| I bought a C.Itoh. I've never had one before. It's kind of a weird bike. It looks really low-end. Steel Rigida rims, Steel Shimano hubs with bolt-on axles, steel bars, steel seat post, Dia-Compe brakes, and levers with safety levers, Steel cottered crank set. High Tensile butted steel tubing. The weird stuff: Seat post.....I took out the binder bolt, and twisted the seat - but the seat post didn't budge. So, I tightened the seat really good - and tried it again.....still the seat twisted - but the post didn't budge. So, I thought I would just take off the seat - then take measures to free a stuck seat post. After removing the saddle, I saw this bolt on the end of the seat post. Ahah! I loosened the bolt - just like on a handlebar stem - and the post came loose and I removed it. It had a wedge at the bottom of the post - just like a stem. Weird! So, I thought I might just replace the post with a regular one. But, I noticed that the seat binder is not a binder at all. It's built like a binder - but it's not split - so you can't use a regular post with it. Another weird thing: The cable routing for the rear derailler....instead of the typical bolt-on cable routing, or the brazed-on type, or even the ones underneath the bottom bracket.....it had a tiny little wheel mounted to the side of the tube - and the cable runs over the wheel.....kind of like on old 3-speed bikes. Well, I stripped the frame of all components - and it sure is heavy. Heavier than most typical high-tensile steel frames I have experienced. It had a bicycle license on it that expired in December of 1975 - and I found a 1974 date on some of the components. So, I suppose it's a 1974 or 1975 model. From what I can tell at this early stage - the finish seems to be in decent condition for something that old. I hope the bottom bracket isn't anything weird - because I would want to replace it with a square tapered and use alloy cranks. I think I may build it into a single speed fixed gear bike. by: 74.235.75.185 |
| I bought one brand new at Lechmere Sales in Cambridge, MA in 1972 and rode it for 15 years. Does it say "Precision tested finest engineering" (or something like that) on the down tube? by: 71.174.125.242 |
| Mine has the same information in big letters on the down-tube. I don't know what it means - but they wanted everyone to know it! by: 74.235.75.185 |
| If the precision-tested finest engineering isn't obvious from the bike itself, merchants like to make the claim! by: 216.15.114.27 |
| Sounds like they may have used the same frame for both 3- and 10-speeds. If you're not put off by the weight, it might be neat to take advantage of that pulley by making it into an English club-type 3-speed. There were a vast number of these bike-boom low-level 10-speeds built. Most of them had distinctly underwhelming characteristics - but many of them still had long careers as basic transportation. by: 75.151.106.1 |
| Wow! I just discovered more interesting information about my C.Itoh: The frame lugs.....they kind of look like lugs - but they aren't actually the typical lugs you find on a 10-speed. It almost looks as thought the frame tubes are maybe glued into the "lugs", or joints. I don't know how the tubes are attached. But, for some reason....I decided to get out a magnet.....the tubes are steel. The lugs, or frame joints, are not steel! The magnet does not stick to them. Now, I have an early Raleigh aluminum bike and a Miyata aluminum bike.....both have aluminum tubes with steel lugs. This much older bike may have steel tubes and aluminum lugs! Is this weird or what? I've cleaned it and polished it (frame, that is), and re-built the head set and installed a square tapered bottom bracket spindle. I will probably make it into a single speed. But this is quite an interesting frame. by: 74.235.75.106 |
| This reminds me of an odd Sekai I encountered '1980. It had natural-color stainless steel tubes that fitted into bulky flat-black lugs. All the owner could tell me was that he had bought it at an Army PX in Germany. by: 75.151.106.1 |
| I have a C.ITOH for sale: $135. Good condition. Contact me right away if interested. Rob [rdp617@hotmail.com] by: 24.61.214.26 |
| Here's my C. Itoh. I just got it 3 days ago at a yard sale for $15. I put a little work into it and some new tires. I would like to change out the freewheel to make it a little more hill friendly but it's a comfy cruiser as it is.[p][a href=http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=3821243&l=766c46bf19&id=710168605 target=_blank][img src=the_camera.jpg][/a] by: 12.27.37.132 |
| I just picked up a 70's model and have the same seat post set up as Gralyn. I removed the saddle and found two nuts and a washer on a long threaded stem coming up through the middle of the seat post. after removing them, i tried to pull out the tube but it didn't budge. tapped it a little just in case and nothing. i was wondering if the post just slides out or is it threaded at the bottom as well? right now i don't know if i should be twisting it or pulling it. I'm new to bikes but this one is quite interesting. Any other tips about these would help. thanks by: 72.208.150.236 |