The ultimate Trek 1000 upgrade!

[iamtim]

Here is my beloved Trek 1000:

http://www.justanotherwebsite.net/images/trek1000.jpg

So a few days ago, a came across a great bargain. A Reynolds 853 steel DEAN with an Easton EC30 fork, set up as a single-speed bike with all sorts of Control Tech and Shimano 105/Dura-Ace parts, for $150 worth of parts. Here's a pic of the bike as I brought it home:

http://www.justanotherwebsite.net/images/deanss.jpg

I've longed for a steel roadie ever since I sold my Bianchi Strada back in the late 80's. I wondered what to do with the DEAN; I bought it not because I needed it, but because at the "price" I couldn't pass it up. Ultimately, I decided to make it my roadie, moving the components over from my trusty Trek 1000. I just finished and gave it a bit of a test ride. Here's the final bike:

http://www.justanotherwebsite.net/images/deang.jpg

Here were my challenges:

* The wheelbase is MUCH shorter than my Trek 1000, so it's MUCH squirrellier. That I can get used to. But the rear triangle is so tight that my Continental Ultra 2000 700x23 tires come within a milimeter of rubbing the seat tube. I have a set of Michelin 700x20's that I'm going to slap on and try out.

* The bottom bracket, having been setup for single-speed, is a 115. Too wide. I can't shift to the large chainring because it's out too far. My LBS didn't have a 110 in stock, and a 107 is too narrow. I'm sure it's complicated by the fact I'm trying to put a triple on, but I'm sure I can make it work.

Other than that, the migration was fairly smooth. I was hoping to ride to work tomorrow in honor of Ride-to-Work week, but I gotta fix the BB first. Here's a total component list:

Frame: Reynolds 853, hand-made by DEAN.
Fork: Easton EC30.
Wheels: Shimano Tiagra hubs, Mavic CXP23 rims.
Drivetrain: Bontrager Sport cranks, triple, Shimano 9 speed cassette, Shimano Tiagra front and rear derailleurs, Shimano Ultegra SPD-SL pedals, Shimano 600 bottom bracket.
Control: Bontrager Sport bars, Control Tech stem, Shimano 600 threaded headset, Shimano Tiagra brake/shift levers.
Seating: Control Tech seatpost, SDG Comp TI saddle.
Braking: Shimano Tiagra calipers, Shimano Ultegra pads.

All in all, it's one heck of a sweet ride. I can't wait to get the bottom bracket handled so I can actually shift in front, and take it on a decent ride.

What do y'all think?

[gr@sshopper]

Nice!

[nowheels]

you'll like the DEAN. When I used to ride road bikes, I had 2 of them........they make a phenom frame.

[octico]

Nice !

[gobes]

I like the trek 1000 better.

[jsigone]

nice combo!!!!

[Seamus]

I love a good steel roadbike (my main ride is a Strong custom steel). I'm curious why that rear triangle is so tight though? Was it designed as a racer for a 700 x 20 setup? Sweet frame, in any event.

Jim

[roadfix]

Steely Dean! Very nice! Looking good, Tim!....:D

[iamtim]

Was it designed as a racer for a 700 x 20 setup?

The guy who it was made for works with me; he had it made as a racer, but for 700x23. It just so happens that Continentals (what I have) are just a wee bit taller than the Michelins or Vehederstehns (or however that's spelled) that he ran. I'm going to test out a set of those before I make the jump to 700x20.

[iamtim]

I like the trek 1000 better.

Out of curiosity, why?

[ChrisAN82]

I'm a new MTBer looking to buy a road bike, a Trek 1000 actually, and am wondering why you would pick a steel frame over an aluminum one. I can see the logic in steel frame mountain bikes because steel is stronger than aluminum, and would thus put up with more of the abusive nature of mountain riding. However, road bikes have little to no impact with the ground and, I would think, would benefit more from a lighter aluminum frame than a heavier steel frame. I'm sure I'm missing something here because I'm a noob, so please help me out.

[iamtim]

Actually, the Dean is significantly lighter than the Trek 1000. Generally speaking, steel gives a smoother ride. While that concept is often highly debated, in my case it's true -- my Trek 1000 had a very harsh ride, whereas the Dean provides a much smoother ride.

It's personal preference. I happen to prefer steel frames.