I picked up this bike to use as a bang-around cruiser. It seems quite nice. Servicing it now, and it appears mostly stock aside from the rims. These are Araya 700, which is correct, but 36-spoke, an odd copper-brown color, and made or drilled-to-accept schraeder valves. Anyone have experience with this particular bike or these rims? Thanks!

The missing plating around the valve hole makes me think they were drilled out for Schrader valves. Back in the day, you could buy a 27 inch Schrader tube at any Kmart or hardware store, but you had to go to a bike shop to get presta valves.

The rims are laced to Exage hubs, so they may be original. Just an odd color choice.

They may have been darker when new. It is not uncommon for black anodizing to fade to bronze with age or exposure to sunlight.

I had this one for a few years. Converted it to brifters. It rolled very nice on the anodized rims.

My rims are the same bronze Araya but drilled for Presta so I expect someone may have drilled yours out. Mine is a 56 and a tad small but it was so inexpensive and cool looking that I kept it and do ride it. Its quite smooth on the road, but the exage sport parts are pretty low end. The wheels are ok but a bit heavy, the hubs spin great.

Yeah, I doubt the color is a faded black. They seem to have started that way.