1981 Trek worth repairing?
#26
Old fart
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Appleton WI
Posts: 24,790
Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.
Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3590 Post(s)
Liked 3,401 Times
in
1,935 Posts
#27
Slowfoot
Just curious: how big of a jolt would it take to cause a crack like that in steel? I would think the metal would have to be rusted through to crack rather than dent? If rusted through prob lots of other bad spots? No experience with it - no expert here.
#28
Senior Member
Stress crack, no single event needed to cause them. Just time, pressure, and repeated stressing.
__________________
My bikes: '81 Trek 957, '83 Trek 720, '85 Trek 500, '85 Trek 770,'81 Merckx, '85 Centurion Cinelli, '85 Raleigh Portage, '92 RB-2, '09 Bianchi
My bikes: '81 Trek 957, '83 Trek 720, '85 Trek 500, '85 Trek 770,
#29
Full Member
I have a 79 Trek that has the small vent holes inside the head tube indicating traditional construction. Then there's an '88 330 that although it has a head badge and frame sticker proclaiming "Handbuilt in the USA" the serial number indicates the frame was probably made in Taiwan. On this one the holes are bigger, maybe 5/16" X 1/2" with rounded ends. It does look like separate lugs and not like the cast one piece head I remember from an '87 520 I once had. (also visible inside is a seamed head tube) Would this be what you referred to as "bulge-formed" or were the off-shore contractors doing their own thing?
#30
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2019
Location: Burien WA
Posts: 512
Bikes: Cannondale Synapse, LeMond Victoire, Bianchi Campione d'Italia, Kona Hei Hei, Ritchey Ultra, Schwinn "Paramount" PDG, '83 Trek 640
Mentioned: 7 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 268 Post(s)
Liked 325 Times
in
211 Posts
Unless it has sentimental value, I wouldn't. There might not be that many 910's out there, but there are plenty of other Trek 531 frames from that era.
#31
Old fart
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Appleton WI
Posts: 24,790
Bikes: Several, mostly not name brands.
Mentioned: 153 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3590 Post(s)
Liked 3,401 Times
in
1,935 Posts
I have a 79 Trek that has the small vent holes inside the head tube indicating traditional construction. Then there's an '88 330 that although it has a head badge and frame sticker proclaiming "Handbuilt in the USA" the serial number indicates the frame was probably made in Taiwan. On this one the holes are bigger, maybe 5/16" X 1/2" with rounded ends. It does look like separate lugs and not like the cast one piece head I remember from an '87 520 I once had. (also visible inside is a seamed head tube) Would this be what you referred to as "bulge-formed" or were the off-shore contractors doing their own thing?
#32
Full Member
I left Trek in 1986, so I'm not as familiar with frame construction after that. I suspect a "made in USA" 1988 frame would use the one-piece cast head tube/head lug, but I can't be certain. The bulge-formed one piece head tube/head lugs had been phased out by 1986.
Perhaps some of the production was augmented. According to the brochure this was supposed to be DB True Temper RC-1 but no sticker is on the frame other than an American flag with Manufactured in the USA at the bottom.