14k Gold Plated Lugs, Carbon Main Tubes, 1 of 100 Made...and totally NOS.
The Bike:
My first MTB was a 1988 Miyata Country Runner. So by the time 1990 rolled around and it was time for the next step up, I was drawn to Ritchey (Don Myrah was a Saratoga local), Stumpjumper (because Ned won the Worlds), Slingshots (because Slingshots), and a Miyata (because Herbold won the Worlds DH and it was the same make as my current bike). The 1990 Miyata catalog, the Ridge Runner Team in white/blue was their top offering...except...if you were in the big leagues, you had the option of the 100 year anniversary 14k gold plated Miyata Century, of which they only made...duh...100 of them.
The 100 mtb (and 100 road) frames are out there. Several VRC types have them. As I always do my sweeping CL searches, I came across this bike. Awful photos, priced a little high. Sent the email anyway and started a conversation with the owner. He pulled it from a shop that had never sold it. It had subsequently been put back in a box and tucked away for ~20-25 years.
I made an offer and after several weeks of slow communication due to his busy work schedule and another month of waiting for him to box and prep for shipping (he was meticulous in it's care), I paid for the bike and he put it on a truck. FedEx has been shit recently, and it took over two weeks for it to arrive. A week of it sitting in a warehouse less than 2 hours from it's destination. Needless to say, I was sweating for a bit there...but ultimately arrived safe and sound.
It is the very definition of NOS. It has never ever been ridden. Cables are a bit long, but everything is as it came from the factory. It is absolutely fresh from front to back top to bottom. Zero marks on the rims. Freshest vintage tires I've seen. Foam grips as soft and spongy as a modern grip would be. There are a few tiny blems from storage...but it's really something.
I said I'd ride it but now I'm not so sure. It's a size small for me (170mm cranks too) and while my ethos is to ride it all, NOS be dammed....I've never actually bought/owned a true NOS bike like this before. It's...kinda cool. I just find myself staring at it. What a time capsule!
The Build:
Frame: Miyata Century
Fork: Miyata Unicrown
Rims: Ritchey Vantage Comp
Hubs: Shimano XT M732, 32h
Quick Release: Shimano
Tires: Ritchey Megabite 2.0
Pedals: Shimano XT M732
Crank: Shimano XT M730
Chain: Shimano HG90
Rear Cogs: Shimano XT HG90 11-28
Bottom Bracket: Shimano XT
Front Derailleur: Shimano XT M732
Rear Derailleur: Shimano XT M732
Shifters: Shimano XT M091
Handlebars: Trimble Roo
Grips: Grab-On
Stem: Trimble Roo
Headset: Shimano XT M732
Brake set: Shimano XT M732 Canti/ XT M733 U-Brake
Brake levers: Shimano XT M091
Saddle: Selle Italia Rolls
Seat Post: Shimano XT
Paint: Natural Carbon main tubes, 14k gold plated aluminum lugs
Size: 16.5"
Serial #: SK57623
Place of Origin: Japan
The Ride:
This one is so new...both in time of possession and actually new...that I have not ridden it more than around the neighborhood to make sure everything works as it should. Admittedly a size small for me. It's not a race bike by any means. Feels heavy. My guess is that this is more conversation piece than trail ripper. Not sure where I'm gonna go with this one just yet.
The Photos
Bought a very mint Miyata Century in Sweden last year.......was found in the basement in a house that was about to be torn. Had been searching for one in a medium size for many years. So do now have 2 Miyata Century mtb :-)
Cool, I have a mint condition road version that I've recently rebuilt with Dura ace 7400.
The bike is perfection 🤩