mtb-timeline

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<div column 50% #intro>
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===== Univega Overview =====

Univega was founded by Ben Lawee in 1970 in Long Beach, CA.  Ben was born in Baghdad, Iraq in 1926, and immigrated to the United States on a freighter in his teens(([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Univega]])).  In the late 40’s, while attending Columbia University, he worked at the bicycle shop of George Joannou and moved to California as West Coast sales representative for Joannou Cycle Co.  Joannou Cycle company is known today as [[jamis:start|Jamis Bicycles]]. ((and is run by George's daughter Carine.  [[https://njbiz.com/coming-full-cycle-joannou-fulfills-a-promise-to-her-late-father-keeping-bike-distributor-going-strong-2/|njbiz]].  Jamis is the longest family owned bicycle manufacturer in the US.))
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The Univega brand continues to exist, although now they they're made in the USA, which is different than Univega's import only origins.  See: [[https://www.univega-usa.com/]]  Univega is owned by [[https://kent.bike/|Kent International]].  The Univega brand also exists as a [[https://univega.com/en/|German]] brand, with the same logo, presumably owned by Raleigh and selling Chinese imports, which is in turn owned by [[https://www.accell-group.com/en|Accell]].
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<div column 45%>
{{ben.jpg?300|Ben Lawee & associates}}
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Ben Lawee & associates
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[[https://classicjapanesebicycles.com/univega/]]
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<div column 50% #s1982>
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===== 1982 Alpina Uno  =====

Univega's first mountain bike was the Alpine Uno, made by [[https://www.miyatabike.com/|Miyata]] in Japan.  Note the Sugino crank disguised as a [[http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?id=19692c31-4452-4c95-aa38-f7da41cdbafa|T.A. Cyclotouriste]].

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<div column 45%>
{{1982.jpg?300|1982 Alpina Uno}}
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1982 Alpina Uno
[[https://www.pinterest.com/pin/432697476702878342/|pinterest]]
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<div column 50% #s1983>
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===== 1983 Alpina Ultima  =====

The Alpina brand was split into Pro, Sport & Ultima models.  The Ultima had chromed and anodized parts with all around better components.  See catalog: [[ https://univegacatalogs.wordpress.com/1983-catalog/|univegacatalogs]]
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This model lineup continues at least through 1986, with the re-introduction of a low end Alpina Uno in 1984. (([[https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1166680-1985-1986-univega-catalogs.html|bikeforums]] 1985 catalog scan shows Uno returning.))
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Production by 1984 moved to Taiwan, perhaps because Miyata became a direct competitor?  (([[https://budgetbicyclectr.com/1984-univega-alpina-uno-mountain-bicycle-18.html|budgetbicycle]] 1984 Alpina Uno made in Taiwan))


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<div column 45%>
{{1983.jpg?300|1983 Alpina Ultima}}
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1983 Alpina Ultima
[[https://www.flickr.com/photos/jfk_wrk_photos/27241608307/|flickr]]

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<div column 50% #s1984>
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===== 1984 Alpina Pro  =====

This example may be a 1983, as the components match the 1983 [[https://univegacatalogs.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/page8.jpg?w=4000&h|catalog]].  Except that our 1983 has an old SuperBe Tech L, a fatally flawed derailleur, which was period correct.  This example has a SunTour MounTech GTL (1982-1983).

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<div column 45%>
{{1984.jpg?300|1984 Alpina Pro}}
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1984 Alpina Pro
[[https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1227546-1984-univega-alpina-pro-followed-me-home.html#&gid=1&pid=1|bikeforums]]

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<div column 50% #s1985>
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===== 1985 Alpina Ultima  =====

This has an unusual SunTour SuperBe Tech rear derailleur, possibly with a MounTech GTL cage.  Maybe to give it extra chain wrap capacity?  The SuperBe Tech was out of production by 1985, having failed in the market.  (("The 1983 SunTour SuperBe Tech looked gorgeous...  After a year or so, the pivots would be worn out and the shifting got sloppy, but they could not be rebuilt." --[[https://www.cyclepublishing.com/cyclingbooks/dc.html|The Dancing Chain]], Frank Berto, page 270))

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<div column 45%>
{{1985.jpg?300|1985 Alpina Ultima}}
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1985 Alpina Ultima
[[https://buzzbombbicycles.wordpress.com/2021/02/03/1985-univega-alpina-ultima/#jp-carousel-3229|buzzbombbicycles]]

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<div column 50% #s1986>
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===== 1986 Alpina Sport  =====

Shimano Light Action RD-525 (1986)



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<div column 45%>
{{1986.jpg?300|1986 Alpina Sport}}
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1986 Alpina Sport
[[https://www.ebay.com/itm/393904822362|ebay]]

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<div column 50% #s1989>
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===== 1989 Alpina Team  =====

Full Shimano XT group set: hubs, shifters, cranks & derailleurs.


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<div column 45%>
{{1989.jpg?300|1989 Alpina Team}}
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1989 Alpina Team
[[https://buzzbombbicycles.wordpress.com/2018/10/23/1989-univega-alpina-team/|buzzbombbicycles]]

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<div column 50% #s1990>
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===== 1990 Alpina Comp  =====

SunTour XC Comp derailleurs front and rear, with lots of Ritchey goodies.

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<div column 45%>
{{1990.jpg?300|1990 Alpina Comp}}
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1990 Alpina Comp
[[https://www.mtbr.com/threads/first-nice-vintage-mtb-find.568934/#lg=thread-568934&slide=0|mtbr]]

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<div column 50% #sales>
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===== Sales Explosion =====



Univega led the early mountain bike sales explosion of the 80's, selling 60% of all the 5,000 mountain bikes sold in 1982. By 1988, 70 million mountain bikes were being sold, many of which were Univegas.
((Mountain bike sales peaked at 60% all bicycle market in the 1980s according to: [[https://nbda.com/bicycle-industry-data-overview/]], implying total global mountain bike sales hitting 70 million by 1988, according to: [[http://www.ibike.org/library/statistics-data.htm]].))
It's unknown how much market share Univega held by the late 80's, but early on they were king.
((The Birth of Dirt: Origins of Mountain Biking, by Frank J. Berto, 3rd Ed. 2014))
((The History of Mountain Biking, 2014, ed. by Richard Owen))
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Guesstimates give production numbers of:

  * 1982: 3,000 (a)(b)
  * 1983: 20,000 (a)(b)
  * 1984: >60,000 (projection from a)
  * 1985: >150,000 (projection from a)

As of **2020**, the largest bicycle manufacturers were:
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^ Manufacturer  ^ 2020 Revenue ^ Brands ^
| Giant         |  $2.4B       |Giant, Liv, Momentum, Cadex |
| Accell        |  $1.5B       |Haibike, Winora, Ghost, Batavus, Koga, Lapierre, Raleigh, Sparta, Babboe |
| Dorel         |  $1.0B       |Cannondale, Schwinn, GT |
| Trek          |  $952M(([[https://b2b.io/company/trek-bicycle-corporation]]))    |Trek, Electra |
| Specialized   |  $500M((Estimate, from [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specialized_Bicycle_Components]], [[https://www.zoominfo.com/c/specialized-bicycle-components-inc/266617072]]))    |Specialized |



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<div column 45%>
{{catalog.jpg?340|1984 Univega catalog}}
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1984 Univega catalog
[[https://univegacatalogs.wordpress.com]]

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==== Production Notes ====
<WRAP #prod1 />
[1]. 3000 from [[https://www.amazon.com/Birth-Dirt-Origins-Mountain-Biking/dp/1892495619|The Birth of Dirt: Origins of Mountain Biking]], by Frank J. Berto, 3rd Ed. 2014
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<WRAP #prod2 />
[2]. 20,000 from [[https://www.amazon.com/Birth-Dirt-Origins-Mountain-Biking/dp/1892495619|The Birth of Dirt: Origins of Mountain Biking]], by Frank J. Berto, 3rd Ed. 2014
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<WRAP #prod3 />
[3]. 60k & 150k guesses from [[https://www.worldometers.info/bicycles/]] combined with [[https://nbda.com/bicycle-industry-data-overview/]] and [[http://www.ibike.org/library/statistics-data.htm]].  It's likely that these are low.  Someone was making many millions of mountain bikes by 1986.  Who?