“New” bike!
Monday, November 23rd, 2009I have a “new” bike. My old commuter, which was a GT Timberline from 1994 or so, finally reached the point where it could no longer be repaired. I had been watching various possible bicycle acquisition channels for some time, and finally found something suitable, a Miyata Street Runner, sort of early hybrid, apparently from 1984 or so. I picked it up for just $40 from someone on Craiglist. Sorry about the sub-par photos, but I really wanted to snap a few shots of the bike in the living room, after I finished working on it. I’ll take some better photos soon. It’s hard to tell from the photos, but it has a nice, lugged CrMo frame.
After I bought it, and rode it a few miles, I confirmed that the frame was solid, but the components were really showing their age. I intended to try to see if I could swap some parts over from my old commuter, but I quickly realized I would be in over my head, if I tried that. So I took both bikes to a local shop and had them do it. After hearing how much trouble they had with it, I was glad I hadn’t attempted it myself. I felt they didn’t do a great job with the rack and fenders, so I tweaked them a bit myself. They’re still not perfect, but they are much improved.
I intend to take the knobby tires off soon and replace them with some slick tires, at least until we get some snow or ice.
So far, I’ve only taken the bike for one shakedown ride, but my first impression is that it’s a lot of fun to ride. It’s a bit more upright than I’m used to, and it feels a like driving a truck. A truck that likes to go surprisingly fast, given its age and weight.
It also looks like a bike that could survive the apocalypse. I’m hoping I won’t have to find out about that, but if that should happen, now I’m prepared!
I think I’ll call this bicycle The Beast.
November 23rd, 2009 at 11:38 pm
I like it. It’s hard to go wrong with those old lugged steel bikes. I also like those old stems that double as cable hangers.
November 24th, 2009 at 12:47 am
Great looking commuter indeed. Nicely done.
November 24th, 2009 at 6:02 am
The Beast looks like the answer to many an urban commuter Q. I think you’ll have fun having a beater to trash, saving the LHT for future fun.
And the RCCS is gonna put on a 70-miler sometime coming up, one with 4 sections of mixedterrain. Would a Saturday work better for you?
November 24th, 2009 at 7:10 am
Good looking bike indeed! Hope it brings you thousands of miles of commuting fun!
November 24th, 2009 at 7:40 am
Is the saddle swapped from your old bike?
November 24th, 2009 at 7:53 am
My old mountain bike was my “beater” before, so I’m accustomed to having a bike specifically intended to withstand the abuse that commuting dishes out. And, I had a pretty good idea what I wanted. If I were a fair-weather commuter, I’d go for more of a road bike, but the ability to have 2″+ knobbies in the winter is something I wouldn’t want to give up.
That is the saddle that came with the bike. Not sure what was originally on there. I could’ve swapped out the saddle with the WTB one on my old bike, but this one is really quite comfortable, so I left it.
November 24th, 2009 at 9:25 am
Throw some mustache bars on it, like my Red Rockhopper, and you’ve got an XO-1 killer!
November 24th, 2009 at 9:26 am
“The Beast!” I love it. Do you remember the bike I rode on our Rausch Gap trip? http://picasaweb.google.com/sdloveless/EvolutionOfAMountainBike# I’ve been calling her “la Bestia Blu”. Anyway, that looks like an excellent little machine. Get some studded tires for the winter.
November 24th, 2009 at 2:57 pm
You may call it the Beast, but that bike looks to me like it’s nothing but functional! Good grab…..
November 24th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Excellent find!! I think this type of 80’s mtn bike make really great all-round/commuter bikes. I love my ‘87 Specialized Rockhopper, which is now my Xtracycle. It was my only bike for many years.
November 25th, 2009 at 2:51 am
nice bike. is that a koga miyata?
November 25th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
RYN and question about the Trace.
The logistics of getting to and home from the trace are dreadfull. For example for the Erie Canal, I drove to Albany, hopped a train to Buffalo and road the canal to my car. Public transportation from Nashville to Natchez is not that good.
Also none of the journals I have read recommend it on their conclusion pages. The three that I enjoyed reading all said that it’s one of those things they are glad they did, but if they knew ahead of time what they knew at the end, they wouldn’t do it. Kind of like the Trans Am.
November 26th, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Chandra, I’m not sure when Miyata became Koga Miyata, I’m a little hazy on that whole story. But this bike simply says “Miyata” on it, so that’s what I’m calling it.