Originally Posted by
Hummer
Gallo,
along with the odd serial number, your Tri-A is Tange 2 tubing. All the other Tri-A bikes that have been posted are Tange 1. The other Tri-A bikes all have "standard" Kuwamara serial numbers.
The brochure that you referenced also shows Tange 1.
I have seen one other BB with a similar format serial number, a Canadian Nishiki, probably a Continental model.
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...1#post11060546
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...me-Help-Please
Unfortunately the Canadian frame has been stripped, so there is no tube material information.
Need to look for some other Tange 2 frames and compare.
Hummer thanks for the links.
This was a garage find here in San Diego I would doubt that it was from Canada but anything is possible. I bought from a guy who knew the owner and said it just sat for years.
The bike had very little wear just garage scratches. Based on the wear of the sprockets pedals and cranks and rims this thing just sat around and was ridden very little
The dropouts say Nishiki and KMF. The frame is very presentable and the workmanship looks good. It has little extra detail like the chrome on top of the triangle and little stars brazed on to the frame for the water bottle bolts.The internal cables runs are tubed for easy cable installation. So overall it seems to be a quality build
While it does have a Tange 2 sticker one would assume it is Tange 2 but it also has a Kawamura sticker and based on TMars logic the chances are it was not put together in its factory due to the anomaly of the serial number.
It remains still somewhat of a mystery except the year of the model which has been nailed down.
What is interesting is the other frames seem to be quality builds as well based on your links but otherwise nothing in common as far as model or year