The fender emblem on the front is awesome, as are a couple of other small details!

From Wiki for what it's worth: "In the years since its inception, Miyata played an innovative role in the Japanese bicycle industry, and claims to have been the first Japanese producer of flash-butt welded frame tubes (1946) and the first to use electrostatic painting (1950). "
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyata

I tend to think pacificaslim is onto the right idea, or at least closer to the year:

Okay, now your troll is showing.

Anything stamped on the underside of the bottom bracket?

The bike is a Miyata Mister Cycle.

I had a Myata very much like this one, but in Yellow, when I lived in Japan in the 90's. I bought it used at a flea market, and the guy who sold it to me couldn't tell me how old it was, mostly becasue we couldn't communicate. It was heavy on those hills.

if the era is , in fact, 30s then I would agree.

Miyata has been making bicycles since the late 1800's.

As I stated, I know very little about bikes, what is a skip tooth?

I sent an email to Herman Burgos who has the web site on Miyata catalogs, the following is what he wrote back, I've sence sent him pictures. If he is correct, maybe the serial number will tell the story.


Dear Dave:
I do not have records for your 1937 Miyata Bicycle , but it will be a good idea to have the picture to see it. At this time Miyata used to have the date on the serial number R 937(year), now the first letter is the year.
Regards,
Hernan P.Burgos


Kevinsubaru, I think the fender ornament is cool too, the entire bike has a very 'antique' flavor. I'm not saying that the ones who think it is newer are wrong, it certainly could be and all the comments about it being a 60's or 70's bike certainly have merrit. I do believe that if it is a 60's or 70's bike, it was one of those bikes that was in production for a long time and carried a lot of the pre-war style with it. I'm just hoping to find out what it really is. Thanks, Dave

"Skip tooth" chains use a "1" pitch" instead of the "1/2" pitch" that we're usd to seeing. It has one long link and one short link in the chain and the chainrings look like they're missing every other tooth.
It was common on prewar american bikes but it's use faded out a lot earlier in europe, at least partially because it doesn't work with derraillers.

Okay, I couldn't see the front sprocket (enclosed completely with the chain guard), but I could see a small portion of the rear sprocket through the chain guard and it is not a skip tooth.

I have been studying the OP's bicycle and am of the opinion that it is a circa 1964 model. I have to go to work now, but will post my rationale tonight, when I have more time.

I don't care how old it is...
I think I'm in love

I'm with dityres, although I would like it to be a pre-war bike, I really like the looks of it and I guess that's the bottom line. I picked it up at a glorified garage sale for $220 for that reason, I liked the looks of it.

T-Mar, I appreciate you looking it up for me, I understand you are very knowledgeable on vintage bikes and that puts you lightyears ahead of me.

My Raleigh with a 12/65 rear hub date and ambiguous serial number came with reflectors. They may not have been original, but they are clearly old. They show up in the 1970 Raleigh catalog, but they may have been routinely installed prior to that.

Nice photo. Cool crank.

Certainly a skip-tooth crank etc would be consistent with a 1937 date on an American bike; but a normal 1/2" chain is also common on American bikes of that period. More to the point: what were Japanese chains like at that period? I don't know, but I'd guess they were the same as English ones, typically 1/2".

I agree with those who say the bike just doesn't look that old. It's too clean, the paint is too even; the paint on such an old bike will have faded in some places, remaining dark in others; dirt will have accumulated in the nooks and crannies; and so on. Of course it's possible for a bike to have been in storage the whole time and not got that kind of aging; but the odds are against it. And the plastic thingie on the right crank arm is definitely not that old.

On the googled picture, I just posted what came up and looked like my model, I was more curious as to the type of seat it had since I know that my seat is wrong. If these are mid-60 models, then I suppose the reflectors could be correct, mine didn't have them and I guess they could have been added too.

I have no idea, but I would guess that Miyata probably had a 'if it's not broke, don't fix it' attitude in their bicycle manufacturing, especially after the war. If it is a 60's model, I'm thinking it's a model that Miyata produced for many years and just didn't change all the tooling. That would account for some obviously old patterns and styles combined with some newer materials. But I'm guessing.

Dave

Regardless of vintage it's a very cool bike.I likey.

I diffinately agree with the plastic cover on the right crank, it's not on the left one. As for the paint, as stated, I have an original 1929 Roosevelt (made by the Marmon Company) with only 15k miles on it, and it has held up as well as this bike, it even has the original cardboard in the rumble seat area, in fact, the paint more the color is one of the things that give it the old look. What bothers me on this bike is the chrome, I'm just not sure a 37' bike would have chrome on it like this bike does, but maybe I'm wrong on that. It's not a super quality of chrome, but then again, that could be a Japanese thing at that period of time. The design of the fenders with all the art deco (extra) grooves on them, the Miyata logo stamped into them, and the vintage enforcements and attachments of said fenders look old. My gut feeling now is that it's a newer (probably 60's) bike from older tooling, but I'm guessing.

You should remember this is a bike made for the domestic Asian market. It's transportation, a means of getting around, likely the only means in most cases. Bicycles were necessities not recreational "toys" as we Americans now tend to think of them. As such the bike may very well be a pre-war design. Truely a "if it ain't broke don't fix it" attitude on Miyata's part.
'60's or '70's vintage seems about right for your bike.

Thanks, XR2, I like it too, I'm usually more attracted to the older balloon type bikes with the really dated designs, but I kept coming back to this bike and really appreciating it's looks. Maybe it was the 'it's old but different' look that got me, maybe it was it's dark green color and enclosed chain guard, at anyrate, to my novice eyes, I liked it. I didn't even notice how the rear brake was linked to the hub and not pads like most bikes. I did like the way the brake arms were hooked up to the handle bars and how there were no cables. The tires, although extremely cracked, are stamped with the Miyata logo, as with the pedals, headlight, fenders, and a host of clamps.

I've been thinking the same thing Norwood, I'm also thinking that although it may be a rare bike here in the States, it's probably not so rare in Asia.

I'm still hopeful that someone can brake down the serial number.

Dave

Well, Hernan P.Burgos above said, "At this time Miyata used to have the date on the serial number R 937(year), now the first letter is the year."

"93" can't be a year so it'd be a strong guess that "9" is the month. Then we have "37" for the year: You just have to find out if Miyata was using the evil western calendar in 1937, an era of very strong Japanese nationalism and imperialism, or if they were using the Japanese calendar (in which case "37" means Showa 37 which was 1962).

yes but if they were using the showa year "37" that means it was actually 1962....not 1937 when the Japanese nationalism was so strong. Was Japanese nationalism still as strong (strong enough to use Showa years on their Ser. Numbers) in 1962 as it was in 1937?

I found out that the "Mister" was made in Chile with Miyata's permission, the Mister line was manufactured by Hernan Burgo's father in Chile and the Mister was basically a Miyata. This bike has the name Miyata all over it, even on most of the parts...the name Mister is a no-show. Bottomline, I don't believe it's a Mister Cycle.

Those were my thoughts too, wouldn't you think in 1962 Japan would be using '1962'?