confirmed all the lugs and braze-ons are the same as his Fuji Absolute. The next step is to gently remove the top paint layer and see if the original paint is the same as his.