Picked up a Vista 10 speed out of the dumpster yesterday. The year?

[PaulWR]

This generally intact bike was left for dead in the corner of our car dealer parking lot for a couple of days. The rear tire was ripped apart and the inner tube was wrapped around the cassette. The utility guy finally threw it into the metal dumpster. Yeah, I know, should of left it in there. I did glean that these were sold through independent bike shops or dealers in the 1960's through the 1970's. They were also a step above the department and hardware store brand bikes. Some had a head badge that was a rip off of the Schwinn design, (how dare they), but this has an elaborate royal type crown badge. I can guess it is a 1975 or so by the huge reflectors marked "DOT 75", the wheel reflectors use one way screws to attach them to the spokes. We don't want those tampered with. I thought it might be a "Gray Ghost or Silver Shadow" or whatever model but it is not painted gray or silver but a reddish brown over silver. Any guesses or should I not think too much about this? Here are some pics.

 

[J-wagon]

Suntour derailleur date codes:

Date of Manufacture of Bicycle Components can be used to date a bike: component dating

The manufacturer's date on a bicycle's components can often be used to determine the date of manufacture of the bike itself. Many bike parts have a date code cast or stamped into the piece. Bicycle component dating

www.vintage-trek.com

 

[juvela]

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last year for these MAEDA cable housing stops with a simple flat tab was about 1973

1974 was the launch of housing stops from the firm with a cup/tube shape -

the machine has been reworked, note forged dropouts, original chainset would have been an alloy cotterless model of a brand such as Sugino Maxy

original wheels were alloy QR hubs with alloy wired-on rims

someone pulled off "the good stuff" to employ elsewhere and machine was subsequently returned to wholeness with lower quality bits

tip: steerer may be the .833 size
tip: it may be a photographic effect but in image of complete cycle seat stays appear to bowed rearward

the bicycle manufacturing history authority Tom Marshall has written -

"Vista was a USA brand, originally owned by a Minnesota based company called National Independent Distributors Associates, comprised of several independent USA bicycle distributors. The brand had it debut in 1968, though it has changed ownership several times over the years. The bicycles were contract manufactured by various USA and Asian sources."

should you wish to explore identity of manufacturer the serial placement and format can be helpful clues

there is a guide to deciphering Asian serials here -

Asian Serial Number Guide - Bike Forums

Classic & Vintage - Asian Serial Number Guide - Many of you will be aware of my penchant for collecting and analyzing serial numbers. This guide compiles the results of a decade of data collection of pre-1990 Asian serial numbers. The guide is not necessarily comprehensive, as it only represents...

www.bikeforums.net

the machine's birth annum appears to have been betwixt 1971 and 1973

a one up from the base sort of model


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[Schwinn Sales West]

the bicycle manufacturing history authority Tom Marshall has written -

"Vista was a USA brand, originally owned by a Minnesota based company called National Independent Distributors Associates, comprised of several independent USA bicycle distributors. The brand had it debut in 1968, though it has changed ownership several times over the years. The bicycles were contract manufactured by various USA and Asian sources."


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Vista was a bicycle brand that was developed by the "Former Independent Schwinn Bicycle Distributors". The federal government forced Schwinn Bicycle Company to change its tiered distribution system after many years. The government's position was that Schwinn could not enforce Fair Trade Pricing also called Suggested Retail Pricing to the dealers after the product changed ownership. It ended up in the U.S. Supreme Court. Schwinn's only solution if they wanted to stay with Fair Trade Pricing was to eliminate the independently owned distributors and open "Schwinn Owned" Sales Companies. I do not remember the exact number of independent distributors that were terminated, but it was around twenty. Schwinn built Schwinn Sales West, Midwest, East, and South, to replace the distributors that sold bicycles, parts, and accessories directly to the Schwinn Dealerships. Schwinn Bicycle Company choose to limit it's distribution to roughly 1900 dealerships. Schwinn encourage it's active dealers to remodel their stores into what was called Total Concept Cycleries. It was the start of modern retailing in bicycle stores.

The Vista Bicycle Brand replaced the Schwinn Brand for these distributors. It was a very difficult transition period. Not only did the distributors lose their key bicycle brand, but they needed to go out and seek new accounts that needed a bicycle brand that could not just buy it from Schwinn Sales directly.

The Vista Brand, and the former independent distributors slowly died off and closed.

John

 

[dihummer]

Based upon the serial number, the frame was manufactured by Araya of Japan in February 1976.

The frame looks the same as a Silver Shadow, but I think the components are not those of the Silver Shadow model. I think the Silver Shadow had a square taper bottom bracket.

In 1979 the model below the Silver Shadow was the Espada. I do not know if there was an Espada model in 1976.

 

[juvela]

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[acg_schwinn]

The Vista Bicycle Brand replaced the Schwinn Brand for these distributors. It was a very difficult transition period. Not only did the distributors lose their key bicycle brand, but they needed to go out and seek new accounts that needed a bicycle brand that could not just buy it from Schwinn Sales directly.

Ayup. I was watching the 1977 film "The Goodbye Girl" on TCM one night, and in one scene, Quinn Cummings, who plays Marsha Mason's daughter in the film (if I remember right) is riding what looks like a Schwinn Fair Lady or similar, but in closeup, the headbadge (which looks like a Schwinn at first glance) reads Vista instead.

 

[Adamtinkerer]

I wonder if some of these were made by Westfield? I seem to recall they were linked with vista somehow...