1984? Univega Alpina Ultima: Initial Build

I finally got to building up a bicycle to ride. I had taken apart all my bicycles a few months ago with plans to overhaul and build them back up, but found the disassembling to be much easier than reassembling. But now that I have settled in to the new house and new job, I spent some time to build this one up.

If I remember correctly, I got this bike in the same bulk lot as the Specialized Stumpjumper in the previous post. I kept this one because it fits me (it is actually a little bit too big). I wasn't able to find too much information about this model other than some info on the 1983 catalog. Some of the components that were on this particular bike matched the info on the catalog, but many did not. Therefore, I'm not quite sure what year this is from. The date codes on components do suggest that it's a 1984 model.

From the 1983 catalog, this appears to be Univega's top-of-the-line ATB. It's got a pretty relaxed geometry with long wheelbase and high bottom bracket. Back when I bought this, I was trying to learn more about bicycle touring, and this bike seemed to have enough braze-on's to make it into a light tourer. It actually came with flat bars, but I've replaced it with drop bars and the accompanying stem, brake levers, and shifters.

I actually almost damaged this bicycle while putting it together. I tried to test-ride the bicycle in front of my house without connecting the straddle cable wire for the front brake. I got too excited and tried to go over a small bump, and I think it caused the wire to get stuck in the spokes, pulling the brakepads in with it, and instantly locking up the front wheel. I flipped forward with the bike, luckily only spraining my ankle and scraping my right elbow. However I did damage the Dura-Ace 7400 brake levers that I had put on this bike originally, and had slight bent the brake bosses. I am really have been hating myself for making this stupid mistake. But I was able to bend back the bosses, and align them sufficiently for me to reinstall the brakes. The Dura-Ace brake levers were unfortunately beyond repair.

I'm planning to put a Blackburn rear rack, but the previous owner had damaged one of the braze-on's thread because he/she used a screw with the wrong thread pitch/diameter, so I'm going to have to find a solution for that. It's also going to need a new saddle soon, since this one's all cracked. The current wheels/tires can be replaced because they're making bike pretty heavy. But overall, it's got some interesting/rare components. I think the original rear derailleur may even have been Suntour Superbe Tech (but the bike didn't come with it). If you look at the picture with rear derailleur cable stop, you can see that the original cable stop that's brazed onto the chainstay is actually facing inward. The 1983 catalog shows the same thing with the Superbe Tech's unique cable housing routing.

Here are the specs:
Frame: 51cm seat tube; about 31 inch stand-over height; no indications about the frame material - the '83 catalog states welded double-butted chromoly main tubes and chromoly stays; three sets of bottle cage braze on's; Suntour rear dropouts
Fork: No indication of fork material - '83 catalog states chromoly with aero type crown
Headset: Tange MTB-225; Dia-Compe brake cable stop
Crankset: Takagi XT triple; 26-36-46
Pedals: Shimano PD-MX15 w/ generic resin toe clips
Bottom Bracket: Suntour MB-V w/ sealed bearings; Vx taper
Front/Rear Derailleur: Suntour LeTech (The rear has 3 pivots; the front is "top-normal," as in it goes to the biggest chainwheel when the cable is relaxed)
Shifter: Suntour bar-end Power shifters
Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace
Handlebar: Nitto B115
Stem: WIN alloy riser stem
Brakes: Shimano MC-70
Brake Levers: Aero Gran Compe (no hoods); Forte in-line brake levers
Saddle: San Marco Anatomica 371
Seatpost: SR MBE-100 w/ "longitudinal adjustment"; Sakae seatpost quick release
Rims: Araya 26"
Hubs: Front Joytech sealed; Rear Specialized w/ 6 speed Suntour freewheel
Tires: Cheng-Shin Electra (pretty darn heavy)

1984 Univega Alpina Ultima - Drive-side (9/7/11)

1984 Univega Alpina Ultima (9/7/11)

1984 Univega Alpina Ultima - Front view (9/7/11)

1984 Univega Alpina Ultima - Suntour Le Tech front derailleur (9/7/11)

1984 Univega Alpina Ultima - Takagi Tourney XT (9/7/11)

1984 Univega Alpina Ultima - Shimano PD-MX15 pedals (9/7/11)

1984 Univega Alpina Ultima - Suntour Le Tech rear derailleur (9/7/11)

1984 Univega Alpina Ultima - Seat cluster; SR MBE-100 seatpost; San Marco Anatomica 371 saddle (9/7/11)

1984 Univega Alpina Ultima - Aero Gran Compe brake lever (9/7/11)

1984 Univega Alpina Ultima - Dia Compe cable stop; Tange MTB-225 headset (9/7/11)

1984 Univega Alpina Ultima - Head badge decal (9/7/11)

1984 Univega Alpina Ultima - Cable stop(s) (9/7/11)

1984 Univega Alpina Ultima - Bottom bracket cable routing (9/7/11)

1984 Univega Alpina Ultima - Rear view (9/7/11)

1984 Univega Alpina Ultima - SR MBE-100 seatpost (9/7/11)

1984 Univega Alpina Ultima - Suntour MB-V bottom bracket (9/7/11)

1984 Univega Alpina Ultima - Suntour dropout (9/7/11)

Another frame sold: 1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport

I sold the frame/fork of what I think is a 1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport for $25. I originally got it as a part of a police auction. It's fully lugged, and got a bi-plane fork crown, which I really like. If it had fit me, I would have kept it, too, since I think it would've made a good commuter bike. It also with some desirable parts, which I did keep. They include Sugino AT cranks, Saturne (?) rims, Blackburn rear rack, Suntour Power thumb shifters, etc. It also came with a Cr-Mo bull moose handlebar, but I am thinking of selling it if I can. Just as a record, this came with a 26.4 mm SR Laprade seatpost.

1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport - Side view (4/24/11)

1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport - Special Series Touring Chrome-Moly Tubing decal (4/24/11)

1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport - Seat lug and Specialized seatpost clamp lever (4/24/11)

1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport - Bottom bracket, lugged (4/24/11)

1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport - Cable routing braze-ons (4/24/11)

1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport - Rear Dropout (4/24/11)

1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport - Front view (4/24/11)

1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport - Bi-plane fork crown (4/24/11)

1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport - Fork decal (4/24/11)

1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport - Specialized bull moose handlebar, top view (4/19/11)

1984 Specialized Stumpjumper Sport - Specialized bull moose handlebar, side view (4/19/11)

Out with the old, in with the new

During the last couple of months there's been some changes in my stable of bikes. I recently sold the SR Apine Sport for $125. I returned it to its original 12 speed, using the original Shimano Altus LT drivetrain. The buyer was quite happy about how clean it was. Here are some pictures I took for record:

1980 SR Alpine Sport - With the gears and the derailleurs added back on (4/11/11)

1980 SR Alpine Sport - Shimano Altus LT rear derailleur (4/11/11)

1980 SR Alpine Sport - Shimano Altus stem-mounted friction shifters (4/11/11)

I also sold the frame, fork, and a few parts of the 1991 Trek 6000 for $35. I was thinking about turning into another single speed, but decided to sell it because there was a big scratch on the drive-side chainstay from chainsuck. I kept the Suntour XC Ltd parts and the wheelset though.

1991 Trek 6000 - How it looked when I first brought it home (1/16/11)

1991 Trek 6000 - What I sold (2/16/11)

I also bought/sold a few other bikes, but most of them weren't very noteworthy. I did pick up a pair of Suntour bar-end shifters and a few other parts from a beat up 70's Centurion Super Lemans. I also got hold of a 1984 Specialized Stumpjumper. The Stumpjumper is too big for me, so I've taken off the parts and am planning to sell the frame and fork. I'm also planning to sell the Schwinn Cimarron frame and fork. I had planned to build it up to be a commuter/light tourer, but I picked up a 1984 Univega Alpina Ultima that's in a much better condition. I've forgot to take pictures of these bikes, so they will come in a later post, hopefully.

Here are the new bikes for which I do have the pictures to show, though. First is the 1987 Terry Despatch for my sister. My sister's only about 5'3" with not very long legs, so it's quite difficult to find a vintage bicycle that fits her. (And I wanted her to have a lugged steel bike, but I can't really afford to buy her a new one). I already knew that Centurion made some of their Ironman models with a 24 inch front wheel to allow for a very small frame, and had missed a couple of chances to buy one at a reasonable price. I also knew of Terry bicycles made for small women, but I just assumed for that the company wasn't so old. So when I picked this one up for $125 on Craigslist, and was pretty surprised that it wasn't gone by the time I contacted the seller. I was told that it was ridden only a few times, and it seems to be true. There are nicks and scratches, but it's overall clean for its age. It's got Tange 1 tubing, Suntour Cyclone 7000 drivetrain, with about a 27 inch stand-over height. More details on this bike will follow after I give it an overhaul.

1987 Terry Despatch - Drive-side view (4/5/11)

1987 Terry Despatch - Front view (4/5/11)

The second bicycle is the most recent addition, and it's a Univega Alpina 507. I don't quite know the model year yet since I didn't have time to look at the parts' date codes or the frame's serial number, but it's most likely from the early 90's. I picked it up at the Goodwill auction for $71 (although with the gas prices now, it probably cost me more like $100). I bought it because it's a got decent components (Shimano Deore LX/XT), and it had bosses for racks and a third water bottle cage under the downtube. I am thinking I could turn this into another commuter/tourer. From my quick inspection, everything seems to be in a decent condition. There isn't much information on this model on the internet. But from one picture that I managed to find, the Rock Shox Judy XC fork it has on now may not be original. I don't have any experience with suspension forks, so that aspect of the bike will be a new learning experience for me. Also, the rear shifter/brake lever was a Shimano Acera and made for V-brakes, so that will also need to be changed. It's made in Taiwan with Formula 969 double-butted chromoly. I couldn't find anything on this tubing, but the bike seems sufficiently light.

Univega Alpina 507 - Drive side (4/18/11)

Univega Alpina 507 - Front view (4/18/11)

New bike in the stable: 1980 SR Alpine Sport single speed

I finally got around to finishing my first single speed conversion today. I got this bike from a Goodwill auction for $66.07. I was planning to flip it, but when I saw how clean the bike was compared to its age (inferred from component date codes), and that it had stamped rear dropouts without a derailleur hanger, I decided this bike was going to be my first single speed.
It was a 12 speed geared with Shimano Altus LT derailleurs and Shimano stem shifters. I had recently scored some nice parts from the same Goodwill (which will be shown in a future blog) that I considered putting on this bike. However, the original components seemed to have been barely used, so I decided to keep them on until they need replacing. (You can see the full specs below). The only thing I changed was the bottom bracket spindle, pedals, chain, tires/tubes, and all those twine. It's not a necessarily a light bike, but from my test ride it's got a pretty good ride.
It took me a couple of weeks to actually take everything apart and put it back together. This is the first bike I had done such extensive overhauling, and I even tried a few new maintenance techniques.
I took all the components off and washed the frame and fork with dish wash soap and water. Then I finally got to use the Boeshield T-9 that I bought from Sears a while ago. I sprayed it inside all the tubes and stays, including the fork steerer and blades. It didn't look too different other than being a bit more glossy, but I hope it'll do its job in protecting the frame from rust. Then I even waxed the frame and the fork with Turtle Wax. It seems to have put on some shine at the time, but after spilling shellac on the frame, I'm not sure if it still shows any effect. I saw a few blemishes on the paint (which there is surprisingly few despite being 31 years old), so I went to Walmart to find a matching nail polish. I now have a sizable nail polish collection from my past attempts to touch up paint job on my bike, but I never had one that matched so perfectly as this time. It's "Gunmetal" by Sally Hansen. I also painted the flutes on the crank with the nail polish. I put all the parts back together with fresh grease, which was painstakingly slow.
I got to try another fun experiment waxing the chain in a crock-pot. I read instructions on the EcoVelo website, and used a spare Crock-ette (a very small crock-pot) with Yaley's Taper Candle Wax and Yaley's Natural Beeswax. It looks great so far, but I will have to see the actual effectiveness as I ride the bike. I also gave the cloth handlebar tape (which was on the bike already) three coats of shellac. The red twine on it is actually unnecessary, other than for looks. I also cut up an old cotton suede flannel and wrapped it around the suicide levers, and gave it 4 coats of shellac.
Since this post is getting ridiculously long, I'm going to wrap it up by saying that it's a very nice looking bike with interesting components, and I am very much looking forward to getting to know its ride.

Here are the specs, finally:
Frame: Unknown material; 49cm center-to-center; stamped rear dropouts
Fork: Tange; Tange dropouts
Headset: Unknown chrome steel
Crank: SR Silstar 165mm 52t
Bottom Bracket: Tange cups; Hatta 3N spindle
Seatpost: SR 26.0mm
Saddle: Kashimax Sport
Stem: SR
Handlebar: Alps Industries Road Champion
Brakes: Shimano 500 center-pull
Brake Levers: Shimano Dee-50
Hubs: Shimano; 6 speed Uniglide freehub rear; 21t cog
Rims: Araya Satylite 27 x 1 1/4, single-walled, Schrader valve
Tires: Performance Nova 27 x 1 3/16
Misc: Cat-Eye cloth handlebar tape, 3 coats of shellac; bell by Bell; Cat-Eye reflectors; lots of hemp twine

1980 SR Alpine Sport - Side View

1980 SR Alpine Sport

1980 SR Alpine Sport

1980 SR Alpine Sport - Head tube

1980 SR Alpine Sport - Fork crown

1980 SR Alpine Sport - Seat lug

1980 SR Alpine Sport - Bottom bracket

1980 SR Alpine Sport

1980 SR Alpine Sport - 6 speed Uniglide hub converted to single speed

1980 SR Alpine Sport - Cloth handlebar tape, w/ shellac

1980 SR Alpine Sport - Shimano 500 center-pull brake

1980 SR Alpine Sport - Seat tube

1995 Trek 2120

Here's a 1995 Trek 2120 with a 57cm frame (center-to-center). I acquired this bicycle on Craigslist along with a small 1987 Centurion Accordo RS (see last picture). Both of them together were posted at $120, but I had to offer $130 for the seller to hold it for me, and then drive about an hour to pick them up. I had planned from the start to trade the Centurion with my friend's bike which I had helped pick out earlier, because I felt that I wasn't able to get her that great of a deal. But I was planning to flip the Trek for some extra cash, until another friend of mine said her brother might be interested in it. So I will probably not ask for much more than $65, just to cover the gas fee and the time I put in to fix it up a little bit.

It's got bonded carbon tubes with aluminum stays, headtube, and fork. I was a little worried about its reliability after reading about older bonded carbon frames, but as you can see, this frame appears to be in a pretty good condition. There are no creaks or visible movement at the joints. Only parts that I put on was the saddle, cheap pedals, chains, and NOS tires. I couldn't get the shifting to be ask crisp and I wanted, and I didn't want  to spend too much time figuring out the problem. The left STI shifter had a loose spring that I had to put back into place, so hopefully that won't turn out to be a big problem either.

Here are the specs as seen on photos:

Frame: Trek design uni-directional carbon (internal cable routing through headlug and seatlug)

Stays: Easton tapered aluminum alloy

Fork: Trek epoxy bonded tapered aluminum alloy

Headset: Tange Seiki Levin CDS

Crankset: Shimano RX100T 30/42/52

Front derailleur: Shimano RX100T

Rear derailleur: Shimano RX100SGS

Shifters: Shimano RSX STI Dual Control

Cassette: 12-28 7-speed

Chain: KMC "Narrow"

Hubs: Shimano 105SC

Rims: Matrix Titan Tech

Tires: 700 x 23c Avenir Discovery (front); 700 x 28c Performance GT2K (rear)

Brakes: Shimano 105SC

Pedals: cheap Union resin pedals

Stem: Kalloy

Handlebar: System 1

Seatpost: System 1

Saddle: San Marco Ponza

Accessories: Bontrager bar tape; Trek water bottle cage in matching Ice Violet color

1995 Trek 2120 - Drive-side view (1/19/11)

1995 Trek 2120 - Front view (1/19/11)

1995 Trek 2120 - Seat lug and stamped seatstay (1/19/11)

1995 Trek 2120 - Seat tube & bottom bracket (1/19/11)

1995 Trek 2120 - Headtube (1/19/11)

1995 Trek 2120 - Aluminum fork (1/19/11)

1995 Trek 2120 - Top tube (1/19/11)

1995 Trek 2120 - Rear dropout & RX100 derailleur (1/19/11)

Here are a couple pictures of the Centurion Accordo RS. I've already given it to my friend a couple months ago, so the specs are from my memory. This one was also in pretty good condition, although the frame had a few spots of surface rust.

Also, they had put a 7-speed thumb shifter with 6 speed freewheel, and a 3 speed indexed thumb shifter for a non-indexed front derailleur. So I put a NOS Shimano 600 EX downtube shifters. 

Specs:

Frame: Tange Infinity double butted main frame, lugged

Derailleurs: Shimano Light Action

Shifters: Shimano 600 EX downtube (6 speed, indexed)

Stem/Handlebar/Seatpost: Delta, alloy

Brakes: Shimano SLR

Hubs: Maillard (front); Sovos (rear), 6-speed 12-28 freewheel

Rims: Mavic MA2 (front); Sun CR18 (rear)

Tires: Specialized Turbo 700 x 20c (front) 700 x 28c (rear)

Crank: Sugino, left and right didn't match, but both were 165mm; 38/50 chainrings

Saddle: Serfas

Accessories: Forte cork bartape; Forte in-line brake levers; Centurion bottle cage

1987 Centurion Accordo RS - Drive-side (12/7/10)

1987 Centurion Accordo RS - Front (12/7/10)