1-track-mind

Not sure what the definition for vintage is, but wonder if it is a good idea to go out fully loaded with a 200 pound rider on one of the classic touring bikes on an XL frame such as the;
Fuji IV,Miyata 1000,Specialized expedition,Centurion Pro Tour,Univega Gran Turismo,Schwinn Voyageur SP ?
Or is this just asking for trouble ?

revcp 

And I ride a 1985 Trek 720. The 720 was made for loaded touring, as were the bikes you list. What you would be asking for is not trouble, but a smooth, dependable ride.

1-track-mind

Thanks. I guess what I'm specifically concerned about is whether the frame would be too flexy ?

revcp 

Some say the Miyata One Thousand is flexy, while it's sport touring cousin, the Six Ten, is stiff. Others say hogwash. My 720 seems plenty stiff to me.

You're going to get answers on both sides of this divide, but nothing definitive. The answer to the question of whether a good vintage tourer is capable is an unqualified "Yes!" Once you get into more subjective things like flex (and yes, someone is liable to pull out studies or supportive data, but what I've seen is basically anecdotal), you'll have a range of answers.

The most important questions are fit and feel. What fits you best? What puts a smile on your face and makes you feel like you're 7 years old again?

prairiepedaler

Any of those bikes you cited should get you where you want to go. I don't know the failure rate due to metal fatigue on old frames but that might be a distant concern. You want it to fit you, or tailor it to fit, no matter what.

davester

Steel frames don't come anywhere near their yield strength during use so, barring crash damage or severe rust, metal fatigue is a complete non-issue. Aluminum or titanium frames are where you have to worry about this. Those bikes are all great, and highly coveted tourers. The only issue you might have is that most come with 27" wheels, limiting tire choice unless you convert to 700c.

fietsbob

Go for a ride, enjoy the tour.

saddlesores

so do you actually own one of the vintage bikes, have access to one, or considering purchasing one?

difficult to answer a hypothetical question concerning subjective ride feel of a an unknown bike of unknown age ridden on unknown terrain.

1-track-mind

I'm currently riding a 1992 Bridgestone XO2, with front and rear racks and Butterfly handlebars. I love it but the bike is a little on the small side for me, so I was looking at some alternatives. I'm 62 and live in the Blue Ridge mountains so having a triple chainring is a necessity on any bike i ride.

1-track-mind

My next tour will be a hub and spoke in Northern Wales, but on a rented bike. Probably the next I will do Stateside on one of my bikes will be the gap.

1-track-mind

I'm also curious about the Nishiki touring bikes. It looks like there are several models listed is touring bikes, but does anybody know the pecking order in terms of best to worst?

McBTC

Depending on where you go, things have changed so much you run the risk of damaging a wheel and having a difficult time replacing it at a LBS...

1-track-mind

good point. That's one of the nice things about my ex 02... 26 inch wheels.

davester

Not that difficult. You can get reasonably priced 27" freewheel-compatible wheel sets shipped pretty much anywhere within a day or so. For most bikes you could even substitute 700c wheels if the brakes will reach.

fietsbob

Price is what usually is a hint..

I Have not been in a Nishiki Bike Dealer's shop ,
in 21 years.

mstateglfr 

I weight 230 and my touring bike is a 64cm frame made by original fuji in 1990.
it rides just fine loaded up and me + gear for sure weighs more than you + gear.

taller bikes will flex more, but I don't notice anything annoying lile ghost shifting or scraping chainrings due to frame twisting when I'm out of the saddle.

with that said, it's a mix of modern and vintage components which is why i trust it. Cartridge bottom bracket, handbuilt 36h 700c wheels, and 3x9 gearing are the major changes.
good wheels make the most difference. Weak wheels are no fun.

For a handful of years I had an '80 Schwinn voyageur 11.8 that was fun to ride, but flexed. That was more of a sport touring bile though.

thumpism 

You should be fine on any of those bikes. I'm 67 (until next week) and have always ridden tall frames, 25" on my early tours and a 62cm Bridgestone RB-T most recently. Flex can be an issue so take your loaded panniers along for the test ride.

HGuthertz

I am on the completely opposite extreme: I weight 138 pounds and ride a 19.5 inch 1981 Trek 720. I had it reworked as a triple and rode it fully loaded-about 38 pounds in 4 panniers- around Lake Michigan last summer and Lake Erie this summer - on 25 mm tires at 110 psi - contrary to all talk about wider tires at lower pressures. I had the time of my life- no problems- other than being on the lookout for bike stores with a presta pump. I just don't have the arm strength to push more than 70 psi into my tires. The bike handles beautifully. However, I don't know if the frame and wheels could handle your weight plus the packs and baggage. Perhaps someone on the board can speak to that. But I would not trade this bike for a Surly LHT and feel fortunate to have landed into this old Trek.

thumpism 

By "flex" I meant the tendency for some loaded touring bikes to develop a disconcerting shimmy or wobble on fast descents, the ones on which you do not want such a distraction. My first experience with it was on a 25" Batavus with handlebar bag and rear panniers, the second on a 25.5" Trek 710 with the same bag setup and the third on the 62cm RB-T with four panniers plus HB bag. I was handily under 200 pounds at those times and touring load was 30-50 pounds. I don't hear other tourists complain about this but I can't believe I'm the only person to have experienced it.

1-track-mind

Good to know. It seems like every time I read about this issue, Trek's name pops up, but not with 520's. It sounds like Fuji might be my best option and they are more readily available than the others.

revcp 

No wobble at all descending with 4 panniers, probably 35 lbs + rider @ 180 lbs.

JaccoW

Batavus Randonneur GL 64cm frame. Slight wobble when I take my hands off the wheel with front bag (less with panniers on the front).

3speed

venturi95

thumpism 

Great idea, but when touring the capacity is sometimes essential. If I decide to investigate further I have a handy long hill and can try descents with various bag configurations on the bike(s), but I don't know if I'm up for climbing back up that many times.