I found one of my "Grail Bikes" by ranging farther afield on CL. A 1983 Trek 850, the company's first foray into the Mountain Bike market (They didn't even call it a "Mountain Bike"; it was advertised in the brochure as a "Rough Terrain Bike"), was for sale in Iowa City. That was roughly 5 hours away with the typical traffic delays. But these only come around once in a blue-and-pink polka-dot moon, so I decided to do whatever it took to go get it. Here is the photo from the ad:
All original, used but not molested, it's a time capsule back to a simpler time, when they hand-built bicycles in Waterloo, Wisconsin. So, after I verified the seller's identity (medical professor at Iowa U), I sent him the agreed-on price and prepared my vessel (2006 Nissan Quest) for the long journey ahead.
When I got there, the bike was everything I hoped it would be: 100% original, even down to the 37 year-old tires. The only thing that had been replaced were the rubber hand-grips. Here is how it looked when I unloaded it at home:
I had set it up for a short tour, and ended up doing 20 miles on the Cedar Valley Trail. It was weird getting used-to friction shifting again, but once I got the hang of it, the bike just glided down the trail. The hum from those old knobbies on pavement brought back fond memories of my MTB racing days, back in the mid-80s. But now I had to face a dilemma: I really want this bike to have a period-correct Deore XT drivetrain. I've been spoiled by indexed shifting. So that is what I will be wrenching on now. The Avocet Touring saddle is going to be replaced by a rare Cardiff Mercia, and the handlebar will be a Velo Orange Milan, with Biokork GC-1 handgrips. I have Panaracer Smoke and Dart tires on order, so I can preserve the originals in case I ever decide to sell it.
But even in its as-bought form, it is a wonderful bike to ride. Here it is on Sunday morning, outside my favorite breakfast stop:
Capitol View is one of those rare neighborhood joints that has been there for several decades - serving the same menu, with hundreds of loyal customers. I look forward to many such journeys on this bike, and of course I will keep you all posted.
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