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Univega Thrifty Build Report

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Univega Thrifty Build Report

Old 03-23-17, 09:11 PM
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Univega Thrifty Build Report

Thought some people might like to see progress on a Univega Supra Sport I'm putting together.

Brief history: I had a Miyata 310 that was great but too big. So I was looking for a smaller Miyata frame set, but settled on a Univega because I'm impatient. I figured since the Univega was manufactured by Miyata, it would be a simple parts-swap, done in a couple days. But of course things never go that way.

Anyway, I picked up the frame from Thrifty Bill here on BF (Wrk101). It's clean and a very pretty color.

DSC08426
The Miyata was gray so I had some black components, like seatpost, handlebar and levers. I didn't want to buy a bunch of new stuff, so I just went with it. Actually I did get a new handlebar, but silver was out of stock and, like I said, I'm impatient so I got the black curved bar.
DSC08421

Picked up a Shimano 600 Crank to be installed soon. Not sure what derailleurs I'll go with, but I have some RSX so I'll probably use those. More photos:

DSC08416
DSC08415
DSC08417
No one's stealing that wheel unless they have... an allen wrench.
DSC08424
DSC08425

Still need a chainring and bolts, brakes (Miyata used a recessed nut on rear, and this frame is not drilled for that), a cup holder for my coffee. Oh and I should probably get some pedals.
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Old 03-24-17, 07:41 AM
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Should ride super nice. Looks great so far.
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Old 03-24-17, 07:48 AM
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Wow, that's a beautiful color! The frame looks to be in very good condition. Please keep us posted with your progress.

What handlebar is that?
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Old 03-24-17, 07:59 AM
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+1 on the color! Is that a 21"/54cm frame? There is a Univega about the same year in my general area that needs rescuing. It looks to be too big for me, so I am trying to find a frame to eyeball it against before I show any interest. I have SR, Centurion, Lotus and Miyata frames in 54, 56, and 57 to compare it to, but no Univega.
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Old 03-24-17, 08:16 AM
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Originally Posted by Velocivixen
Wow, that's a beautiful color! The frame looks to be in very good condition. Please keep us posted with your progress.

What handlebar is that?
Handlebar is a XLC Trekking bar. Found it searching for "27 degree handlebar"
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Old 03-24-17, 08:18 AM
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Originally Posted by seypat
+1 on the color! Is that a 21"/54cm frame? There is a Univega about the same year in my general area that needs rescuing. It looks to be too big for me, so I am trying to find a frame to eyeball it against before I show any interest. I have SR, Centurion, Lotus and Miyata frames in 54, 56, and 57 to compare it to, but no Univega.
Yes 54cm.
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Old 03-24-17, 10:40 AM
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What are you thinking for gearshifts? Thumbies?

I don't know about you, but I found I really needed to add 90-degree extensions to the ends of my mountain bike's handlebars, to give me a couple of much-needed additional hand positions, including neutral (handshake) forearm rotation.

Love the color and the somewhat relaxed frame geometry -- should be a winner.
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Old 03-24-17, 11:10 AM
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Thumbies sound like a good idea... But I'm going to throw on some downtube shifters, at least for now.
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Old 03-24-17, 03:53 PM
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It's nice to see a cool frame like this getting repurposed. Looks great so far.

I agree with @John E about the handlebars - I'll be interested to hear how you like this one for long rides.
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Old 04-06-17, 09:46 PM
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Finally finished this baby. I've been really sick and it's been raining, so I've only ridden it around the neighborhood a little.

The Weinmann Carrera brakes are great. Glad I got them from Rudi here on BF. Thanks again to everyone on that thread who was willing to dig through parts bins for old brakes for me!

Single front chainring for now as I've maxed out my budget for this ride.



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Old 04-06-17, 09:51 PM
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That is a fantastic build. Enjoy it.
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Old 04-07-17, 08:24 AM
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Ben Lawee (Univega founder) had a gift when it came to making a good looking bike.
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Old 04-07-17, 09:11 AM
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Perfect run-around bike.
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Old 04-07-17, 10:36 AM
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Nice bike. Looks like it could fit some monster tires!



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Old 04-07-17, 10:05 PM
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Just for the heck of it, and to satisfy my own curiosity, I wanted to hash out the cost of this build. It was meant to cost almost nothing because I thought I'd swap all the parts from my Miyata to the Univega frameset. But that didn't happen. Approximate costs below:

Frameset: $100 shipped from Thrifty Bill
Stem: ?? from another bike.
Handlebar: $10
Bottom Bracket: $25 (probably some shipping cost for these 2 items-- $10)
Cranks: $37 shipped
Brake Levers and grips: $35 (from previous build, conservative estimate)
Brakes: $50 shipped from BF member
Rear Derailleur: From Miyata? I don't remember. $0
Wheelset and Tires: From a bike purchased for $60
Seat and seatpost: $50 conservative estimate
Pedals: Had them for a long time, won't count them.
Incidentals (chainring bolts, cables) $20

That covers the bulk of it. Grand Total: $397

The good news is that I took almost nothing from the Miyata, so I have a Miyata 310 to potentially piece back together and sell.
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Old 04-07-17, 10:54 PM
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Nice. I might try that handlebar on my Univega Via Carisma. The original flat bars were too low and far forward for me last year, but I've been working on back and neck conditioning. Meanwhile I've been using 2" riser bars with a slight back sweep. Comfortable but I'm getting into good enough shape that I'm reaching wind resistance limitations. I was considering albatross bars, but I wouldn't want to give up too much mobility, although I don't do any serious trail or off road riding.

That XLC Trekking bar might be a good compromise -- lower than the riser, but a little less reach than the original flat bar. Price is right too.
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Old 04-07-17, 11:34 PM
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Those Weinmanns look great. Did you polish them or did Rudi have them just-so before he shipped?

You've probably noticed there's a ton of room under them for adding some nice stainless steel fenders, when you get around to it.
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Old 04-08-17, 10:16 AM
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Really great build--and agreed, tire+fender clearance for days! I really like the chainstay length on that frame, too.

If you ever want to move that downtube shifter up to your bars, you could grab one of the VO thumbie shifter mounts and convert your current shifter. Or let it ride.
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Old 04-08-17, 01:28 PM
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Great job! It's amazing how fast the cost add up on something like that. But hey, that compares to what sells for around $800 - $900 new.
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Old 04-08-17, 03:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Lascauxcaveman
Those Weinmanns look great. Did you polish them or did Rudi have them just-so before he shipped?

You've probably noticed there's a ton of room under them for adding some nice stainless steel fenders, when you get around to it.
The brakes are as received! Very happy with them.
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