berkeley23

thanks!
joining my local co-op this weekend. I can change a tube/tire, patch a flat, and raise/lower my seat. the rest will have to be learned. looking forward to being able to tune my own bike!

jefnvk

Nice looking bike! I've got the top levers on one of my bikes, too, nice in a few crowded urban situations but use them a lot less than I thought I would.

And good job sticking with steel

wphamilton

For your list of tools, I suggest adding a chain-breaker to the top of the list. Nice bike.

ironwood

Congratulations, now you can join the Miyata Cult and the C&V Forum. You can find out a lot about Miyatas there. I have an '83 model which has Hi-ten fork, but I think yours has been upgraded to magna or Cro MO.

jefnvk

85's came stock with the Manga fork. I may also be a hopeless Miyata addict, two (possibly three, no one seems to know when Univega stopped using their frames) in the stable...

Miyata Bicycle Catalogs: Miyata Catalog 1985

Lazyass

I've always wondered if my Unvega's were made in the same factory as Miyata. The look the same.

jefnvk

@Lazyass - I just bought my first Univega (still kicking myself over the Specialissma I passed up last year), and learned quite a bit about the company over in C&V. Ben Lawlee was the guy who owned Univega, he had bike frames built to his personal specs/price points by a few Asian companies, but most generally Miyata. They were usually very similar to a current production Miyata, but there seems to be some disagreement whether they were the exact same frames rebranded or they actually differed in minor ways, and when exactly the partnership dissolved. Either way, the bulk of them did come out of Miyata's shops.

That said, that looks to be the exact same blue of my Miyata 610.

Kapusta

That's hot.

berkeley23

interesting - this answer may be obvious once I get some time in at the co-op, but why specifically a chain-breaker?

I usually carry an multi-allen wrench, tire wrenches, a small crescent wrench, small multi-tool, spare tube and patch kit, along with a portable pump, which is for schraders instead of the prestas I now have. probably going to look at getting a frame pump because I could barely use the portable to get my old schrader-valved tires up to 65 psi, so I don't have much hope to get the new-to-me 700 x 25s up to 120 psi...

and somebody up-thread stated tires should be inflated to maximum pressure - this might have been one problem of my previous bike being so slow. the street slicks said on the side to inflate to 50 - 80 psi. I went the middle route and kept them at 65 - should I have been closer to 80?

berkeley23

breaking some Velominati rules apparently with the saddle bag, which is rather big. May try to find a smaller one. and the plastic bottle cage has GOT TO GO! perhaps some new pedals, too.

I used to carry my lock around the seat tube and in the rack, which kept it out of my way when pedaling. I don't like the aesthetics of the lock brackets my u-lock was sold with. Suggestions for alternate carrying methods? Other than carrying on my body, which I don't really want to do?

wphamilton

Your chain looks too long, unless the Biopace just needs a longer chain. But in general, if you're tuning it up a new chain is likely to be one of the first things needing a special tool so I thought to add it to your recommended list.

Re always inflating to the maximum, not in my opinion.

jefnvk

Meh, when I get to the level I have a team car following me, I may follow that one. Until then, I really have no desire to have my back pockets bulging and sagging!

I like these, have them on most my bikes. Fits a tube, levers, and still has enough room for a hex key set and car keys: TransIt Small Speed Wedge

berkeley23

I am eagerly anticipating being able to identify stuff like this as my "bike eyes" develop. So far, the only thing I have picked up is that if the head tube is long enough to turn the frame triangle into a trapezoid, the bike is probably too big for me.

ironwood

How tall are you, and how long are your legs. The stem and brake levers are not stock, but later upgrades. Theres no way to tell if the chain is toolong from this picture.

If it is too big, I'll take it.

Maelochs

I was the first to identify the crankset, so I get right of first refusal.

corrado33

Wow, someone who actually made a decent purchase for their first "real" bike.

Congrats. I'm sure you'll love it.

As for frame material. Meh. I'm a steel rider myself, but only because I'm too cheap to buy myself a new aluminum bike and I don't think it matters much. (Plus since I ride steel I can claim to be a retro grouch.) I've never met an aluminum bike I HAD to have, unlike my 4 steel bikes. Tires matter much... much more.

EDIT: Some of the retro aluminum cannondales catch my eye sometimes, just because they look so different. But most of the time, aluminum bikes are too new for my liking.

northtexasbiker

I think you mean you get to invoke your right to prima nocta

berkeley23

sorry! I searched long and hard to find this bike that fits - my previous bike was a tad too big.

I am 5'4", have a 30" inseam, and a super-long torso, and this 19.5" bike fits like a dream. Would not have bought it otherwise. Wish everyone on CL would post frame size, so I would not have to guess based on head tube length.

There are too many tire sizes for me to compare the frame against the tire to guess size - how do you guys do it? I see so many post where people say "looks big" or "looks small".

berkeley23

I am so glad it meets with approval. Originally wanted a Univega (always liked the aesthetics), then read about how Miyata made Univega frames for awhile and broadened my search. Plus the Univega poster never wrote me back - if they did right now, I might have to think about whether I still wanted it - it looked pretty nice in the post, but I would have 2 nearly identical bikes, and I should really be looking for a touring bike next. n+1, indeed! Here was the Univega candidate:





so pretty! love the red cable housings. My bike has red cable housings, too, but they have dulled with age. May need to replace them!

Already love it - counting down the hours till I get off work and get to ride it, and already planning my weekend ride(s).

Tape2012

An aluminum bike can be made with very thin Al tubing and still be plenty strong, but would dent and bend very easily, so Al tubes are made thicker which results in a stiffer ride.
In my opinion, a carbon fork greatly improves the feel and responsiveness of a bike, along with the wheelset. These two things make much more difference than the frame material.

wphamilton

They mostly look at the stem and where the saddle is I think, with the length of the head tube giving a clue about the overall frame size.

For chain length, the position of the bottom pulley on the rear derailleur in a given gear. Yours looks like it's on the big ring and a big rear cog or next to it although it's hard to tell from the bike's left side.

jefnvk

I look at the headtube length. In road bikes there are commonly only two tire sizes, 27" and 700, and the difference in their height is minimal (8mm, ~1/4"). My general process is if the top tube is touching or nearly touching the down tube, it is probably somewhere around 50cm (too small for me), if there is clear spacing between the two but still close, probably somewhere in the 54 range (low end of my acceptable range), if there is a good 1.5-2 inches, probably around 58 (top end of my acceptable range), and anything with significant space between the two much larger than that.

It really only works on "traditional" frames, though, once you get into sloping top tube and hydroformed tubing, it becomes much harder to eyeball.

As to people posting sizes, that becomes difficult. Not every bike has a sticker saying what it is, if you weren't the original purchaser or forgot what it was, you may well never know. I just bought a bike that I am pretty sure is a 54, but even with a geometry chart I can't say it definitely is.

Barabaika

I don't understand this statement.
You just measure the seat tube, and it's the bicycle size.

Barabaika

Getting red housing is not difficult.

Pink brake housing like your Univega. And check the same color derailleur housing.
https://www.niagaracycle.com/categor...ng-roll-25-red



Redder: https://www.niagaracycle.com/categor...-10m-x-4mm-red


Red: https://www.niagaracycle.com/categor...mm-x-50-ft-red

Retro Grouch 

If the OP is swapping bikes with a friend and suddenly able to keep up when the guy on his bike is lagging back, I would argue that is a very clear sign that there IS something on his bike holding him back.[/QUOTE]

True. The fallacy comes when one assumes that a single factor (steel vs. aluminum frame) is what's making the difference. That's almost never true. You have to evaluate the bicycle as a whole. There are plenty of really nice complete steel frame bicycles that weigh less than 20 lbs.