guygadois 

Here is the third out of a lot of four frames I bought this week from a guy cleaning out (Biemmezeta, Bob Jackson). I don't know much about this bike. I have heard they are good frames but not much else. The tubing isn't listed on the frame. The bike has a few scratches.

The fork has, obviously, been replaced. The one on it looks to me to be something from a Vitus. It is aluminum. Anyone want to venture a guess.

In any case, is this worth fixing up and riding or better to spend the time and money on another frame? I haven't seen another Univega with a rear triangle painted differently. Aftermarket?








Funky fork with no name on them (that I can see)



Serial Number

T-Mar

The frame was made by Miyata in 1984. The tubing should be Miyata's proprietary butted CrMo tubing, which was very good. A well designed and manufactured, lower high end frame, roughly equivalent to a Pro Miyata. Definitely a keeper, in my opinion.

guygadois 

I am guessing that the serial starting with M means Miyata? Any idea about that strange fork?

Guy

GernBlanston

That fork looks kinda like a vintage Vitus, but after comparing this pic: https://home.wanadoo.nl/peugeotshow/images/1986_2.jpg

It looks like the fork crown tapers more on your bike than on the old style Vitus fork.

I don't THINK that's the legendary Lambert Fork of Death.

As for the frame, I'm trying to remember back to my shop days when we used to sell Univegas...I do believe they came painted like that from the factory, but I'm not 100% sure. The competizione model was around for a long time.

GB

freako

This "may" not be accurate-at least according to Sheldon Brown who said this about Univega:

"Univega was never a manufacturer. It was a trademark of Ben Olken's Lawee distributors in Massachusetts, an importer. They were generally pretty decent bikes from various sources, mostly in Japan, later/lower end models were from Taiwan. In the late 1990s, the Univega name was sold to Derby, and Univega became a parallel line to Raleigh, with pretty much identical models under the two different names. The Univega name was retired around the turn of the century. The bikes were generally good value production bikes, but not rare enough to be "collectible"."

guygadois 

Does it make sense that the seat post that fits is a 26.8? Does that say anything about the tubing or manufacturer?

GG

nlerner

My Univega Competizione has a 26.8mm seatpost; tubing is Tange Champion. Ymmv.

Neal

karmat

For what it's worth, those are outstanding down tube shifters.

Karl

T-Mar

26.8mm would be correct for a Miyata manufactured frame. In this case, the tubing is not Tange, but Miyata. Miyata had their own facility to manufacture butted, CrMo tubesets. They were the only manufacturer to do so, at the time. It allowed them to tailor the tubes to the specifc designs of their frames. This one the reasons that Miyata were arguably the best of the 1980's mass volume manufacturers and their bicycles are sought out by C&V enthusiasts. Believe me, IT IS a Miyata.

unworthy1

Fuji put their own "brand" on tubing, but AFAIK Miyata was the only Japanese framebuilder to actually draw their own tubing (as T-Mar says). Speculation is that most of Fuji's tubing was supplied by Ishiwata, but Miyata may have supplied them with some tubing, too.

Squeazel

I think the "M" means 1984 under the Miyata serial numbering scheme. A lot of Univegas were made by Miyata- my 1984 Univega Gran Turismo is identical in every aspect to the Miyata 610 at the time- down to the derailleurs and brakes. Nice bike, yours.

Blue Order

Actually, T-Mar knows his Univegas better than anybody else here, and what he says about them is just about Gospel for everybody else here.

He's just too modest to say so.

redbarnlane

My 1981 Miyata 610 also is made with Tange Champion tubing. It takes a 26.8.

Mike

freako

Maybe T-Mar needs to send a correction of the facts to Sheldon Brown's site, I think the staff would be appreciated of it...if their still keeping the site updated after Sheldon's death.

Blue Order

I don't see what needs to be corrected. Can you elaborate?

T-Mar

That's because 1981 was the year that Miyata started producing their own butted, CrMo tubesets. It's pretty much a transitory year with some framess coming with Tange and some with Miyata. Pre 1981 models typically use Tange. Post 1981 models use the Miyata tubesets. 1981 could be either.

One of the reasons that Miyata may have settled on the 26.8mm seat post size would have been to make the transition period transparent to the factory workers. They would only have the stock one size of post and not have to worry about assemblers installing incorrectly sized posts.

freako

What? You couldn't read the post? Lets try it again; according to Sheldon Brown Univega's were made by various unnamed manufactures in Japan and Tiawan...NOT soley by Miyiata as T-Mar claims. Read the posts again.

that_was_easy

I'm reviving this post because of a sticker on my Competizione. The serial number is K****** which would indicate this it was made in 1982. This sticker on the seat tube said Tange Champion, Double Butted CrMo, but this discussion covered that this would've been the year AFTER Miyata began to use their proprietary steel tubing. I posted in another thread, which I don't have time to link to right now, that the fork that came with the frameset was stamped 'Tange 2C' and had 'Shimano' stamped drops. The rear drops where stamped 'Suntour Pro'. I still think the fork was original because it seemed to be slightly blue from the original factory powder coat, but that could be due to something else.

Can anybody clear this up or confirm any other seemingly anomalous cases? Cheers.

NYC_zx10

How come I can't see the pictures.......?

guygadois 

It is long gone given to a buddy. I took the photos down.

T-Mar

I just caught this, coutesy on the new posts. I don't believe I've ever said that Miyata the sole manufacturer of Univega. Certainly, the OP's bicycle was made by Miyata, as were most of the very late 1970s and early 1980s models. However, circa 1985 the yen underwent a dastract revaluation that made Japanese manufactrure very expensive. Most brands started seeking less expensive Taiwanese manufacturing about this time. Univega/Lawee were among them.


The serial number and fork stamping both indicate 1982, so if the fork isn't original it certainly is a coincidence.

Beside making tubesets, Tange also made complete forks. Lawee may have spec'd these forks simply because stock Tange forks were less expensive than having Miyata make them. That would explain the difference in dropouts.

There are lots of possible reasons to explain the Tange decal:

1. Miyata still may not have been in full production of their tubesets. During 1981 we saw both Tange and Miyata tubing on Miyata branded bicycles. By 1982, the anecdotal evidence suggests production was sufficient to fullfill the needs for their own brand, but still maybe not enough for Univega too.

2. Miyata may not have wanted to offer their proprietary tubesets to other brands yet.

3. Lawee may have decided to spec a known, recognizeable brand. If they had used Miyata tubing, neither Miyata or Lawee would want to make this general public knowledge. Subsequent Univega models with Miyata tubing used genric decals to achieve tubing anonymity.

4. There may have been a short term tubing production interuption such as equipment breakdown, fire, raw material shortage, etc. In such as case, Tange would be the second tubing source.

southpawboston

reviving an old thread, but what i've learned from my 1981 univega gran premio (similar to a competizione) is completely consistent with T-mar's last post. it has a miyata serial # format consistent with a 1981 build, yet is made with tange 1 tubing and has shimano rear dropouts. the fork is also tange 1, but has tange forged dropouts.