nlerner

Just ride.

Cougrrcj

While not on the level of a Miyata1000, I've had my Fuji since new 42+ years. Yes, over that time and 50k+ miles it got scratched and chipped. It even developed some surface rust. It was my ONLY bike for over 30 years -- until I joined BF.net. Then a few years ago, I started to broaden my horizons a bit to see what I may have missed. Added to my permanent stable since then are two Miyata-built Univegas, and my 'true' Miyata 710. BUT, I still love the ride of that old Fuji! We've been together for more than a couple thousand seat miles, and even more smiles.

Go ahead and ride it. Make a lifetime of memories!!!!

curbtender

That's like not dancing because you have diamonds on the souls of your shoes...

eja_ bottecchia

grayEZrider

Grail bike, great age to start.
Ride the bike. Build memories.
LIVE THE DREAM !

You'll enjoy it twice as much (much) later!

BikeWonder

I want to personally thank you all for your advice and feedback.

Reading some of the responses got me thinking about where I want to be in life in terms of my experiences and I realized that I don't want to be the man looking at his bike hung up on the wall, shiny and unused, wishing to have experienced it when his days were younger.

I'll take care of it and use it for sport-touring events or credit-card touring at some point and will leave the heavier tours to my current in-progress build which should be ready by May. I will post more updates in the coming months on both bikes with pictures as some of you have requested.

As others have said, this thread can also serve to other bikes or possessions others have and are experiencing as well as the feeling is universal. I hope this thread continues in some way for others to share their own experiences and promote enjoyment instead of behaviors like I experienced.

Cheers

FlMTNdude

Lemond1985

We need to clone you sir, you are a credit to your generation. The country (and the bike industry) needs 10-15 million more people just like you. Do you have many like-minded friends?

I was going to jokingly suggest that there's a mini bike museum / man cave in Saigon that probably would accept your pristine Miyata 1000 as a donation,

A small vintage cycling mancave in Saigon - Vietnam

But since you wisely decided to ride and enjoy the Miyayta instead, there's no need for that kind of silliness.

johnnyace 

Although yours looks more like a 58cm, here's a 54cm here in Salem, nicely appointed, for $800. If you need a backup...

https://salem.craigslist.org/bik/d/s...832611133.html

cooperryder

You have received a lot of great input.

Like others have said, those vintage tourers are made to take a load.

I did two different month long tours on a 1983 Specialized Expedition loaded up with 65 to 70 pounds of gear.
(in hindsight I brought along too much stuff ) The bike did not complain though.

The bike did great, like it was designed to do. I have great memories of those tours.

It made it fine up and down mountain passes, across desert areas, in occasional rain, over gravel roads and handled it all.

I also had a 1986 Miyata 1000 for a couple of years which I decided was a size too tall.
It was a great riding bike. Sadly I never toured on it but I never doubted it could handle a load.

I now have a 1986 Schwinn Passage which I hope to tour on.
Surprisingly I liken it's unloaded riding to being very similar to the 1986 Miyata 1000.

There are quite a few worthy vintage touring bikes out there, including Trek, Fuji, Schwinn , Nishiki , Univega and the list goes on.

I have a friend that had a Miyata 610 that was an exceptional beauty, truly a head turner.

He loaded it up and toured on it.

Another parting thought.
Quality tires make a huge difference.

Safe riding and possibly touring on your 1000.



​​​

downhillmaster

Giacomo 1 

Very charitable...

SamSpade1941 

I have looked at this bike on CL , shame it's been fitted with a 2x11 and the wrong crankset for what this bike was intended for. But then again I'm not a fan of brifters either... Nice looking older Miyata 1000 frame though.

ExPatTyke

Easier to say than do, I know, but ride the bike and enjoy it on the road. None of the bikes I own are especially valuable, and they all earn their keep by making my commute much more enjoyable as well as Sunday club runs and sportives. They're steel bikes so in the worse case scenario of a frame breaking they are repairable. Here's my Peugeot Premiere, I bought it new in 1986 for less than £100; there's not much original left on it apart from the frame, seatpost, brakes, stem, and bottle cage - one of the rear dropouts was replaced quite a few years back. It's done thousands of miles, still gets me to work regularly, and often gets used on longer rides. Still makes me happy every time I ride it, which is why I keep riding it. Best £100 I ever spent!




The only worry I really have is of a bike being stolen; I use a rather tatty BSA as a town bike and even though that cost me next to nothing I think I'd still be more upset than if the car was stolen.

BikeWonder

Help me understand: if an older individual chooses to baby their vehicle of whatever make, of vintage status, as responsible and disciplined, but a younger person, such as myself, as silly and ridiculous?
Art is art. People have different ways of appreciating. I was just in a position to figure out if I wanted to look at it or experience it.

Everyone else has been providing great feedback to simply enjoy life. If asking a question and looking for guidance makes me silly and ridiculous, then I probably joined the wrong forum. But then again, you don't speak for everyone either.

I enjoy this forum and I will continue to use it, despite what "silly" and "ridiculous"questions I may ask or express.

It's about sharing knowledge and experience, not criticizing ridiculing.

USAZorro

Same color that my wife's '81 was before I had to strip and paint it. It may lack some of the frame refinements of later year models, but it definitely rides (unloaded at least) more numbly than other touring models I've experienced. It is one of the rare models that would make an enjoyable randonneuring bicycle as well as a tourer. I'm not a fan of the aesthetics of that crankset, but hey, if the gearing works for you, why not?

Lemond1985

Wish I had places like that to ride, looks awesome. Big frames can be amazingly comfortable rides. Too often I forget that when I see a good price on something I assume is too big for me, not remembering that top tube lengths remain relatively the same, despite the longer seat tube.

USAZorro

Agree with your mature attitude. I suppose that as we are exposed to many things online, some become rather sensitized to what they (rightly or wrongly) perceive as trolling. Sadly, we have had several instances where new members have done "hit and runs", where they make a provocative statement, stoke the fires, and then disappear - which can heighten skepticism. In my experience, when there's any doubt about intentions, it's better to ask questions, or observe than to presume and be uncivil. Glad to have a new member here with a level head who appreciates history and learning. This community is by far, the most helpful, generous and collegial group I've encountered online. Hope it can be that way for as many others who are seeking these things as well.

BobbyG

Ride it NOW!...while YOU'RE still in the kind of shape to enjoy it.

ed4406

I've ended up with three road bikes over the years that are stock and unmarked. They're all interesting to me but not unicorns. I tore one down and brought it back to it's original glory, then didn't want to ride it much as it was just too sweet. The other two are hanging up unrestored, as I know they'll end up not being ridden either. That's the curse of enjoying wrenching and restoring but also admiring nice ones as a work of art.

As long as one has a bike (or more) to enjoy riding day to day, having a beauty or two that's more of a pleasure to look at seems fine to me.

johnnyace 

Agreed on the 2x11 and brifters. Actually, my newly acquired Giordana XL-ECO has brifters on it, and I must admit, it is the first time I've ever tried them. They are... weird. I'll be swapping those out.

Lemond1985

I always wonder about those YouTube commenters, who post the immortal "I'm only 14 years old, and I love this song!" below some obscure Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, or Alan Parsons Project song, that only us old farts would even know existed. But I give them the benefit of the doubt. It's encouraging to see the generation gap bridged occasionally.

ExPatTyke

National Cycle Route 33 / Brean Down Way - I'm really lucky to have this as part of my commute; it's a good 5 miles off road on decent cinder tracks like the one in the photo, and allows me to miss quite a few miles on a major road and a motorway junction. This is the view I get a bit further down along the front in Burnham: -




The frame's a 24 inch by the way - I'm 6 foot so it fits quite well, although I've found I've had to drop the saddle on all my bikes by half an inch since my accident to make up for the loss of movement in the ankle. I find that by varying stem length and moving the saddle forwards or back on the seatpost clamp almost any frame can be made to fit - I also ride a 22 inch Gitane which is just as good to ride as the Peugeot: -

Mountain Mitch

noglider 

Just Ride: A Radically Practical Guide to Riding Your Bike