I can't believe how well these match the bike, right down to the wear:

I'll try for a pic on a sunny day, if we ever get one here
This is my daily rider now, but my wife has her eye on it. What to do...what to do...

Nice that they match like that! I've got an 830 that I'm going to be converting to a winter commuter. Fluorescent yellow-- I think the color should work for those dark rainy days...

Actually, an overcast day is better. You need to place your bike back on the gravel somewhere, out of the shade. You have more light in the background than foreground (must be in the shade of your porch?).

I'm only saying this because I want to see the bike more clearly! Looks nice!

Whoa! I just took a second look-- extra style points for those bullmoose bars!

I'll definitely get some better shots. The color match is uncanny. And the bars-those came with the bike Ergo grips are new, though.

Okay, check this out:

And this:

And from the other side:

And to think that someone just gave it away...

Wow, aside from the fenders and tires that is the spitting image of my 830! I have been thinking about fenders, but that new plastic stuff is just too cheesy for a lugged classic MTB.,,,,BD

Ooops. GREAT looking fenders! The match is spot on. Looks factory!



And yes, the Oakleys are no longer on the bike, lol!

wow, way cool dude. i like it

I need to find a tall, lugged MTB. I've been looking for months locally, but nothing has turned up.

Who donated the fenders? Look very similar to some I saw on a cherry Free Spirit 3-speed. And where are you bracing the rear fender? I can't see it...

This bike was at a post-yard sale free pile in my neighborhood, and the van practically pulled itself over for it! The fenders were at the free bike clinic nearest my house-there's TONS of good old parts there, and good frames for rebuilding, too. I have the rear fender screwed into that little cross-piece at the bottom that's just ahead of the rear wheel, and then there are the two heavy wires running from the back of the fender to the braze-ons. I need one more piece, though, on the top-from that hole in the fender up to the "caliper hanger" crosspiece, to keep it from walking sideways on me.
P.S. Bikedued-nice ride, bro!

you need to take some nu finish or scratch X or something to it to bring some luster back.

Nah vintage MTB's look good with battle scars. Besides, Imron is so hard it laughs at polish. However shiny it is, is how shiny it's going to be.,,,BD

mstrpete, where's your Reynolds 501 decal,, er sticker? Even the most beat up trek I have, the 560...has the reynolds decal.,,,,BD

Mine does seem to be missing. Who knows what that bike's been through over the years? I mean:

That's New York, and I found the bike in Washington. Quite a cross-country adventure. (notice I didn't go for the cheap pun?)

Very cool. Love that red
I just pulled aside a red Trek 830 (it says Antelope on it as well) that I am planning to work up as a winter commuter (here in MAdison Wisconsin) so I don't wear out my Jamis Aurora in the grit and grime. Not sure it is the same animal; mine appears to be red with some... 'spattered' highlights in the paint job.

Never owned or really ridden a bike like this (a road bike/tour bike rider I am)
I may mount an internal 3 speed hub on it.
now if I can get some fenders like that I'd be stylin'

My 560 came from Hawaii of all places!!? Has a license from there. Had the rust to match, so it did spend
at least some of it's time near the ocean. The Reynolds decal is vinyl I believe, I guess a previous owner removed it to throw thieves off the trail?,,,,BD

Sure it's not a Trek 850?

Is the 3-speed hub a concession to winter? I hadn't really thought about that. I had thought about replacing the 5-speed rear with a 7-speed, but part of me wants to keep it as "stock" as possible. Now if only I can find one of those Reynolds stickers...

mstrpete, are your hubs black Maillards with a green label? Someone was telling me mine weren't original, and I had no reason to doubt them. But looking at yours, it seems to be the same hubs? That would be an extreme coincidence, if they replaced the wheel set with the exact same ones.,,,,,BD

that's pretty much the reason. I forgot that this post was in Classic and Vintage (shrugs). Yeah the project is a winter commuter deal... to reduce the effect of salt and grit on the drive train (internal). HOpe it doesn't upset the purists. This frame has a vertical drop so I will have to deal with chain tension some way.

The hubs are black, with a "Sealed Bearing Hub" sticker on them. Bolt-on, no quick-release. This bike showed up with a Trek 26x1.6" back tire, too. Weinman alloy rims with nice, fat spokes.

In the absence of markings, how would you tell the difference between an 830 and an 850? I ask because I have a known 830, and a suspected 850, but I haven't been able to determine it for sure.

Color scheme, or possibly serial no.? www.vintage-treks.com
It's not the most scientific, but it's a start.

Serial number is no help. The bike has been resprayed. What makes the bike I suspect is an 850 different from the 830 is an ovalized downtube. At the top, the fore-aft dimension is larger. At the bottom bracket, the side-side dimension is larger. I didn't see any mention of that in the catalog at www.vintage-trek.com

That would be the difference. Mine is the same, top to bottom (downtube of the bike, that is!)