1985/6 Specialized Sequoia
 

I found this on the local Craigslist and after a lot of hasty e-mail correspondence I made a mad dash to pick this up today. The seller was a great guy, sort of the local bike guru in the area, and he showed me quite a few of the bikes he has been working on. Lots of nicely done "resto-mod" types of things. This one had been completely gone through; new cables, grease, barshttp://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=445584http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=445585http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=445586 and fingertip shifters added - but still quite original. It rides very nicely - happy to have found a replacement Sequoia for another 1985 that I gave to a relative. Need to find some original pedals for this, and the jury is still out on the blue cables, bar tape and seat. Opinions on this? Thanks!

I think the blue highlights the beautiful white of the frame. Nicely done. Is that a half step triple?

Yes, this was the standard half-step gearing that these bikes were set up with from the factory. The blue bar tape and cables are growing on me; not so sure about that saddle though...

Can't go wrong with a bike like that! But the seat is booboo. I'd throw a brooks on it or vintage selle rolls.

Black bar tape, black Brooks Swift ti saddle.

Remove dork disc and find a set of Compass Chinook Pass tires if they fit.

Add a nice Frost River saddle bag and a Frost River bar bag.

Honjos or VO fenders for your rainy season.

Then go on a very long ride. :)

BTW Cool bike. I remember liking the one I rode quite a bit. That one is in very nice condition.

Do any forum members remember if Tim Neenan had his design hand in this model? Sure looks like it.

Brooks brown saddle and bar tape and Pamela tour guard tan walls. Titanium or white cabling.

I love the font on those. I wish they'd kept that when they briefly resurrected the name for my early 90's Sequoia.

IIRC those were THE top of the line bikes for Specialized back then.

Cool bikes...

I must be the only one who actually likes OP's bike seat. I like to match handlebar tape with seats, and in this case it's a home run since it matches the frame AND tape.

I think the people who don't like the saddle are protesting more because it's a modern saddle than it being a bad saddle. IMO it matches the aesthetics of the bike very well, and it's a very pretty bike as-is.

Am I getting any warmer here? Specialized touring pedals and Selle Italia saddle "borrowed" temporarily from my 1984 Expedition ...http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=445763

Ah, crap, now you're telling us you have a Sequoia and an 84 Expedition? Next you'll tell us you have an 82 Stumpjumper...

Alright, alright...very nice bike you have there.

Post pics of the Stumpjumper and Expedition while you're at it...

Ummm, actually I do have an '84 Stumpjumper ;). I realize that my bikes fall into two categories: French stuff that I drooled over as a very young teenager (1972 Gitane Super Corsa, 1974 Motobecane Grand Jubilee) and mid 70's to mid 80's Japanese bikes (1977 Centurion Pro Tour, and the Specialized bikes mentioned above) that I actually owned back in those years and have searched out and found again over the past 5-6 years. None are pristine; some visibly wear a little more of their history than a lot of the beautiful bikes that grace these pages - but I feel a strong connection to all of them. Most have shown up at different times in various threads here on BF, but perhaps I'll try to get photos of all of them up here at the same time.

Now I just have to kill myself-a 77 Pro Tour? Two bikes I've been searching for, the brazed on centerpull version of the Pro Tour, and an Expedition. I sold a few Stumpjumpers and one or two Expeditions back in the early 80's. I think I stood and stared at a Pro Tour when I was 17-18 before I worked in a shop or had enough money to buy one.

That an a Raleigh International-at least I have one of those now!

Is a mid-life crisis when you chase all of the things you couldn't have when you were younger?

The Selle is even uglier. A plain blue Unicanitor would be perfect, and match the hue of your bar tape about right. A plain white anything would be second best.

Thanks? :):) Here is a photo of the Pro-Tour http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=445802

Can anyone tell me what reach caliper brakes fit the 1980s era Sequoia frames if using 700c wheels? There seem to be two sizes for "long reach brakes," 47-57mm and 58-80ish. Alternatively, if using Paul Racer brakes, would you need the Standard size or the Medium? Thanks in advance.

+ 1 on the jealousy meter, :)

Standard reach calipers won't work unless you feel like milling out the shoe channel... I have a set of shimano br-r600 47-57mm on an '84 Sequoia with 700c wheels which are perfect.

Pretty sure it was Specialized's sport touring model, with Allez being their race bike and Expedition being the full-on tourer. Not really a hierarchy among these 3 AFAIK.

The Sequoia is now being ridden by my nephew after two of his Surly Cross Checks were stolen sequentially. He won't come right out and admit it, but I think he likes the Sequoia more than his previous Surly's. ��

It was this short, weird period of time that the "sport tourer" wasn't a lower mid-level bike. The Sequoia was a top notch bike all the way. I may be misremembering things- but I recall the Sequoia being the most expensive Specialized bike- their flagship ride, above both the Allez and the Expedition. (and I remember being shocked at how expensive the Allez was over the Expedition).

This is right around the time that Trek was offering the 700: A double butted 531 frame/fork with a sport touring geometry and top shelf parts.

This is the time that sport touring bikes were most often a 'neither fishr nor fowl' bike- not quite a racer, and not quite a tourer. While the angles may have been similar to "bikes" of years past (meaning bikes you raced on, bikes you toured on, bikes you commuted on...), in the age when the bikes were becoming more specialized (no pun intended) in purpose, there was still room for a high quality sport tourer.

Trek also had the 620 right around then which seems very comparable: 531 db frame, sport touring geo, touring triple, but no canti's or lowrider braze-ons.

Beautiful bike in the white and blue!

IIRC Tim Neenan had transitioned over to the Stumpjumper line by the time of this 2nd gen Sequoia. I believe Jim Merz was your man. I have an early blue Tim Neenan-designed 3Rensho Sequoia and also a ~1990 Lighthouse with almost identical design. Same DNA for sure. Yes - I'm a Tim Neenan fan!

I am kind of partial to the Specialized version of the Selle Ialia Turbo saddle that was around about then -- but definitely a Brooks would look (and ride) classy!

Jim

Mid-Eighties Specialized Sequia
 

Wow, I just saw the photos of your Sequoia. I have one and this is the first time I have seen another. Mine has black tape on the handlebars. I have never seen one in person and every time I rode it many people mentioned that they have never seen another. Great looking bike!