# Little help on ID-ing this vintage Nishiki?



## A-Ray (Oct 18, 2009)

Just picked up this Nishiki Cascade after work today for $30.00.
I have no clue what year this is, looks to be somewhere in the mid 80's range I guess?
Bike needs a good cleaning, but rides and shifts super smooth, seems to be pretty well equipped. Someone but a "Buckwheat" Headbadge sticker on it. Not sure if I should remove it or just leave it for the cool factor or not...
Handlebar paint color matches the frame exactly, but I do not know if that was a factory thing or not. Has some weird "Flex Fighter" rear brake too. Has Araya 26 x 1.5 Rims in a titanium color and has Mitsuboshi Tires, which I believe may be original.
I have never seen bar ends this big, and the color seems to match everything too.
Any details on this, or value would be great, thanks


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## A-Ray (Oct 18, 2009)

Couple more pics


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## cegrover (Oct 17, 2004)

Rear u-brake (Deore or below) says 1985-1988 timeframe. Shifters look closer to '85. Looks like a perfectly nice entry- to mid-level bike. The paint's cool on that one and the head tube decal is officially awesome!

You can pretty much pinpoint the date using the site below and any codes you find on the components:

http://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm#shimano


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## milehi (Nov 2, 1997)

Those bar ends are Univega's Concept branded house components first released in 1992ish.

https://mombat.org/792UnivegaAd.jpg


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## A-Ray (Oct 18, 2009)

Cool, thanks for the info, I will see what I can figure out regarding the year, I was thinking between 83-86, so it seems I was pretty close on my guess. Either way I suppose it was $30.00 well spent...


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## cegrover (Oct 17, 2004)

Yeah, at $30, you've got a cool rider. Careful...I started close to the bottom in VRC, too, and have gotten pretty into it over the last several years. It's a fun time! Of course, others in your household will think you're nuts...


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## Shogun700 (Jun 15, 2009)

I have a similar component group on my '87 Marin-it's 'Mountain LX'-but your brake lever/shifter is different, and my RD doesn't say 'light action', it says Mountain LX. I have separate shifters that say 'light action' though... I wonder if it's just a different year? The lower Shimano groups from the middle to late 1980's confuse me to no end.


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## H_Tuttle (Feb 27, 2007)

HO-Tay!


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## A-Ray (Oct 18, 2009)

Well cegrover, I am officially hooked now on the VRC, and you are right, I am labelled as a nut job by both my friends and family...In the last 3 weeks I have acquired a 93 Marin Pine Mountain (paid nothing), This Nishiki (paid $30.00), and a 98 DBR V8(paid $100.00) What's next? Probably a white jacket, padded room and applesauce
Back to the Nishiki Shogun 700, although I am relatively new to the VRC "scene" I have never seen a rear der that says "Light Action" on it or a rear brake like this one... Learning as I go I guess! I still think it is an 83-85, and should be able to know for sure later tonight


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## El Sapo Rojo (Feb 24, 2011)

A-Ray said:


> Well cegrover, I am officially hooked now on the VRC, and you are right, I am labelled as a nut job by both my friends and family...In the last 3 weeks I have acquired a 93 Marin Pine Mountain (paid nothing), This Nishiki (paid $30.00), and a 98 DBR V8(paid $100.00) What's next? Probably a white jacket, padded room and applesauce


I'm right there with you. I bought a mint/unused 80's hardrock cheap, and realized it was too small for me, So I bought a 88 rockhopper comp correctly sized. Then I remembered that an old friend was a bike geek way back when... Called him, and sure enough bought another bike, an unused/mint 83 Stumpy. Decided I needed a touring bike and just bought a 83 Sequoia. The seller of the Sequoia also had an 83 Expedition, I actually called back the next day to buy the Expedition, but it was sold.

Yea, a little sick. For a while, I wouldn't even let my adult kids touch the bikes. I've come to my senses and we've all been out on the trail together for a ride. Had a blast. Now the wife is shopping bikes.

It's a healthy hobby!


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## cegrover (Oct 17, 2004)

"Light Action" info is included in the link below (see 1986):

http://www.mombat.org/Shimano.htm


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## buddhak (Jan 26, 2006)

This is a dead thread, I know. But I could not resist. That there is a 1988 Nishiki Cascade. I know because it was the first bike I ever bought. It cost ~$300, it was 1989, and I was 16. I used that bike for the next 23 years, as an MTB (pardon, ATB), touring bike (with drop bars), a commuter, and a kid hauler. That bike was a real work horse and I literally loved it to pieces...which would get replaced. I gave it away to a friend in need of a bike, because I could not bear to sell it.


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