Where does a 1977 (oops, I mean 1978) Miyata Liberty fit into the Miyata hierarchy as compared to a 110, 210, 610 etc.?

Do you have photos, and can you list the components?

East Hill

Here is a link to pictures:

https://www.dirtroadgallery.com/1977_...ta_Liberty.htm

And the components:

Araya Rims
Shimano Hubs
Dia Compe Brakes
Front Derailleur Shimano 60
Rear Derailuer (not original) Suntour Cyclone
Apex Crank
Apex Chainrings
Sakae handlebars
Saddle (not original)

We need to get T-Mar on this one. I remember a thread about the 1024 high-tensile steel. This is certainly labeled Miyata, it's definitely got a 1024 complete fork, and it says 1024 butted tubes complete frame.

Having said that, I'm still not certain where this fits in the hierarchy. The Cyclone RD would appear to be an upgrade, though.

Anyone else have more of a clue? It's a nice looking bike, and probably rides quite well.

Oh, and Welcome to Bike Forums!

East Hill

First, I'm pretty sure this is a 1978 model, as opposed to 1977. There is no direct correlation to the 1980's models and the separation in years makes it a bit difficult but I'd call it upper entry level and place it between a 110 and 210. The Liberty had slack angles and a longer wheelbase so the geomtery is line with the grand touring models but a high tensile frame and heavy 29 lbs advertised weight place it among entry level models. FYI, original cost was a bout $200 US.

I remember that I was 17 when I bought the bike so I thought it was a 1977 model. Since you said it was a '78 model I went digging through my old box of owner's manuals (still had the damn book on that vacuum cleaner I threw away twenty years ago) and found the receipt for the bike dated June 5, 1978:

https://www.dirtroadgallery.com/1977_Miyata_Liberty/Miyata_Liberty_receipt.htm

Good call! Gene's Bikes in Columbus Georgia had it for $209.95. I had been considering buying a Takara across town at Mike's Bikes but the owner of Gene's Bikes said "I can't let you do that, the Miyata is a much better bike than the Takara you are looking at. I'll let you have the Miyata for the same price", which was $194.95. My dad said that spending $200.00 for a bicycle was an extravagant waste of money. Thirty years later I can say it was the best money I’ve ever spent (closely followed by the drum set that I bought for my youngest son in 2003).

Is there any significance to the number 600 written on the front of the owner's manual?

Royce

I was glad to find this key to my own search. I own a Miyata 10 speed bike that I bought in 1977. I used it regularly for commuting and recreational riding until about 1990. After that, I only rode it occasionally, and it spent much of the last 6-8 years hanging up in my garage.

Not long after I bought it, I decided there was too much writing and too many decals on the frame, so I stripped everything off except the Miyata badge on the front, the Miyata decal on the slant tube, and the 1024 stickers on the front forks. I thought that was quite an improvement--until this summer when I started riding (and really enjoying) it again and wanted to learn more about what I was riding. After all, it's been over 30 years since I bought it, and I couldn't remember what model it was. Since I'd stripped off virtually all the identifying marks, I was back to square one.

After much searching online, with no success, I came across royce 114's reference to the "Liberty." Suddenly bells went off in my head! When I read royce's mention of saving receipts, I jumped up from my desk, ran to the file cabinet, and in a file titled, "Selected Receipts," (which has sat untouched for at least 15 years), I came across my original receipt for a Miyata Liberty, serial number E866645, purchased on August 18, 1977. Original selling price was $199.00.

Mine still has all the original equipment except for seat, pedals, and cassette (and spoke-mounted reflectors, which I ditched almost immediately). It is very similar to the bike royce posted photos of. The frame and forks are 1024 hi-tensile tubing, and the stem and seatpost are SR alloy; the cranks and chainwheels are labeled SR Apex, and the handlebars are Sakae. It has bar end Shimano friction shifters; the front derailleur is a Shimano 60 and the rear is a Shimano 600. The hubs are Shimano and the rims are Ukai. Both wheels have quick release hubs. The brakes are Dia-Compe centerpulls.

And you're right, East Hill, it is a sweet ride--very smooth, quiet, and responsive. While I may ogle the latest carbon fiber rockets hanging in my local bike shops, I can't imagine being any happier than I am riding my Liberty.

Woodlander,

Any chance that you could post pictures of your Liberty?

I have some photos, but they're hi-res. Once I figure out how to compress them, I'll post a few.

Post them to a place like Photobucket and then link off that.