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Trek 520 frame

Old 01-27-07, 08:31 PM
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Trek 520 frame

Exactly what kind of steel is the current Trek 520 frame made of? The website says only "touring chromoly." Thanks.
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Old 01-27-07, 09:08 PM
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Dunno what it's made of but it's a very nice frame to ride - yes, I own one and have done about 800km on her now (and counting )

Richard
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Old 01-27-07, 09:32 PM
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It's some sort of butted Cro-Moly with Trek only name mentioned; why Trek doesn't say specifically who made it is anyones guess. Probably either a Chinese or Taiwanese tubing.
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Old 01-27-07, 09:35 PM
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Originally Posted by europa
Dunno what it's made of but it's a very nice frame to ride - yes, I own one and have done about 800km on her now (and counting )
Richard
Is the frame reasonably light?
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Old 01-27-07, 09:39 PM
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What I don't get about the Trek 520 is the price. $1200 suggested on their website. It looks nice and all, but it's 9 speed with barcons...hardly super expensive stuff. The frame isn't even lugged...it's welded.

It just doesn't seem worth $1200 to me. I could almost drop that much at Rivendell and get something in lugged steel.
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Old 01-27-07, 09:44 PM
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haha.

1,200 for 105/LX and dura-ace barcons might not be worth 1,200 to you, banzai jet jockey, but GOOD LUCK trying to build up a touring Riv for 1,200. 1,200 bucks gets you a riv touring FRAME, with a 1" threaded fork. Grant will throw in a case of snob, no extra charge....

I think he'd encourage you to go 8 speeds as well.....
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Old 01-27-07, 10:07 PM
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Ok, maybe Rivendell wasn't the best comparison. No, I don't ride a Rivendell either.

(Though I do like 8 speeds...)

Point taken about the case of snob. I just have thought before that while the Trek 520 looks like a fine bike, $1200 seemed just a wee bit steep for it. I'll find a better comparison. How about a Fuji Touring with Tiagra brifters for $900 or less.

The Trek 520 is likely Taiwanese made Cro-Moly just like the Fuji Touring. Just like most other frames. It seems to me that Trek is just charging a bit much with their foray into what is essentially a niche market. I don't know if I could build a Surly LHT or Cross Check for that price, but I might be able to...and the self built bike alone would make it worth more to me than a Trek 520. (Surly "mystique" would be a bonus...)

Dura-ace barcons, along with the component group on the 520 are certainly nothing to scoff at. But I've said already that I think Trek is bumping their price just a teeny bit too much. (kinda like the very expensive Portland, Trek's so-called "commuter" bike. Perhaps I shouldn't have said that, at the risk of starting a bad off topic flame war.)
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Old 01-27-07, 11:01 PM
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I read somewhere ( I hate those three words to start a response!!) that Trek OX2 True-Temper is the same as Reynolds 853, especially suitable for TIG welding. There is nothing wrong with TIG welding. I don't know where the tubes are made, but Taiwan and China both have super modern facilities now. The 520's are hand made in Wisconsin. They are very good bikes. Personally, I find new bike prices to all be a bit over the top - not just the Treks. I bought a used '98, fully dressed, for $550 and I'm glad to have it. Very rugged bike.
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Old 01-27-07, 11:14 PM
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Actually $1200 today for a touring bike is cheap though you can find the Fuji for about $800 which is as low as your going to find a touring bike. The Trek for $1200 is the best deal out there for a low end touring bike with half way decent components; and if you look around you may be able to find last years model for about $800. Even the Rivendell Atlantis with just frame and fork goes for $1400 thus a complete bike will run about $3000...though this bike would be far better looking and last longer then the Trek or Fuji, which it should since it cost almost 3 times more!
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Old 01-27-07, 11:26 PM
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Trek 520's are NOT a 'foray' into the touring market, banzai. Trek's been making touring bikes longer than most builders around today, and the Trek Touring was one of, if not their first bicycle they produced. In 1976, i think. So, 31 years of heritage and fine tuning, NOT a 'foray", banzai.

They've kind of perpetuated the touring bike, this is not a feint into the market for Trek.

And built in Wisconsin too. I just wish mine came with cheese curds....
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Old 01-28-07, 07:02 AM
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Originally Posted by Bekologist
They've kind of perpetuated the touring bike, this is not a feint into the market for Trek.
...

I think they perpetuated the touring bike for a American made product because prior to Trek I don't think any American company made a touring bike except maybe (though doubtful) Schwinn? But this did not apply to the rest of the world since Europe had been touring on bikes way back to the early 1900's and possibly late 1800's; and you could buy dozens of European including English manufactured touring bikes in America long before Trek was even concieved.
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Old 01-28-07, 08:25 AM
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Yes,Trek perpetuating touring bikes in America was what I meant, thanks.

"Perpetuate- cause to endure"

I would NEVER overlook the constructuers. Rene Herse made some VERY NICE bikes. Trek perpetuated the touring bike movement in America.
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Old 01-28-07, 08:54 AM
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I just built one of these 520's at work yesterday. Pretty decent bike not too heavy. It does have a nice mix of components on it. It was the 07 model, It was a special order. We charged the customer 1k for the bike. Not my cup of tea but to hey to eaches own.
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Old 01-28-07, 09:26 AM
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Originally Posted by Bekologist
Yes,Trek perpetuating touring bikes in America was what I meant, thanks.

"Perpetuate- cause to endure"

I would NEVER overlook the constructuers. Rene Herse made some VERY NICE bikes. Trek perpetuated the touring bike movement in America.
Interesting bit of Trek allegiance I've had since they first came out in 76 and have owned 3 different ones...though I would not buy another Trek today. In 1976 in Santa Barbara California at Open Air Bicycles next to the Amtrak station, I bought Treks first highend racing bike which was just a frame and fork called the TX900 that used Columbus SLX tubing, and I had it outfitted with Campy Nuovo Record. But according to Trek History web site they evidently had problems with the fastback seatstay design in the durablity department, I didn't have the bike long enough for this problem to pop up. I did notice though on steep mountain climbs that I got quite a bit of side to side movement in the rear with brake rubbing, and bottom bracket flexing so the chain would rub both sides of the front derailleur with no trim possible to eliminate it. Looking back on that bike it probably wasn't a well engineered frame unlike their later models I owned.

That was my first racing bike and was an ok bike but I only had it for about 9 months when I sold it to help buy a fast car and to have girls admire the car...since there wasn't much to admire about me!!

Point was that when they came out in 76, again according to the Trek History site, that they had 3 other models besides mine that they came out with that first year, the TX300, 500, and 700. Not sure which model was the touring bike since at the time I was only interested in the racing bike. The reason I decided on Trek back then was the fact that it was built in America and it was way less expensive then the Italian jobs I looked at.
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Old 01-28-07, 09:33 AM
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Originally Posted by Bekologist
Trek 520's are NOT a 'foray' into the touring market, banzai. Trek's been making touring bikes longer than most builders around today, and the Trek Touring was one of, if not their first bicycle they produced. In 1976, i think. So, 31 years of heritage and fine tuning, NOT a 'foray", banzai.
Then how do you explain the stock gearing?
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Old 01-28-07, 09:57 AM
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Originally Posted by Ziemas
Then how do you explain the stock gearing?
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Old 01-28-07, 10:49 AM
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Originally Posted by jcm
I bought a used '98, fully dressed, for $550 and I'm glad to have it. Very rugged bike.

You are lucky. I have been half seriously looking around for used touring bikes and they seem like they are few and far between.
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Old 01-28-07, 11:56 AM
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I stand corrected on my statement about the 520. I had figured that it was effectively a Fuji touring, slightly different components, plus $300-$400 for painting "Trek" on the side.
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Old 01-28-07, 08:14 PM
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Originally Posted by Ziemas
Then how do you explain the stock gearing?
I have an opinion about the gearing on the 520. I may be way off base here, but I think not. Trek is absolutely the Big Dog when it comes to marketing. I think they know that most people, like me, might intend to tour, but don't actually get around to it. Still, the ride quality, utility and general ruggedness of a decent tour machine makes owning one a very important part of a rider's whole experience.

I believe that Trek puts that big triple on there because it makes the bike fast. In fact, I can push it very fast. It's fun - pure and simple.

Serious tourists often have more than one bike, so it may be that they are more or less apt to swapping out the road-rings for a mountain set. I just think Trek hit it right. Maybe not with absolutists, but with the major market niche. I can't fault them for that

BTW, I'm not necessarily a Trek guy. I think there's alot of great bikes out there. I bought the 520 based on it's better than average reputation, and because it was in the neighborhood, and under $700 used, which was my limit. Plus, it was fully decked out.

Yo! Chipcom! Don't be so smug over there. ; )
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