T-Mar

Yes, it sounds a bit big. Typically, you should have some clearance when straddling the crossbar. Saddle height should be adjusted so that the leg is just straight when the pedal is at the bottom it's stroke and your heel is on the pedal. That way, the proper knee bend will result when you place the ball of foot over the pedal spindle. Please note that these are basic, ballpark, set-up instructions.

You should be able to adjust the height of the stem. At the top of the stem's elbow there will be a bolt, either a nexagonal recess (6mm most common) or a protruding hexagonal head (1/2" or 13mm most common). Loosen the bolt with the proper wrench. Pull up on the stem with a twisting motion, If it does not budge, loosen the bolt a bit further, so that it protrudes about 1/4" above the stem. Sharply wrap the end of the bolt with a rubber mallet. This will drive the bolt down and loosen the wedge at the end of the bolt. Now pull the stem out. About 2" from the bottom of the stem will be a set of hash lines. These are the minimum insertion marks and the stem should always be inserted far enough to hide these marks. Before you insert the stem, apply grease to prevent galvanic reaction of the aluminum with the steel dteering tube of the fork.

metaljim

here's two more nishiki's.

mine: 198? Tri A "Triathlon Series," bought as a frameset, finally finished putting it together on monday. i think the sante front derailer is original to the bike, but i'm not entirely sure. everything else is new or from the spare parts bin. 105 shifters are NOS. serial number WG 05531. i actually need to give it a good cleaning again.









my girlfriend's: 198? Olympic 12 single speed. don't know too much about this bike, since she bought it used and already converted, but she loves it and that's what's important. bars are getting swapped out for some mustache bars, san marco saddle going away in return for a brooks. dropouts stamped "suntour." downtube, just above the bottom bracket, has a "Japan" decal. bottom bracket shell is a bit rusty, so i couldn't make out the first two letters in the serial number, but it looks like KG 22227. sorry for the quick and dirty pictures. i can get more detailed shots if need be.




eidt: so it looks like my nishiki is a 1987 USA model, and the lady's bike is a 1977 USA model? does 1977 sound about right for that Olympic?

bad wrench

I have a Nishiki frame that does not fit the serial number conventions.

It is an Alan Record Carbino badged as a Nishiki-Alan. The bottom bracket is an Alan casting, so I expect the serial number is an Alan number. The first line reads: 238662, and the second line reads: 3o6CX59. I believe the frame was marketed in 1986, so the '6' in the second set of numbers may be the year. The '59' is my frame size.

Do you know anything about this frame? Was it offered as a complete bike? I purchased mine as an NOS frame, from eBay, still in the original Derby shipping box. It is now built up with a mid to late '80s NOS Superbe Pro group.

I will appreciate anything you, or anyone else, can tell me about the frame.

T-Mar

While the Tri-A was manufactured in 1987, it is a 1988 model on the basis of the components. The 1987 model used 600EX while the 1988 used Sante. It's not unusual for manufacturers to be building the models for the new year, 3-4 months in advance. After all, they want the bicycles in the stores for the Christmas season and it can take a while to get them from Japan, through the national distribution system and into the LBS.

As for the Olympic 12, I don't think it 1977/1978. Unfortunately, it has been changed so much that we can't use components for reference, However, the 1978 Olympic 12 had chrome fork tips. It also did not have bottle bosses, which yours appears to have. And is that a integral derailleur hanger on the rear dropout? If so, the 1978 literature shows the Olympic 12 with a claw mouted rear derailleur. Finally, the 1978 would typically have badges as opposed to decals on the head tube. Overall, I'd have to say that this model is more representative of the early 1980s. Might the serial number be KCxxxxxx?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Well, the reason it doesn't fit any of the serial number formats is because it was made by Alan, not Kawamura or Giant. In the 1980s, there were several uncatalogued, high end models manufactured in Italy with Columbus tubing. These models were apparently developed after Nishiki failed to crack the high end market with Japanese bicycles. Your model was extension of that policy.

As you surmised. it was a 1986 model. It was available as a bare frame for $950 US, or built up with Dura-Ace ($2150) or Super record ($2550). The tubes were made by TVT. Weight for a 56cm frame was 3.10lbs and 1.15 lbs for the fork. It was fairly typical of era carbon frames, having a reputation for a very comfortable ride but being a bit on the flexy side. Nishiki realized this and targeted it at the "smaller, lighter racer or serious endurance cyclist".

Doohickie

Enter and sign in, please....

Here's my Nishiki Olympic 12:



And here is its serial number:



The first picture was taken days before I wrecked it in February 08, bending the fork and buckling the down tube just behind the head tube.

But I thought I would share anyway. Using the decoder ring, I read KC21076 as the 21,076th unit built by Kawamura for the U.S. market in 1983. I think I bought it new in 1984 for about $250.

revelstone

paid $25 still working on it. don't know if i want to go with bull horns or put the original drops back on it. not real happy the bars from the mountain bike. actually less comfortable than the original drops. has one new rear tire and two new thorn proof inner tubes with slime. tires are 32-630. don't know what's original or an add-on after it left the factory.

Doohickie

Here is my later Derby-built Nishiki, from probably around 2000 or 2001 just before the brand died in the U.S. Serial number is R935040900.



If you're only looking for Kawamura-built Nishikis, my apologies.

cigartrader

I picked up a chain skipping problem on this bike with the smallest sprocket. Is there an adjustment on the suntour to tighten the tension? It looks like there might be, there's a cover over the spring with a screw on it. It looks like maybe you and spin it to tighten the chain up.

T-Mar

Chain skipping is not normally due to chain tension.

1. Ensure the derailleur's outward travel screw is properly set so that the jockey pulley is lined up with the cog.

2. Ensure it is not a stiff chain link. Mariginally stiff links will be noticeable on the smallest cog because the chain wraps tighter around it. Put the bicycle in a stand and pedal slowly. Place a mark on the skipping link. If it always skips on the same link, grab the chain on both sides of the offending link and flex the chain lateraly to loosen the link.

3. Ensure it not a damaged or worn cog. Lots of owners were intimidated by derailleurs, but wanted to own one to be in fashion. They would ride the bicycle without changing gears, usually in the small cog. Consequently this cog received all the wear. When a new chain is installed it works properly on the other, unworn cogs, but skips on the worn, small cog. If it skips on the small cog in both the large and small chainrings, it is not chain tension.

4. I haven't taken apart a SunTour derailleur of that era to determine if the cage tension can be adjusted. It can be done with their earlier derailleurs. However, it is far easier and faster to remove links from the chain than to disassemble and reassemble a derailleur.

FYI, I don't know if I mentioned this before but your Riviera is actaully a 1985 model that was built in 1984.

cigartrader

Looking at cog as the wheel is spinning I see it wobbling. Took the wheel off and it's a little on the loose side. Can't seem to tighten it and I'm not sure if it's the inner ring that spins tight counter clock wise or this larger outer ring on the last cog that doesn't seem to budge. This bike wasn't used much the break pads are original with no wear, the cog looks new also.
Thanks T

T-Mar

Cog wobble is normally associated with loose freewheel bearings, poor threading on the hub or freewheel body or loose or damaged cogs. If all the cogs appear to wobble, it is not the source of your problem. If only the small cog wobbles, it probably is the problem. if the cog is loose it sounds like it is missing a spacer or has the incorrect spcer. What is the make and model of the freewheel?

cigartrader

The hub says sansai sealed system, all the sprockets did wobble together. I was able to tighten it better with the ring on the outside of the last sprocket. It's better but not perfect. I took some pictures of the suntour. Maybe if I remove the spacer that centers the Axel to the rear down tubes it might help. Not sure if it's needed anyway.

On the suntour it looks like the rounded gray colored item might be for adding tension.
https://www.cigarbest.com/sales/suntour1.jpg
https://www.cigarbest.com/sales/suntour2.jpg
https://www.cigarbest.com/sales/sugino1.jpg

Also it looks like I could ad a third sprocket to the sugino crank if there's room, it's al least drilled for it.

Edit:
Yey! success. Removing the spacer item that pushes the rear wheel forward fixed the skipping. Just that small amount more tension did it. If I need to install the spacer it looks like removing just one link in the chain would do it.

top506

This came through the store for work:



Serial #GC919442

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T-Mar

If it's still around, can you verify that it is GC919442 and not CG919422? The latter would be likely, based on the samples in my database.

tommy gayle

I have a Nishiki backroads and the serial number starts with a GZ......... I know that it is a gaint made but I have not seen any other post with that combo on this site or any other site, I would love to date it or be close to dating it got any Ideals
thanks

T-Mar

Circa 1992-1995, upper entry level ATB. Posting pics would allow us narrow it down. Baring that, your best bet would be to verify the two letter date codes on the back of the major components against the info on the components page of the Vintage-Trek website.

tommy gayle

here is the picture you ask for it is at this like https://www.msnusers.com/nishikibackr...hoto&PhotoID=1

tommy gayle

I never have got the picture to go on here like I wanted to
thanks for your help
tommy

T-Mar

Sorry, I goofed. When going back though my literature, I did not seethe Backroads listed in 1991, so I erronenously assumed it was no earlier than 1992. However, The ATB specs were not on the back cover with the rest, but on the inside of the back cover. Regardless, the chainstay mounted U-brake puts this very late 1980s. Based on the decals and color scheme, I would say a 1988 model. I believe that member Roccobike has a 1988 catalog, so if you PM him, he should be able to confirm.

BTW, future photos of bicycles should be taken from the drive side so that the crankset spider and derailleurs are plainly visible. This is a big aid in identifying models and years.

tommy gayle

T-Mar
I have been out making pictures of the Bike and have several pictures that might help
but I don't know how to put them on here any suggestions and I can pm you if you would like
let me know or you can pm me and I will send them to you or to Roccobike
thanks
tommy

T-Mar

You can post pics here by clicking on "Go Advanced" buttom under the reply box. This will open up another screen with a "Manage Attchments" button. Click on that and upload or link to a URL. Note that uploaded pics must be under 100k. Or just post on your MSNusers account.

I don't know if further pics will help much more, but they can't hurt. We should be able to eliminate 1987 and 1989 on the basis of the decal style and I don't think the U-brakes went beyond that period. The only possibility would be if the rear brake was actually a SunTour Roller-Cam as opposed to a Shimano U-brake. Then it could be a 1986.

tommy gayle

T-Mar
here are the img that I have again thanks for your help
tommy

roccobike

As usual, T-Mar is right on. Tommy, from the info I have, that is a 1988 Backroads and that is the original, yellow, fork. Your bike has chromoly main tubes (not butted), and fork. Stays are probably hi-ten. Original equipment was Suntour 18 speed index shifters. Also, it appears someone replaced the rims.
The Backroads was in the middle of the Nishiki line-up, 4th from the top of six. IMHO it was quite a bit nicer than the Pueblo, the next bike down which had a hi-ten frame and 15 speed. Hope that helps.

tommy gayle

thanks for the info and the reply
that helps I have been trying to get information on the bike

top506

Double checked last night; GC919442 it is.
Late '80s 6 speed Exage comps w/Biopace, if that helps.
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