Vintage Orbea - Take A Look (Picture Heavy)
12-08-09, 12:03 AM
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Vintage Orbea - Take A Look (Picture Heavy)
I picked up a complete bicycle at a flea market here in the Bay Area on Sunday for $75 and am a bit unsure of what I have here. It's an Orbea "Sierra Nevada" and looks to be from the mid 1980's. Frame size is 56cm. Orbea obviously is a pretty well known Spanish bicycle maker that imports to the US nowadays, however back in the 80's I'm not so sure many of their bikes made it out here.
It came with what I guess to be original parts, which includes a mixture of Suntour and Simplex.
- Simplex Front and Rear Derailler
- Weinmann Brakes
- Suntour Brake Calipers
- Unmarked handlebars/stem/seatpost (all of which seem to me to be of low quality)
- Mobic Cranks (My search on "Mobic" bicycle parts came up with nothing)
- Mavic G4 Black Anodized Tubular Rims
Here are some photos of the frame. Not shown is the all chrome fork and the rest of the components which I took off to properly clean and view.
What info do any of you have on this guy? Any ideas to quality of steel used? My google searches have resulted in very little information about this particular bicycle. Let me know if you'd like to see photos of the components. Thanks in advance!!
Ryan
It came with what I guess to be original parts, which includes a mixture of Suntour and Simplex.
- Simplex Front and Rear Derailler
- Weinmann Brakes
- Suntour Brake Calipers
- Unmarked handlebars/stem/seatpost (all of which seem to me to be of low quality)
- Mobic Cranks (My search on "Mobic" bicycle parts came up with nothing)
- Mavic G4 Black Anodized Tubular Rims
Here are some photos of the frame. Not shown is the all chrome fork and the rest of the components which I took off to properly clean and view.
What info do any of you have on this guy? Any ideas to quality of steel used? My google searches have resulted in very little information about this particular bicycle. Let me know if you'd like to see photos of the components. Thanks in advance!!
Ryan
12-08-09, 12:17 AM
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sure, more pics, in fact I'd like to see these pics with better lighting. Some poster had mentioned Orbea being connected with Zeus, but nothing very Zeus (or Razesa) about this frame. The dropouts look something like Huret items from the '80s, but not exactly. I'd guess some brand of French steel (Vitus?), but maybe you can weigh it fully stripped and that will help with better guesses..
12-08-09, 12:31 AM
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sure, more pics, in fact I'd like to see these pics with better lighting. Some poster had mentioned Orbea being connected with Zeus, but nothing very Zeus (or Razesa) about this frame. The dropouts look something like Huret items from the '80s, but not exactly. I'd guess some brand of French steel (Vitus?), but maybe you can weigh it fully stripped and that will help with better guesses..
12-08-09, 05:52 PM
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sure, more pics, in fact I'd like to see these pics with better lighting. Some poster had mentioned Orbea being connected with Zeus, but nothing very Zeus (or Razesa) about this frame. The dropouts look something like Huret items from the '80s, but not exactly. I'd guess some brand of French steel (Vitus?), but maybe you can weigh it fully stripped and that will help with better guesses..
12-08-09, 07:51 PM
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Definite frankenmix, but an interesting one. It's like a component League of Nations.
12-08-09, 07:57 PM
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Those downtube braze-on fittings are possibly French in origin - I've seen them countless times on Peugeots.
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12-08-09, 07:58 PM
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You mention 'not well known'. Hell, I didn't realize that Orbea even existed prior to the current carbon fiber days.
I'd love to find one of those. It'd be worth a tweak at the Orbea/Cervelo crowd that shows up at Ashland Coffee & Tea most every Sunday - as long as it's warm and sunny, of course.
I'd love to find one of those. It'd be worth a tweak at the Orbea/Cervelo crowd that shows up at Ashland Coffee & Tea most every Sunday - as long as it's warm and sunny, of course.
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Syke
“No one in this world, so far as I know — and I have searched the records for years, and employed agents to help me — has ever lost money by underestimating the intelligence of the great masses of the plain people. Nor has anyone ever lost public office thereby.”
H.L. Mencken, (1926)
12-08-09, 09:59 PM
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You mention 'not well known'. Hell, I didn't realize that Orbea even existed prior to the current carbon fiber days.
I'd love to find one of those. It'd be worth a tweak at the Orbea/Cervelo crowd that shows up at Ashland Coffee & Tea most every Sunday - as long as it's warm and sunny, of course.
I'd love to find one of those. It'd be worth a tweak at the Orbea/Cervelo crowd that shows up at Ashland Coffee & Tea most every Sunday - as long as it's warm and sunny, of course.
12-10-09, 09:08 PM
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I just had the frame weighed and it came in at 6.19 lbs with the bottom bracket still in place. Does this help with any guesses as to the steel quality? Thanks!
12-11-09, 10:28 AM
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https://philadelphia.craigslist.org/bik/1477804690.html
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