Good evening
I am from Christchurch, New Zealand.
I am looking for information regarding Ishiwata tubing pre 1980. I am restoring a 1981 Schwinn mountain bike that was built of Ishiwata pre 1979 MTB tubing as referred to in the 1979 Ishiwata 4130 Crome-moly tubing catalogue.
My questions are
Kind Regards
one less
I am from Christchurch, New Zealand.
I am looking for information regarding Ishiwata tubing pre 1980. I am restoring a 1981 Schwinn mountain bike that was built of Ishiwata pre 1979 MTB tubing as referred to in the 1979 Ishiwata 4130 Crome-moly tubing catalogue.
My questions are
- The Ishiwata tubing is dated on the steerer tube 3.B. The frame is dated by Schwinn February 1981. My understanding is the tubing was made pre 1979 as it does not feature in the 1980 Ishiwata catalogue thus the date on the tube should be dated pre 1979 and Ishiwata would have dated the steerer tube when they sold it to be built as a bike. Tange tubing is dated similarly as the 3.B would indicate 1983 February on the Julian Calender. Thus an Ishiwata date of 3.B should refer to a date pre 1979 and the only way this could occur is if Ishiwata used the Japanese Imperial calender to which 3.B would refer to 1978. 3 would be an abbreviation of 53 years of the Imperial calender. I hope this is not difficult to understand but I cannot see an alternative.
- The fork crown is very similar to a Faux biplane crown that Tange produced in early 1980`s. Does anybody have knowledge when Tange produced these crowns or did Ishiwata make their own as none are shown in the 1979 catalogue but a selection is shown in the 1980 catalogue, but they are very different.
- Does any body have an idea as to whom could have built the frame as it is refuted to have been made in Japan and sold as a frame/fork only parts item up to 1983.
- The Ishiwata tubing catalogue are on http://equusbicycle.com/bike/ishiwata/catalog70s/ and http://equusbicycle.com/bike/ishiwata/catalog2/index.html
Kind Regards
one less