redscampi

Oh man, was it this one? I've been lusting for that bike for several weeks! Too much on my plate right now though. Great score if this is the bike. Great score anyway, if it's not!

Kactus

That's the one!

RaleighSport

Funny enough I also have been following that bicycles saga.. I have a friend and fellow Sekai owner in the Renton area and I keep an eye out for bikes for him, he rides a 53 or less though so I've just been watching that one, glad to see it got a good home. I also considered having it facilitated to me, but I suspect it is just slightly too large for myself as well. No idea on the tubing, it'd be a Norco thing probably a minor expense saver. I also find it funny that this particular 4000 is outfitted very similarly to what a 2500 or a 2700 would have as a stock group.

Kactus

Here is the finished bike. I replaced the chain, chain rings (50x36), tires, saddle, brake pads, hoods and levers. I disassembled, cleaned and lubed everything and wrapped the bars with red Ambrosio Bike Ribbon to match the red painted lug cut-outs.



The bike was located in Renton RaleighSport, that a funny coincidence.

RTP49

Hey everyone, this is my first post on BikeForums! Just posting my Sekai; it's a 2700 GT Deluxe, although I'm not entirely sure about what year. The serial number is Y1E2660. This is what it looked like when I got her:



Sorry about the non-drive side pic... It's all I have of her in that state. She's a 21" frame and came with an SR Laprade seatpost, Sekai saddle, Weinmann levers with Dia Compe brakes with brown hoods (or rather, hood), Suntour V front mech and downtube shifters, Shimano 600 rear mech, Sugino 52-40 crankset with Maxy 171mm crank arms, and Araya 27" wheels... I can't recall the pedals off the top of my head. The sticker on the frame says Tange Champion, although it isn't the kind with the oval that specifies what number of tubing... I'm also a bit confused about the Shimano 600 rear though; while I know that supposedly American companies were more keen to mix and match groupset parts back in the day, most other Sekai specimens I've seen tend to roll all Suntour components... Perhaps the doing of the previous owner?

I'm just so fascinated with Sekais since purchasing her... One of these days it'd be quite fun to go on a tour. I'd like to be able to find a 4000 or 5000 frameset eventually as well.

At any rate, this might be the cringe-worthy part of my post! This is what she looks like now:



Ah yes, mismatched Alex 700c wheelset, SRAM 11-23 cassette mated with 105 5700 rear mech and shifters, Vision 52-39 chainrings on a 105 5600 crankset with Look pedals. It all looks so vulgar, but I love my FrankenSekai. The brakes are still the Dia Compes with newer pads, but I'm thinking I'll be changing those out soon.

I regret nothing!

RaleighSport

I think I may burn in hell myself... I really like how your frankenSekai came out! One of the few times I can say I've approved of yellow mixed into a look like that. Judging by a glance at your serial and what I saw in the original pic 81 is a fair assessment for the year of your bike. As for the tubing, I think you have the hi-ten butted version of tange champion like my late 70's 2700.

RaleighSport

Very clean! Something bugs me though about a Sekai with DT's, I know the majority had them but when I personally see a Sekai I look for the barcons... Okay that's bizarre, you appear to have the same water bottle cage as what is stock on my 2700, I can't help but wonder still if someone robbed a lower model number to outfit your bike.


Oh and I'll add both your guys bikes to the master list when I have time.

Kactus

I added a T/A cage I had laying around as I think it looks better than the one it came with. It's my understanding that 4000's came as bare frames so it's possible someone either stripped a lower model or spec'ed the same components as a lower one. What components do you usually find on the 4000's?

RaleighSport

There is no common mix really, but it all tends to be "higher end" stuff, from campy bits to shimano 600 (When it started getting nice), although I suppose for period correct Suntour you couldn't do much better than what you have on there.

redscampi

Stunning! Now I'm really jealous! How does it ride?

Kactus

I've only gone for short rides so far but it rides great. Definitely a little less sporting the the Ciocc but very comfortable and smooth.

systemBuilder

SEKAI 1977 Catalog (partial) and photos of various years :

https://www.ece.ubc.ca/~gillies/sekai/77_00_cover.jpg
https://www.ece.ubc.ca/~gillies/sekai..._gt_deluxe.jpg
https://www.ece.ubc.ca/~gillies/sekai/77_06_custom.jpg

I will try to get the other pages scanned. Unfortunately, I cut the photo of the SEKAI 2500 from the catalog (it was the bike I bought), and that caused a big missing chunk of the custom page (4000, 5000) to disappear. I have edited and cleaned up the custom page as much as possible. There are many photos of ebay bikes with roughly the correct years in the same directory (where known) in the full

Index of /~gillies/sekai

- Don

r0ckh0und 

Awesomeness!!!!

RaleighSport

Sweet!!! Thanks Don, I'll add these to the index as soon as I'm home and have time!

Casseroler

Here's the new-to-me 2700 GT. As far as I can make out, the serial no. is Y 9 0201434, but that could be Y79. Or it may be just 9 0201434. Photo of the serial coming. Anyway, I'll do my best to put up the photos here. I think it's in good shape considering the age. Pretty clean. Love the frame geometry. Good rider. I had the shop put Brooks bar tape on it and new cables. The blue tires were the shop's idea.

Casseroler

Any help with this serial is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

RaleighSport

I can see the 7 in the pic, Y79, 1979 nice score. I find it interesting though I have a 77 and it has barcons rather than DT shifters. I wonder if it was considered an upgrade? Which is odd given from what I've seen barcons are preferred to DT's for touring purposes, which is supposedly the models niche.

Casseroler

Brilliant,thanks! I very much appreciate your efforts in this thread, too. I've learned a lot about this great marque by reading your stuff. I'm pleased to finally own a nice example.

My daily commuter (Salsa Casserole) has DT, so I'm quite used to them, although those are indexed and my new Sekai is obviously not. I'll enjoy getting used to them and interested to see which I prefer eventually.

I'm curious now too if the barcons were upgrades. The rear deraileur is suntour cyclone, which I gather was standard equipment for a 2700 GT. Maybe the DT came stock, too?

anyway, thanks for your insight on reading the serial no. and your work on this thread. Cheers!

RaleighSport

Ha, thanks! However I'm just the custodian of the knowledge, it's the guys like T-mar, and Don Gillies who did most of the actual work. This database is just my way to give back and hopefully put all the scattered info in one place.

About the bike variations: I was speculating that perhaps the DT shifters were considered an "upgrade", I find the cyclone RD to be a very good, one is it the cyclone GT? And that is another variation, if I recall correctly mines RD is a V-luxe, not quite as light but a little bit more durable, ideal for touring. The component shift on your bike suggests a movement away from touring components more towards road bike ones, at least that's what I'm speculating here. Oh and friction shifting is an art form.. it's easily learned, and a pain to master, but once you do it's totally worth it you can land your gears without needing adjustments/trim just by feel after a while.

AZORCH

I'm going to add this to the database, a 2700 that I purchased this morning at an auction. I'll post photos after I get a chance to clean the grunge off.

Serial Number: YOH7130 (Do I follow the SN format correct in calling this a 1980 model?)
Purchased: October 5, 1983 (The bike included owner's manual and receipt)
Tan w/blue lettering
Original Purchase Price: $369.50 + $20.80 sales tax (I paid $25)

The original owner is 94 years old and road this bike exclusively indoors on Kreitler rollers (those sold for nine bucks, BTW.) The manual looks like it just came off the printing press and while there are a few paint dings that I'd guess took place over the past three decades, the bike is in remarkable condition underneath thirty years of sort of greasy dust. The FW is still shiny and gold. FWIW, I also purchased a pair of MKS pedals new in the box for a dollar, but crazy as it might sound an old leather cycling helmet brought over a hundred dollars.

AZORCH

And here it is.


This is about as close to a time machine as it gets. I picked this up at an estate auction this morning and to my understanding this bike was never ridden outside. The owner (who is 94) purchased it new in 1983 and then rode it on Kreitler rollers indoors for a few years, then hung it up on the wall. It's been hanging there ever since. The owner's manual and original receipt were in the bottle holder. Other than a gel pad over the saddle, I am confident this is 100% original, right down to the lavender-colored bar wrap (which I think has faded over thirty years from a more color-coordinated blue.




The FW has almost no grime on it at all.

RaleighSport

Stunning! And also quite interesting, the component changes are not much at all between yours and a late 70's 2700 ignoring of course the DT shifters instead of Barcons. Meanwhile the frame material is light years ahead it would seem, Noting you have Tange Champion Cro-mo, vs the old mangalloy hi-ten framesets on the same model #. Anything interesting in the owners manual? Been considering picking up a 10spd one and scanning it in.

I'm also curious when the transition of the seat stay caps changed to that, my 77 is the standard type but my 78 or 79 has the indents like yours.

3alarmer 

...way cool.

AZORCH

No, disappointingly enough, the manual is surprisingly generic, referring to bicycles in general with very little specificity - and nothing at all specific about this (or any other) model. I plan to scan in each page eventually.

Clang

Thanks for making this thread. I have a dark metallic gray Sekai 1000 Royal with serial number 364556. Frame size 21" Tange No.5 Cro Moly. Seat post diameter 26.4mm.

Not many of the original components remain. Those that do are as follows:
Dia-Compe 500 brakes (markings 0184M N 500)
Sakae Road Champion bars
Araya 27 X 1 1/4" rims
Suzue Hubs (markings 4 A)
Sugino crank (markings 165 2 GC)

This isn't my bike, but it's the closest google image search I could find to my frame. The color and decals are a good match. 1979 Sekai 1000

EDIT: I missed an idiot-proof date code on my handlebar (if you have a Sakae Custom Road Champion, it's located on the underside of the right drop): B - 84. So my bike was either an '84 but more likely an '85.