snath1234

Hi T-Mar,

Thanks for the input. Now to get started on making it rideable...

Cheers,
Nathan

BengeBoy 

If you're 5'7" tall this bike is almost certainly too big for you.

sibkissolutions

Here is my 1986 Univega Gran Turismo - 62cm

It's my favorite ride and the most versatile bike in my stable - can't wait to mount my generator, lights and a front low-rider rack and take it on tour.

More pictures can be found at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/9765217...7621793160091/

cyclotoine

Here is my 1981 Specialissima. I'd like to have U-brake studs mounted and a set of paul racers on it eventually but the record calipers work fine for now, I really didn't want cantilevers so this is perfect, This bike has an incredibly smooth yet not sluggish ride.

Probably will switch to Nitto Noodles and a nitto stem soon. Funny enough my blackburn rack wouldn't fit because of the steep seatstays and relatively far forward drop-out eyelets, so I used this trace front rack instead... looks kinda funny but actually worked great with my ortleib front panniers for a weekend trip to Vancouver a couple weeks back.

Special thanks to 24tracktape for the trade! I'd like to get a titanium syncros post for it but the last 26.8 on ebay went for over 170USD! Thinking about getting one of these.







Don't know why the photos aren't showing up on my screen....

PICS

Bikedued

Needs a silver rear rack to complete the look, but a nice ride!!!,,,,BD

Nicknaylo

I picked this bike up out of the TRASH around the corner from my house. The Lovely Wife tipped me off. No saddle on the seat post and the tires were flat. I added air, found a $2 saddle at Urban Ore (NorCal Recycler) and I was off.

when my MTB was stolen a year ago, I had my old dead Cateye Mity-2 off the bike. Contacted Cateye, "yes, the mounting bracket and sender are still available, that'll be $9" with the bike computer mounted the kid and I have been riding the Bay Trail the last couple of weekends, with her asking "how fast are we going now daddy?"

I've upgraded the saddle again (another recycled one) replaced the tires and tubes with the cheapest 27" road tires I could find. Been rebuilding my tool kit and remembering how to work on bikes again. And I know this is silly, but stapled little strips of leather around the hubs, something a scoutmaster of mine showed me way back during the Carter administration. I love this bike!

italvega2o9

heres my nuovo record italvega before the name changed to univega. all original.

Kobe 

"how fast are we going now daddy?"

My kid was always asking the same thing, I finally got her a computer for herself. Wouldn't you know it the next year my son kept asking. My reply now is "ask your sister".

I love that brownish\tan color. It looks alot like a Raleigh Super Course I had.

RobertUI 

I picked this up a few weeks ago for not too much change... here's the before shots. I have a replacement front wheel, tires, cables and seat all ready to put on the bike. I can't wait to post the after pics! I worked in a Univega shop in the late 80s/early 90s and was always REALLY impressed with the value.

RobertUI 

Well, my son and I were a little busy this morning, so we got to work on it. I owe some better pics, but here it is more or less complete!

kato7997

Gran Premio

girlgeek1970

I just picked-up a small Univega Alpina last night. It appears to be a touring bike. (Has a small holder for spare spokes.) It seems the frame and fork are original, not sure about anything else. Well, I know the wheelset and components are not.

Anyway, I was wondering if anyone knows where I can find more information. I'd like to find out when it was manufactured and how it might have been configured.

I was thinking I'd convert this to a single-speed beater bike, but I rode it last night and I may have talked myself out of it. I'm thinking it'd be fun to try and restore with original parts and components.

I think I may have just become a Univega Enthusiast.

EjustE

Univega Alpina was a late 80s early 90s mountain bike. It came in 3 different component and frame flavors and was equipt with Exage 300/400, Exage 500L and Deore components (low to high); frames were Tange Chromo/Double butted Chromo (low to high). If you want to restore it, you can pick a whole (7 gear casette) early 90s Deore gruppo for about $100 these days.

girlgeek1970

I'm not sure this bike is the Alpina that is the mountain bike. I've looked at those and I think that mine may pre-date the mountain bike line. It has all the hallmarks of a touring bike. (Check out the picts and feel free to correct me if I'm wrong here.)

It took me a while to get around to taking them and getting them uploaded.

So far as I can tell, the following appear to be original parts: rear wheel and hub, the headset, front fork and front derailer, and the seat post. (I base this on some internet research that suggests that this bike came with SunTour componenets, as well as another Japanese make...the name escapes me at the moment.) It has some other Shimano parts.

I've included a picture of the bike, a picture of the spare spoke storage area and the bag mounts on the front fork...all reasons why I think this is a touring bike and not a mountain bike. (Sorry the fork is turned sideways, the original file isn't that way, but the thumbnail that was created when I uploaded is rotated.)

Check out the pictures and feel free to chime-in.

rat fink

I knew very little about road bikes back when I got my Super Strada seen here right after I rebuilt it, but before I finished it or got it dialed in:



When I got it, it was sitting complete in a backyard with a bunch of newer mountain bikes. I had no tires or tubes on it, was missing the seat post and pedals and had a small portion of red/black leopard print bar tape left on the bars, it was otherwise in time capsule condition. The parts it came with were:

- Dura Ace 7400 groupset
- 600 DT shifters and headset
- 600 hubs laced to Saturae 700c rims

It has become my main bike since that time.



I have slowly been upgrading nearly every single part since then. The bike has had three major revisions. It seems that I am slowly going to be changing out every relevant part for parts that offer increased performance/personalization of fit. Here's what I have so far:

- 40cm ATAX Guidons Philippe D352 bar -> 42cm Modolo ergo
- DA 7400 front brake and front and rear derailleurs -> Ultegra 6600 pieces
- Bontrager saddle -> San Marco Ischia
- MKS Sylvan pedals -> Looks
- 600 hubs laced to Saturae 700c rims -> Shimano RSX freehub laced to Mavic CXP11 rims (front wheel is now an unknown 28 spoke radial.

I figure it will eventually have full Ultegra 6600 equipment (with DA 7800 shifters) the way I'm going.

Here it is pictured much the way it is now, except that it's missing the Ultegra 6600 RD which I put on recently in preparation for 10 speed:



Future plans include:

- Need another 42cm, 26mm clamp ergo bar that has a tighter drop than my Modolo. This one is perfect in drops, but hurts my wrists on the hoods. If I rotate it up, the drops don't fit.
- DA 7800 hubs laced to Velocity Deep Vs in Ti finish, 32/32 radial
- DA 7800 DT shifters or possibly 7800 brifters if I can't find a set of aero levers that feel comfortable on the hoods of.

Let me know what you guys think!







-

EjustE

Yup. 650B tires, right?

This is a mountain bike converted with a drop bar, bar end shifters and road brakes. Another point is that the triple crank up front is a mountain bike crank. Touring/Road triple crank bikes usually have a 53 or 52 cog and this one probably has a high in the mid 40s.

EjustE

haven't posted this in this thread yet, so here it goes:

this is my beloved 1990 Univega Via Carisma cross bike. 19 years and 20K+ miles together, still strong

mestizoracer310

86 Miyata made Nuovo Sport. 12 speed w/ qr wheels n calipers. CroMo frame. Lawee Design. Signature cranks. Shimano Light Action rear der. unsure about the front.

Within the first 1 1/2 weeks of ownership, I got new tires, got the saddle bag w/ the riding essentials. Also swapped (two days ago) to aero levers w/ cyclocross levers. Yesterday on my way to work I lost my taillight so no more dark riding. =(

akcapbikeforums

It always comes back to this, for me.

CraigInTheCouve

Some great Univegas in this thread! I just finished restoring and updating my '86 Maxima Sport.

16633_1310004229725_1219170337_30930388_2408526_n.jpg

embankmentlb

That is one of those bikes i always want but never found. Excellent!

russdog63

Here is my Ultraleggerra. I have it decked out with Dura Ace 7400 and 7700 with a 9 speed friction downtube setup. I added the Shimano stickers.



It is the nicest Univega that I have seen. I really lucked out with this find. I got it on ebay about 4 years ago for $75. The Dura-Ace headset, it came with, was almost worth that.

The frame is built with Shimano dropouts and Tange Prestige oversized tubing, and fillet braizing. My guess is that it came from the late 80s or early 90s. I think this frame is as nice as any steel frame from that era. I have searched the internet high and low and I have never seen another. Does anyone know anything about the Ultraleggera? Who built it? Has anyone seen it in any of the catalogs?

I am 6'1" and have ridden a 59cm frame for over 20 years but I really like this more compact setup. In fact I now almost prefer this setup. It is a great riding machine.

T-Mar

To the best of my knowledge, this model was only offered in 1992. It does not appear in my 1990 or 1991 Univega product lists and it appears to have been Lawee's last attempt at a high end, steel, road bicycle before venture venturing into more exotic materials such as Boralyn and carbon fibre. Certainly, the logo, lugless construction and oversized tubing are all indicative of the era. BTW, on closer examination, I believe that you will find that it is actually TIG welded, as opposed to fillet brazed.

I do not know who manufactured it, but I doubt it is Miyata and is probably a Taiwanese manufacturer. The serial number may substantiate the year and provide a clue to the manufacturer.

High Fist Shin

Do my eyes deceive me, or is that a broken spoke on the front wheel?

-Shin

nlerner

Over the weekend, I picked up a Gran Turismo from a motivated CL seller. Serial # starts with M, which leads me to conclude it's a 1984 based on what I've read in this thread. I've already stripped it down, and it looks like it'll build up again very nicely. BB shows very little wear, and the headset feels smooth. I also fitted it with 700c wheels, and as reported in this thread, the existing Dia Compe canti brakes handled the 4mm lowering just fine.









Neal