I'm going to look at a frame tomorrow, and from the ad it looks very nice. I think I see a Champion sticker though I don't know which one. It's a beautiful darkish royal blue. It has a chromed right chain stay(aola Fuji style), and a silver head tube, and possibly chrome faced drop outs. From all these cues, I am imagining it's a very nice frame. It's my perfect size of 60cm. The seller is about my same height, and says it fits him well so it's very promising. After getting burned on the Centurion, this should make up for it. Nope, not going to ask a value. Just wondering if anyone knows for sure of the lineage of this brand, or if it was ever made clear if it is Sakae Ringyo. Anyone have a similar bike?,,,,BD

It's supposed to be an 84 model, which will look perfect with my minty fresh 1985 600 group....

whether or not SR was Sakae Ringyo was never clear to me, but i couldn't think of any reason why it wouldn't be. i was always under the impression that they were very nicely made Japanese frames...i especially loved the contrasting-colored head tubes. i very nearly bought a red/black head tube SR frame with a 600 Arabesque group for $100. and i still sometimes wish i did get it haha.

Well, I found a couple of pictures here, showing a red with black head tube model. It didn't have a chrome stay. I also found the thread with the final word on whether they were connected. It says some of them were made for Sakae, but that there was also a line of "nice" road frames made in California under an SR name brand, that had no connection with Sakae. Puzzling to be sure. Of all the pictures I found of Sakae type bikes, none of them had a chrome stay, or were this color. I'm beginning to think this may be one of the "nice" California frames.,,,,,BD

I just finished rehabbing an 80's vintage SR Semi Pro - just like the one I rode through trade school. I paid $150 for mine. In retrospect, had I looked it over in the light of day, instead of a dark driveway, I would have offered a hundred bucks, because although the wheels were true, the spokes were corroded enough that I ended up re-lacing both wheels. Then again, it was one of those emotional decisions anyway.

I figure I've got about $250 and about 20 hrs of sweat invested. I took it out for it's first shakedown cruise yesterday, and it rides just as fine as I remember. The frame has a nice smooth ride, the cleaned, lubed adjusted drive train hammers - down tube shifters and all! The only issues I have are trouble keeping the brakes centered... and even though I rebuilt the wheels under expert tutelage, I've had to true the rear 3 times and the front once - albeit after the front suffered a catastrophic blow-out in 100+ degree conditions. At least it waited until I was riding up hill, instead of bombing a descent.

All in all I'm pleased. And it is certainly a sound alternative to a new $1500 'entry level' sport road bike.

DanO

i couldn't remember the exact model of SR i was considering until you posted, Bottomfeeder...yeah, the one i was considering was the Semi-Pro...looked fun, but alas, not for me...not to mention the guy who posted it on Craigslist listed a bad email address haha.

Well if you end up looking long enough another Semi Pro will pop up, as they seem to be enough of them out there. Beware of some of the lower end 'Touring' models though... anything with stem mounted shifters and clunky looking triple cranks. Keep your wits about you and look for Shimano 600 components and the aforementioned Champion Chromo tubing.

There's a whole debate over the origin of SR bikes. A lot of people buy into the assumption that SR stands for Sakae Ringyo, but I've never seen a catalogue or any other literature which would support that claim. Some say the frames were commissioned from Japan by a company based in San Diego, and fitted with Shimano components in the States. There's a couple threads if you do a search. Whatever their origin, I think the SR Semi Pro and Pro models were excellent bikes, if not classic vintage collectibles.

I also had a SR Professional back in the day, with nicer steel in the frame, lighter wheels and full early Durace group. Too bad I T-boned a car with that one and in my grief invited my brother to help himself to whatever he wanted off the wadded up frame. He thanked me profusely and proceeded to strip the frame in about 10 minutes! I was young, stupid, probably drunk and didn't know better to just buy a new frame to transfer the components to. That is my biggest cycling regret, bar none. I would throw down 4 or 5 Benjamins for a clean Pro model, but I've never seen one for sale.

DanO

This is a bare frame, and looks to be in excellent shape. The price might be a little high, those chrome bits are very tempting though. If it's champion No. 1 or No. 2, I will most like pull the trigger. I wanted a nice frame to go with my 600 group, and this popped up just a few hours too late to save me from the Centurion ripoff. I have launched a campaign to get my money back though.,,,,BD


Here's the frame in question. Gorgeous, no?

Looks to be about a 60 or 62 cm frame... big one, like I bought. Mine is probably one size too big for me. But in my opinion, that's better than one size too small. Anyway, looks like someone's ex-fixie project. How much do they want for that?... if you don't mind my asking. Just curious. Out here in L.A. people are absolutely delusional about the 'value' of anything even remotely fixed gear related. If it's steel and has semi-horizontal dropouts, it's supposed to appreciate faster than a duplex before the real estate market went bust! "Get your hipster fixed gear freak on..." Yada yada yada.

Anyway, I can't really see how good or bad the paint is. But I would hope that frame and crank is significantly under a hundred bucks, depending on the finish. If it's not, I'd keep looking.

DanO

I got it, and the finish is one step away from immaculate. Tange Champion 2, Champion forks, Suntour Pro dropouts, dual bottle mounts, raised headbadge, and very delicate looking lugs. The top tube reads SR Maxima. This is going to be a stunning bike with my 600 components on it.,,,,BD

Pics in a few minutes.......

Well congratulations. You sound like a happy buyer. I wish my finish had been primo, because I will be frequently sanding and touching up my rattle can paint job. But ultimately, the Semi Pro is for riding, not ogling.

Now this Shimano 600 group your installing... is it primo as well? Complete? New Old Stock? Sounds like a fun project.

DanO

Here she is. Nice frame, and will make an equally nice road bike. I don't think it was a fixie. A single speed maybe? The 600 group came from the low mileage 85 Romic I bought a few weeks ago. I threw the front brake on for a condition representation. It also came with the new DT adjusters, and the original and equally nice condition Sugino BB that came from the frame.,,,,BD

very clean JP frame, it should be a winner Tange #2 will be very stout in a frame this size. This one has the later more modern SR logo on the downtube.
FWIW, I'm one who believes that SR bikes had nothing to do with Sakae Ringyo, except they may have hung an occasional SR component on their frames.

Very nice looking frame. SR came on the scene pretty much after I stopped riding, the few I saw were pretty nice bikes.

You did well!

I have what appears to be the same bike...but without all the stickers. Only sticker residue left is on the forks. What does it say there? Everything looks exactly like mine...but mine has full Suntour everything on it.

It reads...........

CHAMPION
Fork Blade
Cr-Mo Steel
Tange

I still have a couple of Cyclone derailleur sets, but the only nice shifters I have for them are the the Symmetry style. I love them, but no mount on this frame unfortunately. The 85 600 I put on my Century
shifts as good as Cyclone IMHO, so this should work at least as well.,,,,BD

I know this doesn't sound possible, but according to my new hanging scale it weighs 7.56 pounds? This is with the alloy headset, seatpost, adjusters, and front brake in place? It read zero before I hung the frame up? Sweet!,,,,,BD

I guess the frame was that light!? It's all done for the most part, and looks nice I think? Without the pedals, the bike weighs 22.0 pounds! 1.3 pounds lighter than a 54cm Columbus Schwinn Premis, and 2.8 pounds less than the Super Sport with 9 speed Tiagra? Outstanding, and probably the lightest steel bike I own? I'm no weight weenie, but a 60cm+ steel bike that weighs 22 pounds is okay by me With the heavy steel alloy cage pedals, it's 22.8. Still pretty light,,,,BD

Sounds sweet, mine wieghted out at 22lb as well...super light for the 80's