Pretty up the ugly bike? (was Trek Steel TIme Machine)
08-08-05, 12:32 PM
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Pretty up the ugly bike? (was Trek Steel TIme Machine)
Last year I was looking for a junker to ride on my trainer and picked up this '85 Trek 500 (lugged steel Reynolds 501 frame) from a local guy for $75. Pedalled it in the Giro, Tour de Flanders and TDF (well, watching the DVD's anyway) while the snow accumulated outside. Kind of a gummed up POS but who cares what's attached to the trainer anyway.
So a few weeks ago I was talking to a friend after a ride and he showed me an old steel bike he was thinking about throwing some modern parts on for winter riding.
Lightbulb went off.
A couple of hours of wrenching and yanking stuff out of boxes I had originally scheduled for Ebay and she went on her maiden re-voyage yesterday for two hours.
An absolutely sweet ride. Smooth, silent, and other than the rear der just nicking the spokes on the 29, and the fact that it turns like a bathtub, a really nice working bike.
So I'll figure out a way to sort out the cassette issue, but I'm torn on whether I want to bother to do anything for the aesthetics. The bike is butt-ugly and cute at the same time right now...sort of like an iguana.
Specs: Wheels-Campy record tubular. Cassette- Campy Centaur 10 speed 13/29. Crank/BB- Nashbar compact 175 ISIS with FSA platinum pro BB. Bars/Stem- Pazzaz OS carbon with Forte stem and quill adapter. Pedals- Look KEO. Seat- Fizik Arione with Syncros post. I added a couple of gel pads under the bar tape.
Everything else is original...here's the brochure from Trek:
https://www.vintage-trek.com/images/trek/85TrekSport.pdf
So what do you think? Pretty it up or not? Frame paint is in fair condition, a few scrapes...
So a few weeks ago I was talking to a friend after a ride and he showed me an old steel bike he was thinking about throwing some modern parts on for winter riding.
Lightbulb went off.
A couple of hours of wrenching and yanking stuff out of boxes I had originally scheduled for Ebay and she went on her maiden re-voyage yesterday for two hours.
An absolutely sweet ride. Smooth, silent, and other than the rear der just nicking the spokes on the 29, and the fact that it turns like a bathtub, a really nice working bike.
So I'll figure out a way to sort out the cassette issue, but I'm torn on whether I want to bother to do anything for the aesthetics. The bike is butt-ugly and cute at the same time right now...sort of like an iguana.
Specs: Wheels-Campy record tubular. Cassette- Campy Centaur 10 speed 13/29. Crank/BB- Nashbar compact 175 ISIS with FSA platinum pro BB. Bars/Stem- Pazzaz OS carbon with Forte stem and quill adapter. Pedals- Look KEO. Seat- Fizik Arione with Syncros post. I added a couple of gel pads under the bar tape.
Everything else is original...here's the brochure from Trek:
https://www.vintage-trek.com/images/trek/85TrekSport.pdf
So what do you think? Pretty it up or not? Frame paint is in fair condition, a few scrapes...
08-08-05, 12:43 PM
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Originally Posted by lotek
Well I've got 2 old treks, an 85 670 and an 84 770. Both ride really well.
There is something magic about the old steel treks.
What would you do to pretty it up? I like the original look.
Funny, mine was gonna be a winter beater, but they look/ride
too good for that.
marty
There is something magic about the old steel treks.
What would you do to pretty it up? I like the original look.
Funny, mine was gonna be a winter beater, but they look/ride
too good for that.
marty
Kind of fun passing $4K carbon bikes up the hills with this though
