How do I identify this Miele?
 

Just this past weekend I picked up a used Miele Road Issue ??? LX. I'm not sure what that last word is - the script is tough to interpret! I grabbed it simply because it was inexpensive ($15) and looked to be in very good condition. It's also quite tall which is good since I'm 6'2". I would love to find out some more information about the bike and was wondering if there is anyplace online that has specs on this manufacturer's bikes. I have already read that the company was out of Canada and that it closed in the early 90's.

Thanks for any help or links! I can post some pics when I get a chance to take some.

Please post photos .. A Miele for $15 is a good thing. I own two, love them both.

Scott

Miele's range in quality from entry level to top of the line. I have never read any detailed description of the company other than snippits from this forum. I believe form member T-mar to possess perhaps the most information on the company in his database (brain) for bike company history. My coworker has Miele he repainted which to mee appears to be from the 1970s and built with campagnolo drop-outs and may also have italian threading so I suspect it is a columbus machine. Some of their bikes were outsourced to Italian manufacturers it would seem and some Japanese. Some may have been built in Canada to. Is there a tubing decal on the seat tube? Are the drop-outs marked? These would point to the country of origin and the quality. As for the model... I don't think that is too important but pictures would allow us to discern whether it is entry level, high end, racing or sport geometry. Currently I have one miele bike in my stable. A 1986 Kuwahara built MTB made from ishiwata MTB tubing. It's all oversized and lugged and I use it as a town/basket bike.

Here are some pics. I haven't had a chance to clean the bike yet so forgive the dirt!

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_dhh11Lt8qD8/TB...Bike%20004.gif

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_dhh11Lt8qD8/TC...e-Bike-006.gif

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_dhh11Lt8qD8/TB...Bike%20001.gif

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_dhh11Lt8qD8/TB...Bike%20002.gif

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_dhh11Lt8qD8/TB...Bike%20003.gif

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_dhh11Lt8qD8/TB...Bike%20007.gif

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_dhh11Lt8qD8/TB...Bike%20008.gif

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_dhh11Lt8qD8/TB...Bike%20009.gif

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_dhh11Lt8qD8/TB...Bike%20010.gif

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_dhh11Lt8qD8/TB...Bike%20011.gif

You scored. Columbus tubing, bombproof rims ( hard to change tires, search threads) and the short lived sport lx group...I thought it was cool. A nice medium to high quality bike from around 88. I was at their close out sale in Mississaugua in the 90's and if only I knew then what I know now. Mountain bikes were becoming huge and Jim was clearing out hundreds of road bikes with a variety of builds from Super Record down. About $300 for the top bikes.

:bang:

I think many of the early frames were imported to Canada from Italy for assembly and later bikes were sourced from where ever.

The tubing decals means the 3 main tubes are columbus' double butted 4130 chromoly tubeset. The SL/SP lines were above that and not considered (by columbus at least) to be 4130 but a level above. In any case it's a nice bike. You may be surprised however. If you are 6'2" the frame may be a tad small.

Not sure of the model but there is a twin of your bike on my local CL http://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/1803446435.html

Hmmm... How does one go about figuring out the frame size and is there a "generally" recommended size for someone my height?

Thanks for all the great information so far!

I always thought the Miele bicycles were built and assembled in Canada. I have a couple of old Miele catalogs and they show the Miele plant and the jigs in the plant that were used to build bicycle frame sets.

This is not to say that some Miele bicycles were not built elsewhere, but I have never seen evidence to support that possibility.

Never seen hard evidence either but that was the scuttlebutt back in the 80's when I was a bit of a shop rat and pack fill in the local peleton. Hence my qualifier, "I think"...

It looks like the model might be "Alba" from this close up. Does that sound right?

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_dhh11Lt8qD8/TC...e-Bike-013.gif

Bike looks too small for you to me.

It looks like either a 56 or a 58 cm frame. Just use a tape measure, measure from the center of the bottom bracket to either the center of the top tube (along the seat tube). This measurement is called center to center. Or measure from the center of the bottom bracket to the top of the seat tube. This is called center to top. Some manufacturers used center to center, others used center to top. Doesn't matter, either the bike fits or it doesn't.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsepwlfQcDA

That stem looks over extended, check for a minimum insertion mark, it looks like you are past it.

For sizing advice, just spend some time on google, you will get endless advice. But someone 6-2 does not normally fit a 58 cm frame. A common size would be more like 62cm.


Clean up the bike, sell it at a nice profit, and use the money to buy a bike that fits. 90% plus of the deals I find on bikes are not my size. It doesn't matter! I just use those funds to buy a bike that does fit. And if I have to pay full market for a bike that fits, no problem. Sell a couple of bikes that don't fit, and you will have enough in your bike fund to buy a really nice bike. The mistake some people make is passing up on obvious hot deals like the bike above. Congratulations, you did the right thing there. The second mistake some people make is they stick with a bike that does not fit, because its what they got a deal on, rather than selling it and getting a good fit.

My two models are "Gara" and "Lupa" ... so yea, "Alba" could fit in.

Scott

And your Lupa is my size, not yours.....:D

Top

It looks like it's about 54cm from the middle of the crank to the middle of the top tube. The seat is VERY high. If I sit on it my legs are almost fully extended at lowest point the pedals reach.

Perhaps going to CL for a trade or selling it is thew way to go... :-(

Could anyone coach me on what a comparable bike might be? New or old what might I expect to be able to trade for or purchase with the proceeds from selling a bike like this? It's in very good condition.

inseam should be measured in stocking feet and loose shorts. Pants inseam probably doesn't work, jam a book up in your crotch until it hits bone. Take that measurement and multiply by .65, that's your frame size +/- a centimeter

I'm just a shade taller than you and have a 60 cm frame that seems to fit my legs fairly well. Most of my height is torso and neck. Coupled with long arms, the bike is too small for me as i find myself constantly wanting to stretch out more. A lot about the fit will be in all the geometry of the bike and not just the seat tube. You should start somewhere in the 60-62 range for testing purposes but check different top tube lengths/ stem lengths etc. to get the appropriate fit.

The Miele market in Massachusetts is pretty weak. Like you, I picked both of mine up for a song. There just isn't any brand awareness locally. Now if you could get it north of the border that's a different story.

cbsarge, where in MA are you?

Scott

Lower the stem and take some clear pics of the bike up against a white wall and list it for $250 and you will get about $220 for it. Put the ~$205 profit towards a 60cm road bike that will eventually come your way. The C&V Appraisal sub-forum is a good place for you to post up any questions about potential bikes you buy.

Jet - thanks.

Scott - I'm in Shirley which is right next to Fort Devens (just called Devens now).

Awesome, I ride the Ayer-Nashua Trail all the time .. I'm in Gloucester.

Scott