Hi All,
Scored this vintage nishiki touring rig at a garage sale last weekend:
I was cutting through an alley a few blocks from my house when I stumbled upon a few garage saleS. Nothing at the first 2, but at the third there were 2 bikes propped up inside the garage door.
Check out the shifting arrangement:
According to the owner, the frame is a 1974 Nishiki Professional. He had the cantis and shifter braze-ons added (and maybe a second bottle mount). He had the cantis positioned to fit 26" wheels. He explained that when touring, if you needed to get a tire in a small town, you could get one at a hardware store if there was no bike shop.
I believe the odd positioning of the shifters is due to the half-step gearing. Being able to shift with a single hand would help with the inherent fiddling that come with a half-step setup.
Rounding out the package are the Brooks saddle, Phil Hubs, and "Jim Blackburn" rack. Best of all, the bike is my size (57x57).
More pics:
here