Univega Bicycles

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Univega was a private-label line of bikes marketed by one of the most capable men the American bike industry has seen, Ben Lawee.

Lawee, born in Baghdad, was a self-made made man. As a teenager, he came to the United States on a freighter. While a student at Columbia University he worked at George Joannou’s bike shop. He moved to the west coast and became a sales representative for Joannou’s wholesale company.

In 1959 Lawee bought Jones Bike Shop in Long beach, California and grew the single store into a chain. He sold the chain in 1965 and began importing Bianchi bicycles. He then also brought in Raleigh and Motobecane bikes.

Still restless, he went to the famous Torpado factory in Italy and had them produce a line of bikes he named “Italvega”.
Always sensitive to the marketplace, in the mid-1970s Lawee had Japan’s Miyata begin making his Univega line. They were a home run, well-made and well-priced.

They remained Ben Lawee’s bike line until he sold Univega to Raleigh in 1996 and retired.

For a short while, Lawee also imported Bertoni bicycles from Italy, also a private label made to his specifications. Our Bertoni stock is posted here.

Univega bikes & frames on this page: 52cm Gran Rally frameset

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Univega 52cm Gran Rally Pink Frameset. Used, $250.00/ frame and fork

Specifications: Made in Japan

• Triple-butted Crome-Moly lugged tubeset. The lugs have cut-outs.
• Forged horizontal dropouts with adjustment screws.
• 52cm center-to-center
• 54cm top tube
• 120cm wheelbase
• 11.8cm head tube
• 1” x 155mm threaded steel steering tube
• 425mm chainstay
• Dropout spacing 126mm
• 70mm BB drop
• 26.8mm seatpost diameter
• Downtube & seat tube bottle bosses
• Pump peg & chain hanger
• Recessed Allen nut brake fittings.
• 6.5lbs weight frameset.
• Serial #OE30420

Side view

Here's the frameset turned around to show its other side.

Front view

From behind

The head tube.

The head tube lugs and pump peg

The head lugs from below

The Gran Rally decal on the top tube

Decal at the back of the top tube

The seat lug, concave seat stay cap and recessed seat binder.

Another view of the seat cluster

The seat tube decal

Made in Japan decal at the bottom of the seat tube

The bottom bracket shell, shnowing the serial number and metal cable guide.

The rear brake bridge

The chain hanger brazed on to the right seat stay

Both rear forged dropouts.

The frameset's cast, flat fork crown

Side view of the fork crown

The front, forged fork tips