I've been told my old steel made in America 531 Double Butted Trek is worth as much as 4x what I paid for it circa 1982. Serial number on bottom bracket and overall bike. Brakes, cranks, seat, and front hub are original. 22.5" frame with 120mm wide drop-outs (unfortunately cold set to accommodate 7 speed freewheel hub). I want to restore but need help finding original rear hub, pedals, handlebars, etc.

Bottom bracket info:

D

H319103

Help decode and decide what vintage parts to buy...

Here's the photos I forgot to add before:

pics?

To decode those frame numbers, go to Vintage Trek Bikes- Information on Steel Road Bicycles made by the Trek Bicycle Corporation, bike. There are excellent essays about what the multi-digit number means, and from that you can find the correct catalog and see what it should have been originally built with. There's also a real good section on dating by color, where numbers might not seem accurate, and dating the parts rather than the frame.

For us, it's really hard to say what it needs until with pics we can see what it has. It would also be useful for you to say how it rides and if there are any problems with how it works.

As far as 4x goes, what did you pay for it, and what's your goal - sell it for max $ or make it ride like new, or what? BTW, just learning about it is fine, we are not all just flippers here.

Might need to check the stamped numbers again - could any more of those numbers actually be letters?

H should mean the frame is a 710, and 3 should mean it's 22.5". 7xx were traditionally double-butted 531 at least main tubes, and I think there was some variation in what they made the rear triangles and fork blades out of, at least across model years. My assumption is always that the frame I am looking at is what the tubing sticker says it is - it's the simplest assumption if there's no particular reason to think otherwise.

But the site thinks there may be other letters in that number, unless it's an exception, and I didn't read that section.

https://www.vintage-trek.com/images/t...listApr_82.pdf

According to the 1982 price list, a 710 frame would have been $349 for the frame and assuming a good component group $409 on top of that.

Keeping that in mind- Using an inflation calclulator, that $750 you spent in 1982 would roughly equate into an $1800 bike today.

IMO, I love old Treks. If I really wanted one, I'd spend what I thought would be necessary to buy one. $400 would be absolutely as much as I would pay for an immaculate condition 1982 Trek 710 with a really nice component group. I don't think I'd even really pay that much.

I would not pay in excess of $750 and definitely not $1800 nor $2100 for one.


You've got a desirable bike- if you want to build it up to ride, or to sell- it's going to be a really cool bike and a great riding bike.

If'n it were me, I'd build it up with period Suntour Cyclone stuff with Superbe brakes and brake levers.

Like this style:







This is just *my* personal opinion... if you're selling it, go all vintage, or go all modern. IMO piecemealing together a group looks like ... parts put together to make it run-able.

If you're going to ride it, use whatever makes you happy and don't give a rat's ass what some dork on the internet thinks.


Best!

You were told wrong. Now if someone offers you that amount in cash, take it.

Typically, the people that give this value advice have not bought or sold a similar model in years.

I have a 1979 710, full Reynolds 531 that year. As a frameset, may be worth $250 to $350 in very good condition.

As investments go, the stock market, real estate, maybe commodities are better choices. But as a hobby, vintage bikes are great.

And if a bunch of us dorks start arguing about it, just go the other way!

I bought a 1981 716 on the bidding site about 6 months ago. I looked for quite some time to find a 700 series that wasn't a 720. Shimano 600 Arabesque group with Sugino crank. 700c wheels upgraded I am thinking to newer 105 hubs with DB spokes. VGC frame save for missing a seat tube decal and just some cleaning needed on the components. It was my size, I wanted it and paid south of $400.

I sold off all but the front wheel and put a modern 10 speed 105 group on it, except for a Chorus crank. Absolutely love it with some 32 tires on to roll on nasty pavement. Golden Boy and I are on the same page. I would have paid $400. The value was in the frame pretty much.

In early 1983 I bought an '82 Trek 710 frame for $225. It's a great frame for sport riding, commuting, or light touring. There are some Trek's that bring pretty high prices, like the 720 and some of the 900-series, but the 710's do not seem to be in that group.
We wanna see some pix!

That bike is very similar to mine, but I think it's newer. But, the paint is exactly the same color, so it may be the same year. I don't know. The shop that told me it was worth something took the frames, repainted them, put on new equipment, then sold Made in America steel frame. So they weren't just blowing smoke. This bike rides real nice, nicer IMHO than some very expensive bikes, if it weren't for the dated component group. It's heavier than my Ti road frame, for sure, but it still is a comfortable durable bike. I keep it for sentimental reasons and as backup in case a friend comes without a bike.

What new components did you put on that bike you pictured? I want to swap out the rear tire and cluster that were installed during the 90's when a bike shop couldn't find the original equipment. I want to cold set the rear back to 120mm specs, and restore to original type equipment.

What do you want to do with the bike?

I'd expect to find the original setting was 126 mm, not 120 mm.

Your bike must be newer than mine then. Mine had a 5sp cluster, and was cold set to 126mm to fit in a wider axle. According to what I can find on the Trek antique website mentioned above, rear drops were probably 120mm apart.

I think I need to swap out the rear wheel and put in one with original Shimano 5sp cluster, then I need to rewrap the handlebars. I'll keep it as a guest bike.

I would too! Even though we continued to call them 10 speeds.... by 1982 I would expect six cogs... not 5. I really like the early and mid-80s bikes... although I lean more to the Japanize made steel bikes... my modern daily rider is a Trek.

Do whatever feels right to you. But I'd wash, scrub, clean, polish and shine the bike to as close to new as possible. New grease, oil, chain and of course tape, tubes and tires... and likely cables, cable housings, and brake pads. I'd make sure the wheels are a matched set, and that the bike shifts flawlessly. Then I'd enjoy it when the weather is nice... and hang it on a wall (to be admired) when it isn't being ridden.

If you look at all the catalogs- any 700 series bike (531 frame, fork and stays) would have come with either a 6 speed freewheel or 6 speed cassette.

If the bike is prior to 1978... it may have come with a 5 speed.

My bike is a 1978 Trek 736. It came with a 6 speed cassette.

Your bike has been upgraded. Going back isn't going to put the genie back in the bottle.

It's your bike, do what you like- but if you're keeping it for people to ride- might as well make it as pleasurable to ride as possible. I think it's a fool's errand to waste the money in trying to revert it to a 5 speed rear end and make the bike less functional.

If you're thinking of selling and thinking that the old components are going to make it more valuable... You've got a frame/fork that's worth under $200. If you have it built up with period parts, it's worth around $400. If you have it built up with somewhat modernized parts, it's worth around $400. For you to spend the money on a new (old) wheel and sourcing old parts- you're gaining nothing.

My bike came with Shimano 600 "Arabesque" components. That's how I got it. I didn't like the way it shifted in both the front and rear and didn't like the way it braked. Over the past few years I've replaced the derailleurs with contemporary Suntour Cyclone parts, the brakes with Suntour Superbe and the shifters are the mid 80s ratcheting Suntour Sprint shifters. The crankset was replaced with a Stronglight triple. I've kept the original wheels with the Shimano 6 speed freehub. It's a nice riding bike, it's not original, but it's built mostly of components from around the same time period and it functions SO much better. The Arabesque stuff is pretty to look at- but ****ty shifting. I effectively upgraded the bike using contemporary parts.

This was after I cleaned it up and put new bar tape on:










This is after replacing all the 600 parts with Suntour/Stronglight stuff:







We don't actually know what your bike is or how it would have come.

Personally- I'd leave the 7 speed rear wheel on there- if you've got good components- cool. If you've got a hankering to upgrade the bike from where it's at- do that. Indexed shifting... pretty derailleurs... nifty stuff... It's a cool bike, there's tons of fun games to play with the bike, and to me, none of them involve going backwards.

Ballpark: $200-250 for the frame ($300 tops if nearly immaculate). Complete bike in fully working condition: $400-500.

FYI, I own a 1979 Trek 510, which is similar, but built with Ishiwata 022 tubing, and as a result of fashion, is not worth as much (maybe $100-150 less than the 531 frame version), despite being the equivalent bike.

i bet 99.9 percent of the people here in c&v prefer a 6-speed freewheel to a 5-speed. that one little extra cog gives you another gear or two in a very useful upward range.

to more narrowly cold set past 6, back to 5, is illogical on (nearly) all counts.

the only reason to go back to 120mm spacing is to remove the derailleurs altogether.

cool bike. i have a 7-speed sunrace freewheel with a 9-speed chain on my '84 davidson and absolutely love it.

I have an 81 Trek 710, full 531 as far as I know and I love it. I converted it to a modernish 10spd drivetrain (10spd barend shifters, older XT rd, Cyclone fd, Sugino mighty tour cranks 48/34t, White Industries hubs laced to Mavic Open Pro rims and a 12-34 IRD cassette). It's a fantastic bike and will go just about anywhere

I am considering pirating the modern parts to put on my Gunnar and swapping in a combo of Superbe and 1st gen Cyclone onto my Trek