riverdrifter

Ok here's the obligatory pictures. Not quite as I got it, it's cleaned up little. When I got it home last night I gave it a quick bath and a wipe-down. Then I took it for a quick spin around the neighborhood. Wow! That quick ride turned into several miles! This bike just eats the miles up, it's crazy. I've never ridden a bike so comfortable, and fast. My steel Jamis road bike is so harsh compared to this old Trek.

bikemig 

This bike is beautiful. Nice job tracking it down. Now you need to tear it down and overhaul it and replace all the consumables.

The rear wheel is a helicomatic. You'll need to snag the right tool to pull off the cassette. Some people don't like the helicomatic system. It was ahead of its time and it had some advantages (easy as pie getting the cassettes on and off) and some problems. Here is some info on this

Maillard Helicomatic System from Yellow Jersey

The shimano 600/deore triple is beautiful. I really like the Huret derailleurs. I used a set when I did a cross country bike ride. The RD takes up a lot of chain. You will want to ease up a bit when shifting under a load with this. That's true for any RD but that's especially true for this one.

Oddly I picked up a 1983 Trek 620 yesterday; the bike looks like it came out of a time capsule.

riverdrifter

^^^^ Thanks! Your 83 looks pretty nice too!

The Golden Boy 

Wow!!!

I would say to overhaul everything and then make decisions as to what to change and swap out and/or upgrade.

That thing looks way sweet.

delbiker1 

I love those bikes. I was trying to get one from a seller 6 hours drive away. I guess he did not believe I would make the trip for it. He just ended the communication mid talk. Maybe someone local contacted him.

Hobbiano 

That looks great! I picked up an '84 620 and an '83 720 recently. Job number one: Overhaul the hubs.

riverdrifter

I think, for now, I'm just going to replace the tape and hoods, and tires and tubes. Then I'll ride it for awhile and work out any issues instead of doing a complete tear down now. It seems like it's been maintained until recently. It's fairly well adjusted, no seized bolts, seatpost is greased, etc. Looks like it's been in a garage for several years. It just had a bit of road grime, and a thick layer of garage dust.

It came with a bunch of extras, like the frame pump, which works great. Also a Cateye CC2000 solar computer, tri-bars, wheel truing stand, Nashbar rack trunk, and a nifty plastic deck for the rack called a Rack Mate.

One thing I noticed right away, it has a Stronglight Hinault B10 delrin headset. There is no play or flex at all, but it is super tight. It's totally smooth, but I've never seen a headset so tight. I read that's the nature of this particular headset. So maybe that's not a symptom of a problem? I was all set to replace the headset, but maybe it's not needed?

riverdrifter

It took awhile to work this deal out. I spoke with 2 different sellers within 4 hours of me (Nebraska) and they both were having no luck selling. This deal ended up being really good as the seller was continually dropping his price and still getting no interest.

riverdrifter

I'm not sure if this has the original front hub. Serial number dates the bike May 1984, a 21 inch model 620. The catalog says the hubs should be Atom Lux-Compe Helicomatic QR. That's what is on the back, but the front is a Normandy Luxe Competition.

Hobbiano 

Mine has the Normandy Luxe on the front as well. I'm sure that's what came on the bike.
those Stronglight headsets tend to last a long time. They do have a little more friction then ball bearing headsets, but should still swing from side to side when you pick up the bike,
I would get fresh grease in the hubs and assess the condition of the cones, cups, and bearings before riding it. If they're in good condition, you want to try to keep them that way, and it really doesn't take much to trash them (Helicomatic rear in particular). And if the grease is dirty or dry, it could be an indication of the condition of the grease on the rest of the bike. I would start with the rear hub if you don't want to disassemble everything at once. You don't really need the special tool to remove the retaining ring on the Helicomatic - 10" Chanellock pliers used with a delicate touch will work. It is not supposed to be on there very tight - just snug. I just used this method to remove mine, and no damage was done. Also, should the rear hub bearings be a little rough, by replacing the balls and packing them with new grease, you can go ahead and continue to ride it while deciding what to do about it. Keep in mind that if the front hub is in good shape, all you would really need is another rear 126mm o.l.d. non-helicomatic hub with similar spoke flange dimensions, and a freewheel. You could then, likely, even reuse your same spokes, although I would replace them with stainless, especially if you rim is in good shape. This would be a lot cheaper than a new pair of wheels. But maybe the rear hub is in decent condition, and you'll get a lot more miles out of it.

bikemig 

Nope that's not how that headset is supposed to work. I've dealt with plenty of stronglight headsets including the B 10. You need to get some headset wrenches and get the adjustment right or you'll ruin it. It's a great, great headset and roller bearing replacements are available.

https://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-fre.../dp/B009GIH0E6

bikemig 

A normandy hub is an atom hub. Those are original equipment.

Grease does not get better with age. It's a pain but the bike really needs a complete tear down before doing any extensive riding. It's your call and your bike but that's what I would do.

riverdrifter

Ok you guys convinced me. I'll rebuild the hubs this week, then the headset and BB.

Hobbiano 

Take some pictures. Please.

riverdrifter

Will do.

riverdrifter

This bike had some broken toe clips on it, that I removed. I notice the pedals now constantly flip upside down. Are they weighted to have clips and straps on them? They seem pretty nice. Should I keep them on and put new clips on them, or swap them out for something else?

Hobbiano 

Not really weighted, just not symmetrical around the pedal spindle. If you turn the pedal so it's vertical, instead of horizontal, you can see there's more material on one side of the axle than the other. With the clips attached, even more so. There is a little tab on the back side of the pedal that's meant to assist flipping the pedal over with your foot. But if you don't like them, there are other pedals that are the same on both sides, but once you add clips, they'll flip over the wrong way, too. I like these for use with or without clips :MKS Sylvan Touring Pedal Double Sided. Others like a pedal with a flat platform for more support.

riverdrifter

Thanks! I've kinda gotten used to riding with toe clips, so I think I'll just go that route, and keep these pedals.

riverdrifter

I tore apart and re-greased the front hub today (baby steps). Wow it was a mess. Nothing in there except a couple chunks of hard dried grease and some surface rust. It all cleaned up easy and looks great now, and is a whole lot smoother.

riverdrifter

In case anyone is wondering what an 84 Trek 620 with 700x35c looks like, well here ya go. These are 35c Kenda Kwick Tendril.

riverdrifter

I think the brakes would be fine with minor adjusting. I didn't test fit the back yet. This wheel was off my wife's hybrid, and this was just kinda for fun. It's what I'm working towards though. I think the black rims and big tires look awesome, and it would be so fun to ride!

madpogue 

Whew, another coat of paint on the underside of the fork crown and that tire might not fit....

riverdrifter

Yeah, 32s would be perfect.

riverdrifter

I rebuilt the back hub this morning. It was actually in better shape than the front. Everything came apart super easy, and it had fresh grease in it. Everything is in good shape, the cones have a tiny bit of wear, but not bad at all.

Hobbiano 

Your pictures at the top of this thread are really nice. The bike looks nearly new! It must not have been ridden very much. Awesome that the axle cones are still in good shape.