Originally Posted by
thumpism
More pix of that tall Elance. I'm astonished how decent it is overall despite the obviously trashed appearance. No dents or cracks that I can find, the BB and HS spin freely and it's straight. Even the top tube cable guides are undamaged. Damn, this would make a good project for someone but not for me.
It sure ain't pretty but would make a decent ride for somebody.
I don't know the Trek line by heart but recall seeing these 531 frames with Cr-Mo (specifically NOT 531) forks. Kind of an odd offering by the company.
Haven't tried a seatpost yet but assume it takes a 27.2.
I'd guess it was purely a cost-saving decision to forgo 531 for the fork & stays (and may possibly have had as much to do with exchange rates, trade agreements, etc., at the time..). I've casually looked for a definitive description of what the real-world differences are between 'chrome-moly' and 'manganese-moly' but haven't come up with anything- at least that seemed 'definitive' (and described something that I personally might notice.... or at least understand!).
I does seem these Trek Elance frames are quite liked by those who have/ride them, even if they aren't highly regarded. I've only been able to try the one I picked up and reno'd on the rollers so far, so can't give a real-world impression. Funny thing is, I actually bought it to build up as a 650b conversion for a friend, but it turned out to be smaller than thought- he's quite tall. But it's my size, so I've built it up for myself. Your frame would be more his size..