Univega Viva Touring Triple Butted Cromo?
 

I came across a really nice condition Univega Viva Touring with a triple butted cromo sticker today. Unfortunately don't have pics or the serial number because I saw it at a guy's workshop, and I plan on going back on Tuesday.

Rumor has it that Miyata built the Univega frames. I was wondering if a triple butted cromo Univega frame is substantially different in quality/weight than a triple butted cromo Miyata frame (aside from geometry)? I plan on putting non-stock components on so I'm less concerned about component quality.

I know the Viva Touring was the lowest end of Univega - was this just because of the components? Or is this triple butted cromo univega viva sport frameset somehow worse than say a triple butted Miyata 610 frameset (again, ignoring components)?

I'm leaning towards pulling the trigger here since the paint is in such great condition, and the frameset has excellent tire clearance, which is one of my biggest requirements.

Thanks!

A Viva Touring with triple butted CrMo should be a mid-1980s Miyata manufactured frame. However all the ones I've seen have not been full CrMo. Depending on the year, forks and stays could be hi-tensile steel or carbon manganese steel. In the case of grand touring bicycles, the use of lesser grade steels in these areas is not as much of a penalty. Due to the higher loads carried, grand touring bicycles typically use heavier gauges of CrMo for adequate stiffness, mitigating the weight savings of CrMo.

Lower grade grand touring models typically have cost concessions that are a combination of frame materials, components and amenities. During this era, a Viva Touring would typically have sat between a Miyata 210 and 610.

Triple-butted tubing puts it as '85 or later, since Miyata used double-butted tubing before that in their touring series. It'll probably have a Mangalight fork and high-ten stays. Only a few years of Univega catalogs are available for viewing online...

FWIW, I have the 'mid-grade' Univega '84 Gran Tourismo that is actually spec'ed out a slight bit better than the comparable '84 Miyata 610...