Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Bike Of The Week: Nishiki Rally



Another of my old bikes. Guess how much it cost me....Guess, I'll wait..... That's right ZERO, Zip, notta! Dumpster-dived it from the back of Bike World Ames. The Store That Supports The Sport! It ain't exactly light, but then I never was a weight weenie so who cares. Heavy bikes track straighter when there is little input from the rider! Think of it as autopilot. This thing is a blast to ride and I put in some heavy test bed miles on gravel this summer to get it to the best riding position that I could. I rode it at Spooky Cross and even though I only got two laps in, I feel like it was me that was the problem, not the bike. Not much (read NO) clearance for sticky mud, but plenty for the thin soupy mix I was in. Picked up a ton of grass, but who didn't. I put the 844 stickers on the top tube as a salute to the Union Pacific train of the same character. Heavy, black, built to run shit over if it gets in the way! If you have ever been near that train you know what I mean. I spent a Tuesday with my sons chasing the train, UP 844, from Grand Junction to Boone this last summer. This bike reminded me of it, and I can look down at the top tube while riding and reminisce about that day's adventures. Running the original bars, but I used the old rib spreaders on them and got a nice 52cm center to center spread. Cross friendly and free! Originally a 5 speed, tweaked it to work for 6. Shifts on the stem, stops on a silver dollar, not another one like it in the world! Later!

5 comments:

bontrag said...

Nice Tires!

Travel Gravel said...

30s. They're a great gravel tire, but I would have preferred a narrower set in the mud at Spooky. I bought them at Bike Barn a long time ago and didn't even mount them on anything until last year. They have the stereotypical "dry rot" that so many Michelins do. But they still claw at dirt/mud! Later!

jiyoon said...

hi! i'm looking to buy this nishiki rally bike from craigslist for my school...i did a google search for the bike and your blog came up!

i'm wondering if you know its specs...as in weight, what the frame's made of, etc etc.

and more importantly if you think it's a good bike or not for daily commute and probably daily cycling (probably put in 10-20 miles a day?)

thanks! please write back, i'll receive your comment through my email (:

happy riding!

cbigsby said...

funny. i'm sitting in ames right now looking for info on a rally i just picked up. has a bike world sticker on it, too. hahaha.

Travel Gravel said...

I rode my other Nishiki, a Century I converted into fixed gear, to watch the Iowa Games road race a couple of weekends ago. Ron Ritz, who used to work at Michael's Cyclery, was eyeballing it suspiciously. Yes, he probably sold it to whom ever many years ago. Old bikes never die! Who says it's better to burn out than fade away?