Sixty Fiver

Feel that in the 80's few companies built a better bike and suspect the Schwinn High Sierra was also made by Kuwahara as they have so many similarities and because Kuwahara built for Schwinn... the triple butted Raleigh may also be a Kuwahara built bike and has pretty much the same set up as the Siera Grande.

Most folks use these bikes as urban vehicles these days since they really do have a classic frame geometry with slack angles and long wheelbases that makes them a joy to ride but when my Cascade was original I spent a lot of time taking it off road. Always felt that riding a rigid off road really honed one's skills and taught you how to ride light.

Now my Cascade has been turned into a full on expedition tourer and has been configured like this for quite some time... these bikes also take to this conversion quite well as with drops, road levers (to go with the cantis) and bar ends you can have one hell of a solid touring bike and can solve some fit issues for smaller riders.

The quad butted Ishiwata frame on this bike is one of the stiffest steel frames I have ever ridden but with a touring load it is like riding on a cloud with a rocket booster as the bike is also surprisingly fast.



My friend has a 1986 Kuwahara Shasta in near mint condition that we are turning into a touring bike for his better half... she is very petite and the small frame fits her like a glove.