mtb-timeline

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===== Kashiwa =====

Kashiwa produced Japan's first mountain bike for sale in Japan
(([[araya:start|Araya]] claims to be first, debuting in late 1982.  Kashiwa sold first, with magazine reviews being printed as early as June 1982 and prototypes being available in late 1981.  Araya certainly produced many orders of magnitude more MTBs than 3Rensho/Kashiwa.))
, after helping to birth Specialized's Stumpjumper in 1980 and 1981.
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Kashiwa was a spinoff from [[3rensho:start|3Rensho]]
((Often pronounced San Rensho, for "three wins", or "trifecta", both of which google translate gives for articles about 3Rensho.))
who was contracted by Mike Sinyard, the founder of Specialized, to create a cheap MTB.
Although the brand's lifespan was a very short two years, they had a foundational place in the formation of the Asian MTB industry.  Their bikes supply the most solid evidence of the bridge between 3Rensho and the [[special:start|Specialized]] Stumpjumper.


3Rensho was at the vanguard of the tsunami of MTBs which came in the next few months, supplied by
[[araya:start|Araya]], [[miyata:start|Miyata]], [[maruishi:start|Maruishi]], [[hodaka:start|Hodaka]], [[fuji:start|Fuji]], [[focus:start|Focus]]((Focus was an Araya managed brand, in a similar position as Kashiwa was to 3Rensho.)), [[kuwahara:start|Kuwahara]], [[panasonic:start|Panasonic]], [[sekine:start|Sekine]], [[shogun:start|Shogun]], [[marukin:start|Marukin]], [[bridgestone:start|Bridgestone]] and [[toyo:start|Toyo]].

This list does not include American/Canadian brands with Japanese sounding names such as [[nishiki:start|Nishiki]], [[lotus:start|Lotus]], [[sanwa:start|Sanwa]], [[sekai:start|Sekai]], [[sr:start|SR]], [[kobe:start|Kobe]], [[mikado:start|Mikado]], [[takara:start|Takara]], and [[univega:start|Univega]]((Early Univegas were made by [[miyata:start|Miyata]] and [[araya:start|Araya]].)).
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<blockquote>
Mike Sinyard, president of Specialized, purchased two Ritchie's handmade MTBs in 1980 and asked Yoshi Konno (of 3Rensho), who had won three consecutive American bicycle shows, to create a prototype MTB for sale to the public in the fall of 1980. 
3Rensho were previously linked to Specialized and had provided them high-end road bikes on an OEM basis.
Konno Yoshi brought the Ritchie MTB home with him and told the staff of Sanrensho that he was going to make a prototype of a bike like this.
When a staff member from Sanrensho rode an MTB for the first time, he thought it was a very heavy bike to ride.
<cite>
Cambio Workshop blog, [[https://ameblo.jp/cambiokoubou/entry-12694611767.html]]
</cite>
</blockquote>


3Rensho prototyped the first [[special:start|Specialized]] Stumpjumper in early 1981, which was eventually was manufactured by Toyo who shipped Stumpjumpers the US by November 1981.
Given an early taste of the happenings in Marin, 3Rensho tried making their own MTBs and found production to be difficult, requiring non standard lengths and widths of tubing, combined with newer, more expensive components.  As 3Rensho was known for fine custom work on [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keirin|Keirin]] racing bikes, they farmed this new type of bike with partner [[maruishi:start|Maruishi]] and named the brand [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kashiwa|Kashiwa]], after 3Rensho's home city, which borders Tokyo.  Kashiwa only sold for two years in the Japanese market.

Resources:

  * [[https://ameblo.jp/cambiokoubou/entry-12689104512.html]]
  * [[https://ameblo.jp/cambiokoubou/entry-12698002332.html]]
  * [[https://ameblo.jp/cambiokoubou/entry-12694611767.html]]
  * [[https://search.ameba.jp/search/entry/%E3%82%AB%E3%82%B7%E3%83%AF%E3%83%BB%E3%83%88%E3%83%A0%E3%82%AD%E3%83%A3%E3%83%83%E3%83%88.html?aid=cambiokoubou|All acrticle on ameblo.jp on Kashiwa]]
  * http://www.italian.sakura.ne.jp/sons_of_biscuits/?p=5572]]


{{special:1981a.jpg?300|Stumpjumper prototype}}
{{1982.jpg?300|1982 Tomcat}}
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Compare the two bikes: to the left is the 1981 Stumpjumper prototype, with dual branding, and to the right is the 1982 Kashiwa Tomcat.

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<div column 45%>
{{ad.jpg?400|Kashiwa Tomcat, August 1982}}
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Cycle Sports Magazine Japan, August 1982.
[[https://ameblo.jp/cambiokoubou/entry-12689104512.html|ameblo.jp]]
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===== 1982 Tomcat =====
Shimano Deore DE10 (1981-83), DE10 pedals (1982).  Specialized golf-putter stem (1982 only) ((This is the only other appearance of this obscure [[https://mombatbicycles.com/Specialized_Specs.htm|part]], further showing the 3Rensho - Specialized connection.)) lugless soldered frame((This wasn't TIG/arc welded, producing a weaker joint??)), steel shoulder strap, mono-chain stay.  Magazine review shot.  Extra details from August 1982 review Japanese Cycle Sports magazine: [[http://www.italian.sakura.ne.jp/sons_of_biscuits/?p=5572]].  Documented to have been made by Cyclone, the early 1970s name for 3Rensho.
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Price ¥98,000 yen = US$920 (inflation adjusted with 2024 dollars)
<blockquote>
Kashiwa is completely unknown. Could it be a prototype made at the request of some manufacturer?
<cite>
Cycle Sports Magazine, Japan
[[https://ameblo.jp/cambiokoubou/entry-12689104512.html]]
</cite>
</blockquote>


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<div column 45%>
{{1982.jpg?300|1982 Tomcat}}
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1982 Tomcat [[https://ameblo.jp/cambiokoubou/entry-12689104512.html]]

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===== 1983 Tomcat =====

Shimano Deore DE10 (1981-83), DE10 pedals (1982), Suntour thumb shifters, Yoshigai MTB cantilever brakes , Araya 7x rims, lugless soldered frame with Ishiwata tubing, steel shoulder strap, dual chain stays (which differs from 1982 version,) Nitto bullmoose bars.  Dual crown fork.  Manufactured by Maruishi. Similar to a 1982 - except for a different fork, handlebars and stickers.

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{{1983.jpg?300|1983 Tomcat}}
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1983 Tomcat
[[ https://ameblo.jp/cambiokoubou/entry-12698002332.html]]
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