At long last - Team Miyata

[fitz]

After three years of searching I finally found the frame I've been hanging out for, a Team Miyata from 1984/85. The ones with all the lovely cutouts and lug work. This is the American Team SL (not Koga - Miyata) so it does not have the BB cutouts nor the gold headtube. In every other respect its the same. I've built it up with Suntour superbe pro from '87. New aero hoods would be nice. The bars are modern nittos with short reach and drop. The original stem is too short for me and really for the frame too as I think a longer stem would make for better balance.

[dubrat]

Beautiful....

Track version of this is on my list of wants...

[grantw]

Verrry nice.

[ghostpoet]

Awesome machine. I bet it was a sweet find and build. Can you post model number and better pics of the bars? Have you christened her yet?

[jaseyjase]

best colour scheme of all miyatas, lovely.

[rusco]

wow this is very cool, I have a couple of Miyatas and have recently picked up a nice 912 frame from the states. Would love to have a look in person.

[stevendavid75]

So nice ...love the rear brake bridge ..enjoy !

[seddo]

very nice congrats

[Mustang]

Well Done love the colour

[humanbeing]

Mmm.
Very nice!

[familyguy]

Do they come in mens sizes?

Very nice. Classic colours.

Jim

[munga]

nice bike mr fitz. what's the story with koga-miyata v's miyata? how did it come about that two miyatas were selling at the same time in different markets? what's the difference between this and a koga-miyata?

why is the 84/5 miyata team significant to you?
it's definitely a purdy bike, but i'm more interested in why you chose this model.

[frailer5]

:swoon:

[fitz]

Thanks for the compliments.
Munga, as to the history...cut and paste from Wiki, saves me typing.

Miyata was founded by Eisuke Miyata, a gunsmith employed by the Hitachi Kuni Kasama Clan. Miyata built Japan's first conventional, modern bicycle at the Miyata Gun Factory in 1892. He recognized the future of gun manufacturing in Japan was not strong, and got the idea for a new bike design after being asked by a foreigner to repair a conventional bicycle. Unlike modern-day bicycles, it was built from proprietary tubing in the same factory where guns were made. The tubing was bored out lengthwise using a round steel rod, mean the inside of the tube is rifled like a gun barrel. Many say Miyata pioneered triple butting, and revolutionized frame building techniques. The first Miyata’s were bolt-upright town bikes. Over the decades, Miyata established a good foothold in the bicycle market, becoming contracted by multiple local brands to build their bicycles and ultimately attracting Panasonic Corporation to become a shareholder in 1959. [2]
Panasonic Corporation, for a period the manufacturer of National and Panasonic brand bicycles, had been Miyata's largest shareholder since its 1959, selling its remaining stake in Miyata in 2008.[3]
The Miyata brand still exists and, while it is no longer distributed in the United States, it remains popular in Europe under the Dutch "Koga-Miyata" brand.[4] As of 2008, there is limited availability of Koga-Miyata bicycles in North America.
Koga Miyata was a joint project. By A. Gaastra (Koga) and Miyata. The bikes are built in the Netherlands.
Koga-Miyata is a Dutch bicycle manufacturer, established in Heerenveen. Koga Miyata is nowadays part of the Accell Group. In the early seventies the company was established by mr. A. Gaastra. The additive Miyata came of the Japanese frame builder, with whom Gaastra cooperated.
Miyata has since reworked and reopened the Japanese factory but on a much smaller scale. Using the frame that won the a L’Alpe-d’Huez stage in the 1981 TDF, you can now special order a "new" hand build steel frame.
[edit]Miyata in the U.S.

Throughout the U.S. bike boom of the 1970s and into the 1980s, Miyata competed with domestic companies including Schwinn, Huffy, and Murray; European companies including Raleigh, Peugeot and Motobecane — as well as other nascent Japanese brands including Nishiki, Fuji, Bridgestone, Panasonic, Centurion, Lotus and Univega — whose bikes were manufactured by Miyata.[5] Japanese-manufactured bikes succeeded in the U.S. market until currency fluctuations in the late 1980s made them less competitive, leading companies to source bicycles from Taiwan. Miyata halted production and importation of the Japanese framed bike in 1987 and moved away from the traditional rifled tubing.

I was after either a Pro or Team Miyata for that lovely lug, fork crown and stay work. It was only on those models for a 5 year period I think. The team had a better range of sizes so making for a better fit, this size was not available in the Pro range. The US versions (not build in conjunction with Koga) did not have the fancy BB work. I do not know why. Heres an example.


I've only had it out a few times and the ride is excellent. Smooth with predictable and precise handling, its a bike I would really consider using a more modern indexed group on if it were not for the 126mm rear. It would be a shame to spread such a bike.

[fitz]

Awesome machine. I bet it was a sweet find and build. Can you post model number and better pics of the bars? Have you christened her yet?

WIll get a few more photos up, if you want, after the silly season.

[spirito]

... its a bike I would really consider using a more modern indexed group on if it were not for the 126mm rear. It would be a shame to spread such a bike.

I wouldn't hesitate, 2mm either side and you'll have a whole new world of components to choose from.

Very nice bike btw, glad it's in good hands

[grantw]

Don't spread it. Keep it pure.

[munga]

said the viking to the wench