Nishiki Bicycles - anyone have any further information about this particular make?

[steve50]

I am going to collect a Nishiki hybrid today which is in mint condition and i am getting it for very little £££, From the research I have done it appears the Nishiki brand stopped production in 2001 but if I read correctly they continued production under Giant of Taiwan ???? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nishiki_(bicycle)
Do any of you have any further information about this particular make, are they any good, which components do they use?
The bike I am collecting today is 21 speed, it has the name "Joe Darby" on the cross bar and twist grip shifters, other than that I know very little about it.
My plan is to convert the bike to a light tourer with sti shifters, spd's and road tyres, possibly a new saddle depending on what is already fitted.

 

[steveindenmark]

My father in law has had his Nishinki road bike since the 70s and it is in great condition. He loves it.

 

[steve50]

My father in law has had his Nishinki road bike since the 70s and it is in great condition. He loves it.

That is worth knowing, gives some indication as to the durability of the cycle, any possibility of posting a picture of your father in laws bike?

 

[steveindenmark]

That is worth knowing, gives some indication as to the durability of the cycle, any possibility of posting a picture of your father in laws bike?

Maybe at the weekend.

 

[steve50]

Got the bike, it is a Nishiki Altus . Very little wear and tear as far as I can tell, everything runs and changes as it should without any horrible creaks or groans the only complaint I have is the paint and transfer on one side of the frame is damaged.
I have also solved the mystery of the name on the crossbar "Joe Darby" apparently the bike was designed in the USA by Joe Darby and hand built in Nottingham , England.
First impressions, very lightweight, smooth gear changes, tyres a little noisy but will resolve that with some road tyres, paint could do with tidying up a little.

 

[Drago]

It's a re-branded Raleigh Max Cro-Mo, or maybe it's more accurate to say the Max CroMo (not to be confused with the plain Raleigh Max) was a rebranded Nikishi? Looking at the spec that would have been sold in a different colour as a Max CroMo II or III, a '96 or '97 model.

Very, very nice riding frames. Well worth hanging on to and even upgrading it as bits wear out. I am very envious!

 

[Dayvo]

One of the top brands to come out of Sweden.

https://translate.google.no/translate?hl=en&sl=sv&u=http://www.nishiki.se/&prev=search

 

[steve50]

It's a re-branded Raleigh Max Cro-Mo, or maybe it's more accurate to say the Max CroMo (not to be confused with the plain Raleigh Max) was a rebranded Nikishi? Looking at the spec that would have been sold in a different colour as a Max CroMo II or III, a '96 or '97 model.

Very, very nice riding frames. Well worth hanging on to and even upgrading it as bits wear out. I am very envious!

One of the top brands to come out of Sweden.

https://translate.google.no/translate?hl=en&sl=sv&u=http://www.nishiki.se/&prev=search

Thanks for the info and links guys, I took a gamble when I went for it after spotting it on "preloved", I know absolutely nothing about this particular brand of bicycle and I was a little wary of handing over cash for something I knew nothing about......I'm glad I did now, £50 well spent.

 

[Drago]

I had one branded as a Max Cromo II. Identical aside from being purple, having raleigh decals, and some surprisingly nice Altus trigger shifters. I loved it. Off roaded it, commuted on it, bimbled up the shops on it, but when I divorced I moved into a tiny 2 bed cottage and didnt have room for 3 bikes so it went on eBay. When the time is right I will find another.

Some lighter tyres, a shorter stem (but keep the original safe as they're very rare now) and they're brilliant bikes. you'll love it. Raleighs final fling with really decent in house bikes.

 

[Gravity Aided]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nishiki_(bicycle)
West Coast Cycle had Nishiki's made in Japan, in many cases, but the brand has been sold on, and in the States is a house brand of Dicks' Sporting Goods, as is Diamondback, IIRC
http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/f...76&bc=CatGroup_Bikes_R1_C1_ThisWeeksBikeDeals
Nice, well made bicycles, I have had a few, over the years, including a Nishiki International my neighbor binned. This was from the West Coast Cycle period, and was very well made for a 1973 bicycle.