So,...
I found three (MAKE THAT FOUR!!)seemingly great touring bikes as I've been actively searching for a mid to late 1980s touring bike for myself.
One of the three is my size (52cm) and the other two are just a tad larger (43-54cm)
I've done research on all three but the fact is, the best (in my opinion), research comes from the experiences of those who rode or have extensive working knowledge of these bikes.
The, "which one is better out of the three and why?" sort of thing.

So,.. without further adieu, here are the three in the running...

1) Mid 1980s Nishiki Cresta.
(Was hardly ridden, is in great cosmetic shape, and is a bike from a reliable forum member that has been kindly offered for sale to me.)
Has 27" wheels (so I'd be changing them out to 700's,...and has short pull brakes so I'd be swapping them out with a set of Dia-Compe brakes I have here in order to make the 700 wheels work correctly.)
Has modern "Truvativ" crank with three chainrings currently on it.
Size is 21" on the down tube, so its basically a size 53cm.
Two sets of braze ons for bottle holders.
(just click the small photo for enlarged version)



2) 1986-87? Lotus Odessy
Seller said it measures out at 21" on the down tube,..so basically a 53cm bike frame
Has had its traditional drop bars swapped out with a hybrid bike handlebar set up (so I'd have to fix that!)
One owner bike,...still has its original pannier/luggage racks on it that came with the bike.
Canti-lever brakes with 27" tires (would have to be sure I could swap out the wheels for 700's??...would I need a different cantilever setup to reach the 700 wheels, etc?...thoughts?)
2 braze on sets for bottle holders? (possibly 3,..can't see it in the photos)



3) Mid 1980s Panasonic Touring bike
(not sure of model yet as I haven't been able to catch up with the seller just yet)
Size 52cm.
Cantilever brakes, etc.
Seller's mailbox "is full"...so who knows, it may be a scam?...no idea (I've been down that road before,..no pun intended!)
Panasonic 52cm touring bike triple cantilevers

4) 1980s Miyata 610


https://cnj.craigslist.org/bik/4763817406.html




Thanks all!

The lotus is the best and the shimano cantilever brakes it has are the best brake to accommodate the conversion from 27" to 700. It appears to have nice deore components.

The nishiki appears to be more ready to ride and if that is important you should go that route. Also the lotus is more like a 49cm bike, I just noticed... so it might be too small for you? How tall are you?

The Panasonic may be the best bike (same brakes as lotus) and it is a size larger. I'd change the crank out though.

and this is what the Odessy ORIGINALLY looked like as per the 1986 Lotus catalog!

but the Nishiki's are gorgeous as well!!!! ugh!

They're all pretty good, but I like the Lotus (once it has proper handlebars on it). But there's a significant difference in size there, so if it's too small, give it a pass.

You wouldn't necessarily have to switch out the wheels for 700s on the Lotus if you didn't want to. Panaracer still makes high quality 27 inch tires.

It's odd because I was thinking the Lotus was to small, then I emailed the craigslist ad and the fellow took a measurement of the seat post tube from center of crank to the to of the seatpost and told me it measured 21" inches?? Sure doesn't loo klike it BUT maybe is it the angle the photo was taken at??
I too had expressed to him that it looked a LOT smalled and he insisted on the size of it???
The bike's 2 hours from me (as is the Nishiki though) so I don't want to be the guy driving 2 hours to find out it really IS a tiny bike that won't fit me!!

I'm 5'-7" tall.

Thanks for the input,.. much appreciated!

If it fits right I would pick the Lotus and upgrade it to be usable. That one just makes me drool. It needs the most work however. The Panasonic is a great bike. I say ride it to check the fit. I like a touring bike on the larger end of my range ( even though my Miyata 615GT is on the small side for me). Anyone have a 60cm 1000 they want to trade for a 57cm 615?

No sweat. A few good options from this retailer. Like I said, most people here recommend the Panaracer Paselas.

https://www.biketiresdirect.com/search/27in-road-tires

The panasonic has a swaged crank which is OK but not ideal. A new triple crank and BB will run around $125. The lotus is sweet and it comes with racks which saves some money but the conversion back to drops will run you (assuming you have to buy new stuff) probably north of a $100 to get it running; that doesn't include the price of the wheels. A 27 inch to 700c swap is very doable; some cantilevers do that gracefully, others do not. There is some trial and error involved in this.

I'm leaning towards the nishiki cresta over the lotus but it's close. It's great dealing with a seller whom you trust. If the truvativ crank is a 130/74 bcd triple, that would not be my first choice for a touring bike but it's workable (a 110/74 bcd will give you better options for touring).

It's pretty old school to ride a touring bike with sidepull (or centerpull) brakes. They work fine but they don't have the clearance of a canti. If the cresta can handle a 650b conversion, it would be my first choice for a touring bike. That way you get really sweet fat tires for touring with. But you will need to take some measurements to determine whether a 650b conversion is doable on that bike.

You could probably make the Lotus work with a high stem and saddle, but it might look and feel funny. The top tube is probably not that much shorter than the other bikes. I can tell you that the seller is just plane wrong. I can tell that is a one piece headlug with was common in the 1980s on many manufactures smallest frames. I have seen it many times and it usually measures out to a 49cm frame center to center. Which looks like a 51cm c-t which is like 20 1/8".. if the guy was not precise and measured to the bottom of the bottom bracket he likely got "About 21"... Easy to see how that could happen, but for sure the lotus is no bigger than a 50cm c-c frame. The angle is bad and there are some wires wrapped up there so I could be wrong, but I am fairly confident.

Edit: According to the specs they came in 48 and 51. It will bet it is one of those two size.

Schwalbe might still have decent tires in 27" too, but the selection, when compared to 700, is severely limited. I would run 27" until the rims are shot.

Here is some info on a 650b conversion:

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vi...l#post17358907

The cresta with 650b wheels (assuming that this works) would make a very sweet touring rig.

Just talked with the guy,..nice guy. Yeah he said from center of crank to the top of the top tube it was 20" to top of seat post was 21"??...
I saw the same things regarding sizes,..48 and 51,... yeah I'm thinking with a 30" inseam on me this might be a little short?.... hmmmmmm......

My vote is for the Panasonic. The cranks aren't original, but it looks in pretty good shape. It at least has new bar wrap and cheap kenda tires. The cranks could be replaced for under $100 if you are resourceful.
The Lotus would be top, but it's too small. I'm also 5'7" and can't ride anything less than 52cm.
The Cresta is ok, but the pic is horrible. Does it have rack mounts or double eyelets? The Cresta would be easiest to convert to 700C or 650B (or 650A to save $$). It really looks more like a sport tourer than a true touring bike. That's not bad at all because I just picked up a Fuji Sagres sport tourer that has a lot of potential.

Just talked with the guy,..nice guy. Yeah he said from center of crank to the top of the top tube it was 20" to top of seat post was 21"??...
I saw the same things regarding sizes,..48 and 51,... yeah I'm thinking with a 30" inseam on me this might be a little short?.... hmmmmmm......

Have a weird feeling the Panasonic ad is a scam,.. I called several times,..no answer and mail box is full? These days anything is possible!
The more I research about the Lotus the more I'm dying over the fact its not bigger! haha,...
I think the Cresta will be the way to go,... but I'm going to wait a little to see if the fellow who has the Panasonic actually answers his phone!

I didn't notice a phone number in the ad. Anyway, some people suck at keeping their inbox clean. I just noticed the price of $325 for it. Maybe I'm lucky, but that's optimistic in my area with the rack missing and crank changed out. If you try for it, beat him up on the price a bit.

I sold the Miyate 618 below a year ago. Cantis, ready to ride, fully overhauled, new consumables, clean paint. She'd like mid $400s.

Miyata 618GT 54cm Touring Bicycle | eBay

I have a 1982/1983 Nishiki Cresta and switched from 27" to 700c wheels. No problem with the long reach Suntour Suberbe brakes. Cantilever brakes are preferred over the sidepulls for stopping heavily loaded bikes but I replaced the brake pads with new Scott Mathauser salmon compound pads and it brakes pretty well. Crestas are great bikes for touring. Sturdy, long wheelbase, relatively light with Champion No. 2 tubing.

I think the one you are looking at is older than mid-'80s because I believe 1982 was the last year they had the sidepull brakes. Later versions came with cantilevers and they also had front fork rack braze-ons which are nice to have.

The Lotus looks nice also, you have some good options.

Nice looking Miyata!

That's a great bike,...but the price is to much for me right now. THnaks though.

Yes I just found out the Cresta is most likely early 80s,..
any photos of your cresta? How much touring have you done with it?
THanks

When in doubt, go with the bike that fits best! Top tube (and head tube) lengths are much important than seat tubes, with regard to fit. I recently sold a cyclocross frame that was perfect for my needs in every respect except the top tube was too long and head tube too short. I rode it for a year but it never quite fit, even though it was only off by about 1 cm. I replaced it with a frame that had a top tube about 1 cm shorter and head tube about 2 cm longer, which fits perfectly, and I was comfortable from the very first tide.

MIYATA 610

I forgot about this one I had found,...probably because its a 54cm,... but at 5'-7" with a 30" inseam that should still work for me right?? (just not sure!!??)

Price is a little high for me honestly,...
Miyata Six Ten Touring Bike 15 Speed Touring Bike



IF IT WAS BETWEEN THE CRESTA AND THIS MIYATA 610,... WHICH WOULD BE THE TOP CONTENDER?

that Lotus as mentioned is way to small for you. Where in South East PA are you? What's your budget?

If you find something that needs parts I can probably help you if you're close. For example, if that Lotus wasnt too small for you I could give you the parts to convert it back to drops for you.

Anyway, just be patient and keep looking and dont settle until what you find is the right fit and something that appeals to you. If you share a budget I will keep an eye out for you as well.