# Nishiki Alien from Craigslist



## datawhacker (Dec 23, 2004)

I'm not normally a big fan of posting "hey look what I got on Craigslist cheap" posts, but here is an exception. It was a custom build back in the day, with really nice parts, and I really like the matching stem and fork. The bike rides pretty well considering the fork is in the normal Scott frozen mode. I'm expecting even better after I remove the comfort saddle and Mr Tuffys and heavy tires. The humongous barends help make it fit a bit better since its a bit small for me. It was also kind of fun to put a battery in the Avocet cyclometer and compare it to my Garmin. The verdict: Avocet does better on instantaneous speed than GPS satellites, but falls down on tracking distance at very slow speed.


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## Kyle0614 (May 6, 2008)

nice bike for a good deal man. awesome parts group.


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## GISMapper (Aug 7, 2008)

*Nishiki Alien score*

I just bought one also on Craigslist about 2 days ago...wow!! I thought they were all gone by now...any one have a good photo of how the front derailer cable is threaded. Mine sorta loops big around the bottom braket?


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## azjeff (Jun 3, 2006)

I see heel rub on the chainstay. Happened on the one I had, never did it on any other bike. Guess my feet are too big for ECS bikes

Nice paint:thumbsup:


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## stan4bikes (May 24, 2006)

nice find, love those E-Stays...the HOOV likes it


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## YETIFIED (May 4, 2005)

It looks to be at least a 20" and it's still too small for you, yeow! That's a nice looking bike. Is the A-TAC a 150mm?


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## GISMapper (Aug 7, 2008)

Stuart:
I am sure its my size ... I think the A-TAC is 150mm


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## GISMapper (Aug 7, 2008)

I kind of fell into the Mtn Bike thing as of late...I was a road bike guy and I still have a Nishiki Comp. full campi & Cenelli, and started riding bikes again (after20yrs). 

I remember seeing these wierd stay bikes back in the day and thought "naw no way". that was then... now I love em.


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## GISMapper (Aug 7, 2008)

Yea I was not too sure if I liked the paint job ( never was big into white on bikes or any other sort of transport ) at first, but the more I look @ it the more I like it.


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## GISMapper (Aug 7, 2008)

I picked it up for $120...I think everything is stock except the seat...Anyone know how the cable for the FD should go? It sorta makes a big loop around the bottom braket and dose not look right. Anyone with good pictures that show the correct way to thread?


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## rideit (Jan 22, 2004)

What year is that?
I owned a few Aliens back in the day, the first was red, (aluminum) with a steel bolt on rear traingle, and a Tange Switchblade fork, and the second was neon green, with a welded alu rear triangle. The bike in the photo looks more like the cheaper model (does it have decals designating it an alien?)

Not challenging, just curious...


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## Zanetti (Sep 18, 2005)

If it has a 1" head tube, it's an original 1989 Alien with Tange Prestige tubing. 

A 1 1/8" head tube would make it the 1990 model, also constructed of Tange Prestige.


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## GISMapper (Aug 7, 2008)

*Nishiki Alien year of Mfg.or Model year*

Yes, it has decals that say "Alien" on the top tube, on the down tube it says "Nishiki Cunningham Designed". It's an all steel frame with a white pearl paint job.

Cheers

GISmapper

***Blessed be the Lord my rock who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle. 
Psalm 144:1***


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## GISMapper (Aug 7, 2008)

Zanetti:
Yes it has the 1" head tube & the decal on the seat tube says" Tange Prestige". So I guess its an early 1989 Alien. I did not know 1 1/8 tubs started out in the early 90s.

Also, the front derailer wire loops ( too much slack ) under the bottom braket. I was wondering if there was another way to thread the FD cable, because the FD leaver is kind of stiff? I not sure if it just needs to be cleaned & oiled or if the FD cable has to much slack. any comments on this would be of help.

cheers

GISmapper


***Blessed be the Lord my rock who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle. 
Psalm 144:1***


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## Zanetti (Sep 18, 2005)

Top pull front derailleurs didn't exist in 1989, so the cable was routed to a pulley mounted to the rear side of the seat tube just above the BB. There should be a threaded boss in that location on your frame. The cable should make a 180 degree turn around the pulley and back up to the bottom pull front derailleur. It shouldn't be routed around the BB.

Of course, you could also just install a top pull front derailleur too.


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## Roadsters (Jul 7, 2008)

I remember the ad in Mountain Bike Action for the Nishiki Alien when it first came out. The bike in the ad was white and it was pretty radical.

Of course the idea was to eliminate chain slap, at the expense of bottom bracket rigidity.

The Alien is a neat piece of history.

Dave
http://www.roadsters.com/


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## Lagrange1 (Mar 26, 2008)

Hello GISMapper et al,

This is my very first posting here. I have two 1990 and one 1989 Aliens, all brand new. All of them bought in the last 5 years (1990 as just frames, but the 89 as complete).
You are right: the FD on the 1989 does not work. It is very hard to use the front shifter. My solution was to include a stopper in the downtube to have the cable housing arriving there, instead of on the top of the FD, and then following the 180dg routing. I did work very well.
I hope I am helping.

Regards to all,

Sergio
Brazil


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## Lagrange1 (Mar 26, 2008)

Correction: the cable stopper was installed on the seat tube (of course) above the FD.
Sorry.

Sergio


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