This weeks “Japanese Bicycle of the Week” is vintage Nishiki Tri-
A. Nishiki’s origins trace back to West Coast Cycle, established by Leo Cohen Sr. and RosaBelle Cohen, who were former partners at Wheel Goods Corporation in Minneapolis. Transitioning to Los Angeles in 1946, they acquired an established retail bicycle outlet named Atlas Cycle.
Eventually, they rebranded the company as Playrite Bicycle Supply Co. Subsequently, in the late 1950s, the Cohens ventured into bicycle distribution, parts, and accessories. Venturing into the different aspects of the bicycle industry, led them to create the West Coast Cycle Supply Company. This expansion signaled their commitment to the burgeoning cycling market, laying the groundwork for the future success of these vintage Nishiki bicycles.
Howie Cohen, who took control of the company from his parents, initially placed an order for 570 bikes with Kawamura. He marketed these bikes under the American Eagle brand. This marked the inception of their successful venture, with tens of thousands of American Eagle bicycles sold by WCC.
This weeks bike is in unrestored condition. It was originally specced out with Shimano’s 600 groupset. It appears that the group set was kept intact. The 600 components were the forerunner of the Ultegra groupset. Likewise, the Araya 700c bronze wheels were original as well.
The paint is in pretty good condition with only a few chips here and there. The frame was made from Tange 1 tubing. Tange was hugh in Japan and most of the bikes of this time were made with this tubing.
MANY VINTAGE NISHIKI BICYCLE USED TANGE TUBING
Tange embarked on its journey in 1920 as Tange Iron Works, established by Yosujirou Tange, initially specializing in the production of bicycle forks. Over the years, the company expanded its operations and product offerings.
Their original tube was branded as Champion and was assigned numbers according to the weight. Champion 1 was the lightest and every following number, 2,3,4 was heavier. They eventually called in Tange 1, Tange 2 and so forth.
The Nishiki Tri-A competed with the Centurion Ironman models. Consequently, these two models competed with one another from the late 1980s and early 1990s. While they share similarities in their target demographic and intended use, there are notable differences between the two.
In terms of design, both bikes feature aerodynamic frames optimized for speed and efficiency. However, the Nishiki Tri-A tends to have a more aggressive and race-oriented geometry, prioritizing performance over comfort.
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