Hey All,

I want to collect some opinions on lugged steel touring frames. I'm currently riding an 87 Super Sport that I like very much, but I want to transition to something that can take wider tires, fenders, and some weight on the rear rack (mainly my two year old daughter). I'd like to stay reasonably priced without getting junky, and am thinking that moving my components to a blank frame would be the most economical. So what's good?

Miyata 210 or 610 (or 1000 if you get really lucky), Trek 720 (the road bike), Fuji America - there are plenty of other viable candidates.

I stole this from somewhere but most of these models will suit you and many of them are overlooked----I see cheap Nishikis and Univegas all the time and they are fantastic frames built in Japan.


Bruce Gordon
Berthoud
Mercian
Bob Jackson
Viliers Velo
Paul Hewitt
Ellis Briggs
Woodrup
Koga
Bridgestone RB-T
Bridgestone T-500
Bridgestone T-700
Centurion Pro Tour 15
Centurion Elite GT 15
Fuji Touring Series IV
Fuji Touring Series V
Kuwahara Caravan
Lotus Odyssey
Miyata 610
Miyata 1000
Nishiki Continental
Nishiki Cresta GT
Nishiki International (note, not all years are full CrMo or full touring)
Nishiki Riviera GT
Nishiki Seral
Novara Randonee
Panasonic PT-3500
Panasonic PT-5000
Panasonic Pro Touring
Panasonic Touring Deluxe
Raleigh Alyeska
Raleigh Kodiak
Raleigh Portage
Raleigh Super Tourer
Raleigh Touring 18
Schwinn Paramount P15-9 Tourer
Schwinn Passage
Schwinn Super Sport, 1981
Schwinn Voyageur/Voyageur SP
Specialized Expedition
Specialized Sequoia
Trek 520
Trek 620
Trek 720
Univega Gran Turismo
Univega Specialisima
Roberts

I own an 87 SS and they are nice. I would not take the 600 components, transfer them to a touring frame and call it done though. Different animals.

Most touring rigs take Triples up front with a FD that can handle it plus the brakes are canti's that touring favors. The SS has racing Cinelli bars which would get old on long tours. Shifting for touring is better with barcons or brifter set ups not down tubes.

The rear freewheel needs to be bumped up to a wider gear range for a touring rig.

You might want to go with a Sport tourer type and forgo the full touring idea. That still gives you relaxed geometry, racier components and room for fenders and rack attachments.

If you like your '87 Super Sport (I like my '86!) you could compliment it with similar vintage Voyageur. They both are built on similar Tenax frames but the Voyageur has longer stays to place the rear wheel more rearward for fenders and heel clearance with panniers, has cantilever brakes, triple crankset, and rack bosses and double eyelets front and rear.

I hate to be that guy who tells you to use the search function, but there have been some long threads on the C&V subforum about vintage touring bikes with lots of excellent photos. You will likely find much more information there than starting a new thread.

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...g-bicycle.html

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...ing-bikes.html

IMO, a perfect solution!

+1 so true.

+10 Not to single out the OP, although he has "Sloth" in his nickname , why search via google, when the collective brain trust here is more knowledgeable than SIRI and as fast as IBM's Deep Blue? I understand a few of the vintage members get bored with the increasing frequency of redundant questions.

It's Watson, and IBM programmed it to cheat on Jeopardy.

Shogun Alpine GT. I'm looking at one next week.

Those are nice.

Been there ... done that with a 1971 Nishiki. I naively happily rode one for 20 years, but the late 1970s and early 1980s Nishiki frames are much nicer. A Cresta would be a good choice, if you can find an owner who wants to part with one.

What's good depends on expectations and how much you're willing to spend. A Bob Jackson World Tour would do nicely, but might be a bit over your price range.

Oftener than not it isn't economical to swap components. There typically will be unforeseen costs and compatibility issues with the seatpost, BB, etc. IMO you are far better off searching for a mid 80s era touring bike complete. They often sell for pennies on the dollar compared to the original prices.

That said, the main thing with vintage is to take advantage of whatever opportunities present themselves, so if you find a Univega Specialissima or Miyata 1000 frameset on craigslist or whatever for cheap, buy it!

I have an 84' Nishiki Cresta I believe, but a road version meaning it doesn't have cantilevers. It can haul a decent amount of weight, but the max I've put on the back rack was about 50 pounds. It handled it and nothing broke. However, I have to say I thought the frame was a bit soft with just me on it, but with 50lbs of sound equipment (let alone your child) I absolutely would decline because the thing felt like a noodle.

My Surly Travelers Check with those S&S couplers, which I hear makes it stiffer, handles weight like that all day without complaint and feels oh so poised.

Would this perhaps be a role best suited to a MTB re-purposed to a touring rig? I only know my Surly and my early 80's Cresta so please keep that in mind. I'm comparing an early 80's noodle and something rather modern with oversized tubes.

Good point. Vintage touring bikes were built pretty light compared to now, especially at the high end. Essentially, the better 80s ones were like a slightly heavy duty race bike with more laid back angles.

If the budget can take it, SOMA and VO both offer a variety of modern heavy duty off roadable touring frames in the $500 ish range. They'd be a bit more rugged for hauling a kid.

I've never seen one in person so I hope so.

I'll forewarn you that tire clearance on vintage touring bikes is usually very limited compared to today's standards. Due to the brake bridge on my Miyata 610 and 215, I can barely clear 32's with fenders, and don't have much more room at the bottom bracket either.

Side thought -- why not a vintage MTB drop bar conversion? Plenty of nice vintage MTB frames, and clearance for fatter 26" tires. I can run 2.1+ on my Schwinn with fenders.

I have a Miyata 610 with cantilever brakes and I'm able to run 35mm with fenders.

You might consider adding Trek's classic 1984/85 850 & 870 MTBs to this list; the Surly Long Haul Trucker is basically a somewhat modernized, TIG-welded clone of these frames.

+1 To the OP: if you're curious about going this route, plenty of suitable older MTBs are mentioned in the 'Drop Bar Conversions' thread.

Mid-'80s Raleigh MTBs would be a good choice; they were lugged, had long chainstays and, IIRC, a couple of them had three water bottle mounts instead of the usual two.

Brake bridge on mine is both too low, and too narrow ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I think OP should just shop opportunistically - whatever comes along at a good price. Look for the cantis, the longish chain stays and give it a shot if it fits and it's cheap.

And don't overlook the Cannondale ST models. If you want the best mix of stiffness/lightness/stability, there you go. I'm a recent convert - and I still like a lugged steel touring bike, too - but I haven't ridden one that stacks up to a C-dale in those regards. Mine fits 35mm tires w/fenders, would probably go to 45mm without.

1980's high end lugged frame mountain bike. Fuji Mt. Fuji, KHS Montana Summit, are the ones I have or had. (the Fuji was stolen. I know WHO, but he has friends in the cop shop, so they will not touch him)
I've been updating the KHS; 7 speed 14-32 rear cluster, 22/32/42 crank (want to swap that 44 with a 36 or 38, I'm old, my racing days were over 50 years or so ago, if I even had racing days)
Solid heavy duty rear rack designed and marketed for touring ... The goal is an any terrain touring bike, hopefully with low enough gearing that I do not have to stand up (or push) going up anything short of a cliff.

When I was looking for a road bike for the girlfriend, we looked at a Cresta. Beautiful bike, if it weren't such a small size, one of us would definitely have bought it.

I'm reasonably new to old bikes, but that one has stuck out in my mind as a thing of beauty.