RickyTylerson

So I'm pretty sure I'm going to buy this bike. I just have some concerns over clearance for larger (28c-32c) tires and fenders. I would like to use this as an all arounder / randonneur bike for when I would finally like to try a brevet.


https://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/...eltrek/215.jpg

https://i1251.photobucket.com/albums/...eltrek/206.jpg

these are the details from CL :
'81 Trek 710 Vintage Sports Tourer
Designed by Tim Isaac, all Reynolds 531 steel road bike. Hand crafted low temp silver brazed, in the Big Red Barn, Waterloo Wisconsin.
24" frame 60cm seat tube x 57.5cm top tube, fits someone 5'11" -- 6' 2" SO ht. 33.75"/85.5cm
Seat Tube Angle & Head Tube Angle are 73.5 degrees.
Trail geometry 64 degrees, chain stay length 43.5cm.
These numbers add up for a very responsive ride. Serial number 004033.
Water bottle bosses, rear rack bosses, top tube cable guides and bottom bracket cable guides. Imron paint, dark blue pewter.
Dura-Ace drive train, except FD is Campy, chainrings 52-39, cogs 13-15-17-19-21-23
Dura-Ace brakes, Dia-Compe AC250g levers
Dura-Ace 100mm hidden bolt quill stem, in the photo's a Nitto stem is mounted. Cinelli 64-40 bars
Dura-Ace seatpost, Sella Italia Flite saddle
Dura-Ace hubs, Rigida Alloy 700c rims

thank you for any help you guys can provide!

Whit51 

Looks great, 531 treks are hard to beat IMHO. Based on your intended use for the bike, you would need lower gearing. Maybe switch out the crank for something that will accommodate110bcd and a 48/34 or so chain ring combo?

RickyTylerson

ok cool. thanks for the advice. I'm still pretty new to the world of touring/commuting and such and that could be useful.

the clearance looks a little low to me near the rear brake, you think SKS fenders would work out?

dddd

My 710 seems to have much better (taller) clearance in front than in back.

A 32mm tire and fender would be tight back there, looks like it would fit but with thin clearance atop the tire.

kroozer 

In 1981 most bikes were still using 27" tires, so if you put on 700c's you could probably run 700x32's with no problem. I had a 1981 or '82 Trek 710, bought as a frame only, and remember that it had fairly generous clearances.

RickyTylerson

the bike already has 700c wheels, the 710 apparently came with 700c back in 1981 so there's no extra clearance to be had.

I'm gonna go ahead and snatch it up. I really only need to run 28s.

but I am thinking of a 650b project for my 88 trek 330 frame. I want to get into trail riding and other such fun things to do with real big tires.

JunkYardBike

I have a friend with an '82 and he couldn't fit 32mm tires under a fender on the rear. I've got a '78 TX500 (same basic geometry) and the brake bridge gives much more generous clearance than some of the later models.

ChicAgo steel

This Trek is on it's way to new home, in the Tarheel state.

RickyTylerson

so everything looks great on the trek except for this...



the wheel was super out of true when I got it, along with a broken spoke. when my local bike shop tried to fix it, it was apparently too far gone and it figure 8'ed

Von Stively

Hello, I have a 710 myself and I'm trying to see if 32's fit. Its tight back there, how'd it work out for you? I'm thinking no fenders, just 32's
Thanks, Pat

fender1

Not correct. 710's were always spe'd for 700c. I have had 4 of them. 32mm tires and SKS fenders will work but it is tight. The rear fender line always looked off with mine running 32's. 28mm is the better choice.

rhm

I was surprised to learn, very recently, that the 1982 Trek 720 touring bike was spec'd with 700x32c, which they switched to 27" for the 1983 version.

kroozer 

Well, maybe my memory ain't what it used to be. Come to think of it, I always ran mine set up as a racer with narrow 700C tires and no fenders. But anything that calls itself a sport tourer should have ample clearance for 700x32 tires plus fenders. I think in the early 80's everyone was making their bikes too tight. Hell, I have three racing bikes from the late 60's-early 70's that will take 40mm tires plus fenders. If you want a nice all-rounder, you might want to look at one of those.

Pemetic2006

I have a 1979 910, and I thought the frames were very similar, but maybe not. Anyway, I have 32's and could probably fit 38's.

P.S. Is that the original paint? If so it is fantastic.

The Golden Boy 

The 82 had 700c wheels and brazed on center pull brakes. The next year it was 27" and cantis.

Sedgemop 

I wonder if Ricky ever wound up trying a brevet.

rhm

Yes, as you say, the '82 had Gran Compe 450 center pull brakes; but are you sure they were brazed on? (I rather doubt they were, but what do I know). And for that matter, do you know if a cable stop was brazed to the stays? The catalog is unclear on this, but the photo suggests the stop was brazed on.

The 1982 brochure does show, however that the 720 was available as a bare frame, and does not indicate that the bare frame differed in any way from that if the complete bike.

I ask because I have a 720, that I bought new, as a bare frame, in the spring of '83. It was made, according to the serial number, in late '82. It has none of the brazed-on doodahs I ask about, and it is not even clear what wheel size and what brakes the designers intended.

My frame has an integeral seat post pinch bolt, which makes it difficult to install a separate stop for the center pull brake. So I rather wish I knew what the boys at Trek were thinking.

tmh657

I don't know if this photo will clarify anything but here it is. The cable stop on the rear is fitted in the seat post binder bolt. I had a '82 go through my hands and it matched the catalog for the 728 from that year, for the most part. If it was my size I would still have it. If you don't plan on doing "real" touring it works great IMO and the GC brakes are pretty.



I have a 1981 which came speced as a 716 with 700c wheels. It's now a 10 speed brifter bike with 32's on it for rolling on bad pavement. I live is SoCal and as you may have heard it NEVER rains here so there is no plan for fenders. Both frames had/have great paint so I don't know what happened to the decals.

The Golden Boy 

You know I could totally picture where @JohnDThompson referred to them as "brazed on centerpulls". I found the thread and it's "totally cool Gran Compe calipers."

Sorry about that.

As far as the wheel size- everything I've read say 700c on the early ones. There's one post that says different- it's actually yours!

I can't guess with any authority as to what was stock on your bike- but I would guess it had a cable stop on the chai stay- if it doesn't - did it get broken off before you got it, or when it was repainted? Or do you remember always having a clamp on cable stop?

As far as what the boys at Trek were thinking... There's a post that I think sums it up- this is at the time of some small time bike guys figuring out mass production. Everything from braze ons to component specs- the realities of what you want, vs what works, vs what you and the buyer can afford, vs what's available, vs what's hot and what will sell.

It is interesting that the 720 was available as a frameset- they knew (or thought) their core "fans" were serious about it and would like to make their own decisions.


I also find it interesting that the amount of rack/fender braze ons changed within model years. And also there's no 1985 brazed 1985 model year bikes... I don't think the 84s sold that well- despite being among the most grand "grand touring" bikes ever.

rhm

My 720 has always been somewhat confusing, and the more I learn, the more confused I become.

I bought it new, in a Trek authorized bike shop. It had never been built, or so I was told. Bottom bracket and headset were already installed. The former, I later learned, was Italian threaded. Yes, really. I don't know why that was, and I don't really expect anyone will ever tell me. The headset was a Hatta Swan, which isn't bad, but it's also not the Tange Levin specified in the brochure. Why not? No idea.

There certainly was no brake bridge ever.

I initially built it with 27" wheels and SunTour Superbe brakes. I later changed to 700c wheels which required me to switch the rear pivot bolt to a Campy drop-center bolt; which is why I thought the frame was designed for 27" wheels.

My current plan is to see how MAFAC competition, or 2000, center pulls work. I can't imagine the lovely Gran-Compe 450's are functionally that superior to the MAFAC ones, and at least the MAFAC ones are known to exist in the real world (@crankaddict has offered me a pair ).

The Golden Boy 

Do you know if your bike is one of the early EARLY ones? Like the guys on the line just figuring it out?

Standard reach Superbes? Or was that really made with long reach centerpulls in mind? With realistic room for wide tired and fenders- something my 85 is really stingy about.