If you're hunting for vintage steel with a horizontal top tube, you really need to know how size is measured, and bring you own tape. There are three common ways: center of bb to center of seat lug, center of BB to top of top tube, and center of BB to top tip of seat lug.

Why are such details important? Because there can be up to a 2.5 cm spread between these three types of measurement, and that can be important in deciding if frame is going to work for you.

Thanks for all the information, I did not buy any of the bikes in the link, but my employer bought one. Still looking. How does a Nishiki Landau rate?

Don't get me started ... nostalgia. Kitsilano and Point Grey were full of them ... lawn-hippies and the coolest post grads in the full bloom of youth .... My greatest rival had one ... Grrrr!

Were they Tange CrMo or plumber's pipe?

First, be sure it fits you. Then check the condition vs the price. If everything is dubious and shot, offer tiny bucks for the frame — if you wanna be in the game for a project bike. But anything this old and we have to assume you are up for it. Either that or pay the bigger bucks for a restored item.

My friend, Nishiki bikes are passionately rated as way cool among vintage touring/sports bike fans! This is a very nice touring machine. If I see one I like — it will be mine if the price fits my wallet. OK, it' not Reynolds 501/531, Columbus in some flavour blah blah. But don't sneer at Tange! My Miyata in Tange feels very nice thank you.

My two bits — this is what I was looking for when I ended up with my Trek 560. According to my ferretting, the Landau was in Tange CrMo double butted tubing. Araya rims. IFAIK there is no crap on the original bike!

See here:
https://www.bikeforums.net/archive/in.../t-275733.html

and here:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jamesbo...7613538725170/

Just look at the lines. What's not to love. And it should be very affordable. If I found one of these in nice condition, I'd repack all the bearings, change the dorky saddle, apply some modern high pressure practice race clinchers and ride my tits off! Go for it! Be sure it fits first!

You are likely going to be in the 52 to 54 cm range frame size, or 21 inch frame. You really need to dial in on your sizing first. Then use some generic criteria to judge bikes: alloy crankset, cromoly frame (name brand even better), alloy rims, downtube shifters, alloy seat post, alloy handlebars, room for fenders.

I would consider any bike in good condition that meets that criteria to be a "good" bike. Just set a budget, know your size, and start looking for a deal. Around here, such a bike in ready to ride condition would cost $175 to $200. Deals can be had for less, but the deals usually require some repair/rebuild work. If you do the repairs yourself, great. If you have to pay a dealer to do them, then the "deal" becomes a lousy deal. Having a shop do a basic rehab of a vintage bike can cost $250 or more.

My next stop if I was you would be to one of the local co-ops. You can probably see a lot of options, sizes, and get some leads on good bikes.

You could always go the super cheap route: Get whatever lead sled road bike shows up on Craigslist for under 30 bux that you can stand over without mangling any bits (your bits) and ride it for a few weeks to figure out what needs to change to be a perfect fit for you. After a few rides on the cheapo you'll have a good idea of what you need in terms of fit and something to use as a comparison. Or you just might end up with exactly what you want.

Does this seem to fit me? I am having a hard time with this. This frame is 57cm, I can stand over it and pull it up a couple of inches(front and rear wheels at the same time) I feel more stretched out on my gary fisher hardtail mtb. The seat could have gone up 1/2" or so in these pics.

The way I fit bikes to myself, I would recommend you look for something bigger, being able to be flatfooted on the ground on one side, foot in pedal on the other side, and sitting on the saddle.

But you could make it work with enough seatpost/stem.

My left foot is not flat,

Buy the yellow one. take the aero bars off and put a nice handlebar bag for you stuff. assuming it fits you.

Wow, I wish I were there. That Nishiki looks tasty! Anyway ... you may like a bigger machine. Mind you, if it feels good, and if your leg is almost straight at the bottom of the crank stroke — that's the most important part. You can blow your knees if you torque on legs that are bent too much at the bottom of the stroke.

I like to have as flat a back as I can. This creates space for the lungs, and diaphragm.And when you power on the cranks, it should feel like you are light in the saddle and your weight is part of the delivery on the pedals. If this feeling comes while you are able to straighten your spine and have your arms supporting the residual weight left on you torso, then you have the size roughed out for you.

I think that you need something like 60. Over that I cannot say from the pics if your legs will not be outsized by the frame. There is not too much of a choice over 60 anyway. But I may be full of s**t.

By way of illustration: I think that my current restoration will be too small for me, but I've installed the longest stem I can find here — a vintage Shimano 600 120 mm. Nitto had a 140 mm in their Japanese catalogue, but then they refused to supply my order. (Not happy after waiting for eight weeks!)

I agree with robatsu to some degree: if you can find a long stem, you might benefit if you settle on this machine. Nonetheless, get the legs right, and yet make sure that the seatpost is no higher than what the safe limit for the design will tolerate.

As for having a flat foot on the ground thing — I never consider this a factor. As long as I can swing off without being clumsy it's OK. Even on my current 26 inch wheel hybrid ride, I'm on the ball of my foot at rest and one leg in the stirrup. Still and otherwise, the frame fits about exactly as any production frame can fit me. I was measured for the bike, and the appropriate size was ordered from the Osaka distributor (years ago). I was sized for the machine on a mock up frame that utilized moveable assemblies — in other words, a professional fitting.

I hope this helps