RIDING THE SEKINE SHT 270

The SHT 270 is a long ways from being the most sophisticated bicycle in my collection, however; it does hold great favour.  This was the first quality vintage road bicycle that I found.  It cost me all but nothing to put it on the road and has continued to evolve for very little cash outlay ever since.  All that said, the ride has not changed all that much as the bicycle experienced its sets of upgrades.  Today, the Sekine is my favourite ride when getting there is the goal and I ride this old bicycle frequently.

The SHT 270 is a very stable bicycle.  It accelerates well but not exceptionally well.  I attribute this characteristic to the fact that I choose to run 27"x1 1/4" tires on the bicycle.  There large profile tires add considerable "rolling weight" (I also run puncture resistant inner tubes), that negatively impacts the bicycle's ability to accelerate and go fast.  However, I have never had a flat tire running this tire/inner tube set-up.  That is fine with me since the SHT is for going far, not fast.  It is my commuter even though I have no place to commute to these days.

The 52/42 ring combination drives a wide ratio five speed cog set, offering a decent gear range that will accommodate most situations.  Rarely is it that I have to climb out of the saddle to get up a hill.

The SHT corners predictably and never feels twitchy (a ride characteristic that Sekine's top of the line model, the SHX 270 is more likely to offer).  The Brooks B17 "Narrow" saddle now mounted, offers a non-issue level of comfort and it suits the bicycle's appearance perfectly - and I didn't even have to break this found at the "Dump" beauty in.

The 27"x1 1/4" tires hold a good volume of air, which adds considerably to the comfort factor but does detract from performance characteristics.  I set the SHT up with 27" x 1" narrow rims and tires for a while.  The improvement in feel was seat of the pants noticeable.  However, two rides after setting the bike up this way and original and near mint set of original wheels presented themselves.  They were mounted on the bicycle and remain there to this day.  The bigger volume tires are just more practical for a regular ride.

And, in keeping with the utilitarian nature of the Sekine's presentation in the last build, I even included a nylon saddle bag for functional purposes only.  Though I do not like the appearance of this new bag, I do like having someplace to stash my trip needs, when out and about.

All in all, the Sekine SHT 270 is a very nice bicycle.  It is hardly an exotic mount.  It is not hugely sought after.  It might not even be all that collectable today.  But I do like the bicycle and it will probably remain in the collection until an SHX comes my way.

I did have a chance to buy an SHX several years ago and passed on the opportunity.  Foolish I know but the asking price at the time was $500.00.  I thought that the price was ridiculous!  Today, as I watch vintage road bicycle prices sky rocket, I question my wisdom.  I know now that there will never be a better time to buy a vintage road bike.  Because tomorrow, it will cost a good deal more!