# For Sekai fans: rescued bike and 1975 Sekai catalog



## sekaijin

I just rescued a Sekai 5000 (circa 1975) from someone's basement where it has been moldering since 1987. I'm going to restore it to rideability. My research led me to a great expert resource on Sekai's: Andy Muzi, the owner since 1973 of the Yellow Jersey bike store here in Madison, Wisconsin. He recalls fondly the Sekai age (1973-1986) and has a 1975 Sekai catalog on his store website at https://www.yellowjersey.org/SEKAI75.JPG

Enjoy ...


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## boneman

*Sekai Criterium 4000*

I replaced my Fuji Professional with a Sekai Criterium 4000. I ordered it at the end of 1973 from Velocepide in Seattle. Components were mostly then then new Shimano Dura Ace. Mine was made from Ishiwata tubing and silver finish. I rode it quite a bit, mainly in Boston where it was my daily and only sled. I still have it. Turns out under the paint the entire frame is chromed. I have the smallest size and it still flexed in the BB area to the point where with friction DT levers, it would shift from the big to little ring!



sekaijin said:


> I just rescued a Sekai 5000 (circa 1975) from someone's basement where it has been moldering since 1987. I'm going to restore it to rideability. My research led me to a great expert resource on Sekai's: Andy Muzi, the owner since 1973 of the Yellow Jersey bike store here in Madison, Wisconsin. He recalls fondly the Sekai age (1973-1986) and has a 1975 Sekai catalog on his store website at https://www.yellowjersey.org/SEKAI75.JPG
> 
> Enjoy ...


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## djmuff

I just picked up a Sekai 2000, and after trying to find out more info on this brand I found this thread. I just cleaned the bike up and got it road-worthy, so here's some photos. It looks to be about the same era as the 1975 catalog.

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## djmuff

Oh, and the original bike shop sticker was still on it. Anyone recognize this shop?

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## fbagatelleblack

sekaijin said:


> I just rescued a Sekai 5000 (circa 1975) from someone's basement where it has been moldering since 1987. I'm going to restore it to rideability. My research led me to a great expert resource on Sekai's: Andy Muzi, the owner since 1973 of the Yellow Jersey bike store here in Madison, Wisconsin. He recalls fondly the Sekai age (1973-1986) and has a 1975 Sekai catalog on his store website at https://www.yellowjersey.org/SEKAI75.JPG
> 
> Enjoy ...


Dude! Monster score!! Are those the sealed Suntour pedals? TA crank? Looks like a vintage suntour derailleur. Very nice all around!

- FBB

PS: Did you score the Zefal HP pump that fits into the clip?? That'd be worth searching around in the basement to find it...


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## lancezneighbor

Ummm nice bike... but I thought you meant 1975 Seka fans: https://www.onesheetindex.com/pix/4348_1.jpg ...


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## sekaijin

djmuff said:


> I just picked up a Sekai 2000, and after trying to find out more info on this brand I found this thread. I just cleaned the bike up and got it road-worthy, so here's some photos. It looks to be about the same era as the 1975 catalog.


Nice find! I keep an eye on Sekai bikes when one comes up on ebay, every now and then. Yours is in rare good shape. Esp. the decals. I've been told that chipping paint and flaking decals are part of the "authentic Sekai ownership experience."


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## sekaijin

boneman said:


> I replaced my Fuji Professional with a Sekai Criterium 4000. I ordered it at the end of 1973 from Velocepide in Seattle. Components were mostly then then new Shimano Dura Ace. Mine was made from Ishiwata tubing and silver finish.


Boneman, better late than never (I hope) in replying to your post from last August ...

Interesting that your Sekai was made from Ishiwata tubing ... From mid-70s catalogs (and djmuff's photos), it looks like Sekai bikes were made from Tange tubing, at least by 1975. But I recall seeing at least one other reference to Sekais having Ishiwata tubing. Maybe they started making them with Ishiwata and switched to Tange by 1975.


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## sekaijin

fbagatelleblack said:


> Dude! Monster score!! Are those the sealed Suntour pedals? TA crank? Looks like a vintage suntour derailleur. Very nice all around!
> 
> - FBB
> 
> PS: Did you score the Zefal HP pump that fits into the clip?? That'd be worth searching around in the basement to find it...



Thanks FBB! I have to say, I'm happy to see some new life in this old thread which was my very first post on RBR. I joined RBR because I scored this bike and needed to learn what it was, and how to fix it up. To your questions:


Pedals: they look a lot like Suntour Superbes, but Andy Muzi tells me (and comments here on the Yellow Jersey website) they are American-made Weyless, designed by Bill Shook who was the original, pre-Suntour creator of this style of pedal.


Crankset: yes, it's TA Cyclotouriste, in a 49/40/28 triple build. The TA signature crankarm stickers were chewed-up and peeling, so I removed them to polish the cranks.


Derailleur: good eyes, it's a Suntour Cyclone front derailleur. I could not get it to upshift off the granny ring - not sure why the bike was built this way, with triple rings and a double FD. So I got some TA rings off ebay and rebuilt the crankset as a 52/38. (I also considered keeping it as a triple so I bought a NOS Simplex LJ503 front derailleur that I never installed ... anyone interested?)


Zefal pump: your comment is absolutely spot-on. That's the beauty part: I still have the old Zefal hp pump I got when I was a kid, and it fits (and still works) just fine. I nearly threw that thing away a couple of times, in my recently ended bike-less decade. Didn't know why the heck I was keeping it, but I'm sure glad now that I did.

I spent the winter restoring this bike, and it has cleaned up pretty nicely. I've also done a little research into the history of the Sekai bike brand. I hope to share some new pictures and some of my research soon. Stay tuned, or visit my blog for a draft in progress.


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## caterham

I missed this thread first time around. 
Good memories of my black Sekai 4000 in the late 70's.At the time I envisioned myself a tourer and had it equipped with racks and panniers. Set it up with a mix of Suntour Superbe and Cyclone and the obligatory Weinmann concave rims that required 23 tire levers,3 men, a boy & his dog to change a tire (Specialised turbos, of course).
best,
k


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## moschika

lancezneighbor said:


> Ummm nice bike... but I thought you meant 1975 Seka fans: https://www.onesheetindex.com/pix/4348_1.jpg ...


:blush2: :smilewinkgrin: :lol:


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## sekaijin

lancezneighbor said:


> Ummm nice bike... but I thought you meant 1975 Seka fans: https://www.onesheetindex.com/pix/4348_1.jpg ...


NSFW?


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## sekaijin

caterham said:


> I missed this thread first time around.
> Good memories of my black Sekai 4000 in the late 70's.At the time I envisioned myself a tourer and had it equipped with racks and panniers. Set it up with a mix of Suntour Superbe and Cyclone and the obligatory Weinmann concave rims that required 23 tire levers,3 men, a boy & his dog to change a tire (Specialised turbos, of course).
> best,
> k


Hey caterham - in case you missed this too, here's a nice black Sekai 4000 for your good memories ...

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...MEWA:IT&viewitem=&item=130066069472&rd=1&rd=1


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## caterham

Hi Sekaijin,

thanks for that link.I'd almost forgotten how nice the lugwork treatment was on those bikes. That was my first purpose-built bike. I'd purchased it from Singleton's Cyclery in Tacoma, WA just out of college and rode my first two STP's on it.
As I mentioned earlier, I fancied myself a touring cyclist back then, only later to discover at night after 3 punctured tires and a pretzelled front wheel on a very ,very,VERY long,dark ,windy & lonely stretch of highway in eastern Montana that the romance of the road wasn't *exactly* what I'd imagined it would be.hehe.

best,
k


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## djmuff

Just wanted to add another Sekai to this thread. Picked up this Sekai 2500 Grandtour the other day, and after some work it's turned into a nice little bike. It had flat bars on it, with top mount shifters and mountain bike brake levers. I swapped all that out for a nice cro-mo stem, aluminum drops, and some RSX 7-speed STI levers. I was really happy that they indexed just fine with the 6-speed rear. After a thorough cleaning & overhaul, I added the Avocet touring saddle and some new tires and it's ready to go. 

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## sekaijin

I dunno ... both your Sekais in this thread lack the flaking decals that have been described to me as "part of the Sekai total ownership experience." 

Seriously, very nice resto! 



djmuff said:


> ... RSX 7-speed STI levers. I was really happy that they indexed just fine with the 6-speed rear.


Very cool. Someday I might go to modern brake/shifting on an old bike. Is it a Suntour Ultra-6 freewheel? Did you keep the original (Suntour AR?) RD and was that made to be index compatible?


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## djmuff

Thanks for the comments! I did keep the original Suntour derailleur, it works great. And I forget what the freewheel is. And yeah, I guess I'm two for two regarding nice decals. Maybe it's the dry weather here in AZ.

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## honkinunit

I worked for a Sekai dealer and they were a cut above all the other Japanese bikes. I remember being awed by the reports in Velonews (back when it was a pulp newsprint mag that you got automatically with a racing license) that Sekai had custom built a frame for Mark Pringle that weighed less than 4 pounds. That was the lightest bare frame around at the time.


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## sekaijin

That would be the Sekai 5000, which was around for just a few years, in the mid to late 70s I think. The 53cm frame weighs about 3.4 lbs. With the original 1.6 lb fork, it’s a 5 lb frameset. Not bad for lugged steel.

Mine was built up at Yellow Jersey in Madison, WI circa 1977. Andy Muzi thinks he would have sold it for around $900 new. The complete original build is about 19.5 lbs.

The top tube and seat tube are Tange Champion .06 x .03 x .06, which is really pushing the limit. (The downtube is .08 x .05 x .08.) If you squeeze those tubes, they bend between your fingertips. Gary Fisher wrote a review in Bicycling Magazine and said that was weird, but he liked the ride. I recall reading somewhere that Mark Pringle weighed like 98 lbs.


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## GT123

*Sekai Road Bikes*

Hello...

I was just browsing the net and saw this forum. I was the original founder of the Sekai Bicycle Company, but retired from cycling over 20 years ago. 

But, I do know where there are a couple mint condition Sekai 4000's. One is owned by my ex-wife and one is owned by my ex-brother in law. None of us are active cyclists any more (unfortunately). I don't know if either of them are interested in selling them, but I can ask if anyone is interested. They are big bikes though, as my ex-wife was 5'11", and her brother was 6'8". 

GT


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## sekaijin

Welcome to RBR! 

Hey, I would LOVE to learn more about the history of Sekai. Personally, I'm particularly interested in learning more about the Sekai 5000 Superlite. It seems quite rare, and I have the good fortune to have one in its original build, which I ride as my best road bike. Beautifully made bike and a pleasure to ride fast.

(Story, my research on Sekai bikes and the Sekai 5000, and pictures here and here)


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## GT123

Hello...

Yes, the Sekai 5000 is indeed a treasure, and very rare. I don't have time now, as I am just out the door, but I can post some history on it for you. By the way, have you checked the serial number? That would tell you a lot. They were all hand built, and were numbered starting from 1.


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## sekaijin

We are very lucky to have you here, the founder of Sekai Bicycle.

I have not found any serial number on my 5000 - where should it be? 

The BB is stamped Champion, I assume for the Tange Champion tubing. 

The bike has a replacement drive-side rear dropout. Would the serial number have been there? If so, I fear it is lost to history.

The bike was built and sold at Yellow Jersey in Madison, WI. Andy Muzi believes it is from around 1977.


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## GT123

Hello...

I'll have to think about it. Did you check for the SS number under the chain stays and behind the seat lug?


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## sekaijin

I just rechecked those places ... I've overhauled the bike a couple of times, retouched paint ... I'm confident I've been over every mm of the frame and there's no serial number I can find. 

I'm thinking either this frame must have been made without one, or it must have been located on or near the rear drive-side dropout, which is lost from this frame.

Any more info about Sekai bikes and the 5000 are very welcome.


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## oceanwaz

Hello, I have a Sekai Mountain Bike and am trying to find out more information on it. It is marked, Mountaineer SL, Mountain Series, Special Designed Mountain Bike HI-Tensile Tubing. I can post pics and more info later. Any assistance will be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Bill


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## zigurate

Sekai... that is a very nice frame you got there.


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## wcfinlay

What makes a Sekai so special? I'm new to bikes but have an old Sekai. What would it be worth?


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## sekaimang

Found a guy selling a Sekai GrandTour 2500 today and picked it up for $15

Definitely a fixer upper, but otherwise feels really light and looks like it will roll nice after a little TLC.

Found this thread because I was interested in the make.


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## Dave Hickey

sekaimang said:


> Found a guy selling a Sekai GrandTour 2500 today and picked it up for $15
> 
> Definitely a fixer upper, but otherwise feels really light and looks like it will roll nice after a little TLC.
> 
> Found this thread because I was interested in the make.



sweet...any pics?


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## threebikes

Some mfg's replacement frames don't have S#.
Frame may have been a crash damage replacement.


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## sekaijin

threebikes said:


> Some mfg's replacement frames don't have S#.
> Frame may have been a crash damage replacement.


Good thought, but who knows. I'm told my bike was built up and bought new at Yellow Jersey in the 70s, but it's 3 degrees of hearsay by now.



wcfinlay said:


> What makes a Sekai so special? I'm new to bikes but have an old Sekai. What would it be worth?


Sekai was a small, short-lived but well-regarded brand of bikes. I think they're only "special" to those with sentimental attachment to the brand. 

In terms of resale value, don't get excited. I don't think there's a "Sekai premium" out there. Sekai's sell at pretty much the same prices as other decent Japanese or US-Japanese bike-boom lugged steel bikes. Takara, Fuji, Shogun, Lotus, Centurion, Panasonic ... maybe Miyata and Bridgestone are better regarded brands that can command a little more. But as always it depends on model, condition and luck.


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## Tim Fazekas

Hello: Serial numbers on Sekai bicycles are on the bottom of the crankset. I have a 2500 I bought in 1981 from The Bike Shop in Fargo, ND. I have ridden this bike every year, I have ridden it in the AYH Ironman in Minneapolis about 14 times. This is a 100, 60 or 30 mile ride to benefit childrens bicycle training. I figure I have over 5000 miles on it and it has never had anything fail or break. It's had several tune-ups but has all the original parts. Just a great bicycle! I am glad I found this forum and keep biking. Also I recently blew it. I saw a red Sekai in a bicycle shop in Grand Forks ND and left the store, I went back a couple days later and it was gone, It had a larger frame than mine, wish I knew who got it.
Tim


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## Steve Mallard

I just bought a sekia today and my serial number is 2M3240. It is a 2500 Grand Tour and all original. Can anyone tell me what year it was built?


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## Steve Mallard

Just bought a 2500 grand Tour today in great shape. Serial number is 2M3240. Can anyone tell me what year it was made? thanks!


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## Steve Mallard

Hey anyone out there give me the year of my Sekai 2500 Grand Tour. Serial number is 2M2340 and it is all original. Great condition. Thanks!


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## Steve Mallard

I have a 2500 grand tour Sekia. Great shape and serial number is 2M3240. Can anyone tell me what year it was built? Thanks!


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## Steve Mallard

Just acquired a Sekia 2500 Grand Tour. Serial number is 2M3240. Can anyone tell me what year it is? Thanks.


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## sli4

I just inherited a nice sekai bike and have no information on it. all the details seem to be rubbed off except for the words Sekai all over it. the serial number on the button reads K8a5120. Does anyone have an idea of what model/year this might be?


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