I've got a 1983 Diamondback Ridge Runner and a 1983 Stumpjumper that both have really relaxed geometry. There's a fair amount of wheel flop at low speeds. I think it must be typical of bikes with slack head tube angles.

If I recall, you are a big guy, so with the seat that way back, there is a severe weight balance issue. Also, the wobble may be due to the bearing cones not being tight, not whether the rim is true.

Front rim is Araya and rear rim seems to be a replacement. I don't see a brand name on it.

I figured out that the seatpost is adjustable in it's setback and after lining it up with the seat-tube, I like it a lot more. In fact, I think I like it better than my 1995 Trek 820.

Great catch!

I will definitely buy it from you, if the handling is too weird for you. There is a lever under the seat, undo it and slide the seat forward. It was designed to dial in the setback exactly for you. If you're "that" far back, it might be too big for you?,,,,BD

But there's no real reason to own it, if original parts are missing. It kind of defeats the point, because you will have to find the exact parts to make it original once again. $50 for bike like this is chicken feed, pocket change, or what have you. Not being argumentative, but it's really a sweet bike, that I would have taken my lunch to work for a week to go buy?.,,,,BD

I am in search of that "perfect" bicycle (as I assume many here are) and this is another step in that direction. I am very interested in bicycle geometry and I've read about how the geometry of MTB's changed drastically from the 80's to the 90's and how those old old 80's MTB's, especially Stumpjumpers, are popular as fat-tire cruisers. I've been really curious about how those old 80's MTB's ride and for me, it was worth the $50 just to experience that. A quick check on Ebay shows a set of the same derailleurs for $40, buy it now and the crankset fo $85, buy it now. No idea if the sellers will get those prices but it indicates what folks here said, there are some decent vintage components on this bike.

I've mentioned before that a long-term goal is a custom frameset. I'm still trying to decide between 26" wheels and 700c. This bike has solidified my already strong preference for the ability to run really fat tires. My Trek 820 discouraged me a bit because of the huge knobbies. The Takara has relatively smooth tires and it's a huge difference, in a positive way.

This experience swings me back toward Velo-Orange's Camarague or a 26" Long Haul Trucker for an off-the-shelf frame. I had been leaning toward a Surly Ogre or Salsa Fargo but I really prefer a traditional diamond frame. Now that I have two 26" wheeled bikes I will probably go ahead and invest in some 26" Big Apple tires. I think if I can get the Takara in riding shape and find a taller stem I'm really going to enjoy cruising the neighborhood on it.

Two of my four big questions (fat tires and MTB handlebars) have been answered and the final questions come down to 26" vs 700c and whether I want a bike that is biased toward stability or agility.

If a taller stem is the need... you can't beat a Nitto Dirt Drop quill stem.

Bikedued,
Sorry the humor I Intended didn't come across cyber space. I often self-justify purchases by saying/thinking things like "gee, that stem is worth $30 alone". My SO and friends then think I'm somewhat sane when I'm always looking for or buying old bikes.

After years of old cars, sailboats and RVs, bicycles are cheap fun and I would give up my lunch money too!

My previous hobby (obsession) was high quality reproduction swords. Try getting your hands on a few of those in order to experience how different swords feel in-hand. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

My wife actually doesn't mind my $50 here, $80 there old bicycle hobby.

Rear rim is a red A.C.S. Z Rim, an old BMX rim from the 80's. The hub is "Suzue".

ETA: Just realized the rim is plastic!!

It'a an old SR adjustable setback post (note the QR under the saddle). I used to sell these, and there was almost 2" of horizontal travel.

Quill Stem - it's the cat's pjs, and about 75% less than the Nitto.

https://www.niagaracycle.com/categori...-x-80mm-silver

BikeDued, here is a similar one local https://houston.craigslist.org/bik/4186723229.html

But it is a little lower on the quality scale, and cost 3x as much.

The quill on that stem may be 21.1mm which is not as common. Also if you want a higher rise, you can change the bars. The clamp on those stems is 7/8" or 22mm (BMX/Motocross size). Motorcycle riser bars that are 7/8" should work:https://www.treatland.tv/silver-moto...ars-silver.htm.

I failed in my attempt to determine the quill size last night. The bolt came all the way out but the stem didn't budge. It was late and I didn't mess with it too much so I'll probably try this weekend. Also, it's the rear wheel that is out of true......badly out of true.

Spray some penetrating oil down into the steerer tube and let it sit a day or so. Try putting the bolt back in, but leave it loose. Give the top of the loose bolt a whack with a hammer (put some wood between hammer and bolt). Hopefully this will disengage the wedge, it's probably rusted in there.

EDIT: don't leave too much of the bolt exposed. Leave it like 1/2" above the top of the stem. That way you can only drive the wedge 1/2" down into the steerer. You don't want to drive the wedge too far down.

I have a pile of old 26" MTB rims that would match the front better, iffn' you want one, it'd be yours for shipping. LMK.

Once you do, let me know if you'd like to swap that crazy seatpost of yours for the bullmoose bar+stem I have sitting around; provided the diameters are compatible. Mine's off a similar vintage Kuwahara, so they may well be.

I got the stem out and it's obvious I don't know how to use a digital caliper because I get a different reading every time I try. All of them cluster around the 21.1mm mentioned here and that seems common to this model stem on E-bay. It looks like a 21.1mm stem that will let me use a 25.4 mm MTB riser bar (of which I have several laying around) is cheap and readily available.

The biggest obstacle, by far, is the rear wheel. The front is in decent shape and I suspect it will true right up. The rear wheel is heavy and plastic with an odd hub. Maybe it would true right up as well, I'll take it to the LBS tomorrow to enquire. However, what is my best option to get a different rear wheel? Should I look for an old complete wheel, get a rim and have existing hub built up with new spokes? What about cold-setting the 126mm dropouts to 135mm? That would be my first choice because then I can have a good set of 26" wheels built (edit...on second thought, I have a decent 135mm 26" wheel on my 1995 Trek 820 MTB), which is something I plan to do at some point anyway. I'm not willing to try cold-setting myself and my experience with bike shops is that they shy away from modifying frames (I understand they have liability issues). Any suggestions there? Is it something I should just forget about and focus on replacing/repairing the wheel?

It's not out of the realm of possibility to find a rear hub like the front, a matching rim, and have it built up. That way you'd keep the original look. Once you go down the road of changing parts here and there(wheels, stem and bars, etc), it ceases to be a cool vintage bike. Just my humble opinion of course. Now if you had found a bare frame that had already been stripped, then all bets are off. Finding one that original however, is the proverbial "needle in the haystack". Are the bars just too low? If they're too low at the highest setting, then the bike is most likely too small for you. With that frame size, you'd have to be 6' 4" or better for that to be the case?,,,,BD

The clamps for the handlebars on "slingshot" stems is 22mm in my experience. You may be able to use one of your riser bars provided you can clamp it outside of the 25.4mm bulge. If you look at the original bars, there appears to be no bulge in it. If you measure it at the clamping points that will confirm if the stem clamps are 22mm. Good luck.

While doing some research on 80's MTB's I found some really good, really close-up photos of a Diamondback and it was amazingly similar to my Takara. I wonder if they came out of the same factory?

Yeah, it'd be 22.2 (aka 7/8") at the 2 clamping areas, which of course occur outside of the 25.4mm (aka 1") bulge. So, really, it's a stem for both, although it looks much better with a bar that's 7/8" throughout......

Pre 84, there were very few choices in 26" aluminum
rims. Many of the first Gen. mass produced Mtb's came with Araya 7X on Suzie hubs. Should be fairly easy to find with a little patience.