Don Wilson wrote:
> This is a Japanese Bianchi with Sylstar cranks, and
> Suntour VGT derailleur, but please don't stop reading.
> :-)
>
> The tube and fork stickers read: Magny Ishiwata.
>
> What exactly is Magny Ishiwata? Manganese molybdenum
> alloy by a tube maker named Ishiwata?
Yes.
> If yes, then how does Ishiwata compare with Tange (a maker whose
> counter intuitive numbering system I am familiar with)
> as a Japanese tube maker? Better, same, or worse than
> Tange?
Ishiwata is well respected and comparable to Tange, Reynolds, Columbus, etc. They made a full range of tubing, from seamed, high-tensile gaspipe to seamless butted alloy Manganese or Cro-Mo:
http://www.equusbicycle.com/
Their "Alpha" tubing was the lightest steel tubing available for bicycles. The Mangalloy sets were considered mid-level. The "022" set was quite popular and essentially identical to Columbus SL.
--
-John Thompson (john@os2.dhs.org)
Appleton WI USA