Help Upgrading an 80's Univega
 

Hello all,
First off I would like to apologize for my general lack of knowledge in this area. I have some questions regarding upgrading a bike I recently was given as a gift. It's a Univega, I believe a Maxima Sport from the 80's. It is this exact bike(not my pic, I found it online - I hope the owner of the pic does not mind; if so please tell me and I will remove at once):
http://milkwood.org/ray/univaga.jpg
Same bike, although the color is dark blue rather than red.

Now, I would first off like to replace the fork on this bike with a threadless(I think?), fork with more modern threadless stem and whatnot. This would also entail changing the shifters as they are currently on the stem (I think they are called down tube shifters?), to the more modern shifters that are on the brake levers. Essentially I would like to replace the fork, shifters/brake levers, and the entire drivetrain. It's also important to note that I use thicker tires(they say 27x 1 1/4" on them), so tire clearance would be important as well.

I am not sure about the size of the fork I would need as it is my understanding that there are two sizes, 1" and 1 1/8". Is it even possible to upgrade in this manner?

As I mentioned earlier I would like to upgrade the entire drivetrain, is this feasible? I have a Shimano 105 drivetrain from a bike I used to have, would it be possible to put this on the bike?

I also plan on repainting the frame using a technique I found online. Basically I would sand/scrape the old paint off the frame, prime with several coats, paint with several coats, apply any decals/stickers I may want, and then apply one coat of clear lacquer. Is this correct? I am aware that it won't look quite as good as a professional paint job but it's all I can afford at the moment.

As I stated earlier I am new to this type of work on a bike, so I do apologize for the stupid questions. Thanks!!

What kind of steel is the frame?

I don't think that's a bike that'd be worth upgrading. You can get a good 80's steel frame that would be worth upgrading. That's a good campus/around town errands/beater bike in my opinion.

I second the notion that this isn't a good platform for upgrading with your 105 components. Watch craigslist for something that is more suited with less effort. Ride this one as it is.

oh naysayers.....
i say do whatever the hell you want. if you already have a 105 group that you aren't using what's the harm in putting it on the bike? it's not like you can't move it to a different bike later if you choose to do so, just save whatever you take off the univega.

what's your reason for wanting to change the fork? you can't really do what you are saying anyway i'm just curious what's wrong with the original fork?

you have stem shifters. down tube shifters are, well, on the down tube

1_1/4" tires will fit with no problem

it's hard to spray paint a bike and have it turn out nice but it's doable with enough dedication, there are tons of instructables and diy sites online that will give you a pretty good overview of how to do it. unless the original paint is totally shot though you should probably stick with it. the odds of you getting a satisfactory finish on your own aren't great.

one last thing, it sounds like you might be best off taking the bike to a shop and having them install the 105 stuff for you, or if you are intent on doing it yourself you might check out sheldon brown, buy a good book (zinn is not bad and relatively cheap) and ask lots of questions in the mechanics forum.

good luck and enjoy the bike!

I would not be so quick as others to belittle this frame. I own three Univegas from that era. Lawee saw fit to use dozens of different model names over a fairly short span of years, so I'm not familiar with the "Maxima Sport." What I see right forward of the seatpost in the photo, however, looks like it might be the "CTB- Chromoly Triple Butted" sticker that went on some of their nicest, lightest frames. It would surprise me to see that on a bike with suicide levers and stem-mount shifters, but nothing really shocks me when it comes to Univega. Lawee put some really weird component mixes on some really nice frames, for some reason, and the orientation of those sidepull control arms makes me suspect that this might be one of those strange amalgamations. As long as you don't have unrealistic expectations - this bike is never going to be a 15-pound wonder-climber - there's no reason not to make some changes. If it does happen to be a gas-pipe frame, on the other hand, I'd tend to agree with the "naysayers."

The "upgrades" you're suggesting, though, might not really be improvements. Changing a fork, for example, is a hit-or-miss proposition that I would advise against. That fork is a 1" threaded-steerer design, and was built for 27" wheels. The headtube on the frame limits you to a 1" replacement. You could theoretically go to a 1" threadless fork with a new headset, but just going to a threadless system is not an improvement. Forks you'll find for that wheel size won't be threadless, and most won't be as good as the fork you've got. If you use a fork built for 700c wheels, you'll be messing with your steering geometry, and probably wouldn't like the result. If you want the more modern, lighter 700c wheels, you'd be better advised to just put them into this frame and get longer-reach brakes.

This frame probably uses nutted brake-mounts, at least in the rear, and I'm not sure if the reach of your 105 brakes will fit. There have been several variants of "105" over the years, also. If I had the levers available, I would definitely ditch those brake levers and replace them with aero levers. It also looks to me like a 105 crankset would be an upgrade. That would probably call for a new bottom bracket, of which a sealed-bearing cartridge would also be an upgrade. I'm assuming the current cogset is on a 6-speed freewheel, with something like a 14-28 spread. A short-cage 105 might be marginal on the 28.

I agree with GCRyder!

It does look like one of the triple butted decals and the Japanese Uni's are sweet! They ride beautifully! I'm sorry, but it sounds like somebody sold you on spending a lot of $$ that you just don't need to spend; if it was a bike shop, go to a different shop.
There is no reason to change out the fork (unless you know it's damaged/bent??) Why in the world would you want to ditch an original fork?

The Maxima Sport was in the middle.... Do you have a Suntour group on it now?
I would definitely remove the suicide brake levers (just unscrew them and pull them off, along with the washers and little springs in the tube shaft)
**check the tires to see if they are good for another season
**re-tape the handle bars with some nice/comfy bar tape in the color of your choice (I like Cinelli cork-Italy)
** And if you wanted you could certainly move the shifters to the downtube (or have it done at your local bike shop for a very fair price if you don't want to make the necessary cable adjustments) and these simple things will give the bike a much nicer look.
** If you do have some $$ burning a hole in your pocket, you could invest in a sweet Brooks leather saddle for the bike

Univega's have always been underated and I've never come across a "bad" triple butted so trust me, try these simple steps first before going all out on this bike. Take this bike on a good ride with some good scenery and open it up. Let it rip around the corners and get a feel for that sweet Japanese steel! You may be very happy (and pleasantly surprised) with the bike after making these simple adjustments. The old Suntour groups can be very smooth and you'll be able to say that "I've got an original Univega" (which is cool).

After you've taken it out for a comprehensive ride, add your thoughts,comments and MOST IMPORTANTLY PHOTOS to the "Unofficial Univega Appreciation Thread" found here: http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php...ght=unofficial

:)

1) Someone please straighten me out, but I see no benefit whatsoever to converting to a threadless steerer tube system.
2) If it were my bike, I would start with the cheap upgrades, such as replacing the stem shifters with barcons and replacing the brake pads with KoolStops.
3) It is hard to tell from your digital photo, but to me the paint is good enough as-is, with a bit of clean-up and touch-up.

Thanks for the advice, it's much appreciated!

On the fork, the local bike shop told me it's a "suicide fork," meaning that they tend to fail? That was the only reason I was considering changing the fork.

I think I will stick with what I have on it, and just have it tuned up. Changing the shifters to down tube shifters is a good idea, my knees sometimes hit the current shifters.

As for the paint job, it's not that bad, I just like the customized look. I think I will probably leave that as well.

All in all the bike rides very well and is great for cruising around town.

Thanks!

I agree with bigwoo and GCRyder....follow their recommendations and you can't go wrong with an old Univega. When I refurbished and '80's Super Strada I decided to keep the bike as original as possible. I replaced the usual stuff: cables and housings, bar tape, re-packed the BB bearings, new chain and an overall lube and clean-up. I bought the pedal adapters from Loose Screws so I could use my LOOK 386 pedals with the Shimano Dura-Ace crankset, the entire drivetrain is Dura-Ace, mounted my Terry Liberrator saddle that I took off of my 2002 TREK 1000 which I sold last year and added a set of Araya 700c wheels with Vrederstein tires bought on sale from Nashbar. The 27" Araya wheels with 1 1/8" tires that came with the bike make for a very tight fit especially in the rear where I have to deflate the tire a little and remove the right side skewer nut just to get it in position. The tire clearance beneath the brake calipers is OK with the 27" X 1 1/8" but seems to be much better with the 700c's. If anyone knows for sure, I'd appreciate the input. All total, I think I've spent $100.00 on the bike. Considering I got it for free, it's a worthwhile investment. Good luck and have fun. PG.

Are you sure you heard that correctly? I've never heard of a "suicide fork" on a Univega, but those brake levers are often called "suicide brakes."

I would service it (clean, lube, adjust), replace the tires, tubes, rim tape, bar foam (I think it feels creepy) and brake pads and ride it just as it is. I road a 1983 12-speed Fuji Supreme, which looks a lot like that bike, for an entire summer a couple of years ago. I did a few group rides and never once had a problem keeping up, often to the chagrin of the people who had far newer, more expensive bikes.

If I had a 105 Group laying around I would be more inclined to look for a high-end bare frame to build it on and keep this Univega as it is for a backup/rainy day ride after putting some fenders on it.

To open myself up to ridicule, I'm putting a bunch of new parts on a 80's something Univega Sportour. All the parts where bought on sale from Nashbar and Harris cycle . I'm using the bike to learn how to wrench. So far - I think I'm done buying - I have $600 dollars in it. But, that includes almost $200 in tools which I will own for the rest of my life. The way I look at it, tools are cheap in a world where bicycle tune-ups cost $50+. Play with yours, enjoy, learn how a bicycle is put together. Attached is what I started with, a very rusting Sportour.

I'd never have a bike with a threadless stem; just an aesthetic preference -- they look ugly to me. I've heard tell that the main reason for them is that one doesn't need to adjust the headset bearings every time bars or stem are changed, or height adjusted. I say no biggie; how often do I do that? Less often than the headset should be cleaned/relubed, anyway.

The litany of "bike shop as the font of ignorance" stories is legion on this forum. Do yourself a big favor and bring your questions here.

^^Excellent advice.

I've already replaced the saddle with a Specialized Pro Long Revolution, put Bontrager Gel Core tape on it, and replaced all the cables and such. I'll keep posting updates as I continue to work on it, this is fun!:)

As the proud owner of a mid-80's Univega ("The Vegatron") I will probably draw fire for this, but I second (third, forth, etc.) the suggestions of many responders here that you just leave the bike alone. These are great bikes and, even if they seem a bit slow and very heavy by today's standards, they ride "nice." If you want to work on it, disassemble everything you can and clean everything to spotlessness - so it looks like new metal. Re-lube as you reassemble, with the proper grade lubricant. Take the cluster (cartridge) apart if you can and clean all the sprokets and each ring. Take the chain off and soak it overnight in solvent, then re-coat it with the correct lubricant (dust resistant, silicone-based if you want). Take the crank out, clean everything, and re-pack the front crank bearings. Check them for wear too - a bike shop can replace them (still!) if need be. Check the wheel bearings and re-pack. Check and clean perfectly all the threads, cams, carriages, guides, bearings, and fastenings. Clean the rims and each spoke. Have the bike shop true the wheels (and check the brake alignment after you replace the shoes). Re-talc the interior of the rims, the tubes, and the interior of the tires before you put on new tires. Get good, light, new tubes, spoke-end guard band, and tires for it (stock size 27x1 1/4), you've already got a new saddle, and get new brake shoes. Re-wrap the bars with something fitting the dignity of the bike. Get new gum brake-stock covers. Leave the paint alone! Leave the shifters alone! Its a good idea to take it to a bike shop and have them replace and realign the deraillieur if you are going to replace it, but you don't have to. The one that is there will probably work fine. You might consider new clipless pedals - or just new clips, if you want to go that route. You've got a real vintage bike there. Respect it and it will give you many fine miles. Good luck and happy riding!

Other way around, really - adjusting the height requires the bearings to be adjusted, since the stem provides the bearing adjustment by pressing down, either directly or through spacers, on the top race. The benefits of threadless headsets to the owner are (in no particular order):

1. Lighter.
2. Stiffer.
3. Stems are easily swapped.
4. Easier to adjust and hold adjustment better.

The first two are really a non-issue for most of us - nice for building a light, speedy racing machine, irrelevant for practical purposes. The third benefit is kind of nice, since it can sometimes take a few tries to get a stem with the extension and rise that you want, but not a huge deal - especially since many modern quill stems have the same feature. The fourth point, though, is a huge advantage over threaded systems - I say this as a mechanic and rider. The disadvantage of having to re-adjust the bearings every time you change the handlebar height becomes fairly minor, because it is so easy to do. It's even more significant for mountain bikers and BMX riders - threadless headsets have made on-trail loosening of headsets a virtual non-issue, both because they are much less likely to loosen up in the first place and because they can be re-adjusted with a 5 or 6 mm allen wrench, rather than a bulky pair of headset wrenches.

Of course, none of these advantages mean that the threaded headset on an old bike should be replaced with a threadless headset. It's just not a big deal, especially on bikes that never see singletrack or big hits. If you're having real trouble with a threaded headset, the best solution 99% of the time is to replace it with a better threaded headset. It's definitely not worth taking the risk on a different fork.

Oh, and yes, classic '7' quill stems are much prettier than a threadless stem. That said, there are a lot of fugly quill stems out there, too.

Anyway, sorry for the hijack, but I have strong feelings about threadless headsets. :love:

As for that bike, I wouldn't spend a lot of money upgrading it. The derailer is clearly attached by an adaptor claw, which almost certainly means stamped dropouts, which almost certainly means a fairly low-end frame. But it is a quality machine! It is definitely worth spending some money to make it a more pleasant ride, to your taste, though. Fenders, tires, aero brake levers, new brake pads and new tape are good upgrades. Clamp-on downtube shifters are also a great idea.

Enjoy your new (old) bike!

What do y'all think about putting something like this:
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Old-Stock-Sh...QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.com/New-Old-Stock-Sh...QQcmdZViewItem
On it?

'Upgrading' the headset is about like putting new hubcaps on a Ferrari.