since6

Granddaughters started this. I will soon have four and the first will be getting her first full sized bike this fall. It's a step through so she can ride and grow into the frame and not have to learn the lean it over leaping and pushing on the pedal start/stop I had to master to ride my Coast-to-Coast that weighed as much as I did. Lol Also, its much lighter.

One bike done so I began looking for a bike for sister, number two, just to keep me busy (it will wait two years for her to grow) and I found this. From the serial number and comments of other posters it is as least a pre-1975 bike, but what struck me from the first photo of it was it looked intact. After 43+ years how do you keep all the things that break, wear out, rust into oblivion, on a bike?.So my subject title "Time Capsule Bike".

Online I came across a PDF for a 1974 Nishiki Sales brochure which included what looks by its picture and specified parts to be either this bike or very close to it. I will use its specifications to walk through the bike to comment on condition, questions for the forum members and a mystery. But first lets start with something I noticed when I opened the box. It still had it's rear brake bridge reflector with wasn't bent or broken and has the Nishiki emblem on it. Probably a 10 cent part, but easily the first thing to be broken or lost in the passage of time...neat that it's there.

since6

In the 1974 Sales Brochure there were four models of lades bikes listed for sale: Super Five, Custom Sport-10 Speed, Olympic 10-Speed and the Competition. The Competition was the top model ladies bike and the only bike with a double butted chrome moly frame.

All of these ladies frames were, as forum posters have educated me, made with a loop frame. Japan was studying the bikes/components on the world stage and often, as we sill see in this bike, they looked to Italy for guidance and as a forum poster pointed out to me there is some degree of similarity with the Cinelli loop framep ictured below.

since6

So moving down the 1974 advertised specifications the next item we come to is "High Tensile Tubular/Fork with Chrome Tips".



Condition for a 43+ year old bike sold from the mid-west is very good, the chrome is going to polish up and extends all the way down to the drop out which have braze ons for fenders to be attached. It also looks like the entire fork legs are chrome plated as where some paint has been scraped off there is chrome underneath.


This also matches the picture of the ladies Competition that accompanies the specifications in the 1974 Sales Brochure, which shows but does not mention the nicely chromed and again in very good condition for age seat and chain stays.

since6

Next up are "Light Allow Rims" and this bike has Araya 36h aluminum rims in good condition, but with one broken spoke in each wheel. Q are there any better methods to remove oxidation/polish an aluminum rim? And while we are about rims on one fork leg there's this:



That dark blotch on the closer chrome fork leg is something that has either rubbed against/degraded the chrome. It is a rough spot. Q suggestions on how to polish this out, things not to do?

since6

Moving down the list we come to the "Sugino Light Allow MIGHTY COMPE Cotterless Crank Set" :



These are pristine, the metal red crank bolt covers are like new.

since6

We come now to the derailleurs for this bike which are listed to be "Sun Tour VGT LUX Light Allow Derailleur and Front Changer".

since6

For a freewheel the specifications list "Sun Tour Gold Freewheel" and there it us with hardly any use/wear. The gold was the color of the freewheel you can see in the lower left of this picture. It goes all the way to a 34t, a 42t x 34t granny gear back when my legs were in their late teens early 20s a fine thing, now not so much, glad going to a grand daughter.

since6

The shifters were "Sun Tour Handlebar End Controle" on the Men's model, but on the women's a stem shifter is shown in the picture for the ladies model which I would guess was also of Sun Tour manufacture. However on this bike are "Schwinn" branded, but made in "Japan", Sun Tour Bar Con shifters. Whle not spec this is a very welcome upgrade by a previous owner.

since6

Here's a funny moment when someone either didn't read the advertising copy or ignored the picture that accompanied it as for the brake levers the Sales Brochure reads " Dia-Compe Alloy Centerpull Brakes with Extension Levers (Men's Model)", but clearly seen in the picture of the ladies bike are "Extension Levers" and such are on this bike.

since6

An "Alloy Handlebar and GRAND-COMPE Forged Allow Stem" are also on this bike.

since6

Men got "Professional Racing Pedals with Leather Covered Toe Clips", a side note these were on my early 70s Nishiki Professional whereas the ladies bike got a touring pedal. But again look these over, 43+ years old there is hardly any rust on them...parked in a time vault?

since6

Next comes the COMPE light allow seat post.



But here is a run the "Twilight Zone" music the 43+ year old padded leather seat, it's nearly immaculate (yes I did apply some leather restoration to it), but look at its hardware, there's no rust, pristine...how?...time capsule.










Just one small tear in the right rear of the seat. Will try to find leather glue and glue down.

since6

Gotta take a break, I will come back and finish this up later this morning. I am as you might guess pretty happy with this find. To borrow from the Rolling Stones "tiiiiime is on my side" I got at least two/three years to finish this up for the Grand Daughter it's going to. More later.

T-Mar

In the event that you are not familiar with Japanese trademarks, those pedals are Kyokuto (aka KKT) brand.

since6

Thanks Mar-T, any thoughts on when this might have been made other than before 1975?

since6

Now details, the lovely chromed fork lug leg, with the wonky 1/4 length metal fenders that attache to the brake bridge in back and the brake bolt in the fork lug in front. Q Do they actually keep any rain off while riding? Again, these fenders are pictured in the 1974 Sales Brochure for this bike, though unmentioned in the specifications.

since6

The again unmentioned but shown in the picture of the bike in the 1974 Sales Brochure frame bike pump that came with this bike. It actually still pumps air and is complete except for the rubber bumpers at one end. Here's where we see some Silca and Compangnolo design copy coming into play.





I had a set of these in my parts bins so no risk of future damage to the frame paint.



And this lovely little thing too, still with the bike.

since6

Chrome on seat bolt shiny enough you can catch my camera and my reflection on the bolt head, after 43+ years.




And lovely wrap around seat stays.

since6

Head badge and mostly intact set of decals. I will take my time, consider upgrading the derailleurs to a better brand of Sun Tour. Given the hills where my Grand Daughter lives I may add a triplizer to give her a 26t and may drop the 52t big ring down to a 46t. Service everything, new modern 27" tires, touch up the paint and then have it clear coated. A nice project for the next two three years. My first time capsule bike.

T-Mar

I've posted my response to that, in your other thread on this bicycle.

clubman 

Not VGT Luxe, it's the earlier steel GT. Fits with the earlier date.
The rear brake cable pulley is a gem. I also like the white Suntour BarCon ends (gray?)

since6

Clubman yes the Barcon ends are gray. I have just printed from the Vintage Trek website the serial number dating of components for SunTour, Sunshine and Sugino and will get my head lamp on and see what I can find on the components in response to T-Mar's request to aid in dating construction of this bike. I will also take some chain cleaner and really clean the bottom bracket where the stamped serial numbers are to see if there is hidden "K" in front of the visible "S" before the numbers. Will post what I find out and thanks.

John E

I was working at a Peugeot-Nishiki dealership when the ladies' version of the Competition came out. Gearing was 49-42 (as on yours), instead of the gents' version 54-47 (first 2 years) or 54-48 (later years). Freewheel was 14-34. We sold one in silver and one in yellow to evidently fairly well-off local customers. Unfortunately, the frame was even softer/spongier and heavier (despite the double-butted Ishiwata CrMo) than the mens' version

since6

John E ,yes these frames are flexi-flyers. I had a Nishiki Olympic 12 mixte, but I am a heavy rider and yes you could feel the frame flex, but given that it was ridden in the winter on trails coated with fir cones, fallen limbs and areas of rootlets turning the trail into a vibra-ride the flexi frame was a very good thing. It tracked right through all of the above, the 1 3/8" Pasella's didn't hurt either. I wasn't riding for a personal best, not what this bike was meant for. Rather I was just chugging along in the rain with the comfort of the frame and tires as well as their safety, absorbing the hit I missed/didn't see in the trail muck a great winter bike. Maybe should look for another???

The child that will get this will be likely 50lbs or less so this frame should be firm as an anvil given her weight. She will grow up and some day I'll look for a diamond frame for her, if the bike bug bites. But I can see her as an adult using this bike with fenders, rack and panniers in back to make her grocery runs in France or commuting to work, loop frames are skirt friendly for working women. All is good.

since6

T-Mar you have very sharp eyes. After a cleaning of the bottom bracket you can just barely see a "K" which was not struck as deeply as the other letters and then filled in by the primer/paint.

This leaves us with a serial number of KS 17987, however I understand that the "S" is a designation of a pre-1975 Nishiki, but then we are left with one of two (?) interpretations of the 17987 number that follows, if the 1 is actually an "I" then the "I" would correspond to a year ending in 9, for 1969, however I think that the 1 is in fact a 1 and this is the 17,987th bike made, but what year? I believe the year to be either 1971 or 1972 and here's why.

The Sugino Mighty Competition cranks are dated 47-2 which would be year 1972 and month February.
The Sunshine Hubs are dated 5345, there is a circle stamp with some kind of symbol inside the circle before the hub number, and this symbol and hub number are the same for the front/rear hubs. The information I found on Vintage Trek is: "The "5345" marking on early Shushine hubs may be a model number. I (Skip) have Sunshine hubs from 1972, 73 and the late 70s that all have that [5345] number."
The Sun Tour front derailleur has a year code of OG which is 1972, month of July
The Sun Tour rear derailleur has a year code of OF which is 1972, month of June.

Given the above I believe this is either a 1971 or 1972 Nishiki Competition. If I have missed something or interpreted it wrong please let me know. Thanks

Oh and yes the Sugino Mighty Competition chain rings on this bike are 49t/42t as previously noted by John E