Hoffsta

Hey, thanks for the tip on the year! If you have the article on this bike I would love to see it. This frame only had the cranks, pedals, headset, seat post, and shifters so I can't say what the original derailers were. She measures 61cm ST, 58cm TT, perfect for me. I love it with the 650b x 38 tires. It's just as fast but way more comfortable.

PHT

Here's a not quite vintage Alpina 501 to add to the thread. It had some really cute white cantilevers, but the plastic collars were cracked so I replaced the whole set to be safe. Both derailuers and shifters were toast as well unfortunately. Relatively light for it's position in the lineup, and very very purple.

happeeffer

Hey, ive got a via montega that needs fenders. anyone know what fenders actually will fit this thing?

roger89

Here's mine:





Shimano 105 groupo
6 speed
Araya rims
Nitto stem

I'm one proud owner, probably will not sell it. Classic.

CO_Hoya 

I recently picked up this bike from the original owner. It's a 21" frame and stretches out my wife a little bit, but I think we can make it work for her.


As far as I can tell, it's stock down to the tires. It came with a couple of extra bits that I removed for the photos (pump peg, clamp on bottle cage) and I replaced the front reflector which was missing from the bracket with one I happened to have in my parts bin that was an exact fit and same vintage. Other than that, the bike is exactly as received. Hope to get it fixed up this summer as time permits.









More photos here (link).

jusgroovin

My 1984 Univega Competizione
Suntour Superbe Pro - Shifter, Derailleurs, Hubs
Dia Compe Aero Gran Compe brakes and levers
Araya 1W wheels

I found it on Craigslist and this is my second Competizione. My first one was stolen from my garage and I was lucky to find this one.

It was pretty beat up when I got it, however the frame was in pretty good shape aside from some surface rust and scratches. So far I've replaced the seat, seat post, stem, brake hoods, brake cables, bar tape, tubes, tires and pedals.

Here is pic of my first Competizione. I do love these bikes.

Cougrrcj

I picked up a '84 Univega Viva Sport. 23" frame, cro-mo main tubes, magnalite fork, hi-ten seat stays. 27x1 Araya rims w/ eyelets, Sunshine GyroMaster hubs, Bontrager 27x1-1/8 T1 or T7 tires, SunTour Vx front and BL GT rear derailleurs, SunTour downtube shifters, Sakae CX 52-42 crankset, SR fluted seatpost, SR Road Champion bars, DiaComp G500 brakes/levers. Some kind of Shimano freewheel. Serial M3023xx - which I assume is made by Miyata. Overall very good condition, a few very minor paint chips & scratches. One slight ding in the middle of the toptube on the right side.

bikescott

Just got this bike from my Brother. Barely ever used. I put straight bars on it. More comfy for me. Don't worry, I saved the original bars. I think its Cool.

Cougrrcj

In re: post 682 above

Since available information about Univega is scarce, and it was made by Miyata - I have a few questions. With the Miyata/Univega crossover, would it be safe to assume that the bike I just picked up is the rough equivalent of the Miyata 710 of the same year? Brakes, hubs, and other components are mostly the same, with the exception being the 27"x1"Araya wheels on the Uni.

For my own personal tastes, the downtube shifters have to go. I didn't like them when I bought my S-10S 38 years ago, and I still don't like them today. One of the first things I did to the Fuji was to add SunTour bar-end shifters. It seems the only bar-ends available today are indexed - and for a lot more gears than my 6-speed freewheel. What are my options today?

The seat that came on the bike will be replaced - nice seat, but too narrow for me.. Foam grips (gotta love the eighties, eh) will be replaced with my last NOS roll of 'No 1 Tape'. Brake levers are in a uncomfortable location, so they get moved when I re-tape the bars and add the bar end shifters...

Anything else I should be aware of with a Uni? Any quirks of the breed?

ironwood

It might be more like a 310. I think the 710s were all Cro Mo.

Velo Orange and Rvendell have bar end friction shifters.

Univegas and Miyatas are good candidates for a 650b conversion .
,
I have a Nitto Technomic stem a Nitto noodle, and a Brooks B-17 on my Nuevo Sport.

Cougrrcj

The reason I was leaning more towards the 710 is the Magnalite fork, the DiaComp 500 brakes, and the Sunshine Gyromaster hubs (1984 Miyata catalog spec page here. Hey, I could be wrong - it has happened a LOT before, LOL! I'm just trying to get a feel for what a Univega is all about. They don't have the paper trail research of the major brands!

ironwood

Many Univega frames were made by Miyata, but are not necessarily Miyatas. Ben Lawee specified them to his specs. There is a lot of information on Univegas on this thread, so maybe you should start reading the various posts from the beginning. Maybe one of the real experts will answer your questions about where your bike fits into the hierarchy of Univegas and Miyatas.

Cougrrcj

I DID read all 28 pages of this thread and many others regarding Univegas last night. The problem with Univega is that they used so many names for the bikes. I think I saw a post where the model name count was up over sixty! Then of course, the model names change from one year to the next, so which is which? That's why I posted all of the components.

Looking at the Miyata catalog, the lower end bikes were all hi-tensile, or if they were CrMo, they weren't necessarily butted - even the Miyata 'semi-pro' series used CrMo main tubes (again according to page seven of the '84 catalog), and not the rear stays. The frame/fork combo, along with the component mix are the determining factors of the Semi-Pro series. The frame/fork combo of my Uni follows the 710 more than the 310 (because of the Magnalite fork). The component mix on my Univega follows the Miyata 710 almost exactly, except for the wheels. Brakes, hubs, etc are date coded for '84 so I'm assuming they are originals to the frame.

With Univega not being a 'manufacturer' but a spec-made bike it is hard to tell what model came with what! Oh, and looking at some of the posts in this thread, the components and/or features of their Univegas changed with early-late production within the same year - specifically the canti brakes and rack mounts on the touring models.

Yes, it is maddening!

ironwood

All that really matters is how you like riding it.

T-Mar

The 1984 Vivaa Sport fell between the Miyata 310 and 710. While it has the Mangalight fork of the 710, it has the 27" wheels of the 310. The BL derailleur is clobviously a step down on the 710s Cyclone. Brakes are the same as the 710 while I'd put the crankset closer to that on the 310. If I had too, I'd say it was closer to the 310.

ironwood

The definitive answer.

Cougrrcj

So let's split the difference and call it a 'phantom 510', ok?

I feel that the components are closer to 710 than 310. It has 710 frame, fork, hubs, brakes... as for derailleurs, I'll swap out the BL rear for a VGT-luxe or Cyclone from my parts bin. I trust the VGT Luxe and Cyclone series - I've never had a BL before. At the first hiccup - off it goes!

Crankset? Meh, at my age I'm not big on 52/42, so it will likely go 48/38 of some sort. The current rings are in great shape, so they'll go in the parts bin. Freewheel will be getting changed to a SunTour 6-speed, 13-21 or 13-24, again from my parts bin, just because I'm a SunTour loyalist. The 27" rims don't bother me at all. My 'main ride' Fuji still wears 27x1-1/8 rims and tires.

From the limiting riding I've done on it since picking it up yesterday afternoon (~5 miles) it seems a bit more 'sprightly' than my S-10S. Definitely a livelier ride. I'll have to put the two side-by-side but I swear the Fuji has a longer wheelbase. Weight-wise, they're probably within a pound. I'd have to take the rack and frame pump off the Fuji to tell for sure.

Since the Fuji has more eyelets on the dropouts, it will probably get a set of fenders and turn into my designated tourer. The Uni will probably become my daily rider unless the ride is too sprightly - I'm getting too old to get beat up by a bike!

Still, the Uni is a nice ride so far. I'll reserve final judgement until after I set it up to the way I want it. Bar end shifters, reposition the brake levers, adjust the seat, re-wrap the bars...

It never ends!

Bianchigirll 

That was Univega's claim to fame. They made a bike that was just a tad nicer than someone elses basic bike but not as spendy as their better offerings and viola success. Even the Sterling line a had a few real winners. they had a full ChroMo MTB with exage Mountain and Deore RD, sealed hubs for under $400. a real sleeper just like a lot of Univegas

CbrUkeGuy

This is my dad's old Gran Sprint that was left abandoned under the Florida sun and rain for half a decade But its getting restored as we speak. I love my new project!

CraigM

An updated shot of my 1984 Univega Land Rover Sport that I just put back together yesterday after several weeks of being apart for a new-and-improved rear triangle, metal finishing and a two-stage powdercoat of Lollypop Red over a metallic silver base. My son bought a repro set of decals from Velocal after talking them into producing a Land Rover Sport set, and he applied them for me prior to final assembly. I bought a pair of Surly Black Floyd tires ("Does not synchronize with the Wizard of Oz", according to the sidewall) for the summer months and in the process of machining some spacers to adapt the trunk rack that it came with to the new frame configuration. I probably could have bought a new fat bike for what I put into this one, but this was WAY more fun, not to mention providing a good project to work on in the machining program in college!

Cougrrcj

Still accumulating pieces-parts to get my 'new' Uni the way I want it.

Bar-end shifters - well, I bought bar-end adapters from a fellow BF member - but still looking for a set of SunTours.
Freewheel - check.
Saddle - check.
Brake pads - check.
Bar tape - check.

Still need new shift cables/housings/cable stop before fitting bar-ends and repositioning brake levers.

We're getting there - just gotta wait a little longer... and patience is not one of my virtues!

Bruce Enns

An early (1977 I think) Univega Gran Turismo Mixte I picked up for my wife. I'm in the process of converting it back to a road bike as it was set up as a commuter with upright bars and a big fat seat. The tubing isn't anything special on this early of a model but it does ride very nice. The condition of this bike is outststanding.

cryptobrian

Picked up this nice little Gran Sprint for $20!

Mike552

I really like the color here. You should really just embrace it and compliment it with white accents like the seat, tires, brake hoods, etc. this bike could really stand out!

mainstreetexile 

I have one from right around the same year, it's beautiful bike that rides great with nice components. You got an amazing deal for $20, congratulations!