So here I am, signing myself up for more work. Passion and enthusiasm, they are the innocent rat races we make for ourselves. These two Treks have many other siblings, they just happen to be in a storage unit at this point in my life. That wasn't the case before, and it won't be, but it's the reality right now. I'm working on shuttling a handful of bikes to new, happy owners, but that's been slow going.

Aside from colors, there are a few differences between the two frames. For starters, the '82 715 is 5-6mm taller in the seat tube, making it a 65.3cm CTT frame vs the ~64.7cm frame of the '81 715. The '82 also has a higher-set rear brake bridge, allowing for more tire and fender clearance. The frame angles are different--the '81 is catalog-spec 73°/73° while the '82 deviates. [I cannot find the piece of paper that has its measurements on it...] Chain stay lengths are different, albeit minorly (5mm).

I removed the roasted tires off the '82, scrape enough glue off the rim, and mount some nearly-new Conti GP4000 S2 28mm tires just to get some solid rubber to gauge the bike with. Total downgrade in looks with the black sidewalls, I must say. At least in person. Regardless, I bump the saddle position up a bit and get the bike rolling.

There is something to be said for 1) not being super stretched out like the pros and 2) the classic setup of narrow handlebars vs. today's ethos of wider-set ones. The narrower bars are something I've quietly liked and have been analyzing for both steering feel (LOVELY) and out-of-saddle characteristics (usually not as willing vs the increased leverage a wider bar offers in that scenario). With both of these Treks, the goal is to keep this "as built" (originally) and "as bought"--if not uncomfortable--only replacing consumables. This, of course, after completely disassembling, cleaning, overhauling, and polishing/shining the frame and componentry up.



With the increased rear tire capacity brought about by the higher-set brake bridge, I was able to shoehorn massive 35mm tires in back, so on went the pair of Compass tires I had from another bike. The result? An obviously more plush ride than the original "25s" or the GP4000 28s, but at the great expense of steering feel (a considerable wheel flopping tendency to one side or the other when steering into a corner). This is what a narrow bar setup combined with originally-designed-for front end geometry can result in, and as I've found, it's fixable, to varying degrees with wider handlebars (the wider the "better").

I really liked the purity of steering and overall feel with the smaller 28s (nearly what the bike was spec'd with originally), and so as much as a plush ride is nice, I want the look and feel of the bike to remain, and will let the 531 tubing shine, be felt, and smooth out the road. But only tan sidewalls apply..



Clearance, Clarence!