krems81 

$80? That's illegal.

RickB.

My '86 Nouvo Sport. $12 at a thrift store.... new wheels, saddle, headset, stem bars, and brakes.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

This paint color is just so nice on Machin Shin's bike.



And the brakes are way cool too.

Univegan

My rebuilt steed: 1984 Viva Sport.

TheDL

^^^ Classy looking, very nice

P4D

Hi all- Very cool thread here, I learned a lot about Univega's , which I assumed were always what the modern versions are....I am wondering if someone can help me assess this bike. It's local to me, and I am in the market for my first bike ever. It's a good size for me (I'm 6'4"), and I certainly can go check it out, but hope I can get some opinions on the bike, quality, price and what I should be looking at in terms of this specific bike.

Univega Road Bike..Ultra Clean - $250


Univega 62cm, (24 1/2") road bike in like new condition. Only a handful of paint nicks. Stand over height is 34 1/4 ". Should fit someone about 5' 10" to 6' 6".

Shimano components. 12 speed w/ indexed (click) shifting. This bike has been cleaned greased and tuned. Bottom bracket was serviced.

Chromoly tripled butted tubes. Very lightweight steel frame.

New bar tape. It rides fast and smooth. It looks almost new.

More pics go to... https://s41.photobucket.com/albums/e3...Nuovo%20Sport/

Thanks for any help!

TheDL

If it looks as good in person as it does in pics, and operates as smooth as it say. Yeah, that's a nice deal. Triple butted tubes. In my market (Portland, OR) that's a good deal. I'd jump on it!

P4D

I got some additional info on the bike, does this add, detract, or do nothing to the thoughts about it:

All components are original to the best of my knowledge.
Front derailleur is Shimano FD Z 204.
Rear is Shimano Light Action, (don't know the number).
Shifters are Shimano S 424
Brakes calipers are Shimano BR Z-57.
Brake levers are Shimano BL Z 326
I did some close inspection and some things are not Shimano
Crank is SR Signature
Hubs are Sansin
Rims are Araya 27 x 1 1/8" aluminum
Bars are Sakae Signature
Seat post is SR Laprade

I don't know what group that would make it but it's around mid 80's since it
has a six speed freewheel and 27" rims.


Since this will be my first real bike, and one that has to last me a good long time, I need to make sure I get something that will really work for me for a while.

oldbobcat

This bike is a perfect example of what makes Univega special--a low-cost campus sport bike without the usual tacky accouterments of the breed, like stem shifters and suicide levers, frame of decent quality seamless tubing and solid workmanship, having a geometry bearing remarkable resemblance to any early 70's all-around road racing bike.

kiteskitesyay

I recently bought a Univega Gran Turismo to use as a commuter bike. I have a few questions about it.

1. When trying to research the date, I checked the serial number: G714563. Using the explanation that leading letter represents the year, and previous posts that K='82, L='83, M='84, etc, it seems that this would be a '78. The date stamps on the SunTour derailleurs are TK and TF (Nov '77 and Jun '77), so that seems to match. Wikipedia states that Univega started in 1980 though. I'm guessing that's just wrong.

2. Was this the first (or one of the first) model years? The Univega logo (downtube) seems different from all later year models. Also, the bike has SunTour bar-end shifters as opposed to downtube shifters or stem shifters on more recent models. There are almost no braze-ons. The cable routing on the top tube is via three chrome clamps. I don't see this on other Univegas, although this very similar picture claims to be a '78 Gran Turismo (set up as single speed), and the cable routing braze-ons are also missing.

3. What do you think this is worth? It rides very well, and looks as if it had been kept in a garage for the last 31 years. The tires are original, but the sidewalls are dried and cracking. The seat says 'Univega', and no parts seem to be more recent. I got it at the once-a-year vintage bike swap in Boulder, CO. If anyone has any pricing information from 1978, that would be cool as well.

Thanks.

Bogester

Nice find. That certainly looks like an early Univega and one of the first Gran Turismo's. I've never seen a GT with logos in that font. I do have an Italvega (precursor to Univega) that has a very similar downtube logo. I also have a 79 Gran Turismo (ser # H3819400) that has many of the same components as yours...crank, suntour deraillers, dia-compe side pulls, etc...all with date codes around 78-79. Mine, however, has downtube suntour shifters, better brake levers without the saftey levers and a higher quality alloy seat post. It's interesting to see the two letter decals on the bottom bracket. Mine also has two of them (D I)but I always assumed it was from a previous owner.

I do have a link to a Univega review from early 1980 but the host site (wooljersey.com) is currently out of order. https://www.wooljersey.com/gallery/v/...g-1980-03-A-3/

It's probably not worth a whole lot...except to Univega nerd (like myself), but it should be a nice riding bike. Mine gets a ton of miles and is probably my favorite overall bike.

gblackwood

Here is a Nuovo Sport mixte that I picked up for my wife a few weeks ago. Wasn't quite this but fortunately I had all the parts needed to whip it in shape.

EraserGirl

okay, i just read through 8 pages
but i'm gonna play dumb and say
"what should I look for when looking at a used Univega?"

I saw one at the fleamarket last week but didn't go back to it, because i had my eye on a raleigh.
if it is still there this week, how do i know good from bad?

thanks

oldbobcat

Forget the Raleigh unless it's a Gran Sport or better (highly unlikely). You can research vintage Raleigh models here: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroraleighs/#catalogues

Part of the problem with buying an old Univega is that they aren't nearly as well documented as old Raleighs. There are no bad Univegas, though, just Univegas that don't fit, Univegas that are damaged beyond repair, Univegas that don't suit the owner's purposes, and Univegas that cost too much money. The trick is learning how to avoid these.

Sorry I can't be more specific.

tmh657

I was going to post this bike last week since it cleaned up so nice and then saw the above post on here. This guy was asking about the bike I was selling so I just left it alone. It was odd in a small world kind of way. I definitely didn't want to comment on his prospective purchase.
Oh wait, I should have said, "offer him twice as much". He never contacted me after posting here.. It will be the first "real" bike for another person. The buyer was quite pleased when he test rode it as well as his buddy he brought with him for expert advice.

P4D

Yeah, I got sidetracked by work, went out of town, and was terribly sorry I didn't follow-up with you on the bike because it really was nice looking in the photos. It is quite a small world indeed, but I just wanted to say that the BMX kids bikes I rode as a child don't count to me as a "real" bike to be used for fitness, and hopefully some long riding/competitions.

Anyway, thanks for not totally messing me up with the "twice as much" comment.

4 Putt

62 cm...too large for me as I found out and so it was parked...for 30 years!

Compagnolo shifters, Stronglight 170cm crank, Cinelli Giro D'Italia bars. I don't know if these parts came with the bike as I bought it used from a LBS.

I put new tires and bar tape on it last year along with a cheap saddle thinking I would ride it again. Wrong!

I think I'm going to put it on Craigslist. Any idea what I should ask?

dixonge

A few days ago I received an email telling me of a new bike shop just down the road from my house. This started the ball rolling and at long last it appears that our bikes will be retrieved from obscurity (and the garage) and put back into service. (note - the bike shop in the picture is a different one, established in 1971 in Denton, TX)



We first bought this matching his/hers set of Univega Rover-STI hybrid/mtb's in 1991 or 1992. The color is sort of lavender. They are 21 speed w/ Shimano 200 GS hardware. I think we originally paid $500 for both. We added a few things along the way and rode a few trails around the Dallas area (LB Houston and the north shore of Lake Grapevine) as well as more urban areas in Euless and Southlake. They slowly faded away as we moved on to other sports hobbies such as rock climbing and later motorcycles.

I have always thought of them as cheap, basic bikes since they were the least expensive models in the shop when we purchased them. This thread has caused me to feel as if we own some well-made vintage goodness. Thanks for all the posts and I will post better pictures and more details this next week after they have been cleaned up.

squirtdad

I have a gran turismo of similar vintage (not in as good of condition stored in a garage near the ocean) that has the little letter decals on the bottom. My theory is that somehow they were related to installation instructions for new installers

dixonge

OK, finally found the serial numbers - man's bike is DS00924?59 and the woman's is DS00924741

Based on all the Shimano part numbers the mfg. date is '91-'92 - can't get any closer without knowing what those serial numbers mean....

T-Mar

A Rover STI with 200GS should be a 1991 model. The 1990 model was the Rover 200, while the 1992 Rover STI used Shimano 100 GS.

dixonge

Aha, thanks so much!

And now, introducing the almost-vintage his/hers matching lavender 1991 Univega Rover-STI's!







um, ignore that plastic thing in the background......



new grips!

love2pedal.com

Rover that I flipped this Spring. Seems like it was "Made in USA", which made me think it was built in the Raleigh factory in Washington?

Raleigh (Derby) bought Univega in about '97 and that looks like a Ralivega.

I worked for Univega (Lawee) from 92 to 97 and when they were bought in 97, I jumped ship after a couple of months. To me Raleigh seemed like a souless company. Ben Lawee probably never rode a bike, but he was passionate about producing nice bikes and hired very sharp people to do the actual spec'ing.

I don't think Univega lasted but a year or two (in the U.S.) after Raleigh took them over.
Raleigh was doomed from the get-go with Univega.

Dan

thrillho

Just putting some feelers out on this forum:

Anyone know of anyone else that may be maintaining a Univega serial # database? My bud's and I pitched in and got a Gran Rally for another friend's birthday and I'd like to find out more about the bike through the serial number. T-Mar once gave me some good info on my Miyata, so I figured there might be someone out there maintaining a similar database for Univega serials.

T-Mar

Many of the Univega were built by Miyata, so you may be able to use the info you already have.