Welcome, jerks.


Yeah, I got the fever. Three or four years ago, a rabid, red-eyed zombie sank its rotten teeth into my arm and thus I was infected with a peculiar strain of irrational obsession. Since then I have breathed, eaten, and slept bikes and almost nothing else. Maybe a vaccine will be invented, or maybe it'll simply pass, but until then I'm a slave to my compulsion to buy, transport, take apart, degrease, scour, lube, polish, assemble, tune, tighten, align, wax, buff, and yes, ride, ride, ride these magical two-wheeled machines.

So, the idea is, on this page I'm going to post pictures and perhaps stories of bikes that I've refurbished and ridden or ones that are in the process or recently completed. Maybe it'll expand from there. We'll see, I guess.

Friday, March 8, 2013

Univega Specialissima

Spoiler: this is a bit of rant.

Well, you've heard of Miyata and of the famed 1000 in particular. But since mere mortals turn to stone upon glimpsing such untold splendor (or so the internet would have you believe), you dare not even dream of owning one. Instead, you dream of the Specialissima. Or at least, you would if you'd heard of it. The Specialissima is a top-shelf sport-touring bike, made by the venerable experts at Miyata. What's that? Apples to oranges, you say? Touché. The Miyata 1000 is known as an all-out touring bike (long wheelbase, braze-ons up the wahzoo, etc, etc.), whereas I'm talking about a sport-tourer. Except that in 1981, the 1000 was a sport-tourer too by any reasonable standard. In fact, as nearly as I can tell, the geometry, tubing, and construction of the Specialissima and those of the 1000 of that year were identical. (The only difference between the two is that the former was designed for centerpull brakes and the latter for cantilevers.) And yet one hardly hears anything about the '81 Specialissima. But this point is only academic. The real point is twofold: 

1) that there's no compelling reason to fixate on models that have been heralded as "grail-bikes" by the powers-that-be. If fact, there are a host of reasons not to do so, not the least of which is that there are unsung comparable models out there available at a fraction of the cost.

2) that we shouldn't allow ourselves to think of sport-tourers as "compromise bikes." To my mind, it's a compromise to buy a bike that's only good at one thing. Versatility is what should be prized, at least for most folks' purposes. And versatility is what sport-tourers have in spades. Yes, lots of folks made sport-touring bikes back in the day, but few made them really well. Anyone who knows vintage bikes will tell you that Miyata was among those few, and the Specialissima is a testament to that statement.

Whew! Now that I've gotten that out of my system, I can get down to the nitty gritty about this bike. This 1981 model features the excellent-quality materials and craftsmanship for which Miyata was renowned: Tange Champion tubing, elegant long-point lugs with hand-painted diamond cutouts, chromoly fork blades, and Suntour GS forged dropouts. The fork crown and seatstay bridge are designed for recessed brake nuts (the standard today but a rarity in the early '80s). There is clearance for at least 35mm tires and brazed-on mounts for fenders, a rear rack, and a water bottle cage.

I've modified and updated this Specialissima with a Nitto cockpit designed for comfort and simplicity. Gone are the overly narrow drop bars, replaced with cloth-wrapped moustaches; likewise for the non-aero brake levers, replaced with an aero pair that provides higher mechanical advantage and smoother action. I've also converted the triple crankset into a compact double (47-34; sealed BB unit) that keeps the versatility of the original setup while reducing q-factor and weight. The period-correct saddle has been reupholstered in suede. Tires are brand new Panaracer Paselas in the extra-sturdy Tourguard version.







Since the original shoes for these centerpull brakes had extra-skinny posts, ordinary replacements like these Kool-Stops wouldn't fit the original hardware. So I stole some hardware from a set of dead cantilever brakes in my bin (the "eye-bolt" holding the brake shoe post and the knurled wedge washer behind it, useful for achieving proper toe-in without bending the caliper arms). This setup isn't quite as refined as the original, but braking power is greatly improved and it seemed a better route than sanding the posts down on the new brake shoes, which would have taken forever and a day.


 Although I've hated on Suntour barcon shifters in the past, I was finally able to set up a pair with a reasonable amount of resistance and relatively even action. I'm still not in love with them, but I have newfound respect for them.



This SR crankset has an unusual BCD (bolt circle diameter): 86mm. It's the same one used on the slightly more well-known Stronglight 99 cranks, and more importantly, it allows one to fit anything from a 28T chainring up to a 54T one all on the same bolt circle! The bad news is that 86bcd rings are pretty rare, so you have to pay a pretty penny for replacements and you may not find the exact size you want. Currently, I'm running a 47-34 setup, which I like a lot.



Here's a saddle I stole from another Univega and reupholstered, using some suede from an old thrift store jacket. Turned out pretty well, I think, and the color complements the frame nicely.

Since taking these photos, I've had a chance to take the bike on a few test rides and I'm impressed. She's more sprightly and handles more responsively than I'd expected. I really love the feel of the moustache bars as well.

8 comments:

  1. I've never ridden moustache bars like that. I wonder if I would like it? I'm impressed that you re upholstered that saddle. I've never thought about that before. Maybe I'll do that to on of my old fuji saddles. I love the old suntour barcons. My opinion of them is very high. I have them on two of my bikes, one road position on drop bars and the other set on an upright position town bike. I'm impressed with what you've done with this bike overall.

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  2. For someone like me, who almost never rides in the drops, moustache bars make a lot of sense. They've got a few good hand positions and provide a wider grip for when you want to climb out of the saddle. I find that this last bit makes a big difference when you've got a load on the rear rack that makes the bike's tail want to sway while climbing; with a wider grip the lateral sway is much easier to manage. I suppose this would also be a useful attribute when riding on gravel and dirt.

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  3. I love this post and have looked at it many times since buying (what I thought was) the exact same Specialissima. One thing that trips me up on my ride which is different is that it has braze-ons for canti breaks. Finding the right canti breaks for this bike has always been a bit vexing, given the clearance issues. Have you ever encountered a Specialissima with mounts for cantilevers?

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  4. I loved this post. I toured 750 miles through Oregon on a nearly all original (minus the front wheel) univega EXACTLY like this--except I had the original brake pads/posts still (scary in hindsight, but it worked coming down Crater Lake). Seems like on the '81 didn't have canti braze-ons, and most specialissima's I've seen do. Thanks for the trip down memory lane

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  5. One should keep in mind that the value of the Miyata 1000 as a "collector's bike" isn't just because Sheldon Brown says its valuable, but because the Miyata 1000 has a global reputation built on the fact that it has been toured all over the globe. Is the Univega a great bike? Sure! But it's an American company that never had any real sporting successes, racing or touring. Nice frames with no pedigree. That why "riders" buy them because they cost less and are pretty good bikes. A showroom Univega will never command prices anywhere near a showroom Miyata and (by collector's standards) for very good reasons.

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  7. I am remembering the earlier ~1977 Miyata 1000 Grand Touring model I had in blue, was surprisingly sporty with seemingly upright angles, and had a curiously high bottom bracket with it's original 27" tires.
    I've just landed a sand-color, 1980 Specialissima with these nice AGC450 center-pull calipers, which I hope combines with sporty handling (I have yet to ride it, will soon). I was looking for an all-round bike for both club rides and light mountain-biking. My old Miyata 1000 held up to some years of pretty serious off-roading, even with it's high-tension steel fork (I'm pretty light).

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  8. I bought a Specialissima new in 1980 or 81. The mods I have made over the years parallel yours to an astonishing degree - including custom Kool Stop brake pads!

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