Lascauxcaveman 

I think artistry is about the correct word here. I'm really liking this thread.

RiddleOfSteel

Day # whatever it is and the war between the component destiny of each of these 715's continues to rage! In my head. In my head, guys, not externally. Well, maybe save for the battlefield of my wallet, which thus far has endured admirably.

So, while I let all of this happen in the (mental) background, I clean and polish things. Case in point: the SR AeroX cranks. Pretty grubby at first glance, but remarkably blemish free. This bore out when I got done with them! I have a bike frame in mind for them, but they're too un-scuffed-up for it, if I'm honest. May be better to sell them. Presently, I know of no bike project that I could imagine them on, lovely as they are.



Do you remember my Campagnolo Strada crankset? Of course not, no one knows that I picked this up last year! And for whatever reason, I had the chance to nab a nice NR front and rear derailleur pair, with shifters, and I passed them along to a friend to buy! All you Campy guys and gals are probably saying, "You fool!" And I think, "Does my subconscious really not want to deal with super high brake lever pull effort and that rear derailleur shifting quality...and that really dull finish on the front derailleur band clamp?" Yet I can't give up this beautiful crankset. So, like the rest of us, our logic remains impeccable!

All this blathering to say that my '82 continues to claim the Cyclone components are for it and it alone, and that I should "figure it out" with regard to the rim situation. Additionally, the crankset design and finish are considerable elements to this equation. The SR cranks, while in great condition and nicely finished, still look a bit JV compared to the Strada cranks. The Strada's finish is a lot more reflective/less satin and that actually plays really well with the level of polish of the Cyclone bits etc. The larger BCD also looks a lot better on the 65cm frame, even if a 52T ring still looks a touch small. Would be nice to have a 53 or 54T to make it more proportional to the big frame. And, of course, to reduce drivetrain efficiency loss due to less chain angle deflection when running larger cogs/gears. Basically, the Strada cranks are frontrunners to go onto the '82.



So, the next question is, do I have an appropriate Campagnolo bottom bracket for this crankset? No! Thankfully a JIS tapered spindle plus the years of installation/removal on this crankset means the crank arm engagement on the taper is excellent. Score! And to get a 146mm Q-factor for happy knees, I need a 124mm length spindle. Shimano et al make a 122/122.5mm one, so that will do (plus a pedal washer or two). I'd like to find a BB-UNxx unit and not use this totally fine and already paid for cheap new bottom bracket in the correct length (that is also 330g!), especially with a NR crank and a 531 frame, but maybe I need to get over myself...



My second attempt at inner tube repair seems to be holding, and this is just the '82 with the 7400/Brevet wheels and Clement tires, which measure ~29mm wide on these rims. Still want that super polish, so here's what's in my decision making hopper:

- Grey anodized Araya rims are perfect for the '81 Trek
- '82 Trek wants to keep its Cyclone parts BADLY
- The Brevet rims, particularly the diamond-shaped logo/decal, really fit well with the demure pewter color on the '81
- A Soma Highway One bar was maybe picked up (used) recently, which would make the complete remake of my first '81 71x possible to complete now, and quickly, and I like that idea a lot

Devils in the details:

- Where to get a suitable pretty happy shiny pair of rims for the '82?
- Possible to use the rims that came on the '82 (Matrix Strada), but will need to do three things: 1) inspect for any cracking at eyelets 2) confirm ability of eyelets to shine up/none be rusty looking 3) sand, steel wool, and polish the scratches out that someone put in there (and on the Tipo hubs!?)

This will require disassembly of the Tipo/Matrix wheels, a wheelset I'd planned on putting on a bike to sell where the conditions of the bike and components match, so that's a bummer, BUT, I am wanting to keep expenditures minimal here and I've had success bringing back dull aluminum with elbow grease. Yes, it also means I remove the grey anodized Araya rims to put the then-polished Matrix rims on, which was also not in the original plans. They'll get disassembled only after the Matrix polishing is deemed successful. Sound good? Good.

RiddleOfSteel

A small evening update ahead of another one ostensibly told later: Disassembled the '81 to truly start the rebuilding process. Frame, fork, and headset weight is 3,136g. Quite light for this size of frame. My '82, which is technically a touch larger, weighs 3,113g. Both are remarkable in that they are light for longer sport touring frames. So there are some official 25.5"/65cm frameset weight numbers for you all.

RiddleOfSteel

You see where this is going....



The '81 is keeping it old school, baby! I'll need to find some caps for those crank bolts, but the decision has been made. The '82 will go with newer componentry, and as you'll see, the installation of it's 9-speed Chorus crankset will tie the Brevet rims to the rest of the polish level of other things. It will essentially be my former '81 710/716, but with minor differences and of course, very blue paint. My unofficial name for her is Bright Eyes, which is a name given to one of the chimpanzees in 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes that exhibits 'evolved' (greatly increased intelligence) behavior after being captured and used for experimentation. The metallic blue (and overall color scheme) is bright and exudes an extrovertedness of sorts, so getting newer or 'forward-thinking' componentry onto it seems like solid enough logic. I also don't have to go rim swapping and wheel hunting.

So for this next artistic and aesthetic iteration, I'm looking at stem, bar, and brake levers. Below is a Specialized stem, the Nitto Mod. 55 bars, and the very-sanded-and-polished low level Shimano BL-L331 brake levers. Things look pretty good here, but the brake levers in real life don't look as fitting to the bike's theme as they may here. Bummer! But I wanted to see how they and the whole aero lever thing looked. I do like that they are quite svelte comparted to later R600 levers (based off the 6400 600 levers), but they'll have to go to a different bike.



Here we have Dia Compe NGC or Gran Compe levers of some sort off my 1985 Schwinn Voyageur SP. Gorgeous condition, and a design that looks perfectly at home here. Really happy about that, however, the Specialized stem's angle is not parallel with the top tube, which bothers me considerably. To me, this matters a lot on tall frames where, in efforts to get a horizontal 'gesture' to counter the vertical nature of a 65cm frame, establishing a unified 'front' of horizontal and/or parallel lines is very important. Especially with a saddle angle that may very well not be horizontal--this still has to be set, though it's close.



So the solution is to find an older Technomic stem from my 66cm Davidson from a year ago or so that's been sitting around unused, mostly due to its 25.4mm spec. As you can see below, it is parallel with the top tube. Looks so much better! I may drop its height down a pinch, but so for it's pretty much fine as is.

Oh, and the freewheel has been chosen, a 12/13-28 7-speed Sunrace unit that actually sounds nice. My goal was to get something at or very near 28T on the big end since I have a 42T small ring. Echoes of Seattle hill gearing necessity in my head. The wheels have fully matching (and in beautiful condition) Suntour skewers, so now I have the unenviable task of getting either of these Treks' zig-zag-scored seatposts cleaned and shined up enough to look presentable ahead of me. Less work also are the brake calipers--probably going with the '82's Dia Compe 500G units as they are original spec to the '81, have more polish than the NGC 500s I have available (from the '83 Cannondale ST500 purchase), and actually work satisfactorily. The Technomic stem will get a little bit of Mother's put to it for kicks, and then it will "simply" be building up the rest of it. We have a couple days of rain ahead of us, so that works out well.

Road Fan

Yeah, along with all the Conan-inspired values, you do need clearance! I've never had a 715, but I do still have a nearly-retired 610 which I bought new in 1984. It came with 27 x 1 ⅛ IRC clinchers on Maillard Helico hubs, all friction shifted Shimano 600 6207. So that is nominally a 27.1 mm width. 27 x 1 ¼ would correlate to 28 mm. Going to 700 x 28 would nominally give you a wheel radius about 4 mm smaller, so your brake bridge clearance would increase to about 6 mm. I'd be a lot more comfortable with that.

Just lately riding my Mondonico ELOS with 700 x 28s pumped down to 72 psi, I wanted more cush. I have a 1982 52 cm Trek 720 waiting to be completed as well as the 1952 Rudge Aero Special, both with loooooong chainstays. I think the 720 will take up to 35 mm width but I would not go for Swifttire 27 x 1 ⅜". With the possible exception of the DT the 720 tubing specs might be the same as your 71x frame. I didn't ever find my 610 frame to feel cushy with the original fork.

RiddleOfSteel

Those 610s always had good tire and fender clearance. Don't know why Trek skimped on that with the 500- (previous to 1981), 700-, and 900-level bikes--not to mention their uneven fork vs brake bridge heights. My '82 720 will take true width 38mm tires under its brake calipers, with the front being tight. I put Soma Supple Vitesse EX 700x42s onto Mavic MA2 rims and had the pressure at ~45/50 F/R. It's a better all-around experience with true 35s, though those 42s with the 531 tubing and long wheelbase made for a very plush ride. Bummed that Trek went 531 main tubes with hi-ten forks and stays with the 610s. Put enough tire under it (35mm seems to be a great crossover size) and the ride should be nice. That's about where my P15 Paramounts eased up, as did my '85 620. All those framesets come in at 3,5xx grams in 64-65cm size--lotta beef in there.

RiddleOfSteel

Today's unenviable tasks involved the usual (for vintage stuff) brake caliper disassembly, cleaning, polishing, and reassembly as well as a resuscitation of the aforementioned zig-zag-scored seat post. I thought I was going to use the Dia-Compe 500G calipers as they had good shine and were spec'd for the '81, but I took another look at the NGC calipers and determined they'd polish up very nicely and be even better at the job of stopping since their arms are noticeably beefier (when viewed from above). NGC's are spec'd for '82 715s but I won't be using single pivots for the '82.

I ended up disassembling a third NGC caliper since I needed the black cap on the end of it and found it at a co-op locally a few weeks ago. I mixed and matched pieces to end up with the best pair of calipers possible, and they look good!

The seat post shined up about as well as one could expect, and the scoring will simply have to be "character." Hoping it's indexed saddle angle 'feature' will allow me to be comfortable on the bike--don't want to resort to a more modern solution (time and money) if I don't have to.

Last item was giving the Technomic stem some love, and that paid off.

No up-close pics of the calipers, lovely as they are, but it was midnight, so time to call it for the day. Saddle height and setback are set, stem is at the height it should be, and brake levers are all snugged down into their final positions. I am really liking how it's coming together. Now time for the (more) fun stuff!

RiddleOfSteel

All the time spent with Mr. 66 has influenced me in subtle ways. And/or I'm getting older. Reusing brake cables and housing? Not working with only either black or white housing [I've bought other colors, for the record]?

The light grey housing from the '82 along with its cables--still in decent shape--I had kept around, seemingly for not much reason. Normally the bikes' condition I receive them in warrants fully chucking the well worn out consumables. Doubly so if the bike and build have serious goals (ie: look pretty, go fast). But this time around there's more leeway. I had some black cable housing on hand, in enough length to run non-aero routing. But I've done black housing on this exact frame before, and it was never inspiring. It didn't clash, but it never "did anything" for the aesthetic composition.

So let's compare the black housing before:



To the grey I am thinking of using now:



Definitely better. Actually quite a bit better. You see the black aesthetic elements now reside exclusively on the perimeter of the composition (tires, saddle, bar tape) while the grey housing blends in with the frame and rims, allowing the polished silver pieces to come forward. Such a good look!

RiddleOfSteel

So, while totally working on other things I was supposed to, I snuck in progress on the '81 and got her all done. A few squabbles with the rear brake setup, but otherwise smooth sailing. All done, with pedals and bottle cage, the '81 weighs in at 23.6 lbs or 10.6 kg. Plenty good in my book! Especially for this large of frame with a tall Technomic stem, 345g (each) tires, and a 330g bottom bracket.

Got out for a test ride, with a longer one later near evening, and it's one of those bikes and ride qualities that make you ask yourself why you have multiple bikes, and then, upon staring at several bikes alongside this one, you say, "I have too many [really frickin nice] bikes." Or maybe that's just me saying it. Again. 170mm cranks used to feel like a prison to my legs, but that was a good 7 or so years ago. 170s feel fantastic! Knees are extremely happy.

Anyway, the bike, to me, looks beautiful in that wonderfully quiet way. The tires provide an amazing ride quality, damping the road wonderfully. Weight is in all the right places and the bike takes bumps and undulations in silence. Shifting is quiet and easy, and gears are held! Steering is pure, and, well, so is the ride in general. Out of the saddle is a dance--no 175s to stomp through too low a cadence or too steep a grade--be where you need to be, gear-wise, and let the bike work with you to finesse your way forward.

RiddleOfSteel

So far so good with the Avocet Racing saddle. Would like to pick up another--great profile, and perfect for a vintage ride. I really like how the yellow graphics echo the yellow accents on the Trek seat tube decal.

More detail shots:

Nitto Mod. 55 bars and these Dia-Compe levers really feel good. The whole cockpit turned out well, IMO.



NGC 500 calipers are lovely things. I like that their pads say "Gran Compe" on them--never would have expected that. Time will tell how the pads and the Araya rims get along. Braking is present and not anything to write home about. At least it's quiet.



Love. These. Hubs.



Love these shifters as well. I've tightened the D-ring'ed nuts to get them to hold gears under heavy, out-of-saddle load (this is mainly the left lever's issue, as it always is), and it has responded well. Beautifully minimal effort to work the 7-speed freewheel with the right lever. Front shifting, to be fair, is also quite good.



This Campagnolo Strada crankset really ties everything together beautifully. So glad I picked it up on a whim at Bike Works all that time ago!



Cyclone rear derailleurs, butter smooth! And this one looks as good as it operates. It handles the whole range without issue--couldn't ask for more!



That Laprade seat post cleaned up alright. Very thankful for that.



Another shot of Trek's brake reach logic in action. Maybe they wanted the rear brake's contribution to be (more) equal to the front, hence the greater leverage via shorter reach out back?



Obviously we have the '82's build to look forward to now. [big sigh] This '81, man, it's just sublime. Because I love bikes and building/restoring them, the '82 will be built, but I want to enjoy this '81 as is for a long time. I'm sorting out a few component details for the '82 as it's been in a quiet game of component Tug o' War with my dark metallic blue '83 Cannondale ST. The Cannondale will keep the tan wall Compass 35mm tires, leaving the '82 Trek to likely take the "32mm" Vittoria Corsa tan walls from a for-sale bike (it will receive the Clement 28s, which should look just fine). The reason for the Vittorias and not the Clements? The Vittorias have a brighter tan, which will look a lot better on the '82 than the Clements do.

I'd really like to build up the Cannondale, but its component list is far from nailed down, even if I have some ideas. I need to stay focused and build the '82. In the mean time, with seasonal allergies abating slowly, I will be riding a lot more. Too much good stuff not getting ridden/ridden enough right now and I want to change that!!

Mr. 66

Where did you get this neat little cable arrestor? Very tight.

Clean machine!

RiddleOfSteel

Thanks! That cable critter is from a Jagwire brake cable kit. I really like that they include it.

Oh, man, they sell them! Which means you'll have to buy them from someone else. I should really pick some of these up.

Het Volk

But isn't that the issue for Sports Touring frames from this era? Clearance was an issue for these style bikes back then,

RiddleOfSteel

Ok, back on the 715 Wagon here.

I've been sorting and strategerizing on builds, available parts, my level of patience and willingness to expend effort (aka chase every last thing down), etc. What component matches best with the bike here and there. Days have been a bit busier as well--less time to sit and stare at bikes. Last night was good progress, but it was on top of the drips and drops over the last two weeks or so.

The below photo is probably most helpful for showing the Brevet wheels and Clement tires against the blue frame. Not the most exciting tan tone, and really doesn't fit the brightness of the blue or polished componentry. It has since moved to my OS Paramount, where the tan tracks more closely to the subdued gold decal coloring.



After two patch attempts on this innertube failed, I set the bike aside for a bit, focusing on finishing the '81 715. I did mock up a saddle and cockpit situation to get a decent idea of things. The anodizing of the 110mm Specialized stem is not what I'm going for here (much more evident in person), much as it is nice, and that (weeks later) is now on my Trek 620, which gives up its 110mm Technomic stem to this 715. STIs here are Dura-Ace 7800, and the handlebars are Soma Highway One in 44cm width (2cm wider than what I'd normally run).





Fast forward to last night's work and indoor grainy photos, the Technomic stem has been fitted, as have the 32mm Vittoria Corsa tires from my OS Paramount. I popped the seatpost and saddle from the '81 715 onto this to see how it would look--something I'd originally intended to do--and it does look quite fitting on there. I mounted Tektro R539 brake calipers to get a good idea of the entire silver component composition. I like where this is going. I did weigh the bike and I am at 20.6 lbs as pictured. The chain and pedals will add a pound, the cassette nearly half a pound, with cables and bar tape pitching in a few grams/ounces. It'll probably end up right around the 10.0 kg / 22.2 lb mark when complete. Realistic Riddle says likely closer to 22.4 lbs. We will see!



I did, in the name of composition experimentation, try out the 620's seat post and Fizik saddle. Very sleek. Not the most comfortable over distance if not wearing padded shorts. I do like the non-fluted seat post on this modernized build. That will be something to decide on today. I've been looking for more of this seat post locally lately (used)--even in Seattle--and coming up empty. The 620 may have to deal with a less nice version, presently on my 510--I don't want to go fluted with it. Poor 620. Still super legit, even as a rain bike, but presently giving up nice pieces (while getting "less nice" nice pieces) to a frame with superior tubing. :/

RiddleOfSteel

So, about those Tektro R539 brake calipers. Love Tektro for doing both recessed nut and nutted mounting, and selling a conversion kit to boot. Do not love Tektro for weird quick release choices and reach numbers (via caliper geometry/construction) that don't line up. That sort of "uh, what?" just shouts amateur hour, though to be honest, it's never been a problem until now. How? Vintage Trek frames' uneven brake caliper reach setups. I would have expected to have this issue on my '81 715 with even less rear caliper reach spec'd, but not on the '82. Baffling.

Witness: When "47-59mm" of specified reach is really "50-XXmm" on one side. Yeah, really needed that 47mm minimum reach! Tape measure confirmed 47mm on the nose would have been fine.



47mm minimum reach works on the left side, however... Also #1: pay no heed to the unsecured brake pads. Also #2: An aesthetic pet peeve of mine (silently) is having pads tucked up in their slots like this. Not a good look, like the caliper type was poorly chosen even if that was the only choice available.



For comparison, here is a Dura-Ace 7800 short reach (front) caliper installed, with pad [holder] adjusted in height, for comparison. Sadly #1: I am 4-5mm off in the front for them to reach (which I of course expected, hence running spec'd standard reach Tektro/Dia-Compe calipers), and Sadly #2: Shimano doesn't make modern calipers in nutted form, let alone these, so there's no way a 7800 caliper would work on the front without buying drop pads, another front caliper, and drilling out the back of the fork.

My present courses of action are: 1) to measure my 720's Tektro R737 brake calipers for minimum reach (they are 47-59mm reach like the R539) and see what that is. They come in recessed and nutted mounting styles, and, as top of the line calipers (bigger number better) that are beautifully made and work very well, would be fitting on this 700-level build as they are fitting to my 720. 2) Cobble together a R539 front caliper and 6500-era Ultegra front caliper (I have a matching front/rear pair) to complete the bike and get an idea for how good the bike is built as such (and thus how much more to put into it, or really, if to find another pair of 737s, all else is set). 3) Find a Tektro R326 short reach front caliper or something with the same finish and QR mechanism as the R539, and use that to make a "matched set" and complete the build.

RiddleOfSteel

Brake update: R737s do not lie, 47mm reach they will not deny. I'll keep that data point in my back pocket for now. May or may not order a pair..

mtbikerjohn 

I've run into the issue you described for using the Dura Ace 7800 calipers on my 1979 710 frame. Back brake fits normally set as short reach. The front brake I did the Jtek bolt conversion and used drop pad holders to get the pads to line up with the rims. I really like how the brakes turned out..super smooth feel to them and I got to use my 7401 levers to boot...Both of your bikes turned out really nice...Enjoy...John

cyclehealth

Thank you for sharing the details of these two builds with all of us. I recently built up a Trek 400 Elance. I recently posted it over at the "Retro Oldies Old Frames w/ STI's. As far as build detail I am not even close to being in the same league as you. But I did enjoy the time I spent on the build. And ended up with a lovely looking, reliable, and fine riding bike that fits me. It is the same blue as yours. Could you tell me what you used as a touch up paint and where you sourced it from? Thanks!

Classtime 

A pair of BR-650s must be in your stash. I had them on my 710 and now they are on my daughter’s.

AdventureManCO 

This is a very thoughtful, philosophical build (x2) - thanks for sharing all your thoughts with us.

As much as I don't like to like Treks, I do, as they are the most common brand in my garage - Trek 990 mtb (1996), 930 mtb (1998), Multitrack 750 (1996), Pro Series 560 (1987), Trek 957 (1981), and 600 (1983).

The Multitrack is probably the best of the lot. What a fantastic bicycle that is!

RiddleOfSteel

Yeah, the late-'70s to early-'80s Trek x10 frames all had this "issue" of unequal brake caliper reach specification. Since standard reach calipers were the order of the day outside of a dedicated race bike/frame, they were spec'd here and that's what I used for test fitting. The only problem is that the calipers are made by Tektro, which goes amateur hour on some stuff here and there, while also showing brilliance/thoughtfulness, and the result is a Trek quirk added to a Tektro quirk equaling an incompatibility when there shouldn't be. So I chuck on the 7800 caliper just for kicks. I haven't used brake pad extenders before as I'd prefer to just have the correct caliper, but I could see myself using them. Well, provided the caliper mounting method was recessed nut and not nutted.

You're welcome! I guess in all of this I am failing to mention that both seat post binding bolts have a 4.5mm interface and not the normal 5mm that Trek and everyone under the sun does. Baffling.

Build detail can be fun, but it is time-consuming. AdventureManCO wipes the floor with me and essentially everyone else here, Exhibit A being the Campy-Huffy build. I enjoy sharing and am driven in decent part by the fact that tall vintage frames are not nearly as well-documented as smaller frames because there are far fewer riders of tall frames. As a tall rider where many vintage frames were not large enough (let alone with any geometry specs), having more info and photos rattling around the internet is, IMO, more helpful than not.

For touch up paint, I use the DupliColor cigar-sized critters you can get from an auto parts store. Normally it'd be a Chrysler Patriot Blue but it's a different one. I'll have to go out to the shop and rummage around.

Oh man do I wish!! I've run them before, and I had the opportunity to grab a nice pair at the Community Cycling Center a month or so ago, but no, "I'm going to be responsible and not pick these up for a bike I don't need them for." Joke's on Future Riddle!

You're welcome, and thank you! I was a Schwinn fan to begin with, and still do like them, but a 25"/63.5cm "XL" frame is just not tall enough for me to have it not look goofy if I set it up for me. Trek's extra 1.5cm in their "25.5"" size makes that difference. That and their use of svelte 531 tubing at the top level that makes for superb ride, handling, and response. 27.2mm seat posts regardless of level of frame is something I really appreciate. Sure, they were super slow to adopt down tube shifter braze-ons (much consternation on my part!), I don't have to deal with inconvenient/not-modern stem and seat post diameters, claw derailleur hangers, dopey geometry, and sad-looking lugs. I have five vintage Treks, and I had one for sale, but that is now off the market as I am reconfiguring it and giving it the opportunity I should have in the first place, being a frameset bought to [build and] ride first and decide to sell (or keep) later.

AdventureManCO 

Yeah, right now my 957 is in 'framset' configuration...not sure what to do with it, but will probably hang onto it for the time being. Does the extra tall sizing create a more 'noodly' feeling naturally that requires extra finesse to work out, or magnify construction issues due to the extra leverage? Sounds like 531 handles the large sizes well.

" I don't have to deal with inconvenient/not-modern stem and seat post diameters, claw derailleur hangers, dopey geometry, and sad-looking lugs."

Haha, now you are starting to describe the type of bikes I have unfortunately decided to settle on for all of my bicycle-related aspirations. In other words, a world of pain and frustration for absolutely zero good reason 27.2 and 22.2 are numbers that now carry nearly mythical status in my workshop haha!

Speaking of lugs, and Treks, I wonder just how many models share the 'uni-lug' headtube, that headtube that has the top/bottom front headtube lugs as a part of the same piece of steel. scarlson 's thread on his Trek 600 opened my eyes to that after I had picked up my '83 600 and found it also had the 'uni-lug', which for him, created stress risers and eventually cracked. It is much less obvious in some of these earlier Treks as it is in later renditions, as is the case w/ my '87 Pro Series 560. The headtube-and-lugs combo unit is much easier to see. The way that he repair his frame was extremely admirable.

The joke here left on the table for me, of course, is that despite however chintzy all my low end garbage bikes are, some of them have 'fillet-brazed lugs' instead of 'cutting corners' like Trek has. But I really would like to know more about this construction method and which bikes were included and which weren't and what years. In '87, the 560 was basically the highest end production steel-framed Trek in their lineup, which isn't saying much since they had a lot of other models in aluminum and carbon that got a far more royal treatment, at least when you look at component spec. The 560 still sports a 531 construction, but the dwindling view of steel during this period is evident in the way they kitted it out. And it uses the uni-lug or mono-lug however you want to call it.

I wonder...were any 700-series Treks fitted with this 'uni-lug'? Was it just 600 series and below? It was for sure on the 400s. I have a hard time seeing a 760 sporting one, and certainly not the 9xx series.

On these 715s, have you ever removed the fork and spent time looking down the headtube? I'd be curious to know where the cutoff was.

Regarding this 'wiping the floor' comment...is it really considered wiping the floor if the floor is dirtier than it was before the said wiping?

RiddleOfSteel

I think Trek did uni-lugs on 700-level bikes. Certainly on the 720 tourers. My '85 620 is all about the techy socket uni-lug action. I get it, but also, tell me how that's better than these scandalously minimal lugs on my '82 720:



I'd say there are a few hundred zoos worth of Treks that share some variation of the lugs, starting in 1984 at the high level and en masse in 1985 onward. None of that nonsense earlier, thank God. The uni-headlug makes headset cup removal tricky since the cups fit into recesses in the uni-lug, therefore giving a headset removal tool not that much to "bite." I've had to be more careful with my 620 in that regard.

52telecaster

Someone gave me a 730. Had it been double butted it would have got into my rotation. Room for tires and braze ons is hard to ignore.

Road Fan

What year is that 730? I thought there was a 730 road or touring bike in the early '80s road bike catalogs. Is this from later in the '80s, when several of the models becam straight-bar hybrids or multipurpose bikes. Most likely today they might be entry-level general purpose gravel bikes? I'm also thinking of a 720 which a good friend rides. If I'm right about an early '80s 730 as a road bike, then I'm pretty sure it would have been DB 531.