Tange High Tensile Butted Tubing?

[B. Sanders]

The 56cm Sekai 2400 road bike that I found in a dumpster a few weeks ago has this printed on its
seat tube decal:

Tange High Tensile Butted Tubing

Never heard of such a thing. Why bother butting high-ten steel?

IIRC, the Sekai 2400 was a pretty decent Japanese-made bike in the mid-80's. It has Suzue/Sekai
hubs, welded-and-ground 27" (630 mm) Araya rims, Sugino Super Maxy cranks (cold-forged?). Too bad
about the frame - it's pretty scratched up, but no metal damage. Looks straight. Needs paint. It has
forged dropouts, nice lugwork, flat-crowned fork, normal reach brakes, plenty of fender clearance,
and other nice features. I was going to build a commuter out of it. Not sure how much energy I want
to expend on a high-ten frame though. Hmm.

Comments, ideas or opinions?

Barry

 

[Bill Putnam]

"B. Sanders" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...
> The 56cm Sekai 2400 road bike that I found in a dumpster a few weeks ago has this printed on its
> seat tube decal:
>
> Tange High Tensile Butted Tubing
...
> IIRC, the Sekai 2400 was a pretty decent Japanese-made bike in the mid-80's.
... I was going to build a
> commuter out of it. Not sure how much energy I want to expend on a high-ten frame though. Hmm.
>
> Comments, ideas or opinions?

I built up a Sekai 2400 frame as a commuter bike for my wife. Although I don't have any information
on the Tange tubing, in my opinion this frame is well suited for commuting. Fender clearance is
ample. My wife's bike still has the original centerpull brakes which work fine with Kool Stop salmon
shoes. I put on SKS fenders, 27 X 1 1/8" continental tires, a Schmidt SON generator hub & Lumotec
headlamp. I spread the rear stays and installed indexed Sun Race 7 speed derailler & shifter, and
Sachs freewheel. Handlebars are upright north road style.

It's a great frame for a commuter bike!

Bill Putnam

 

[B. Sanders]

"Bill Putnam" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "B. Sanders" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> > The 56cm Sekai 2400 road bike that I found in a dumpster a few weeks ago
has
> > this printed on its seat tube decal:
> >
> > Tange High Tensile Butted Tubing
> ...
> > IIRC, the Sekai 2400 was a pretty decent Japanese-made bike in the
mid-80's.
> ... I was going to build a
> > commuter out of it. Not sure how much energy I want to expend on a
high-ten
> > frame though. Hmm.
> >
> > Comments, ideas or opinions?
>
> I built up a Sekai 2400 frame as a commuter bike for my wife. Although I don't have any
> information on the Tange tubing, in my opinion this frame is well suited for commuting. Fender
> clearance is ample. My wife's bike still has the original centerpull brakes which work fine with
> Kool Stop salmon shoes. I put on SKS fenders, 27 X 1 1/8" continental tires, a Schmidt SON
> generator hub & Lumotec headlamp. I spread the rear stays and installed indexed Sun Race 7 speed
> derailler & shifter, and Sachs freewheel. Handlebars are upright north road style.
>
> It's a great frame for a commuter bike!

Thanks for the encouragement, Bill. It did seem like it could be a nice commuter. I guess I don't
really care what the frame is made of, as long as it's going to be durable. It's not a heavy bike,
despite the hi-ten tubing.

Unlike your wife's Sekai, mine was equipped with DiaCompe sidepulls - not exactly ideal stoppers,
IMO. Luckily, I have a set of Mafac Racer quasi cantilever brakes (in good shape) that I salvaged
from a trashed Italian bike. They really get a bike stopped in a hurry, and are the next best thing
to canti's.

For years I've been looking for a good old cr-mo touring frame in my size (for cheap). I thought
for sure they'd start to materialize; but nobody seems to be getting rid of them. I'm pretty sure
I know why.

Barry

 

[Pat]

x-no-archive:yes

> For years I've been looking for a good old cr-mo touring frame in my size (for cheap). I thought
> for sure they'd start to materialize; but nobody seems to be getting rid of them. I'm pretty sure
> I know why.
>
> Barry

I have one--it's a Schwinn Voyageur SP touring bike I bought in 1984. It's a 23" bike that I rode
for years without neck or back problems even if I had to tilt it sideways to get off of it when I
stopped. Then, I decide to buy a new road bike and was fitted on a 55 cm bike. The new one fits me
perfectly, but I am still puzzled as to why the old one also fit so well. And, no, I can't get rid
of it. It's like a member of the family...those lugs are beautiful.

Pat in TX

 

[Garrison Hillia]

"Pat" <[email protected]>, who's being archived, wrote:

>> For years I've been looking for a good old cr-mo touring frame in my size (for cheap). I thought
>> for sure they'd start to materialize; but nobody seems to be getting rid of them. I'm pretty sure
>> I know why.
>>
>> Barry
>
>I have one--it's a Schwinn Voyageur SP touring bike I bought in 1984. It's a 23" bike that I rode
>for years without neck or back problems even if I had to tilt it sideways to get off of it when I
>stopped. Then, I decide to buy a new road bike and was fitted on a 55 cm bike. The new one fits me
>perfectly, but I am still puzzled as to why the old one also fit so well. And, no, I can't get rid
>of it. It's like a member of the family...those lugs are beautiful.

Hey, my fave bike is an 'eighties Schwinn Traveler (that was once stolen from me and I recovered it,
which makes it extra-extra-special) 23 inch frame!

 

[A Muzi]

"B. Sanders" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> The 56cm Sekai 2400 road bike that I found in a dumpster a few weeks ago
has
> this printed on its seat tube decal:
>
> Tange High Tensile Butted Tubing
>
> Never heard of such a thing. Why bother butting high-ten steel?
>
> IIRC, the Sekai 2400 was a pretty decent Japanese-made bike in the
mid-80's.
> It has Suzue/Sekai hubs, welded-and-ground 27" (630 mm) Araya rims, Sugino Super Maxy cranks
> (cold-forged?). Too bad about the frame - it's pretty scratched up, but no metal damage. Looks
> straight. Needs paint. It has forged dropouts, nice lugwork, flat-crowned fork, normal reach
> brakes, plenty of fender clearance, and other nice features. I was going to build
a
> commuter out of it. Not sure how much energy I want to expend on a
high-ten
> frame though. Hmm.
>
> Comments, ideas or opinions?

I was very much involved with that bike at the time and Tange's butted HiTen was a reasonable tube
in the targeted price range ($269). It's clean and can be brazed without much regard to upper
temperature limit, i.e., quickly. The Yamaguchi-built frames are straight and solid albeit lacking
in metal prep ( the paint frequently peeled in sheets in the first two years of that bike,
especially in the light blue color).

We also used the butted HiTen tube in bikes all the way down to $200. It was very affordable. Sekai
2400 with forged horizontal ends make a nice urban single speed as there is a lot of mudguard
clearance. A 1975 with verticals of course is more limited.

And 56cm? On centers maybe? Theoretically it was made in 18, 19, 21, 23, 25 and 27 inches to top (no
ladies' in that model)

SuperMaxy cranks are not cold forged. They do take an easy-to-find 110mm chainring though.
--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

 

[Pat]

x-no-archive:yes

> Hey, my fave bike is an 'eighties Schwinn Traveler (that was once stolen
from me and I recovered it, which makes it extra-extra-special) 23 inch frame!

Schwinn Traveler:

73 Degrees, 73 degrees. wheelbase=40 7/16" Chainstay= 16 15/16" top tube=22
3/8" frame=#130 chrome-moly maintubes fork= hi-tensile steel, semi-sloping crown headset=Schwinn
crankset=Sugiino FEWB-5, 170mm 40-52T, alloy arms and spider derailleurs=Suntour AR, concave
levers, downtube mount freewheel=Suntour 14-15-17-20-24-28 brakes=Dia-Compe 610, center pull
handlebar=steel, 410 mm Maes bend stem=SR Custom alloy,80 mm (23" frame) hub=Suntour FT, alloy,
quick release, RR:steel. 36 degrees rim=Araya 18, alloy, 27" x 1" spokes=zinc plated, 14 ga.
Saddle=Viscount 354 racing seat post=chrome plated, 26.6 mm colors=maroon w/gold trim, charcoal
w/silver trim weight=30 lbs. approx.

sound familiar?

Pat in TX

 

[Garrison Hillia]

"Pat" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> Hey, my fave bike is an 'eighties Schwinn Traveler (that was once stolen
>from me and I recovered it, which makes it extra-extra-special) 23 inch frame!
>
>Schwinn Traveler:
>
>73 Degrees, 73 degrees. wheelbase=40 7/16" Chainstay= 16 15/16" top tube=22
>3/8" frame=#130 chrome-moly maintubes fork= hi-tensile steel, semi-sloping crown headset=Schwinn
> crankset=Sugino FEWB-5, 170mm 40-52T, alloy arms and spider derailleurs=Suntour AR, concave
> levers, downtube mount <Suntour AR, stem-mounted> freewheel=Suntour 14-15-17-20-24-28 <A 13-30
> Sunrace fw> brakes=Dia-Compe 610, center pull <I have Dia-Compe QR sidepull> handlebar=steel, 410
> mm Maes bend <I have an aluminum handlebar> stem=SR Custom alloy,80 mm (23" frame) hub=Suntour
> FT, alloy, quick release, RR:steel. 36 degrees rim=Araya 18, alloy, 27" x 1" <I have Weinemann
> 418's> spokes=zinc plated, 14 ga. Saddle=Viscount 354 racing <I have a Vetta> seat post=chrome
> plated, 26.6 mm <I have an aluminum seatpost> colors=maroon w/gold trim, charcoal w/silver trim
> <Mine is blue> weight=30 lbs. approx. sound familiar?

Not really, but the one pictured at http://fredhaj.tripod.com/schwinncatalogpage.html
looks familiar!

 

[B. Sanders]

"A Muzi" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> "B. Sanders" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> > The 56cm Sekai 2400 road bike that I found in a dumpster a few weeks ago
> has
> > this printed on its seat tube decal:
> >
> > Tange High Tensile Butted Tubing
> >
> > Never heard of such a thing. Why bother butting high-ten steel?
> >
> > IIRC, the Sekai 2400 was a pretty decent Japanese-made bike in the
> mid-80's.
> > It has Suzue/Sekai hubs, welded-and-ground 27" (630 mm) Araya rims,
Sugino
> > Super Maxy cranks (cold-forged?). Too bad about the frame - it's pretty scratched up, but no
> > metal damage. Looks straight. Needs paint. It has forged dropouts, nice lugwork, flat-crowned
> > fork, normal reach brakes, plenty of fender clearance, and other nice features. I was going to
build
> a
> > commuter out of it. Not sure how much energy I want to expend on a
> high-ten
> > frame though. Hmm.
> >
> > Comments, ideas or opinions?
>
> I was very much involved with that bike at the time and Tange's butted
HiTen
> was a reasonable tube in the targeted price range ($269). It's clean and
can
> be brazed without much regard to upper temperature limit, i.e., quickly. The Yamaguchi-built
> frames are straight and solid albeit lacking in metal prep ( the paint frequently peeled in sheets
> in the first two years of
that
> bike, especially in the light blue color).
>
> We also used the butted HiTen tube in bikes all the way down to $200. It was very affordable.
> Sekai 2400 with forged horizontal ends make a nice urban single speed as there is a lot of
> mudguard clearance. A 1975 with verticals of course is more limited.
>
> And 56cm? On centers maybe? Theoretically it was made in 18, 19, 21, 23, 25 and 27 inches to top
> (no ladies' in that model)
>

Thanks a mil', Andrew! Great info. Just exactly what I was hoping to find. Yes, you're right: The
frame is 22"/56cm on center, 23" to the top. The original black paint on this Sekai has held up very
well - but a couple decades of heavy "rack rash" has taken its toll on most of the frame tubes. The
original 27" Araya welded and ground rims have withstood the test of heavy commuting. There's almost
no brake wear, amazingly, and they're 100% true and round with no dings or imperfections. The rim
joint is perfect. Very impressive wheels. I don't think this was a garage queen - this bike has been
ridden hard, for many years.

> SuperMaxy cranks are not cold forged. They do take an easy-to-find 110mm chainring though.

How about a 60T ring? I just happen to have a 60T x 110mm ring, brand new, that I'm saving for a
recumbent project. Might be fun to mount it on the Sekai, just for looks ;-)

-=Barry=-