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Miyata 310 Completion

I had said that I was going to finish up the Miyata 310 build a few weeks back, but that week turned out to be really hot.  And the next week as well.  So I started working again on the build a few days ago.  I installed the handle bars, the shifters, the brake handles, and started to size the housing for brake cables and shifter cables.

Today I finished cutting the cable housings to size.  Installed the brake and derailleur cables.  Here I am testing the movement of the derailleurs.

Now I am sizing and installing the chain.  I get to use my new Hozan chain tool.  There are three popular ways to size your new chain.  The first method was used by the late Sheldon Brown who was a well known bicycle mechanic and proponent of bicycling.  His website had tons of information on bicycles which I have used on a number of occasions.  His website is still maintained by his friends and family  To use the Sheldon Brown chain sizing method, you put the chain around the larges sprocket on your rear gears and then put the chain around the largest chainwheel on the front. Usually the front derailleur is shifted to the largest chainwheel, but I don’t see that it matters.  Don’t feed the chain through the rear derailleur, just make sure the derailleur is out of your way by shifting it to the smallest sprocket.  But make sure the chain fits on every tooth of the rear large sprocket that it can be on.  As the chain is around the rear large sprocket and the front largest chainwheel, pull the chain tight and find the closest matching link that you can connect to.  Then go back down the chain one link (maybe 2 if you are using a master link)  and at that point is where you will break the chain to size it.

The second chain sizing method needs the bicycle to be on flat and level ground.  You will feed the chain (which has the end that with accept the pin) around the smallest chainwheel on the front.  Next feed the other end of the chain around the smallest sprocket on the rear and also around and through the rear derailleur pickup wheels.  The chain end from the front will overlap the rear end of the chain.  Pull the chain ends gently together until the point where the cage of the rear derailleur moves forward.  At this point the chain coming off the rear derailleur ideally should have enough clearance not to rub against the top guide pulley on the derailleur.  Basically there should be a minimum of 1/2″ or 15mm gap.  On the overlap, you will break the chain at the point where the proper ends meet.  Note that if you are using a power link, then you have to go one link farther.

The third chain sizing method uses mathematics to calculate the chain length.  First you need to find out how many teeth your biggest sprocket on the rear  has and then find out how many teeth your biggest chainwheel on the front has.  Then measure the length of your chain stay which will be from the center of your rear wheel to the center of your chainset.  Measure it to the closest .125″ (1/8″).   I am going to do a calculation using the numbers I gathered from my Miyata which has a 53 tooth front chainring, a 34 tooth large rear sprocket, and a length of 16.25″ for the chainstay.  So the equation will be this for the Miyata:

(16.25 x 2) + (53 / 4) + (34 / 4) + 1

32.5 + 13.25 + 8.5 + 1 = 55.25″

This last method is especially helpful if you change you rear sprocket/cassette or your front chainwheel.  I was familiar with the first two methods, but not this third method.  I used the second method when I sized up the new chain for my Fuji build.  This time I am going to use the Sheldon Brown sizing method.  After I size the chain, I will compare the length that I come up with to the Math sizing method and see how close they are.

In the picture I made a mistake marking the link, I need to go over to the start of the next link.  So instead of 55″ it was almost 55.5″.  So 55″ and 55.5″ were still in the ballpark and very close to the measurement of 55.25″ that I calculated.

I was able to install the chain but had a little bit of trouble with the pin for the Shimano chain.  You are supposed to install a chain with the side that has writing on it facing the outside.  But this Shimano chain had writing on both sides, so I am not sure which side is suppose to face out in this case.

After I installed the chain I adjusted the high/low setting for the derailleurs.  Then I took the Miyata on a few test rides.  I moved the saddle back twice, a little bit after each of two short rides in the neighborhood.

I completed about 99% of the build.  I need to install the toe clips and a speedometer I got for it.  But I will mark the build as completed!

 

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Hozan Bicycle Tools

I don’t remember when I first became aware of Hozan Tools, but they have been around since 1946.  Besides making bicycle tools, they make tools for the electronics industry.

I have a number of their tools on my wish list.  The first one is the C-702 Spoke Threading Machine.  It is for use with round spokes.  There are 3 different cutting head sizes available (13, 14, and 15) depending on your spoke thickness.  You can cut a long spoke to the size you need and then use the C-702 to put threads on the spoke by turning the crank arm to do so.   It actually cold rolls the tread on to a spoke.  It comes in handy for those people who build a lot of bicycle wheels.  I have yet to build my first wheel, but that is one of the things I want to do.  You can get it on Amazon with one cutting head for around $119 USD which is cheaper than I have seen it on eBay.  Also on Amazon I have seen a cutting head is around $72 USD which is the cheapest I have found.

I saw a Hozan C-701 Spoke Threading Machine on eBay a while back.  It is motor driven.  I only saw that one unit there and someone snatched it up.  I saw a few videos of it in action and it was very easy to use.  It was around $450 USD on eBay which is a lot more expensive that you can get a C-702 on Amazon.  But I saw that a brand new unit with a #13 head at Modern Bike was $1500 USD but with free shipping!

The Hozan C-701 is not the most expensive Spoke Threading Machine I’ve seen online.  Wheel Fanatyk has a Morizumi that will cut and thread the spoke like you can get from the factory.  But it comes in at a whopping $3800 USD!  It is manual action where you pull a lever down and cut the spoke.  You then put the spoke into the threading area where you pull a lever down and push it back up for a finished spoke.  Really fast if you are producing a lot of spokes.  Not sure how many spokes you need to run through the machine before you get a return for your money.

 

Actually I forgot about the Phil Wood spoke machine which is an astronomical $7050 USD!  Not even going to show a picture for that thing.  I wonder how much the Phil Wood name adds to the price.

I got off the subject of the post, namely Hozan tools.  I have a number of cheap bicycle chain tools.  I have one that is part of a BikeHand tool set, and a few others that I picked up from various places.  All of them work but they are basically junk.  Which brings me to my latest chain tool, the Hozan C-371.

The C-371 is a heavy duty chain tool it dwarfs the other chain tools.  It is prescision made.  And at $74 USD it better be.

The BikeHand chain tool broke while I was using it a while back.  The metal piece that the chain fit over broke right off.  The metal isn’t very strong.

 

The handle of the C-371 holds a spare chain link press pin.

I am going to be using this tool when I install the chain on my Miyata 310 this week.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Miayta 310 Build Progress

Recently I spent some time working on the Miyata 310.  I was going to use a 7 speed IRD freewheel sprocket but unfortunately there was some binding between it and the frame.  So I had to use the gold 5 speed New Old Stock (NOS) Suntour freewheel that I had.  It looks good on the rear wheel.  I also added a Suntour chain guard that I picked up.  A lot of people remove them, but I added it for a retro look.

I got a Miyata crankset (made by Sakae) from ebay a while ago and I was going to install it on the bicycle.  But unfortunately when I tried to install it, there was some binding on the frame as well.  Because the mounting bolts for the small chainwheel are too far in, they scrape on the frame as the crank turns.  So I can’t use it.  It does look nice.  I guess I will create a shadow box for those parts that I can’t use.

So I am going to go with the Sugino Mighty crankset that I already had on the frame.  It is a nice crankset.  I believe I mentioned before that Sugino still manufactures cranksets in Japan.  Good quality parts.

Today I did a few things on the build.  I added gear cable guides, cut the stem of the fork to size, put in the seat post, put in the handle bar stem, and put on the derailleurs (both Suntour NOS).  I am using the handle bar stem that I previously had on my Fuji Team.  The seat post is a suspension post that I got in 26.6mm width to fit in the seat tube.  I got a tool from Stein Tool in the US for cutting the 1″ threaded fork tube to size.  Worked great. Used a file on the burs at the end of the cut.



This coming week I will go ahead and finish it up.

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Dude, where’s my Tire?

Back when I had my Gitane Interclub it had 27″ wheels with tubular tires.  There were 700c wheels (ISO 622) around but I don’t think I was familiar with them at the time.  The 27″ wheels (ISO 630 mm) are often found on older road bikes like I had. The 27″ wheels are slightly larger than 700c at 630 mm as opposed to 622 mm.  Hence there is a 4cm difference on the brake reach.  On my old Miyata I don’t remember if the tires were 27″ or not.  I feel like they were 26″ tires.  I went to Western Auto to get replacement tires for it from time to time.

There are so many choices when it come to tires now days depending on the bicycle type (Touring, mountain, gravel, etc.).  There are 26″ (ISO 559)  tires which are used on mountain bicycles and cruisers.  There are 650b or 27.5″ (ISO 584) tires which are also used on mountain bicycles.  There are the 700c or 28″ (ISO 622) tires which I have mentioned already which are used for road, hybrid, city, and touring bicycles.  There are the 29″ tires which are used as a marketing term for wider 700c tires.  Then there are some less common tire sizes such as the 27″ (ISO 630).  While the 27″ (ISO 630) is less common now days, it is still widely available, but not usually bought on new bicycles.

I have a set of 27″ wheels that I got with the Miyata 210 frame.  I will be using them with the Miyata 310 build.  But I am going to use 700c wheels as the primary wheels for the Miyata 310 build since I can use wider tires with the 700c wheels.  Here are some pictures that I took of the 27″ wheels along with two 700c wheels (both having the same type of rim).  The 27″ wheel happens to be almost 27″ tall.  The 700c with the 23c tire is about 1/2″ shorter at roughly 26.5″.  And the the 700c with 38c is roughly an 1″ taller at almost 28″.  There will be plenty of clearance for the wider and taller 700c tires on the Miyata.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Fuji Team Issue Build

At the same time that I got the Miyata 210 frame, I purchased a Fuji Team Issue frame with a front fork.  The frame and fork were carbon fiber and had been listed as being repaired.  Since the seller was a bike shop with a very good rating, I crossed my fingers and hoped it would be ok.  From the pictures nothing seemed to be wrong with it.  And when I received it, everything was fine.  This is the frame that I intend to use as the basis for a bike that I would ride in the neighborhood with my family.  Here is a picture of the frame from the eBay listing and a picture of a complete 2008 model.

This build is a nod to the Fuji Finest that I liked back in the 70s.  This build turned out pretty well.

While I still intend on adding the toe clips and straps that I have on hand, the build is pretty much completed.  I didn’t do a build using original components.  I mixed and matched components that I thought would work well.  One component that I didn’t go with, was standard drop handlebars.  This was due to the negative effect that bending down while gripping them would have on my lower back.  So I opted to use Wald 870 high rise handlebars which would allow me to sit fairly upright.  I paired up some Dia-Compe DC188 brake levers (with matching handle grips) along side the Wald 870 handlebar.  Topping that off that setup with an IRD Power Ratchet Thumb Shifter set.  I included a number of Campagnolo components in the build.  The front and rear brakes are Campagnolo Centaur Dual Pivot Caliper brakes.  The front and rear derailleurs are Campagnolo Racing T derailleurs.  Both of the wheels were built using Campagnolo hubs with Mavic CXP Pro 15mm rims.  The tires are 700-28c Panarace Gravel Kings.  I used Velo Orange Cable sets for the brakes and derailleurs.  The saddle is a Fuji Velo which is on a generic compression seat tube.  The seat tube along with a 90mm Cirrus Cycles Suspension Stem dampens the bumps a bit.  The bottom bracket is an IRD QB-55 (127.5mm x 68mm) with English Threads.  The crankset is a triple from a Fuji S10S (most likely from the 80s).  I used a pair of MKS Sylvan Touring (Black and Silver) pedals.  To finish off the bike I used a kickstand that attached to the bike using the quick release on the rear wheel.  The frame, saddle, and crankset all say Fuji on them.

I will be exclusively riding around the roads in my neighborhood.  I don’t intended to ride the bike on the open roads.  It is too bad the roads in my neighborhood aren’t paved, but it is what it is.

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My Miyata 210 310 build

I intended to use a Miyata 210 frame that I got from eBay for a bike build/restoration.  My reason behind a Miyata build, was to pay homage to my first bicycle, a Miyata Sunrise Sport.  But things didn’t go well for my intended Miyata 210 build.  I have been using a freight forwarder in the Miami Florida area to send eBay purchases to me in Chile. When I received the frame in early September, I gave it a quick glance. There was some cardboard around front fork for shipping. But things had come up during that time and I did have the time to really look at the frame. So at the end of December I completely took the frame out of the box and remove the cardboard around the front fork.  There was some cardboard between the fork tips to keep them separated.  I also purchased the original wheels for the frame and started to put the wheels on the frame.  I put the rear wheel on and it seemed fine.  I put the front wheel on and something was seriously wrong.  The fork arms were bent!  I looked at the frame and discovered that not only were the fork arms bent, it seems the frame was bent at the head tube too.

  

Looking at the packing box, it didn’t look like there was any damage to it.  But it kind of looked pushed in on one side.  But really not that bad.

The fork was installed in the frame and it was turned so the front of the arms were pointing backwards.  It seems that something fell on the front end of the frame where the fork is, causing the fork arms and head tube to bend.  From the original pictures of frame on eBay, everything looked fine.  Looking at the frame now, you can see areas on the fork and the head tube when the paint cracked from when the fork and head tube were bent.  Since it had been too long since I received the frame, I can’t really do anything about it.  I didn’t spend a lot for the frame, but still.  I did contact the freight forwarder but they said they could not do anything about it since I didn’t have it packed in a wooden crate (according to the fine print).  I did have them add extra bubble wrap, but that wasn’t good enough.  I really don’t know if it was damaged when it arrived in Miami or in Chile.  The freight forwarder doesn’t do a good enough job of noticing if items are damaged.  Their customer service was lacking too.  Plus they didn’t consolidate your packages either.  I have since changed to a new freight forwarder that has good customer service and consolidates packages.  Plus I can get insurance on my items shipped to me here in Chile.  So all around a better company.

Since I couldn’t use the frame or fork anymore, I went to eBay to see if I could find suitable replacements.  I was able to pick up a Miyata 310 frame, but it didn’t have a front fork.  So I picked up a front fork from eBay too.  It wasn’t from a Miyata, but it is new and fully chromed.  So it will be a nice touch.  This frame also happens to be a 1981 model like the 210 frame.  Both serial numbers start with the letter J which is for the year 1981.  After looking at the frame, I determined that it was ok.  Some minor scratches, but it is in good shape without any bends.

I removed all of the parts from the frame including the headset cups.  Next I will have to remove any stickers.  Can’t sandblast the stickers from the frame.  I also need to remove the Miyata head badge from the frame.

By the way, the 1981 Miyata 310 frames have that geometry of 73 degrees by 73 degrees that I mentioned in my last post.  The color of the frame is Burgundy which is one of the 3 colors available for the 310 in 1981. That’s it for now.

 

 

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73 degrees by 73 degrees

A bicycle geometry of 73 degrees by 73 degrees back in the late 60s and early 70s, could be found on racing bicycles of that era.  But that geometry was entirely appropriate for light (or even medium-load) touring bikes too.  The Fuji S10-S was introduced in 1971 in the US market at the start of the 70’s bike boom.  My introduction to Japanese bicycles was earlier that that.  Back in the late 50’s my family owned a few bicycles that were purchased when we lived in Japan.  The bicycles went with us when we moved back to the US, but eventually they were gotten rid of when we moved again.

While this is not a picture of one of the bicycles that my family owned, it does have the same characteristics that I remember.  Namely the brakes with metal rods instead of metal cables, the kickstand that lifted the rear wheel, the big chain guard, and the seat with springs.  If I find one of the pictures of the bikes we had, then I will add it.

The first bicycle that I owned was a Miyata Sunrise Sport.  My brother originally purchased the bike in 1967 when we were living in Japan again.  After a few years the bike basically became mine in the spring of 1969.  Here is a picture of the Miyata Sunrise Sport.  A friend of my father called it a Fussa Cadillac.  Fussa was the city that we lived near in Japan.

I rode that bike around for a number of years and fixed things on it as needed.  In the Fall of 1974 I had a well read copy of the Consumers Reports for Bicycles.  There were quite a few bicycles that I liked.  The Fuji Finest was one them.  It was one of Fuji’s road racer models, second to the Fuji Professional.  It was a ten speed and came in two colors, rainbow blue and white.  The Fuji Finest is a great example of the classic Japanese racing bike in the traditional European style.  In 1974, Fuji was ranked first in the Consumers Reports bicycle test.

The Gitane Interclub was another bicycle that I was interested in.  The Fuji Finest was a bit more expensive than the Gitane Interclub.  The Interclub along with the Gran Sport DeLuxe were the bottom level models that Gitane offered during the early 1970s.  Back in September 1975, I purchased a used Gitane Interclub (24″ model) for $100 from a guy who worked at the Proteus bike shop in College Park Maryland.  I was a freshman at the University of Maryland at the time and I rode that bike around the campus a lot that year.  I still had the Interclub back in 2007 but got rid of it when we moved from Georgia.  Side note:  The Proteus Bike Shop used to have a class on frame building.  I never got to sign up for the class since I couldn’t afford it.  The book they have for frame building is available on line as a pdf.  They long since stopped offering that class.

While this is not a picture of the Gitane Interclub I had, it is just like it.  With the green color and chrome front forks.  Later on I painted the frame purple.  Despite using a spray can, it turned out pretty well.

Earlier this year I was looking for a bike that I could ride around the neighborhood with my children.  I hadn’t really found anything that I liked at the bicycle stores, so I started collecting parts on eBay to build a bicycle for myself.  The first thing that caught my attention was the frame for a Miyata 210.  I was partial to Miyatas since I had fond memories of the Sunrise Sport that I had.  Besides, Miyatas were good bikes and made well.  Unfortunately it needed a bottom bracket and a lot of other things.  It is definitely a project bike.  I went ahead and purchased the frame.  I also purchased the two wheels that were originally on it.  We will see how it goes from here.