Hi there,

1986(I believe) Nishiki Continental 63cm Frame Tange 900 double butted CrMo Wheels Arraya 700c Hubs Suzue Tires Kenda KWEST Crank Sugino AT Triple Brakes Diacompe Cantis with quick release levers Shifters Suntour Barcons (friction only) Derailleurs Suntour Cyclone front and rear 6spd Rack Axiom Odysse Fenders Honjo Hammered

I purchased this through the internet website Pinkbike a year and a half ago. It has a few minor paint nicks but was in really great shape. Please excuse the dirt, but it is my daily commuter and it has been wet the last 2 weeks. The last 3 km home is on dirt roads and it is hard to keep things clean. I would like to change a few things like the handlebar width, these are the original 42cm (flare to 45cm) Nitto Randonneur bars and they feel a little narrow. Also, you can see black electrical tape around the downtube near the suntour shifter boss, and there is more down near the Bottom bracket. This is to protect the original wiring that was installed for one of those Sanyo generators that sit down near the BB and run on the rear wheel. I would love to set this thing up for generator lights using the wire that runs through the frame.

Other than the cable housing, brake pads, bottle cages, tires and the honjos and recently the rack, I have changed nothing. It has held-up very well with little to no maintenance. About my only frustration has been with the tire clearance. With fenders I comfortably fit 700 x32 (Cheapie Kenda Kwest At the moment) , but 700 x 35s collect a lot of crud and rub the odd time. I would like the extra width, especially when my road gets soupy in the spring and fall. The wierd Suntour Cyclone triple wheel rear derailleur works fine, even though it is presently really grungy.

My boss makes fun of my bike, he constantly asks me what it feels like when I ride through the time portal on my way home. I don't mind though, all I have to say to him is that at least I am riding. It's no Rivendell, or Mercian, but it is a great bike and only cost me $400 CDN (still probably too much!) delivered for the complete thing that I rode out of the box. Last spring I bought a Nishiki Olympic, same vintage for $120. It isn't as nice a frame, butÊit is larger and I would like to convert it to 650B some day, until then, this is my one and only ride. Thanks for the awesome site.

Peter Brackenbury

(Ontario Canada)

madden.brackenbury@gmail.com