1980s Japanese bike with Tange Prestige tubing?
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car dodger
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I briefly owned a nishiki team issue that was tange prestige. Equipped with 6 speed dura ace, so probably dates to the 80s. I have a pic of it somewhere, I will post it up if I find it.
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1989 Schwinn Paramount OS
1980 Mclean/Silk Hope Sport Touring
1983 Bianchi pista
1976 Fuji Feather track
1979 raleigh track
"I've consulted my sources and I'm pretty sure your derailleur does not exist"
1989 Schwinn Paramount OS
1980 Mclean/Silk Hope Sport Touring
1983 Bianchi pista
1976 Fuji Feather track
1979 raleigh track
"I've consulted my sources and I'm pretty sure your derailleur does not exist"
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1989 Schwinn Paramount OS
1980 Mclean/Silk Hope Sport Touring
1983 Bianchi pista
1976 Fuji Feather track
1979 raleigh track
"I've consulted my sources and I'm pretty sure your derailleur does not exist"
1989 Schwinn Paramount OS
1980 Mclean/Silk Hope Sport Touring
1983 Bianchi pista
1976 Fuji Feather track
1979 raleigh track
"I've consulted my sources and I'm pretty sure your derailleur does not exist"
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#28
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My vote for the Centurion Prestige, made three years 1985,86, and 1989
Here is my 1989 Prestige
Here is my 1989 Prestige

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#29
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Late to the game, but I've a Zunow that's full Tange Prestige. I'll take a full shot and upload it when I get the chance.
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This year of this model had Prestige tubing. 1992, I think.

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This was made with the second version of Tange Prestige in the early 90s. .3/.6/.9 gauge tubing. the .6 proper rounding would be .7 like the Reynolds .38 mid section should be .4 mm
Last edited by avhed; 06-12-22 at 06:33 PM.
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None on the list was built with Tange Prestige including the Prestige.
There are Bridgestone MB-1 mountain bikes, but are there any road models with Prestige tubing.
Last edited by avhed; 09-08-21 at 07:22 PM.
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I bought a Schwinn Prologue from Bike Nashbar when they first came out .Tange Prestige tubing was highly regarded and was favorable to SLX at almost half the cost. All around an excellent frame, and great tubing.
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I used to have one of those, stripped it, now just a frame.
Tim

1992 PDG series 5 Asian Paramount
Tim

1992 PDG series 5 Asian Paramount
#36
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I had a Team for a while. It was indeed Prestige. It also had the same frame geometry as an Eddy Merckx of the same era, which model escapes me. Story I was told was that REI wanted to round out their bike line in an attempt to look like a serious player. They needed a top end road bike. As an Asian built bike, Dura Ace was the easy component choice. Their bikes already used Tange, so Prestige was a no brainer. Geometry? The request was for a road bike. Who says road racing like the man himself? So they looked at a EM catalogue and followed that geometry. If I ever come across one again in my size, I’d buy it.
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Summing It Up
Picture Assistance?

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Pretty sure many here would geek out on a quality tube MTB from a small Japanese builder, even if it's been repainted.
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All the more reason to post it. If the serial number format is distnctive, it might help us to identify some otherwise obscure bicycle in the future.
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As found.

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The Trionfo was still Tange No. 1 in 1992. It didn't get the Prestige upgrade until 1993 and used it though 1995. We may be able to tell the year from the serial number, as other Novara from this period were built by Fairly of Taiwan, who have a known serial number format.
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BTW, would you mind posting the serial number for the 1985 Prestige? The few I have in the database are all a purely numerical format, which doesn't turn up on any other Centurion.
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There's no reason why there shouldn't be any, given that Centurion was owned by Western States Imports, a USA based company. However, having said, I don't believe there are any in my database. This model was the standard issue for the Centurion - Texas Metros women's team, along with the Facet, which was used in some hillier races. Still, they don't appear to have been a good sellier, being dropped for 1987 and only revived in 1989 when they supplied Eddie B's new Montgomery - Avenir team.
BTW, would you mind posting the serial number for the 1985 Prestige? The few I have in the database are all a purely numerical format, which doesn't turn up on any other Centurion.
BTW, would you mind posting the serial number for the 1985 Prestige? The few I have in the database are all a purely numerical format, which doesn't turn up on any other Centurion.

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#46
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Got timed out, so pictures later. My favorite are my two 1987 Schwinn Prologues (Panasonics). Next up is a 1988 Panasonic DX6000. I've also had three made in Japan Prestige MTBs: two Shogun Team Issue Prairie Breakers and one Fuji Professional.

1987 Prologue

1988 Shogun Team Issue Prairie Breaker 24/26

1988+/- Shogun Team Issue Prairie Breaker 26'r



Tubing decal on the 26r Shogun

Tubing decal on the 24/26 Shogun

Tubing decal on the DX-6000

Black and Gray 1987 Prologue decal.

1987 Prologue

1988 Shogun Team Issue Prairie Breaker 24/26

1988+/- Shogun Team Issue Prairie Breaker 26'r



Tubing decal on the 26r Shogun

Tubing decal on the 24/26 Shogun

Tubing decal on the DX-6000

Black and Gray 1987 Prologue decal.
Last edited by wrk101; 09-10-21 at 06:24 PM.
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Discussed in this thread: Tange Prestige Quality
Short version: the classic 80's Prestige was 7/4/7 butted, whereas the current "Prestige"that SOMA uses is 8/5/8. There is also a current "Prestige JPN" higher grade that is 7/4/7 like the vintage version, but additionally heat treated. SOMA also uses oversized tubes on many models, which further makes them heavier and stiffer than a classic Prestige frame.
EDIT: Later in that thread it says SOMA uses heat treated tubing, which would seem to mean the 7/4/7 Prestige JPN rather than the plain Prestige. So it's closer to the vintage Prestige, but still with larger diameter on most models than a vintage race frame (28.6 top tube and 31.8 down tube vs 25.4 and 28.6 in 80's).
Short version: the classic 80's Prestige was 7/4/7 butted, whereas the current "Prestige"
EDIT: Later in that thread it says SOMA uses heat treated tubing, which would seem to mean the 7/4/7 Prestige JPN rather than the plain Prestige. So it's closer to the vintage Prestige, but still with larger diameter on most models than a vintage race frame (28.6 top tube and 31.8 down tube vs 25.4 and 28.6 in 80's).
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All Tange Prestige tubesets were heat treated. Original Prestige was standard imperial diameter with 0.7/0.4/0.7mm thickness in the top and down tubes, with three different gauges and configurations of seat tubes available. Then, in the late 1980s they introduced Prestige Super Lite with standard imperial diameter tubes and 06/0.3/0.6 in the top and down tubes, and two different gauges and configurations of seat tubes. It was about 100g lighter. In the 1990s a heavier gauge top tube and two heavier gauges of downtubes were added a
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I had this for a little while, not sure where it was made, but with all the other Prestige examples I thought I'd post here anyway.
I bought this as a frame to build up, that never happened. Someone put a pretty offer up for the frame and away she went.
It is a Excel Kashmir Professional

I bought this as a frame to build up, that never happened. Someone put a pretty offer up for the frame and away she went.
It is a Excel Kashmir Professional

