accozzaglia

Interesting. Have you owned your model since it was purchased new, or was it found on the secondhand market? Have you posted photos of yours on here previously? I'd be curious to see what you're talking about. They're fairly uncommon in any form of the "World Finest" line: I've not seen one around the streets of Toronto (and given the diverse array of what does show up, I'd think by now I'd have seen at least one).

ricohman

You can look at it on this thread.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ghlight=sekine

accozzaglia

Ah yes, I remember that thread well. I was amazed by the state of that SHB, even though I erroneously thought it was an SHA. But your bike is post-"World Finest" era. By quick-release, do you mean those butterfly-styled fasteners? I think what's interesting is that none of the Sekines (or pretty much most bikes of any make) I've run across have those anymore. I wonder why.

Say, you said that olive model of yours was 1975, right? I was thinking about this: I've yet to hear a definitive benchmark for figuring out what year a model is based on the letter prefix of the serial. T-Mar might know, but I'm not totally sure. My green SHC starts with Z, and my blue SHS model stolen over the summertime began with a Y. Unless the prefix is not a signifier of the year (but rather a signifier of model line), then your bike should offer a clearer idea on this.

Lastly, I could help you out with assembling an owner's manual in electronic format. The only thing you would need to do is have access to a scanner. I could take the individual page image files you'd email my way, stitch them together into a PDF file, and run a utility (OCR) will let you search the text inside. It's an open offer, so keep it in mind if you'd like to give it some thought. Once done, we can get it available on here for everyone who might want a copy of it. Thoughts?

phillyrider

I also have a Nashbar Tour bike with the same logo/same deal. However, in my fleet - it's probably my finest commuter bike...it's tight and really moves. I got it for $130 and love.

I tried to read through the string - was there any answer on if it's made by sekine? Afterall. I look for Nashbar bikes - but don't see much. It would be good to know if sekines are similiar...Just curious
Thanks.

phillyrider

Actually, I didn't need to supply love - just the $130 to buy the bike...

ricohman

Yes, I will get the manual scanned and send it your way.
I have had a few requests for it so if it could be made available for all that would be great.
There is a scanner at work so when nobody is looking.............

accozzaglia

Sounds great! Greyscale, 300dpi, and jpg are the only settings you need to worry about. Drop me a PM whenever you're ready.

accozzaglia

Three more, all stumbled across on the same day [26 October 2007]. Second opinions here on descriptions would be welcomed. Thanks:


Bright red SHC with art deco lettering, ca. 1976: "Z" serial prefix, Canadian-made(?)


White SHS(?) with Eurostile wide-lettering, a diamond badge, forged rear dropouts, ca. 1974: "X" serial prefix, possibly Japanese-made(?); which is an interesting juxtaposition against the next one:


Forest green SHT(?), with labelling removed (possibly previously art deco?), Medialle badge, forged rear dropouts, ca. 1975: "Y" serial prefix, Canadian-made?].

Which makes me wonder: what was the difference between an SHS and an SHT? Was it analogously the same difference as the SHB in Japan versus the comparable SHC in Canada?

suzi stromberg

That is how I remember my '77 looking when I bought it- I remember the seat and the spoke reflectors. Thanks for posting the picture, it was a great era!

soundsgreen

So I've got one of these bikes and I love it. I do not know how to date it because it has never had a down tube decal and says nothing about Japan or Canada on it. I believe it to be an SHS model. I inherited it as a *******ized single speed so I don't know all of the original compenentry.

Here is the details I've got;
-Maxy crankset
-SR stem with flush bolt flange
-Steel crap seat post
-DiaComp brake calipers
-QR hubs
Frame
-TNG double butted CroMo tubing
-Chrome fork and chain stays
-Oversized forged dropouts with hanger and threaded tabs (the drive side has an odd hole in it.?)
-Diamond shaped headbadge with Rinestone!
-Serial code X5 06365
-And in an attempt to overhual the BB I have found it to be very proprietary concerning the adjustible side.

It is posted at https://velospace.org/node/4608

SekineBike.jpg
The current state of my Sekine, and yes of coarse I kept the pie pan!

HeadBadge.jpg
DropOut.jpg
I don't know why they did this
BottomShell.jpg
I was surprised to see this when I disassembled the BB
AdjustableCup.jpg
Serial.jpg
The shell measures about 69.5mm. You can see it flange out on the adjustable side
BottomB.jpg

Has anyone tried putting a different BB in a shell like this one?
Or how about a date for this fine machine. Japan or Canada?

I've got a good story of how I got this bike.
A friend of mine who is about 5'4" was using it to prevent himself from ever having children.
I told him that it was way too big for him and traded him a Rampar Fix that fit him perfectly. The only thing was that he had borrowed it to a shifty friend who had left it in the basement of his work Jimmy Johns. I went there and told some kid working there that I was here for some purple bike left behind there. He let me to the basement and said it's all yours. Great I thought but I was 20mi from home and on my motorcycle. I rode it to where I had parked on a flat tire and used compact tools I had and striped it right there on the curb. Many people passing saw me as if I was steeling it. The wheels and the handle bars were given to the gods that day but I did walk a few blocks to a shop to get the freewheel off so I could salvage the Pie Pan. I stuffed all of the parts I wanted into my messenger bag and strapted the top tube across it all in the bag and took off as fast as I could to somewhere I could get the weight off of my back.

T-Mar

It is definitely an SHS or SHT on the the basis of the Tange double butted tubing and chrome rear stays. Unfortunately, without original components we cannot tell which. A swaged, cotterless crankset like the Maxy would typically indicate an SHS, however Sekine typically did not use use Sugino but SR. Same with the brakes, I would have expected Shimano Tourney or Dura-Ace center-pulls. Periodically, you do see the models with SunTour/Dia-Compe/Sugino. but typically these are the pre-1973 models with World's Finest Bicycle on the downtube. Your downtube decal is missing, so that's no help.

As for the serial number, I do not have a lot of data for Sekine. However, my current impression is that it is circa 1974. To verify this, I suggest you try checking some of the component date codes. Of the components listed the SR stem may be original and should have an open fomat date code just below the insrertion mark. The crankset and brakes, though they may not be not original, should also have date codes on the backs. Refer to https://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm for decyphering these codes. Please post the reults or PM me. Assuming that I am correct about the timeframe, the odds are that it was built in Canada.

I've never noticed a flare like that on a Sekine bottom bracket shell. I suspect that the company that supplied the shell forgot to face it to bring it down to 68mm. My SHX is definitely 68mm and does not have the flare or serrations. The serrations would help lock the fixed cup in place.

Given the current situation, you have two options. Have an LBS face the bottom bracket to bring it down to 68mm or install an Italian bottom bracket set. The latter is probably the least painful option, financially. It looks like the current BB may be a 70mm unit with a 1/2mm spacer to bring it up to 70mm. What are the numbers on the spindle? The spacer is not really necessary, as the adjustable cup would just protrude an extra 1/2mm without it. The only drawback to this method is that the chainline may be off by up to two millimeters. Given, the relatively long chainstays of the SHS/SHT this should not be a problem, but it would be interesting to know if the flared side of the shell does protrude an extra 2mm from the seat tube.

It's been a long time since I've seen that color. It was definitely the last to sell, though some females did like it. Still, Sekine were so popular during this period, that when this color was the last on the floor and you didn't know when the next shipment would arrive, even the guys would buy it .

wmsiniowa

sekine on ebay

rmfnla

Eastern Florida?

rmfnla

I love the dork disk (pie pan; cute) on a single speed; kind of like snow tires on the rear wheels of a front-wheel-drive car.

soundsgreen

Thanks for the info.

I found some the original deraileurs. My friend who had the bike before me pawned a junk bin of parts to me containing them. Here is what I have found.
-Stem: SR 5355 "JIS" 72.10 = Early 1972
-Crankset: Sugino Maxy 165mm R, 47-0; L, 47-9 = R 1972 from early and mid year
-Ft Der: Suntour Spirt "JIS" 4532 OJ = 1972 Oct.
-Rr Der: Suntour V OJ = 1972 Oct.

I had seen the bike after my friend had obtained it and it was still untouched from him. The bike was in original condition then never having decals. There is no evidence on the paint of them either. It had been in very good shape and not ridden for years. Anyhow knowing where this bike came from I am very certain that all of these components are original.

After finding the bizarre BB I looked at some of the photo research I have collected and have seen the same BB system on other Sekines. So the serration on the adjustable side works with the spacer which is respectively serrated. Also the spacer has a key tab to hold the cup while adjusting the lockring, much like the serrated ring in older headsets. It seams to me that this design is an intentional effort to make a better mouse trap. It is very symmetrical and does not protrude out unevenly from the seat tube.

My BB replacement seams best to me now to find a 70mm BB with ISO Treads, JIS taper and cut the tab off of the spacer to make the shell 70mm.
Or just clean up the original and reinstall it. It is a very nice BB with rubber seals and is smoother than some modern cartridges.

Here are some examples of that same BB shell I have seen about.
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/72059-sekine-world-s-finest-bicycle-5.html
The two white bikes and the chrome one apear to have the same BB installed.

Other tid bits:
-Bars were Sakae
-Spindle Stamped 3T
-It had high flange hubs with circluar drillings, not oval, I still have the skewers and they just have an "-S-" symbol on them.

Thank for all of the great info! You have done us all a huge favor!

T-Mar

Soundsgreen, thank-you for the info. The 3T spindle is designed for a 68mm bottom bracket shell. I went back and looked at the pics you referenced. The bottom brackets definitely use the spacer however on two on the three bicycles you can also clearly see that the end of the shell is not flared, like yours.

Being from 1972, the component date codes corroborate my previous observations of SunTour/Sugino/Dia-Compe models being pre-1973. Considering that this was the peak of the boom, those components probably did not hang around on the shelves for very long, but still the majority are from September and October, so it is likely a 1973 model built in very late 1972. Considering that the Canadian facility did not open unitl June 1973, it is almost certainly a Japanese model.

As for the decals. Sekine's down tube decals are prone to falling off. If you look through the pics you'll notice several with missing or incomplete down tube decals. This is because they were die cut with each letter being an individual decal (actually they were more of a vinyl dry transfer). Once one letter peeled off, it was quite common for the owners to remove the remainder.

soundsgreen

Wow, T-mar your have infinate knowledge. Thanks so much for helping me identify my bike. I am very proud to own a Sekine and would never part with it. It has become my favorite bike.

Soundgreen

divineAndbright

Here is my Sekine project, I think mine is a SHT model, '76 or so. I bought it for 7 or 8 bucks back on Oct 25 2007, stripped all the parts off it (most of which I chucked in the trash) and hung the frame up. I'd go over it from time to time always tempted to build it up. I think this should be a fun riding frame, when I fling the frame with my finger tip it produces those high ringing pings on all the tubes even though its just butted cromoly steel.. I'm hoping for a lively feeling ride. Im not gonna build it up with "high end" parts, but not junk either. I still have the original titlist derailleur which seems good so im gonna use that, I think im gonna buy a titlist front D on ebay. Im expecting some shimano bar end shifters from someone here and I'm gonna use those.. I never used bar end shifters before so tha makes this project even more fun for me. Other than the derailleur the only thing im gonna probably have to buy is a nice shimano 5 or 6 speed freewheel.



Thats it in original for the day I found her.



And so far.. I brought a '86 peugeot U014 home yesterday and the wheelset is from that bike, some nice aluminum 27" rims with nice 1 1/8 tires and maillard hubs. Shimano sidepull brakes (They have enough reach, even for 700c if I wanted..) that flutted aluminum seat post is also from the peugeot and is the correct diameter (yay!) the hex key seat post collor as well. I have high hopes for this frame!


Also in the above few posts they were taking about the strange BB shell.. well mine seems to have it to, I remember there were strange spacers in the BB when I was stripping it.. I just measured the shell and its 70mm

moses

Sekine was quite common during my high school years, so I was not too excited when my neighbour first pulled this one from his garage attic. Have I changed my tune. I have read everything else that I can find here on the forums, but would appreciate any speculation to this bikes age ,tubing and country of origin (Canada or Japan). It is all 105 components, 6 speed indexed with biopace chainrings serial# 8655266 if this helps timewise.

oldy57

I saw a picture of a Sekine MR200. What year would it be. Red paint, cannot tell what brakes, they are alloy. That is all there is to it. It looks 80's. Made in Canada?

Antipodes

This is very interesting, as there was a Sekine that I was working on in the shop last year that had a virtual 70mm BB shell with the same serrated edge on the drive side. I thought it was strange, but didn't give it any further thought. I can't remember what model it was though.

T-Mar

[QUOTE=moses;5893808]Sekine was quite common during my high school years, so I was not too excited when my neighbour first pulled this one from his garage attic. Have I changed my tune. I have read everything else that I can find here on the forums, but would appreciate any speculation to this bikes age ,tubing and country of origin (Canada or Japan). It is all 105 components, 6 speed indexed with biopace chainrings serial# 8655266 if this helps timewise.[QUOTE]

Unfortunately, the bicycle appears to have real component mix, making dating from the components virtually impossible. However, it is an Asian manufactured model from after the Canadian factory closure. A sloping top tube design with lugs indicates it probably pre-dates the industry move to TIG welding. I'd say mid-1980s to early 1990s. Your best clue to the tubing would be the seat post diameter.

awer1

edit

VintageRaleigh

https://toronto.en.craigslist.ca/tor/bik/625128489.html

This looked like a pretty solid bet...

jm1na

I just resurrected my wife's sekine. Her dad bought it for her new in the mid '70's. Pretty nice shape overall and I'm amazed at how well it rides. CS model(rhinstone crest) white, shimano lark SS rear der., shimano thunderbird front der. SR(?) stem. Wonder if I could up date with some lighter rims or if it's not worth the money.