soonerbills

Ok I said it before and I will say it again. i like old Vista bikes.
I find them interesting and although not likely ever to worth much in $ they are a snapshot in the bike boom days. I have worked on a few and have always wondered what the design execs were smoking back then.
I have read here that Vista was a Columbia offshoot and also some other entity? If indeed Columbia I wonder is it was the Schwinn's they were targeting
I have one I'm working on now that really is a perfect example to make you wonder why they did some of the things they did.

This post has a lotta pics so beware!

Here is unknown year(maybe ya'll can help) Esquire model
Bike was bought from the original owner and is totally original.


It has a pretty plain frame. Similar I think to a Varsity or Continental
It has a serial number starting with N and a O stamped into the center of the BB
Did Nishiki ever make frames for Columbia or others? All in all a rather commonly constructed frame for the era.





Riveted on cable stops? Why not brazed?


Again simple and cheap...solid metal forks

soonerbills

Here's where it get wierd
They used Japanese alloy Sunshin hubs


And then mate them to French steel /rigida rims ala Peugeot


Then a nice Suntour freewheel
and the crappy pie plate with a not so cool sticker



All pulled by a Ashtabula


So they get Suntour to make them a derail with their name on it just like the Schwinn Le Tour
A GT no less!

soonerbills

Shifted by a set of Power shifters
Can you say overkill?
And only the rear derail shifter is equipped with the actual racthet!
Front is a dummy. Why?






Dia Compe centerpulls,Alloy stem and high flange hubs





I don't know if it was a matter scrambling for parts or a half hearted attempt to upstage Schwinn?
Maybe a serious stab at starting a line towards a different market.
All I know is it sure is a strange mairrage of parts!!

jacksbike

I sold them during the bike boom years. Yes, they were made by Columbia of Westfield, Mass. and I do believe also that they were aimed at the Schwinn Varsity . They were half way decent bikes and when the demand for bikes was so much greater than the supply, we sold anything with wheels. As you have noted, the parts were great on these bikes. Sometimes there were frame alignment problems due to the rear droputs and stays just being pushed together. Overall, they lasted a long time and there were never any major problems.

soonerbills

Turns out it's a 1972 model.
The dropouts on this one have a weld on them.
i know it's not a much appreciated brand I did find the shotgun parts effect strange.
Would Columbia have built the wheels? I just can't wrap my head around the Asian/French mix

shrinkboy

earlier this year, i found a NOS Vista Carrera7 frame on Dallas C'list, and had it built up single speed for fun....its a fairly high end frame for its era and price point. i've been curious about the marque ever since.