Originally Posted by
LindaJC
Is my Nishiki an Olympic 12? I bought my bike so many years ago, I cannot recal much about it. It was in an accident once and had to be re-painted, so some of the details are lost. However, it's serial number is KJ29780, it has side-pull brakes that say "DIA Compe", handlebar that says" WIN PISTA" , Sun Tour VX Derailleur, Sugino gears, and Shimano gear shifters. (excuse my lack of correct terminology... I am not really a bike fanatic (and I mean that in a good way!), just a casual rider). I am trying to determine: 1) What year it was made 2) What model it is (Olympic 12 sounds vaguely familiar, but I am not sure) 3) Where it falls on a spectrum from cheap and useless to prime and valuable 4) What it might be worth.
I tried to upload a photo but it failed. The bike is a darkish maroon red.
It was made in 1980 so could be either a 1980 or 1981 model. While I don't have the 1980 literature, the 1981 Olympic 12 was available in maroon, had SunTour VX derailleurs, Dia-Compe 500 brakes and a Sugino Tourist crankset. The only other 1981 with VX derailleurs was the Royale but it was not available in maroon. The other major distinction between the two was that the Olympic 12 used stem shifters while the Royale used bar end shifters. Pending a photo, it sounds like a good match for an Olympic 12.