I was recently gifted a bicycle by someone in my local Buy Nothing group. In a previous post about my Bosch Mixer I mentioned that I am always on the lookout for good deal or great freebie. I’ve also realized that I appreciate good craftsmanship and old things that work as well as they did when they were brand new. If you haven’t already joined one of the Buy Nothing groups in your neighborhood, I strongly suggest you do so. It is a great way to give a new home to stuff you no longer need and also get stuff you need.
After taking many photos and looking closely at all the parts, I quickly realized that the bike was an old bike. It rides perfectly well and all the parts seem to be original. Even though I have not yet figured out the specific model, after quite a bit of research online I have figured out that most of the parts were manufactured in 1974! This means the bike was likely sold in 1975, though, I’ve seen a copy of the 1975 Sekai catalog and the specs do not match up with any of those models. Either way, I’m looking forward to cleaning it up and getting new tires for it. The frame is a bit bigger than recommended for my height, but not at all too big that I can’t comfortably ride it. I’ll have to remember not to suddenly hop off the seat. Ouch!
A neighbor from the same Buy Nothing group came by to take a look at it and made some tweaks. He even gave me tips on how high and forward/backward the seat should be and the spacing between the seat and the handlebars in relation to my height and reach. I’ve learned so much already and I intend to learn more about taking care of this baby.
Here are some photos of the parts of the bike that I’ve been using to help identify it. From what I can tell it looks like it was originally silver and at some point it was painted black. I’m really quite stoked to have gotten such a fine piece of craftsmanship. Now to get tires and hit the road! If you have any insight, don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
Head badge Rear Derailleur: Suntour VT Luxe – 4532 Rear Derailleur: Suntour VT Luxe – QK (date code) Front Derailleur: QH (date code) Front Derailleur: Compe V Seat Tube: N157 Fork: SKV decal Stem: SR CFR “5355” 74 12 (date code) Right Crank Arm: Sugino Maxy Right Crank Arm: Forged 165 49.2 (date code) Left Crank Arm: Sugino, Forged 170 Brake levers: DIA COMPE Brake: Center pull Brakes: dia compe drop forged. Rear: 74-7 (date code) Brakes: dia compe drop forged. Front: 9-74 (date code) Handle Bars: SAKAE Custom Handle Bars: SR Road Champion Rims: ARAYA 27 x 1 ¼ w/o HP Hub ends Hubs: Front Maillard L 29 88. Rear 39 83. Made in France Pedal: WALD 7912, 9/16, 233 87
Here are a couple links I used to ascertain the dates:
Nice! You have done your homework. Next we will have Biscuit’s bike repair and bakery! Stop by for warm sourdough bagels, and a cuppa while we fix your crank!
I am guessing a SEKAI 1000. The swirly headbadge indicates 1977 or earlier. The “SKV” decal on the fork indicates ~1975 or earlier (very early – the brand was founded in seattle in ~1972). The SR/Sakae stem has a pinch-bolt area that is early ~ 1975 or earlier. Too bad you took too many closeups. I don’t have a full picture (closeups are too close) but the crankset looks like the outer ring is not changeable, indicating a lower-end model, maybe a 500, 1000, or 1500 model. Looks like somebody changed the wheels as the R-nut (Raleigh) on the front wheel and maillard hub are not original. Both wheels as bolt-on indicate a 500 or 1000 model. I maintain an archive of pictures and some catalogs (75,77, 79, 81) –
http://people.ece.ubc.ca/~gillies/sekai/
my first great bike was a 1977 Sekai 2500.