I just registered here after finding this site and forum yesterday. Let me introduce myself by sketching my current rebuild project, a Koga Miyata Flyer.
Koga Miyata audax bikes have been the mainstay of the Dutch middle class semi-racer/audax bikes in the eighties. Back then as a por student my budget was not enough to allow me to buy one. Nowadays, with the advent of all the new shiny bikebits these Koga's are sold quite cheaply. So this winter I found one on www.marktplaats.nl and went to the west of the country to pick it up. The frame has nearly the same measures as my custom made Bioracer, so the first impression was very pleasing. Back home I took the bike to my mothers garden for a photo session.
The bike is in a fairly original condition. Only the rear wheel has been replaced by a Mavic wheel, 501 hub with MA40 rim. Too good to undo this change. Based on the framenumber, this one is build in 1987.
My aim is to adapt this bike to it's new home, at the foot of the Ardennes, trying to stick within 4 years of it's manufacturing date. So I changed the double 42/52 crankset for a Stronglight LX100 triple. Upon mounting I had the first surprise, the right crank has standard thread, the left one French. So I still have to hunt through my discarded parts bin, there should be a matching left crank in it. The freewheel (cheap) has been replaced by a Maillard 7-speed 13-25. Originally I wanted to change the gears for a pair of Ofmega triple derailleurs. But recently I acquired a Shimano 600 long cage rear and early Shimano Deore front derailleur which should arrive here tomorrow. So I stick to Shimano for this bike. The Bleumels mudguards still need some tweaking to allow 700x28c Panaracer Paselas underneath. The brakes I excanged for a pair of Suntour Superbes. The front light is still undecided. I haven't got an early AXA halogen light anymore, so probably I'll temperarily mount a Bisy, untill I find a suitable replacement. The saddle I'll replace by either a Brooks Team Pro or a Lepper Voyager. The stem and bars are replaced by Nitto ones, the original I can't pull out enough. The brakelevers are replaced by Dia Compes which were lingering around in my parts box.
Somewhere this season I'll give the Koga some credentials by taking it around at some shorter audaxes.
Koga Miyata audax bikes have been the mainstay of the Dutch middle class semi-racer/audax bikes in the eighties. Back then as a por student my budget was not enough to allow me to buy one. Nowadays, with the advent of all the new shiny bikebits these Koga's are sold quite cheaply. So this winter I found one on www.marktplaats.nl and went to the west of the country to pick it up. The frame has nearly the same measures as my custom made Bioracer, so the first impression was very pleasing. Back home I took the bike to my mothers garden for a photo session.
The bike is in a fairly original condition. Only the rear wheel has been replaced by a Mavic wheel, 501 hub with MA40 rim. Too good to undo this change. Based on the framenumber, this one is build in 1987.
My aim is to adapt this bike to it's new home, at the foot of the Ardennes, trying to stick within 4 years of it's manufacturing date. So I changed the double 42/52 crankset for a Stronglight LX100 triple. Upon mounting I had the first surprise, the right crank has standard thread, the left one French. So I still have to hunt through my discarded parts bin, there should be a matching left crank in it. The freewheel (cheap) has been replaced by a Maillard 7-speed 13-25. Originally I wanted to change the gears for a pair of Ofmega triple derailleurs. But recently I acquired a Shimano 600 long cage rear and early Shimano Deore front derailleur which should arrive here tomorrow. So I stick to Shimano for this bike. The Bleumels mudguards still need some tweaking to allow 700x28c Panaracer Paselas underneath. The brakes I excanged for a pair of Suntour Superbes. The front light is still undecided. I haven't got an early AXA halogen light anymore, so probably I'll temperarily mount a Bisy, untill I find a suitable replacement. The saddle I'll replace by either a Brooks Team Pro or a Lepper Voyager. The stem and bars are replaced by Nitto ones, the original I can't pull out enough. The brakelevers are replaced by Dia Compes which were lingering around in my parts box.
Somewhere this season I'll give the Koga some credentials by taking it around at some shorter audaxes.