Dyermaker

So I worked five hard hours on a horse farm yesterday for this beaut.

It's a long story actually, kinda funny.

I see him strolling away from the dump piles with this thing in his arms, I knew it was the only good come up of the day cause this place always lacks gems. I ask him if he wants to sell it blah blah blah, I must have seemed pretty shameful, I'm in between rides right now cause of a stupid crash with with my Modelo 3000. Anyways he's pretty keen on holding onto it to flip cause it had the Cyclone derailers on it still and is generally a unique bike, ill go into details down the page. He says hes got some other stuff so I grab my trades from my house and meet back up with him and thats how I got the Austro Daimler I posted about a day or so ago. The dude was really awesome, he let me come back the next day to work for the Univega.


The guy knew UniVega's really well, and he was puzzled by the aspects of this one. We Both figured this was made in either the first or first few years after ItalVega sold to Japan.

The photos are of it partially cleaned/dismantled.









First of all he said hes never seen an Orange one.
Its made of High Tension Butted Tubing, which is heavier and cheaper then Cromaloy, yet the dropouts are Suntour GT...
The chrome details (fork and crown) would also suggest higher quality steel.
He also said they usually don't have long point lugs.
The decal is strange, Ive only seen the like split lettered ones.
The headbadge is the exact same as ItalVega used.
Suntour Cyclone derailers
Suntour ratchet style clamp on friction shifters, work amazingly well.
Old Dia Compe centre pulls, Im switching to newer Dia Compe G sidepulls.

Aside from mad gunk in the drive, its all straight and sturdy...

Anyone who is in the know on the UniVegas...Enlighten me please.

Thanks all. Especially you if you see this.

T-Mar

Yes, it's appears to be relatively early one, from the late 1970s, Italvega was still being produced through 1976, so it should be circa 1977-1979, though there may have been some overlap in Univega and Italvega production. If you had gotten the serial number, I could have told you the exact year.

Most early Univega were produced by Miyata and the use of the butted hi-tensile sets would seem to corroborate this, as it was used by few manufacturers. Again, the serial number will tell us for sure.

Dyermaker

E 8 8 7 9 1 9

Thanks man.

wrk101

Chrome fork and crown were common on some low end bikes, like my 1975 Peugeot U08. But yours has a separate derailleur hanger which is a plus.

All those Suntour pieces will have date codes, ditto the crank arms. Just check the vintage Trek site for code breakdown.

T-Mar

Manufactured in 1976 but the serial number is very high, so it's almost certainly very late 1976 manufacture and therefore is actually a 1977 model.

TL179

Very unique bike, especially the cyclone on a gaspipe frame.

T-Mar

Admittedly, they're not CrMo but they were far from being gaspipe frames. You could build a 26 lb bicycle using modest, aluminum components.

High Fist Shin

I like it. Nice color.

TL179

I love univegas, I have a hi-ten nuovo sport that has faded to a lovely peach color and used to have another nuevo sport that I bought used in practically perfect condition but drewed the paint job because I was an idiot. Is there much of a weight difference in butted hi ten vs normal? regardless the bike was probably very well built.

eugenian31

I have a Univega Gran Rally just like the one in the picture. I bought it brand new in I believe 1975. It's been sitting for awhile and I'm in the process of getting it roadworthy. Nice seeing pictures