PilotFishBob 

Very nice - and tall. I've met some fascinating people out there looking at bikes from CL. Adds a lot to the experience.

eom 

Sometimes you meet them at an airstrip.

I will test some 650b wheels on this one, but it's going to have to get in line.

PilotFishBob 

For certain! And would be interesting to see 650b's on that.

mountaindave 

@mechanicmatt, I’m sure you’ve swapped the panniers around by now. ;P. Did they or with the bike? Are they all Blackburn? Truly and awesome find!

trainman999

This 25 yr old red head showed up at my door last week. All original low miles. Some fresh grease and a tune up. A waterbottle cage and a computer. Some dialing in on the fit. A bright sunny day and she took me for a 25 mi ride.
100_3905 by galon783, on Flickr

2cam16

Bought this '97 ZX7000 earlier this year. It sat in a garage the year it was purchased in '97. City ridden. Pretty much just dust and a few scratches here and there. Otherwise in very good condition. Still took it apart and built it back up to stock.
DSC_8502 by 2cam16, on Flickr
IMG_0586 by 2cam16, on Flickr

The Golden Boy 

mmmmmmmmm

lugsNleather58

The Helicomatic on my '86 Trek 520 died after only 2 or 3 years, so I bought a new set of Wheelsmith wheels, which are still true, tight, and sound nearly 30 years later. If your Helicomatic hub is still sound, then you are very lucky.

CampioneDItalia

Trek 420 sports tourer. Poor cousin to the Touring 520.

ModeratedUser17082018

Love your kickstand. Does it fit in your jersey pocket?

2cam16

With space to spare too.

royleroy

One year color scheme, with full 7400 Dura Ace. As purchased, just needs some cleaning and it'll be ready to go.

tkamd73 

My 1977 TX900

norcalmike

WOW. That's a BEAUTY

Bonzo Banana

Bought this a few weeks ago for £8 including the pumps. My first ever Trek. I've not even had it on the bike stand yet to really check it out. Came with the original manual and paperwork in its yellow bag plus 2 very decent pumps. It's a 1995 model. Not even sure if its a freehub or freewheel at the back although have seen the Shimano branding on the hub and believe it is a Acera X freehub but not 100% sure. It's a strong mainly chromoly frame which is why I went for it although didn't expect to win it at my ebay price, let alone considerably below it, its location put people off I think but it was a place I regularly travel close to going to somewhere else. I'm not planning on keeping it original. It's going to be be turned into a sort of cyclocross type bike. I think a fairly budget model but before Trek really cost reduced the design. I think I'm right saying the later versions of the 820 went downhill, with a more basic high tensile steel frame coming in later and a general downgrade in components. It then became a pretty basic bike. The rotary shifters are horrible though and have to go. Probably doesn't rate very high on the Trek classic Richter scale but I'm very pleased with it especially for the price I paid. Don't know much about the history of the model with regards where it was made. The catalogue here shows it is third up from bottom of the range with the 2 '800' models below.

For me the bike goes wrong around the cockpit with the threaded headset, handlebars and gear shifters which is where I plan to make my changes.

https://www.vintage-trek.com/Trek-Fis...d/1995trek.pdf

shoota 

Holy smokes. Love the bar tape color, good choice.

tkamd73 

Thanks, Norcalmike and Shoota.

Tomsl923833

I know this is probably elementary for all of you but, 400, 600, 700, 800... What does that signify??? What I know about Treks could probably fill a thimble. For example I have a 800 Antelope. I know it's a entry level low end bike but, it's my first... In layman's terms splain it to me...

mountaindave 

Different levels of quality. Generally the higher the number, the higher the quality. Check the vintage-trek website.

Bonzo Banana

That link I posted earlier explains it in their catalogue. My 820 frame is mainly chromoly but with high tensile steel chainstays, I think the bike below it only has a chromoly seat tube and below that all high tensile steel. Above my bike you get a full chromoly frame before it goes onto aluminium and carbon options. That's all in the 1995 year. I think later years 820 frames I think gradually became all high tensile steel.

What I'm confused about is how to compare to other bike brands. I have an old chromoly GT Timberline bike. I love the bike but its frame is so heavy. I removed the front shocks once while servicing expecting that to be the main cause of the weight but the frame was still significantly more heavy than I was expecting. The Trek mainly chromoly mountain bike frame is lightweight in comparison. On face value I think the GT timberline frame could take serious abuse off road but the Trek frame not so much. That is completely an assumption based on the weight though unless Trek frames really did manage to offer great strength at a significantly lower frame weight.

The Golden Boy 

Really simply- until about 1986... the first number is the type of metal the frame is. The lower numbers changed a bit.

200, 300= Hi-Ten
400=Manganese Alloy or Hi Ten depending on the year
500= CrMo either Ishiwata or Reynolds
600= Reynolds 531 main tubes with CrMo or Manganese Alloy fork and stays
700= Reynolds 531 with 531 fork and stays
900= Columbus SL/SP

800 was used for the ATB/Mountain bikes.


the 2nd number was usually the type of bike it was- it changed around from year to year.

The common ones are
0= Sport
1=Sport
2=Touring
3=Racing

The Last number usually denoted the component level on the bike.

It generally held that the lower the number, the less prestigious the group- the higher the number, the more prestigious the group.

After 1986 the nomenclature system changed- but it still held that the higher numbers meant "better" bike and 800s were still ATB/MTBs.

PilotFishBob 

With variations of course. I have an '84 660, catalog says 531cs frame, stays and fork.

The Golden Boy 

I just realized, after seeing @tkamd73's TX900, that I haven't posted much of any, if any, pix of my relatively recently acquired TX700.

I'm still working on it- I've kind of pilfered parts from a couple of bikes to put this together. I haven't actually figured out how I want to build it. I'm pretty sure it's going to be with the Stronglight 99BIS crankset, Avocet Touring II with matching seatpost and Cyclone derailleurs with Barcons. (But even that... I don't know if the 80s style MII Cyclone would dominate over gen I...) The rest... I need to work on.














This frame is a rider- it's not exactly "clean" but it is the original paint, and both the Trek and 531 decals are in decent shape. I'm playing around with 650B ideas, center pull brake ideas...

The Golden Boy 

531CS is 531 main tubes with Reynolds CrMo fork and stays.


https://www.equusbicycle.com/bike/rey...-transfers.jpg

"REYNOLDS 531 CLUB SPORT transfer; a cycle
bearing this transfer has top seat and down tube
BUTTED in REYNOLDS 531 and head tube BUTTED
steerer, TAPER GAUGE forks, seatstays and
chainstays, manufactured from specially cold worked
chrome Molybdenum tubing. Designed for fast
sports and touring."

PilotFishBob 

Did not realize that - and now I see that's been covered before. Good to know, I stand corrected.