1988 Miyata Ridge Runner Team
 

Hi, I have a chance to pick up an all-original that the owner says need only new tires (which appear to be original too). Looks to be dusty but clean w low use. Where does this fall on the Awesome - Meh spectrum?

Here's the catalog... it's on page 12 (white and blue w yellow)
https://www.ragandbone.ca/PDFs/Miyat...logue%2088.pdf

Thanks!

Awesome.

Awesome, 1980's mountain bikes don't get much better.

perfect for this years Cino

Spline triple butted
Shimano XT
There is a lot of 80's & Miyata goodness there to love.
Nothing shabby about that bike.

Thanks to you all for the quick replies. I'll provide an update when I have one.

Their highest level steel MTB? Definitely on the left side of your spectrum.




Related note- its funny that the 912 listed in that catalog is 2x7. Odd that they hadnt changed the name to the 914 yet.

In this catalog I finally discover what the single boss on the underside of a downtube is for!

They call it the "Air-bottle basement", for attaching a fitting which two CO2 cartridges screw into.

Also noteworthy are the generally very short toptube and reach of their road bikes compared to normal bikes and to their earlier catalogs.
My 58cm, 1984 912 in 58cm has a 56.5cm TT but their 1988 version is down to 55cm TT, same as their 56cm frame (which is also on the very short side for a 56cm frame size).

It's definitely not meh but neither would I classify it as awesome. In 1988 NORBA was still being dominated by American (designed) brands and consumers consdered them state-of-the-art. The Japanese lagged behind a bit and the Europeans were a couple of mountains back. That said, its still a top of the line model with an excellent component group and, in terms of workmanship, Miyata were arguably the best of the mass volume manufacturers during this era. I'd place it a couple of steps down from awesome.

Aw man, why you gotta rain on my parade? Just kidding T-Mar, your insight is always on point and appreciated.

I'll tell you what though, if it's all original and in good shape I plan on snagging it. Those colors... I'm in San Diego and it looks like the old AFL Charger uniforms.
https://static.www.nfl.com/image/pri...noigiw9xxkh0xr

Ahhh - I've got a similar vintage triple Cross and am trying to unpack the geometry on it, this is consistent with my experience.
Its a 57cm - BB is pretty high so it has a higher standover than you would expect for the size, so you need to be taller to accommodate the BB, but the TT is oddly short so it's a very funny fit.

However, inexplicably it's one of my favorites to ride soo

Update: I was able to score the bike! The bike was from the daughter of the original owner. Said there was a lot of interest, but I e-mailed first so I had dibs.

It was dusty but all original except for seat (I think). Even has the Miyata-branded Panaracer tires, which were in not-terrible shape considering the age. After I did a basic wash and exterior lube, rides and shifts pretty damn nice. It's a 20.5" frame by my measurements. That's at the top of my range, but the short reach top tube makes it fit well.

Here are some pics. I'm not a restore guy so I will just do the minimum and ride it. I kinda like keeping as much original as possible anyway.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...da296d7819.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6a774c7c0e.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1209d4834b.jpg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a2fe97c038.jpg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fb5faa779c.jpg

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...da4401d669.jpg
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...a6eeb22ad9.jpg

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...525645e460.jpg
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...90ded12fe1.jpg

Glad you were able to score this. I love Miyata's team livery. Nice used-but-not-abused condition.

Thanks Clang, my first Miyata and it's pretty cool.

Very nice! I have 4 Miyata road bikes, '82 Pro, '83 Team, '84 Full Pro, and '92 Team and a spare '83 Team frame and '84 Team track frame. Obviously, I have a soft spot for Miyata. The '82 Pro was the first bike I purchased with my own earned money. I've always loved their team colors. Back in the day, they really stood out in a peloton.

https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...11217bf015.jpg

Wow, those bikes are pristine. I'll never get to that level, but when I retire end of the year I aim to improve my mechanical skills.

Nice bikes - given your age (guessing based upon your comment of the '82 being the first bike you bought w/ your own $$) are you actually still able to ride those in such an aggressive setup?

sure thing, no problem. However, they get very little usage these days as they both have original Dura Ace AX and EX 6 speeds, so the gearing is the issue for me. But yes, I’ll still occasionally hop on any of them and take on short leisurely rides. My ‘92 Team is much more usable in this regard as it has 7700 series Dura Ace.


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d1de6aed8.jpeg

But to be honest, I much prefer the modern Campy equipped bikes I have. I just finished converting my ‘91 Zullo to 11 speed Athena and it’s now my favorite steel go to bike.


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...970465d87.jpeg

I’m currently working on building up my Tesch S-22 with 11 speed Super Record. Once that is done, I have one more 11 speed Athena group to use but haven’t yet decided which of my other bikes I will rebuild with it. I’m leaning towards my ‘89 Pinarello Montello. It won’t be any of the Miyata. The early ones are all period correct and the ‘92 is still very usable with the 7700 DA.

SDHawk nice score. If you ever think about selling it, please consider reaching out to me. I have a '91 team track, and '87 team road and this '88 team mtb would complete my collection of miyata team bikes, besides an early 90's team lo-pro that I passed on year ago. I don't mean to be rude, by all means, enjoy your new acquisition, but if the urge to sell ever arises, come find me.

Thanks. I never say never, but I plan on adding it into my rotation and enjoying it for some time.

I do need to thin the herd, so if you're interested in a 1994 Diamondback Response Sport.... :)

I appreciate the consideration! I do love me some 90's mtbs, but I'll pass on the DB, I'll be at the Ann Arbor bike swap this weekend and will likely buy more bikes than I need. Moreover, I'm still trying to complete my Miyata trinity; road, mtb, and track.

The shop I worked for during that time period was a fair sized Miyata dealer, one that was consistently a Miyata dealer of the year winner. Every year we sold a handful of the Ridge Runners. They were expensive and weighed more than the tig welded bikes of the same caliber, however they were and still are my favorite brand from the 80's and 90's. The Team Ridge Runner was the icing on the cake as far as I see it.
To this day I still ride an 84 Ridge Runner, which is a very different bike than the 88 model. In my view, your Miyata is a super score, and top shelf desirability.

Hey, thanks very much for the feedback. I'm no expert, but I had a feeling it was a good thing and it looked the part. It rides so nice, and that's with minimal adjustment and cleaning.

I am so impressed by how well the hardware on these older MTBs holds up. Even run-of-the-mill Treks from the early to mid 90s are great. Stuff that hasn't been touched in 30 yrs unfastens/adjusts like it just came out of the shop. I do tend to buy bikes that are in very good condition, but still impressive imo.

Back to the Ridge Runner, what was the price in 1988? I couldn't find it online.