pstake 

I tried posting this over at the Univega appreciation thread and got no responses!

So I came here, hoping someone can help me find information.

...
I am a long-time, anonymous lurker but this is my first post (that would sound pretty bad in any other context wouldn't it?!)



I saw this Univega Gran Premio in my size for sale on our local Craigslist. I sold my vintage Trek, bought the Univega. And I am LOVING it! Man it's fast and agile! (I installed the new tires, bottle cages, chain and bar tape, and changed the freewheel from a 14-28 to a 13-24)

Just hoping someone has a catalog or specs for it. I think it's a 1986. It came with Cyclone components including hubs, except for the derailleurs, which were Superbe. Not sure about the shifters. Cyclone or Superbe ... all friction. The stem and bars are Kusuki, which is a brand I hadve never heard of ... but they look nicer than any of the SR stems and Nitto bars I've had until now. Bike's Serial # ND20273.

Would like to know where this was in the Univega heirarchy and what tubesets it used. I'm also curious about the Kusuki brand as well as the specs on the bottom bracket, whether or not it's sealed. It feels smooth but I will repack it if it's not a sealed.

Also looking for information about the headset, Tange Falcon FL-500 ... any good? Sealed?

Really any information at all is appreciated.

For the past two years, I've been riding a glorious 88 Trek 330 in beautiful condition. Only problem was that it was a 24" frame and I am only 5'8" (on a good day). Still, it was my daily rider for two years.

Thanks,
Phil

ironwood

Somewhere on the Univega thread there is an explanation of the bb serial numbers. Does the sticker say triplebuted frame tubes and cro-mo stays? Is the fork cro-mo or mangalite? Any way it is a real prize.

wrk101

Internet vintage bike sites are pretty much all set up by individuals, at their own expense, that go to the trouble of collecting all the catalogs and brochures, documenting serial numbers, and creating a tribute site. Its really amazing how many there are out there.

Univega is one of a myriad of marketing brands, companies that never made a single bike, but instead outsourced to a variety of manufacturers. Few of the marketing brands have tribute sites.

+1 Search the Univega serial number thread, you will find a lot of information there. And of course, all of the brands used components from the same handful of suppliers, so there is a lot of information available on your components. Overall weight and component grade will usually tell you a lot about the level of the bike. Given your bike is a mix of Cyclone and Superbe, that puts it near the top. I would expect the top bike to either be all Superbe Pro or Campy. The only oddball to me is the lack of chrome. Usually, as you get high up a product line, you start seeing chrome dropouts, chrome stays, etc.

pstake 

It does say triple-butted frame tubes and cro-mo stays and fork. I'm looking now at the serial number thread!

ironwood

It probably was built by Miyata and is the top sport touring model. Univegas are underappreciated,but I'd put your bike in the top ten production Japanese bikes from the eighties.

pstake 

Thanks, Ironwood. How did Miyata frames compare to say Tange Champion?

Also, do you know anything about the Tange Falcon Fl-500 headset? ... I can't seem to find much about it online.

cycle_maven

Miyata made their own tubing, but their triple-butted tubing was the equivalent of the better-known tubesets of the time.

cyclotoine

Look like you have full suntour superbe group; the top of the line! And the headset is excellent. It likely uses caged ballbearings of good quality and high number (guess 25 top and bottom, 50 total) It may have rubber seals by 1986, I am not sure. Annual repacking is a good idea, as it is with hubs, bi-annually if you are high mileage or ride in wet conditions a lot.

pstake 

It actually was not a full Superbe ... cranks, hubs, brakes are all cyclone. RD and FD were Superbe ... but I had been squirreling away a basically new Superbe Pro RD, with which I replaced the Superbe RD that came on it. The Superbe would barely eek out the 28 large cog on the freewheel that came on it, but the Superbe Pro wouldn't even. Which is okay ... I prefer the 13-24 around here anyway. Even with that, this bike outclimbs my Trek, without questions.

Maybe the Superbe RD and FD were in-store upgrades from Cyclone and it came with all Cyclone components? Would Cyclone have been 2nd Tier in 1985-86?

Thanks for the information about the headset ... most of the headsets i've taken apart, which is not a lot, have had 10 or 11 ball bearings on top and bottom, I think ... I hope I don't spill any of them when I take it apart!

wrk101

Odd, I have never seen a headset with just 10 or 11 ball bearings.

Very nice bike by the way! Enjoy.

pstake 

Thanks, WRK.

I can only remember taking aprt two headsets. The first was on my Trek 330 and I don't remember how many ball bearings it had, but I remember that it had the same size and number as is listed on Harris Cyclery's chart. The latest one I did was a Wal-Mart "Next" bike for a neighborhood kid at our local Bike Kitchen, which is sort of charity bike shop that's open twice a week. I'm probably wrong about the number ... I guess 50 ball bearings just seemed like a lot.