Originally Posted by
Kayakado
I have one I have been riding for almost 35 years. I only recently purchased a new bike (AL w/ carbon forks) but the Itoh is still a more comfortable ride as far as I am concerned. Here is the description of my bike and some of the feedback I got on it from another vintage bike forum when I asked if it was worth restoring. The frame has some rust and that is why I had decided a second road bike would be a reasonable investment as a back up. As I am getting older, I wanted a light bike that was easy to throw into the car. The Itoh is HEAVY, in a collision with a truck it would probably come out the winner. See Sheldon Brown's webpages.
Japanese Bicycles in the U.S. Market
My bike:
Purchased new in 1969 or 1979 for discounted price of $150, lugged steel frame, 27 1/8 rims, RD: Suntour VGT, FD: Suntour, Crank: SR Maxi Cotterless, Dura Ace Centerpull brakes, Cassette 14-38, chainring 40-50, brooks style leather seat (Trico?), Chromed forks, Chromed fittings at bottom of headset, no fenders. Serial #110626 (This was before they made the kabuki models)
The Feedback on the bike:
While low-end Itoh could be found in department stores, they produced a full range, including some very nice models with double butted, CrMo framesets and top line Japanese components. Your bicycle sounds like the 271/273-HSP, which was 3rd in a line-up of 6 models in the early 1970s. A lower mid-range model, the frame on this model was single-butted, high tensile steel. So it is slightly better than your typical bike boom frame, as are the components. You don't give details on the wheels, but my specs indicate aluminum rims, and large flange, alloy, QR hubs. This, plus the Maxi and VGT were certainly superior to what you were getting on the popular Peugeot U08 and Raleigh Grand Prix at the time.
Itoh/C.Itoh was the Kabuki/Bridgestone importer during this era and some people feel that the Itoh brand may have been manufactured by Bridgestone, which was a well respected company.
However, in the end only you can decide whether it is worth a repaint. It's not a "crummy" bicycle and definitely better than the typical bike boom fare.
Thanks this makes my day (12 yrs later).
The first thing I notice about old bikes (motorcycles) is - how well it holds up to weather.
I have had Yamaha Maxim 700's that were made in the 80's essentially look like new in 2006.
My 83 honda nighthawk bought in 95 and sold in 2000 looked new.
My 93 GS500 - was rusting from day 1. The GS still is a great bike, but it was a PITA to get cleaned up and stank of the philosophy - If this crap rusts, the buyers will want a new bike in 2-3 yrs, and we wont have to warranty it cos rust isn't covered. That gives us a way to sell more crap to the same buyer.
Anyway, I think I am finding more reasons to keep this bike. Not that I am not tempted to slap the wheels on the Bianchi, throw the sugino maxy 165 mm crank on ebay and put on new crank and lighter wheels and fixie it.
But the frame will live with me, which is the whole point IMHO.
Cool.
Srinath.