TeakAsh

Hello, first post here. I recently moved from Chicago to rural Pennsylvania and the single speed I commuted with in Chicago doesn't suit the hilly conditions here. I picked up a 1980 Panasonic sport from the original owner, they even had all of the original paperwork/catalog that they got with the bike. I cleaned it up a little bit and took it for a few rides but I'm finding I'd like to update it a little bit. I'm stuck though because it appears to be all original so part of me wants to just keep it the way it is. Any suggestions for upgrades while still keeping the vintage feel would be appreciated, I'm specifically looking to add lower gears to help with climbing. Thanks in advance.

noglider 

Why upgrade it if it works well as it is? If you want something nicer, get something nicer. You don't have to get rid of this one. You can have two bikes.

But if you really want to make it ride better, get some nice tires. That will give you the most bang for the buck. Don't believe what people say about component upgrades. It's a lot of nonsense.

dweenk

^^
What noglider said - the Sport is a nice low end bike. It is really not worth upgrading however. Just service the bearings and cables, tune it up, and enjoy the ride.

mstateglfr 

Lower gearing- the easiest way would be to swap out the crank, front derailleur, and rear derailleur.
- get a square taper triple crank
- get a long cage rear derailleur with a claw
- get a triple front derailleur
- get a new 6/7speed chain
- (maybe) a longer bottom bracket spindle, but try the current first

You could pick these up used from a bike co-op or two, off ebay, or bought new. Those options go from cheapest to most expensive.

Doing the work yourself, you would need a crank puller($15), chain breaker($12), some metric wrenches, and a screwdriver. Since you are already working on it, some new cables make sense if the current ones are rusty and are only a few dollars.

Youtube, Parktool, and here are 3 great resources.

At cheapest, figure $50 for the new components. Realistically- $65-115 if you cant get everything used from local bike collectives.

A triple crank will get you better gearing for hills. The stem shifters you have should work for the new gearing.



Many would consider this a waste of money because 'the bike isnt worth it' or something along those lines. You wont be able to sell the bike for your purchase price plus all upgrades, sure, but you will enjoy your bike more which is the whole point.

If you dont want to go this route because of costs, perhaps sell the Panasonic and look for another bike which already has a triple up front.

Tulok

It's really nice looking! I'd go for some good tires, and an excellent clean and lube with a New chain. It will feel way better!

oddjob2

Entry level bike with steel rims(?) and a high tensile steel frame. I agree with the advice not to swap parts out on an entry level bike, but clean, lube, and tune.

If you want a better bike for the rolling terrain, look for a bike with a triple crankset. If you're on a budget, a mid 1990's rigid mountain bike and $40 worth of tires makes for a great commuter.

Tundra_Man 

I have that exact same bike, even down to the color. Mine's an '81 though. The Sport was at the lowest end of the Panasonic lineup, so I wouldn't worry about wrecking any vintage value by upgrading it. Not too many people are out there looking for an all-original Panasonic Sport to complete their vintage collection.

I've done a lot of mods on mine over the years. Reworked the cockpit with new handlebars (originals were crazy narrow), Tektro brake levers, converted it to bar-end shifting and ran all of the cables under the bar tape. New brake pads and aluminum rims improved the stopping and shaved weight. Replaced the seat because the original was ripped when I bought the bike. Replaced the tires, freewheel and chain as they wore out. SPD pedals to match my bike shoes.

I know I sunk more money into it than this bike was worth, but I liked how it rode and the modifications made the bike more enjoyable for me so in the end I don't regret the money I spent.

Slash5

If you have a co-op nearby for parts and for the work and you don't mind coasting down the hills, you could probably put a older mountain bike crank on the front running 2 rings for just a few dollars. Depends on the co-op's inventory of old stuff.

TeakAsh

Thanks for all the input! I think I'm just going to keep it as is. I didn't pay much for it, so looking for another bike isn't out of the question and the hunt can be exciting.

Lascauxcaveman 

A good cheap upgrade for adding some hill gearing is just swap in a freewheel with a 34T cog. Post a close up photo of your rear derailleur; it looks like it may be a long cage, in which case it can probably handle the extra size of the bigger cog. Every long cage derailleur I've used (probably a dozen) can handle that much and more.

But I would draw the line there, your Panasonic's a well preserved but decidedly low-end bike, and if you're going to be riding quite a bit, something nicer is going to catch your eye sooner than later.