Ok, back from dinner and a few errands, so as mentioned in my post/reply above, the '82 is getting built up first because it's really showed "who it is" in a state of build very similar to what I'd like it to be (aka stock/period correct). I also like that it's the bigger/taller frame because I'm me. Original 715 componentry would have been Cyclone 2x6 with the '81's SR crankset also spec'd for '82. I have entertained the thought of mimicking my former 21" 715 build and having the wheelset with the black Sun M13 II rims, but--and here's where I get particular--I really like the curved profile of the original 13-20 rims and really any narrow rim like that during that time (Module E, a number of Arayas, etc). The black M13 wheelset has some very nice cartridge bearing Suntour touring hubs. I wish the hubs' finish was in better shape, but crucially, I don't like that it's high/higher flange and thus visually bulky. One of the goals is to keep this bike aesthetically lithe, almost like a counterpoint to today's bulkier frames and deep section wheels.
I have the spec'd Cyclone front and rear derailleurs already, but it took me driving back to Seattle (to see friends, and friends/the good people who work at bike shops) to source a complete Cyclone rear derailleur with the recessed pinch bolt nut present. That derailleur is actually correct for the 715 as it possesses the longer GT cage. However, the standard cage looks better and more visually cohesive to me, and importantly, its parallelogram pivots are in better shape, to say nothing of its overall finish.
The SR crankset will be taken from the '81, as will the Avocet Racing saddle, whose yellow graphics I really like and think will smartly complement the yellow-against-blue paint of the '82. The bottom bracket will be a Shimano cartridge unit of some sort. Curiously,
BOTH bottom brackets on these Treks, while looking like ho-hum multi-piece units you'd find on a mid or bottom-tier bike, spun absolutely perfectly. No lumpiness or looseness. I've never come across that, unfortunately. I think the narrower of the two could net me the Q-factor my knees need, so surprisingly, that's still in the mix.
I'd like to keep the stem at 100mm in length, and basically carbon copy the stem/bar/bar angle/brake lever position. The artist in me would like to employ a stem in nicer condition. After stumbling across a lovely 40cm Nitto Model 55 handlebar (for cheap/killer deal, like all of this is), I'd like to use that, but it's a 26.0 clamp diameter (cool!) and I need to obtain an appropriate 26.0mm stem, which I don't have unless I swap from a bike I am selling...tomorrow! Lol, this is the story of this bike!
For wheels, the trip to Seattle and buying a gorgeous Araya/Cyclone setup from
Mr. 66 will be perfect. Lightweight rims with a beautiful profile, finished in an anodized medium grey. I wanted to use the stock wheels--Campy Tipo hubs to Matrix (Strada?) rims, but the rims and hubs seem to have been sanded with 220 grit sandpaper and it would take a complete disassembly of the wheels to efficiently rectify. It certainly could be done, and the new spokes and nipples would be welcome in place of the dull and old ones, but that is a lot of work and having Cyclone wheels to go with Cyclone components scratches the matchy-matchy itch. The Tipo/Matrix wheels are already set for another bike, so nothing is being wasted!
The current tire selection, also a Seattle LBS find, are some barely-used folding-bead Clement Strada LGG 700x28s which should be about 25-26mm wide by the time they're mounted. They will look the part and align with the aesthetic goals, all while being decent rollers.
The hubs spin perfectly--as good as anything Campagnolo or Dura-Ace. What a treat! I will clean and shine them up though. The rear wheel needs just a touch of truing--the front is good.
Sorting out the shifter has been an ordeal. I haven't worked this hard to bridge a gap between desired shifters to use and bicycle (in)compatibility. I'm not a fan of Suntour's piggyback/top mount shifters, as most of their shift levers' shapes are unattractive to me. I'm also not a fan of Trek's refusal to put braze-on downtube shifter bosses on their top level frames for so long. I would like to have shifters in their "normal" location on the downtube. I would also like to use these power/ratcheting shifters--Cyclone level no less--I picked up last year as anything remotely close to Simplex Retrofriction shifters is the ideal friction shifter to me. Holding gear position, even under heavy pedaling load--a novel concept!
Issue #1 is that these Cyclone-level Power shifters will not work with any Symmetric (which I like) top mount shift lever bosses, nor many other Suntour setups. And the ones it could, needed to be modified. So I dug around my shifter bin and found an aero top mount setup. All I'd need to do is file the 16.25mm diameter to 15.75mm or less and the shift levers would slot over the elevated circular extrusion and interface correctly.
One lever mocked up. Looking good!
Got the other side done, sanded the deep filing marks, then polished the mount up. Lovely!
But wait!! There's a catch! The mount bolt/screw that interfaces with either a braze-on top mount boss or band clamp is a fine-thread M6 x 0.75mm, not the normal M6 x 1mm. AND, the screw head needs to be less than 9mm in diameter. I have a M6 x 0.75 mounting screw, but the head is 11mm wide, so it doesn't fit into the recess of the aero mount.
*** If anyone has this screw or knows where to get one (not eBay--none there), please let me know!! ***
Barring that, I decide, after spending 20 minutes digging through a huge coffee can's worth of old bike hardware at City Bikes, to buy a complete Suntour shifter setup with all its hardware and, after examining it, adapt my shifters to it. So I do, and it's, again, soooooo close
but somehow, inexplicably, not immediately compatible. I will share photos tomorrow, but man, this isn't ending! I will prevail, and I am not discouraged, but I'll have to take a few more swings of the ax at this proverbial shifter tree. That may include a visit to Bike Farm again, going through their sorted hardware. Or not.
