Originally Posted by
T-Mar
It appears to be circa 1975-1977. The Competition name was used on the original Nishiki lineup but was shortened to the Comp around 1978, then reappered about 1982. Based on the decals it's not 1973-1974, so that leaves 1975-1978. What's the serial number?
Typically, the Competition was 2nd or 3rd in the line and sported a CrMo butted frame, so it's a good one. The early ones used the bar end shifters and Mighty Compe cranksets like yours, but had center-pull brakes, so that also points towards 1975-1977. Maybe the wheels are upgrades? Also looks like the fork is bent in the steering tube, just above the crown.
The brakes are DiaCompe and look nearly identical to the ones on my Prestige but with a plain silver finish. On the back of the calipers I found the numbers 5583 and 0280. The serial number on the frame is KS346873. The bike came with no front derailleur and the rear derailleur was a very low-end looking Suntour Honor, which had lost the mounting bolt at some point and was just hanging by the cable. It looked like a very cheap piece compared to the rest of the bike, which seemed odd.
Edit: I also discovered the fork was bent after someone noticed it in another thread last night. It has a .833 steerer tube which I'm not fond of so I may try to find a 1" replacement. The fork also seems to be of lower quality than the frame.