Specialized Frames and Bicycles

Specialized bicycles on this page: Specialized 56cm Expedition

Specialized Bicycles Components was started by Mike Sinyard in 1974. Sinyard started by importing then difficult-to-aquire European components such as Cinelli stems. In 1981 the company began selling complete bicycles. Notably, 1981's Specialized Stumpjumper was the world's first production mountain bike.

The firm has gone from strength to strength and now sales are estimated to be over a half-billion dollars a year.

---

Specialized Expedition 56cm bicycle. Used, $1200.00/ as described & pictured.

We posted Specialized's 1983 bicycle specifications sheet at the bottom of the page.

This wonderful land cruiser is read to hit the road:

• The Specialized Expedition was designed by legendary Portland, Oregon framebuilder Jim Merz.
• The bike was built by Miyata in Japan.
• We believe this is a 1983 model.
• The bike has three sets of water bottle braze-ons, as well as braze-ons for lowrider racks on the forks. 
• It has been Framesaved, the head tube and bottom bracket faced.
• Dropout spacing was 126mm, now 130mm spacing.
• The Specialized sealed headset now has loose bearings installed.
• The rear braze-on housing stop was drilled to accept a barrel adjuster.
• The cantilevers were removed for cleaning, lubed and re-installed.
• Torelli non-compression housing was installed for brakes with new cables.
• Campagnolo shifter cables were installed for durability, with new 4mm shifter housings.  The shifter housings were installed under the new Origin 8 wrap.
• New Soma tires installed.
• A new IRD freewheel was installed with a new Connex 808 chain
• The crankset was removed and cleaned. Only the 28-tooth ring is a BioPace.
• The SunTour adjustable chainline bottom bracket has new cartridge bearings. A chain alignment tool was used to position it correctly.
• The Specialized rear hub has a new axle to meet the 130mm spacing with new cartridge bearings.  The front hub has new cartridge bearings.
• The rear derailleur hanger was aligned.
• All moving parts were cleaned and re-lubed, as well as the stem binder bolt and seat post.

Here's the bike, ready to go!

Front view

From behind.

The downtube.

Here's the cockpit.

Close-up of the bar and stem.

One of the bike's Shimano 105 aero brake levers.

The bike comes with Shimano 7-speed barcons (fingertip shifters).

The bike's front Shimano Deore XT cantilever calipers

The rear Deore XT calipers.

The bike is set up to have internal generator wires

Like so

The frame is built with double-butted cro-moly tubing.

The bike comes with a Shimano Deore XT front derailleur

As well as a rear Shimano Deore XT derailleur

The triple Sugino AT crankset with 48-38-28 tooth rings. Only the inner 28 ring is Biopace.

The new IRD freewheel and Connex 808 chain.

We installed brand new Soma New Express 700 x 35 tires.

The front hub uses sleeve nut design.

The other side of the front hub.

The hubs are laced to Wolber Super Champion #58 rims. Here's the 36-hole front rim.

And here's the 40-hole rear rim.

We modified the rear brake cable housing stop to accept a threaded adjuster.

The rear vertical dropouts have eyelets.

Here's the Specialized sealed mechanism headset in the process of being overhauled.

Here's the sleeve nut cartrdge bearing rear axle. The original 126mm rear spacing was widened to 130mm.

The SunTour adjustable bottom bracket allows a mechanic to set up a bike with perfect chain alignment. It helps to have the right tools.

Here's the SunTour adjustable bottom bracket being serviced. The cartridge bearings were replaced

Looking down on the crankset with the alignment tool in place during set up.

Here's a close-up

Specialized bicycle specification for 1983:

!983 Specialized bicycles specification sheet, including the Expedition