View Single Post
Old 11-01-05 | 08:42 AM
  #3  
T-Mar
Senior Member
20 Anniversary
 
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 23,212
Likes: 3,123
I agree with the 1972-1973 date estimate. My 1972 literature shows the bicycles under the American Eagle brand, while my 1973 literature shows the Nishiki brand and an Olympic model. This would seem to indicate that your Olympiad falls somewhere between. The America Eagle reference also appears to point to the transistion period.

Lotek is correct about the dropout stampings. WCCSC is West Coast Cycle Supply Company, the distributor. They shortened things to West Coast Cycle Supply around the beginning of 1975. This is also points to an earlier model.

The KB could stand for either Kawamura Brand or Kawamura Bicycles, but this is pure ppeculation on my part. The winged W may be a reference to Wee Bee, one of the Japanese brands manufactured by Kawamura.

Assuming the the Olympiad is the immediate successor to the Olympic, the correct components are most likely Shimano Eagle derailleurs, Sunshine hubs laced to steel 27" rims, Dia-Compe center-pull brakes and a cottered steel crankset. These specs are from the 1973 Olympic.

I know that many of you are surprised to see Shimano derailleurs, but it was not uncommon for manufacturers, who otherwise used SunTour, to spec a token Shimano bicycle. This was simply a case of not having all your eggs in one basket. Should SunTour have production problems, you could still approach Shimano to fill the void, as you had contracts with them. If you were exclusively SunTour, Shimano would have no obligation to help you out.
T-Mar is offline  
Reply