Trek frame builder's marks
 

Hi all,

I asked this question in the "show your Trek" thread, but didn't get an answer.

I'm wondering if there's a list somewhere of the different marks that framebuilders used at Trek. I believe I've seen JohnDThompson used a Z; are there other marks that we can ID?

My recent acquisition has an F on the BB shell. I sent an email to the vintage trek site, but didn't get an answer.

Anyone know who "F" is?


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...0c7fcbdd1.jpeg

It's been a long time, but "F" may have been Chris Fiorini. He left Trek around '83 or '84, IIRC, and went to the Paramount shop in Waterford. He may even still work at Waterford.

Thank you so much for the lead!

We know Rick and Kelly's marks as well?

My 84 Trek 660 all it has is numbers, no letters at all, but I think in 84 they went into robotic building of the frame and used brass braze instead of silver like they did on the Trek TX900 I originally had, not sure when they stopped hand brazing their frames.

Resurrecting my own zombie thread.

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f0ad8577cb.jpg


Came across this Trek bottom bracket recently, which has both an A and a P. Assuming the A stamp is for Apple, what is the P for, and why are there two?

Wow, I'm really glad you revived this thread. I just went out to check my '79 Trek 930 that I picked up a few months ago. Sure enough, it has an 'F' that I never even knew was there. Totally missed it.


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...ab819a0ab.jpeg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...d8db7a225.jpeg

Bike in question:
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...7c543b82c.jpeg
Trek 930 and, point of fact, a 990 behind it

Also, thanks to JohnDThompson for helping field some questions regarding this bike before purchasing. Though far from original, it is being enjoyed and there are plans to return it back to stock Campy NR configuration.

A question for the experts out there: What models typically had these 'makers marks'? It may be easy to assume the 7xx and 9xx series, but any others?

While we're on the subject, my 1982 710 has an L above the serial number. Any information would be appreciated. There does not seem to be compilation of marks anywhere so maybe this thread should be it.

​​​​​​I thought the same; I was surprised there was no comprehensive list on the vintage Trek website.

Never head or seen an L, if you're certain it's not an F for Fiorini.

The marks above are on a 610, so it would seem that builders but them on bikes all the way to the near bottom (unsure about 3xx or 4xx).

There's a comment on one of the Vintage Trek pages indicating that a list might be in the works, but it does not seem to have come to fruition.

I looked at a bunch of old catalogs and articles - the company liked to publish photos of the framebuilders at work but did not often include names.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...6cb1f06983.jpg

The frame was probably made in late 1981 but I believe was sold as 1982 model.

Now I’m gonna have to look. Tomorrow.

Ditto. Will check when I get home ('78 930)

Realizing John's post is from '21 but like him, Chris was there in the early days, brazing with him. But Chris moved on I think he mentioned early 1980's to PDG and Waterford.

Moved onto the other startup, again two wheels but with badazz v-twins, at Eric Buell.

Buell struggled through the wringer with backing, financial and yanked around by Harley. They eventually closed doors. I don't know beyond that but he ended up at Harley in a lead position. Was at the Madison bike expo swap.

My 83 600 has an A as a builders mark, so unless it means something else the use of a mark extended beyond the high end frames.


https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...46bae47dc.jpeg

I would like to also thank you, for reviving this thread. Just went out to check my 77 TX900, there is an A not lined up with the serial number.
Tim

So my small database so far is:
A Apple
F Fiorini
L ?
N Nolan? I'm assuming these are out there
P ?
Z Thompson

Way back in 2010 forum member unterhausen mentioned his mark was EK (or sometimes EEK). If he is still on the forum perhaps he can comment.

Does anyone have a first name for Apple?

I thought the mark on my frame was an 8 but it's probably an S, I don't know whose mark it is.

I believe his name was Mike Appel. I found this interesting thread -

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...rame-info.html

Also I believe I was thinking of the wrong member, who worked at Trek. It was Unterhausen, not CB400Bill, like the poster above mentioned.

I found the names of five framebuilders mentioned on the Vintage Trek website:

Mike Appel
Dick Nolan
John Thompson
Rick Faultersack
Kelly Gamble

Additional names mentioned by John in the thread linked by AMiC:

Joe Starck
Dave Tesch
Chris Fiorini

Finally found my photos relevant to this. Of the pre-fastback Treks that have passed through my hands:
* '82 613, no idea, no photos of the BB shell, bike was stolen ca. 1990
* '84 420, Asian contract build with seat-tube serial number, N/A
* '82 710, re-sprayed and re-branded with '84-ish livery, a VERY faint strike of three characters (the thick respray doesn't help), possibly NK3? NR3?
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...415275b650.jpg

'82 412 with some non-stock build quirks. Couldn't find the maker's strike, but the BB shell indicates a Tim Isaac design (vintage_trek claims the 60TSI is "rare" (shrug)):
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...57157240e6.jpg

His & Hers '82 730s, once again no maker's strike, but these two have the "58TSI" BB shell stamp.

I met Mike Appel a year or so ago; he answered my CL ad selling a seat post. Rode the '82 412 to meet him. Affable fellow; he told me he left Trek in '81 and came back some years later. He didn't know about the vintage_trek site or how the photo of him and Dick Nolan was featured on the home page. I totally spaced on asking him about his more recent frame building work.

Wow, kinda surprises me that he didn't know about the vintage Trek site. Such a treasure trove of information, but probably info he doesn't need to look up!

Also surprised by how many frames that have come my way with builder's marks compared to yours. Did they send them all to Portland?

I had bought a brand new 1976 Trek TX900 back towards the end of 1976; back then they only came as a frame and fork, after working out a deal with Open Air bicycle shop in Santa Barbara Calif, I had all Campy Nuovo Record components put on, can't recall the brand of the tubular wheels and hubs but they weren't Campy, anyway, had the bike for just over a year when I sold it. I got strange looks and opinions from girls wondering why I bought a bicycle that cost more than my car! So I sold it and the car and bought a better car to get more dates, that ended my cycling life for a few years and went back to running. It was a nice bike, but it was a bit whippy from flex, but that was in the mid 70's and all bikes were like that back then, it wasn't till the mid 80's did steel improve immensely to tame most of that whippy feeling.

My 1980-82 - 412? Has an "S' on the BB
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ck-garage.html

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...4835c9bff2.jpg

My 1983 720 had the TSI stamp - can't seem to find the photos right now. Unlike the other maker mark letters which seem to be on there own, mine also was "58TSI" with size info attached