Wow. Two very very nice picks here.



I'd go with a Serotta too if you could find one in your size for a reasonable enough price. That one is an 88 but what the heck.

A Serotta WOULD be amazing. I have a feeling that it'd be out of my budget though.

The Raleigh Team in yellow, red, and black has long been on my radar. Ditto with Paramounts, though both lines of bikes seem to be highly coveted by collectors and are priced accordingly.

On the Ralieghs maybe not I have seen brouaght and sold a RBCA team America stuff for well under $200 with 700/800 series reynolds tubing.

Hi Frank,

Why would you suggest to avoid TruTemper in a 1987 frame?

I was under the understanding TruTemper made some pretty good tubing in those days.

Thank you.

I was going to suggest this https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=135503 but it sold today.

This suggestion comes directly from my own predilection for hunting in the less stratospheric zones of C&V while concentrating on quality and bang-for-the-buck. So upon reading your request, I sidestepped SL and thought of "531". The suggestion: less stratospheric, no bling points, must be machine brazed but race geometry, investment cast lugs with an Imron finish which if you are lucky may still be intact. Trek 560 EX Pro or 560 Pro.

I have two Trek steel frames and I love the way they ride.

https://www.vintage-trek.com/TrekBrochure1987.htm

I like my Reynolds 531 Trek for a comfortable distance riding bike.

Now if you could find a red and yellow 560 Pro in your size that would suit Dura Ace parts just as nice as any Japanese bike......or even better, imho.

+1 Battaglin. Was trying for red/white/blue one like Steven Roche's, stumbled upon a nice yellow one. Though it's being fitted with C-Record, which was on Steven's too, and not DA.

Have you thought of a Koga-Myata? Or Eddy Merckx Corsa Extra?

would you be interested in a Lime Green Serotta "Davis Phinney" model. It is my retired criterium racer. Still has Dura Ace but I think it's a 1990 model. Size 56cm

I have a 1988 Trek 560 (tru-temper) built up head to toe with DA74xx. Very nice riding frame despite the contested tubing, and easy to find on the used market. Trek's paint quality was very good, too. Granted, it lacks panache and provenance.

This 1987 Serotta frame cost less than $250. The total build was about $800. Better than any other steel bike for my needs.

Just about any 'quality' Miyata or Miyata-built Univega would serve your bill quite nicely! For example, a Miyata 912, 712, Team Miyata or the Miyata-built Univega equivalents would be fantastic! Triple-butted splined tubing, and the complete bike at around 21-23 pounds. Not bad at all for a steel-frame bike!!!

Seems like the Miyata Team keeps coming up time and time again as a worthy recipient.

I'm curious, which Univegas are equivalent to the Miyata Team and Pro? What year did Univega's best receive splined tubing?

I love alot of frames from that year especially the Schwinn frames, but my favorite road bike I've ever ridden is my 1987 Le Tour with the True Temper tubing. Its nowhere near the level of some of the bikes mentioned here (lots of sweet stuff in this thread) but its just right for me. I wonder why I even look for another road bike. Of course I bought it on a whim a couple years ago not even intending to keep it and now Its hard to think of letting it go.

I recently built up a 1981 Nishiki Professional with the D/A 7400 components drive train & hubs.
However I was disappointed the calipers would not quite reach. I wonder other calipers might fit?

I really enjoy riding it.

No. 1; maybe the best of the Japanese frames of that era.

Team Miyatas have a lot going for them. The stock bike is also the bike that the TDF team used. Miyata rolled their own steel tubing and it was very good quality. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miyata The Team Miyata used investment cast lugs, fork crown, and BB; this bike is rock solid. Dura Ace makes sense for this bike. And you actually have a reasonable chance of finding a frame in your size from 1987. Plus it is one of the best bikes I have ever ridden.

I'm not sure that were ever any Univega built with Miyata's splined, triple butted (STB) tubing. I don't recall seeing any. By the time that Miyata introduced STB, Lawee seems to have refocused the Univega brand, with the better models being mid-range sports bicycles with aluminum frames, while the upper end, racing market was the realm of their new Bertoni brand. The top, steel, Univega models of the mid-1980s were the Super Speciale and Competizone. The Bertoni SL models incuded the Specialissima, Pro Victory and Corsa Mondial, which apparently were manufactured by Bianchi. Speaking of which, I'm surprised there has been no mention of the 1987 Bianchi SL models; the Mondiale, Giro and Super Leggera.

I assume you're talking about the 7400 sidepull calipers? These were only available in a short reach version. The OEM brakeset on the 1981 Nishiki Professional was the longer reach version of the Campagnolo Record, which explains the discrepancy you're experiencing. Aesthetically, the best solution would be to find a pair of the long reach Shimano New 600EX, long reach calipers from the same period (part number BR-6208-57). These have an additional 8mm reach over the similarly styled BR-7400 calipers. Be aware that there is also a short reach version of the New 600EX calipers (BR-6208-49), so make sure you search out the correct version.

(62)

Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Yes, I have the 7400 sidepulls. That's exactly the info I needed.

Thanks very much T-Mar.

I will post a pic of the bike in it's current build up on the Nishiki thread.

Hi guys, I just picked up an Italian Compania road bike, cant find anything on the net about this bike. I got it for 40 bucks today. Badge is so cool, had to have it and the name seems to be hand painted on the tubes. The components are simplex and cotter pin cranks so that tells me its not really high end. It is a red frame with white brake lines. The wheels are steel and nothing special about them. Has anyone came across one of these? thank you for your help

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It would be a good idea to start a separate thread with your off-topic question rather than inserting it in an existing thread. You'd likely get a better response. The problem with asking your question here is that any response hijacks the thread.

At the risk of offending Scooper & thinktubes even further, I'll respond.


Are you sure it's not Campania? They were a USA boom era brand that used the similarity of their name to Campagnolo to influence customers. They used various contract manufacturers, including Japanese, though assembly was performed in the USA on at least some models.