thumpism 

I got a tiny 520 for my then-girlfriend while working in Vermont. The '83-ish bike had been in a house fire and was still heavily smoked, even after the seller had it worked on by another shop. She wanted to recover some of that expenditure so I did not get the bike as cheaply as I'd have liked. My gal selected purple metallic paint with red panels so I had it painted and I put it back together. Barcons and red cable housing, silver Esge fenders and silver Blackburn racks. Cool little bike that she decided to sell after shoulder problems moved her to a recumbent.

side_FX

I see you have the brown hood covers, I've seen others with black. Did you request the color? What's stock?

fietsbob

You Have the Opportunity to change components all you want once its Your Bike.

bloomrae

I didn't request the brown hoods, it came like that. I did request the green bar tape.

treebound 

Hopefully I'll have something to add to this thread in a few days.

treebound 

Cell phone pic, just bought it this afternoon, will update as I get it set up a bit. He said it probably had the original tires, supposed to be a 1996 model year. He had swapped stem and handlebars but he included the original ones with it in case I want to sit upright a little more.

edit: based on the s/n and the Vintage Trek pages, it looks like it might be a 1995 model, but either way I'm happy with it so far.

treebound 

Swapped the rack for a different one that I had in the garage, also found some old bar tape and put that on too (man, am I ever out of practice for wrapping tape), then I slipped on some 32c tires that I got cheap a few years ago off craigslist. I'm picking up some Schwalbe tires tomorrow and will install those eventually. Took a lap around the block and I think I really like this bike, the handling is just fine and not at all truck-like. Plan is to add a front rack, probably one that combines a lowrider mount as well as an upper shelf, then fenders and different pedals, and eventually some lighting and way eventually a dyno hub. But for now I'm happy happy happy. Oh yeah, the saddle is one of the Brooks Imperial prototypes that I received several years ago, just seemed appropriate and perfect for this bike.

treebound 

Added the front rack, a 3rd water bottle cage, and swapped on the Schwalbe Marathon tires, and also switched to new pedals. The green paint doesn't show up well with the cell phone pic.

Cyclist0812

Does anyone know if the 2015 Trek 520 has a taller headtube then 2014 and prior? I heard the 2015 is 2cm taller but trying to confirm. I owned a 60cm 2013 and wished the headtube was taller to compensate for my long legs. (I'm 6'4").

intransit1217

Do all bar-end shifter cables exit the wrap so soon? Can the cable exit later so it's not noticeable while in the drops?

hillyman

I was wondering about the 2015 hoods. Some pics black and others brown. I ordered the black with discs brakes so curious what color hoods will be when I pick up bike next month.

mstateglfr 

Yes, you can have the housing exit at the bend so it isn't in your way when using the drops.
You can also just route it all the way up and have the cables exit at the top near the stem. I have done it multiple times using SunTour friction barcons and shifting is quite easy. I don't feel any sticking or resistance.
I have used an indexed 520 with cable routed that way and it was fine. The barend clicked and the bike shifted. I may have low standards though and not be picky.

shipwreck

What would you think of a bike shop/trek dealer that did not know that the 520 even exists? Its a fairly big shop in a high income area.

Went into a shop looking to buy a new tail light, and while there thought I would ask if they had a 520 I could look at. I was told with absolute certainty by the first guy that Trek stopped making them "years ago".
I was a little shocked, and quickly brought the 2015 model up on my phone. Another employee went to the trek book, and found it. Two salesmen had never heard of the 520. At all.

Mostly I am put off by the rep of a company's products not knowing the product line. I was un-impressed enough that I ended up not buying a light, and was figuring on not going in there again. Is that fair? is it common for a trek dealer to not know about the 520?

mstateglfr 

I would think that someone at the shop would at least know its still made.
With that said, bike shop sales guys should be well versed with what they have to see first and foremost. Yes they can order the bike so they should know it at least exists.

I certainly would question if that store is worth buying from, but there is more to frequenting a bike shop than just 2 people not knowing a bike exists that they don't have in stock.

treebound 

Was the person just an employee or was the person a manager or owner? I'm finding that it is very common for retail employees to not know much beyond how to scan a barcode, let alone know what the store carries or can get, in pretty much any industry or retail store (not just bike shops).

The lower volume products will be less known than the regular bread and butter type products by many if not most of a store's employees, and a 520 is definitely a lower volume product. As long as the store can get what you need or want then use them for that and not for product selection.

treebound 

Re-mounted the front rack, got the fenders installed, hung the pump under the top tube, and added a GoPro mount for the GoPro camera I found at a local thrift shop.

Now it's time to plan some local riding and have some fun.


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OBackquote

Trek 520 touring bike, 51 cm, loaded touring, gravel, all road

I'm checking out this bike today (in the market for a bike to get me across the country). Thoughts?

Davet

That's an awful lot of money for a 520 of indeterminate age and condition and may have some flaws covered by a repaint. If you're willing to spend that kind of money, you might search for a NOS 520 that's a couple of years old in some dealers inventory.

OBackquote

Thanks Davet, I thought the same thing. Good to have some backup on that.

MorganTweedman

Treebound, I am in love with that front rack set up that you have there. can you tell me who makes it?
Many thanks,
MT.

treebound 

Nitto, either the Big Front or the Campee Front. Seems like it might go by both names.

Where I got mine, Rivendell also has it:
https://www.benscycle.com/p-2091-nit...ider-rack.aspx

MAK

My 520 is 10-11 years old and has bar end shifters. The bike you're looking at has down tube friction shifters. That doesn't look like the original crank as it is a double and is nameless.

I agree with Davet...it's an awful lot of money. I know that it's a lot of money but for +/-$500 more you can get a new 520.

OBackquote

Thanks MAK, I ended up passing on the bike, the triple crank is a pretty important feature to me, and thought the nameless/inexplicable double crank was a little strange.

Still searching for my chariot!

MorganTweedman

Greetings! To be honest, this thread was instrumental in my joining this forum. I came across it whilst researching my own 520, online. There are some truly beautiful bikes here and a wealth of knowledge, too. It is for these reasons I am writing this, my first post here.
I have a Trek 520 and it doesn’t work. Now don't get me wrong, it looks fantastic and she rides like a dream, but she gets everybody scratching his or her head. Especially so those who are in the business or well acquainted with all things Trek. All dressed up in early 90’s livery, I strongly suspect that she is of an earlier vintage but cannot be sure. So, I am appealing to the boffins in forum-land for assistance.
She came to me as a complete bicycle with a 24” frame, in Forest Green. She sat upon a 27x1&1/4 inch wheele-set. The front was a very cheap replacement, but the rear was what I believe to be the original Matrix Titan-tour rim. Both the brakes and the levers are Dia-Comp. The stem is a Cinelli; the bars are unknown; it had an Laprade seat-post; Sakae crank-set & pedals; the saddle was an Advocet, possibly original, too. Both front and rear mechanisms were SunTour Cyclone-2, as were the shifters.
Now, I’m hoping that the photographs I have will be inserted just about here:

These were taken on the train home, after collection.
As you can see, it’s all wrong. A bike with fork crowns shouldn’t be in this colour. Also, as original as the rear wheel looks, neither front nor back leave any room for mudguards. By mudguards, I do of course mean fenders! That head-badge seems to be in the wrong time zone, too.

Trek engraved into top of seat-stays

Did I mention the Hatta headset? That sticker on the seat tube reads: UO20083. Also, at the bottom, on either side of the number-3, are a 9 and a 2. The Reynolds decal states 501 Chromalloy-M.

It came to me as an eighteen-speed set up and has remained so up until now. However, I plan to step up to a 21-speed type situation imminently.

The serial no. (under the bottom bracket) is 133520.
So, what do you think? For all of my research, I am still none-the-wiser. I’m almost certain that the stylish lugs and the fork crowns predate these decals and colour scheme. The fella in my LBS seems to think that the frame’s earlier and that she’s been re-finished at some time in her life! That would make sense, but also mean that it was imported after the respray. I mean, there’s no way that the work was carried out here, in the UK. I suspect that there is some significance to that white sticker on the down tube, also. Perhaps U.O. is the initials of a university or some other organisation and this is some type of identification/cycle permit? Who knows? Not me, that’s for sure. I would surly appreciate any help and or advice anybody out there has to offer. She’s up for a makeover, towards the late (European) summertime and I’d very much like to know what I am dealing with, before I begin. In all honesty, I’d be more than happy to redo it as it is. However, that was my initial thought, on the train back with it and in all this time I have yet to track down replacement “Trek 520 Touring” transfers. So if it is an earlier frame, I may well have more options. That goes for the group-set, too.
Well, thanks for reading this far and please do look back again soon as I do have more photo’s to load.
Take it easy,
MT.

MorganTweedman

Ah! I now see that the photographs didn't load. That's a shame, they were there right up until I hit "Post". I shall have to work out a Plan B. Please bear with me...
MT.