Takara? Ever hear of it?

Bodecci · Oct 22, 2015

Let's start of with this. Not sure if you have large Dept stores. They've been prevalent Stateside since well before Walmart existed. Kmart, Wards and Sears were common with Wards now being defunct. I'm guessing this was a higher end bike from a store such as this. Most likely it's made by Giant. My guess year wise is late '80's to the early '90's as it's SIS equipped and that had just started to be stock on the less expensive stuff. Alloy rims, almost everything else steel. This particular bike literally came out of the trash. I got a new rear wheel from Wheelmaster and added parts I had in stock. Crankset is from my '85 Nashbar Sport RX that I literally wore out. Misc. other parts I had in stock or have acquired from yard sales, swap meets, friends, etc. I did purchase the fenders new. Good, cheap bike or cheap, good bike? Both. Then and now.

Bodecci · Oct 22, 2015

Here's some updated pics

Bodecci · Oct 22, 2015

I originally built this as a birthday present for my father. He's 88 years young and rides it every day. At first it was just to get the newspaper in the morning. That's about 100 meters one way.
Now he uses it to get the mail about every other day. That's 4 times the distance. Yes he lives in the country with me. At his request I got this handlebar and a 44t chain ring. The cup holder is ideal for the newspaper. But I know it will only be a few years before I add a 52T, the front derailleur and put some drop bars on for me. Who knows, with the bike he may live to be 100.
Oh ad BTW the front fender was hitting his feet. I got a bit carried away and cut both of 'em. We call 'em bobbers over here. Still enough there to keep him dry though.

CyclingTheLakes · Oct 30, 2015

Takara was well known, there were so many Japanese brands during the bike boom. I've looked at microfiche and at actual old bicycling magazines from the 1970s and I believe I saw ads from them along with other lesser known Japanese bicycles such as Zebrakenko. Star was another excellent Japanese brand I personally got to ride. Dozens of brands, Takara even made Sheldon's list: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/japan.html#takara

Takara sounds as if they are still around: http://takarabikes.com/

Takara Mixte here: http://oldtenspeedgallery.com/owner-sub ... zon-mixte/

I'd definitely believe they had a full line of bikes.

Sorry, it took awhile to get an answer, I did search on the web and it did look like a big box store may have been selling Takaras but I go to the webpage and find nothing. Actually, some of those bicycles, judged by bicycling magazine, though being massed produced, some are not that bad of deals like Schwinn for example.

Lotus bikes were sort of an American/Japanese company, I actually rode a small little entry level Lotus bike at one point, perhaps it is not a fair way to judge a bike: http://www.vintagelotusbicycles.com/Lot ... e_Page.php

In Canada, they had some sort of rebadged Japanese (or made in Canada but still a Japanese bike basically) bike that is thought to be decent, "Sekine".

CyclingTheLakes · Oct 30, 2015

Nice looking bicycle, I was thinking of getting a wheel from wheelmasters.

It also reminds me a bit of Centurion which seems to be a rather well-thought of brand, a Japanese made bike despite the name and listed on Sheldon's page as well.

Your paint job reminds me a bit of a Centurion paint job, that style was in vogue at one time. My buddy has a Centurion, rides me to shame.

Bodecci · Oct 30, 2015

CyclingTheLakes":rknbdgn5 said:
Takara was well known, there were so many Japanese brands during the bike boom. I've looked at microfiche and at actual old bicycling magazines from the 1970s and I believe I saw ads from them along with other lesser known Japanese bicycles such as Zebrakenko. Star was another excellent Japanese brand I personally got to ride. Dozens of brands, Takara even made Sheldon's list: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/japan.html#takara

Takara sounds as if they are still around: http://takarabikes.com/

Takara Mixte here: http://oldtenspeedgallery.com/owner-sub ... zon-mixte/

I'd definitely believe they had a full line of bikes.

Sorry, it took awhile to get an answer, I did search on the web and it did look like a big box store may have been selling Takaras but I go to the webpage and find nothing. Actually, some of those bicycles, judged by bicycling magazine, though being massed produced, some are not that bad of deals like Schwinn for example.

Lotus bikes were sort of an American/Japanese company, I actually rode a small little entry level Lotus bike at one point, perhaps it is not a fair way to judge a bike: http://www.vintagelotusbicycles.com/Lot ... e_Page.php

In Canada, they had some sort of rebadged Japanese (or made in Canada but still a Japanese bike basically) bike that is thought to be decent, "Sekine".

Thanks for the info. I ran into a guy who says he bought one from a local box store called Fred Meyer "in 1988".

Bodecci · Oct 30, 2015

CyclingTheLakes":3ifrbvcj said:
Nice looking bicycle, I was thinking of getting a wheel from wheelmasters.

Hope it's OK to trim quotes.
Anyway, the Wheelmasters wheel is doing quite well.
Being a cheap b@$t@*d, I've always bought machine built wheels, took 'em to 'ground zero' and brought them up to tension making a wheel as good as a hand built wheel for quite a bit less money. My inexpensive Minoura truing stand has more than paid for itself. This one went on the stand and came right back off when I found tension to be even and the wheel true. They're telling the truth about their product as I believe it is indeed a hand built wheel. Maybe they're taking machine builts and doing this? I'm not sure, but it looks to me like they have the best overall dollar value today. I'm tempted to get a matching replacement for the front, but the stocker is doing fine. We have a saying here in the States, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!"

Takara? Ever hear of it?

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