Finally found that missing Deore Touring bike!

[Chad H]

After searching locally for a Deore Touring equipped bike one made it my way. Gave a guy a commuter bike and he said " wait, I think I have a old bike for you to take away". Out he rolls a SR Semi Pro Touring and I elbow bumped him in thanks. It's a 21" and ideally I would ride a 23" but still grateful for this windfall. O-haued complete bike (pedal bearings are like new!) and switched to a Technomic stem and proper bars for the fit (saved all original parts - including the brown cable housing). Did not have any of the deore dynadrive touring toe clips so fabricated a mount and used MKS clips. Went a bit whimsical on the bar wrap but that's easy to swap out if needed. Have a Lotus Enclair that was missing the Deore Touring items and that is what started this whole hunt. Built that with Sun Tour BL (black line version and not the blue) and original Cat Eye light/computer. Just saying keep the karma/faith that something will eventually come your way if you put a wish out there. Stay healthy, Chad

 

[slowride]

Tell us more about SR. Who/ where made ? Nice Lotus ! Let’s see/hear more !

 

[Chad H]

Quick search says they were made in Japan (decal on bottom of seat tube) and imported to Mexico by the same family that runs Windsor bikes. Solid frame/forks and usually sporting complete groups at very good msrp's.
US office location was
SR Bicycles
2765 Main St
Chula Vista Ca 92011
Connection is that Windsor is still a viable company and they were one of my clients when I was working on the OE side of this industry.

 

[dnc1]

Is it the same "SR" as the bicycle components manufacturers, Sakae Ringyo?

 

[juvela]

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the Tsunoda looks a handsome beastie

wager it shall show better in bright sun

finish looks to be a metallic which needs good light to show its best...

we don't see many in the western U.S. as importer in New York state

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the address given the the SR office places it very close to a one-time location for Bicycle Parts Pacific who were an importer of Windsor and of Rigi cycles, IIRC they may have handled the SR product line also

one of their addresses was 5841 Mission Gorge Road, San Diego, CA 92120

believe they may have relocated a time or two before finally closing play some years ago

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[Chad H]

I have read it is not connected to Sakae Ringyo but were the abbreviations of a person's name or just sounded "bike like".
It did come with SR post, stem and bar. In Seattle these types of bikes are always popping up along with mnt bikes of yesteryear.

 

[sworley]

Very nice! One summer I lived with a lady in Albuquerque and her bike was an old SR branded road bike with a full arabesque 600 grouppo.

Old tourers are some of the best riding bicycles period. I grew up on a 1998 Trek 520, had a Panasonic Pro-Touring for many years and regrettable sold. This past winter I've been working on a 1985 Trek 720: https://thecabe.com/forum/threads/1985-trek-720-touring.179652/

 

[juvela]

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ironicality -

here is the headplate from a Sears Spyder "muscle bike" manufactured by Murray in the 1960's:

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[all riders]

It is a Sakae Ringyo bike. It appears to be pre 1988 when Suntour folded and was bought by Sakae Ringyo. There were already working relationships between Maeda(Suntour), S,R. and Sugino for years before the buy-out. Around the time of 88-90 Suntour USA was closed and SR USA continued on with products of each name. Somewhere in the late 80s I had an SR (somewhere on it it said Sakae) frame fully outfitted with Suntour Superbe--it was the top of their line and it was-well-top of the line. For those who don't know, Suntour's story is a little sad(to me)--In '64 they invented the "slant parallelogram" rear derailleur which was a big improvement on earlier designs including those of Campagnolo. Suntour enjoyed success with this design including in the world of serious racing, with models like Superbe, Superbe Pro, and Cyclone being legend to this day, Suntour failed to protect the rights to the basic slant p. design and allowed Shimano to run them over.

 

[dnc1]

Sun tour 'Superbe Pro' track components really are Superb and Pro!