I'm planning on touring the west side of the states next summer (will most likely base it off of the Adventure Cycling Sierra Cascades route), and I was trying to decide if my 1983 Trek 620 would get the job done.

I bought the bike last summer without that much knowledge of self-supported touring and a budget. All I knew was that Trek made extremely high quality frames in the early 80s and that my bike would have a fantastic granny gear. And, with that information, I bought the bike on ebay for around $400.

I toured on the bike from Champaign, IL to Knoxville, TN, my route was about 750 miles, and had, for the most part, no issues with the bike. But now that I think about it, the bike did not handle very well (I only had rear panniers so the weight was terribly balanced) and I never felt fully confident braking. The side pull breaks just did not have the stopping power I craved. Also, the gear ratios seemed to lack all of the in between gears that I love so much. I had a great granny, and good cruising gears, but I didn't have much in between.

I brought my bike in to a bikeshop for an overhaul last week and will actually be picking it up today. I hope this solves the problem of weak brakes and sticky shifters. I also had the wheels rebuilt and a new bottom bracket installed.

But what do you guys think of the bike itself?
The bike fits me well at a 22.5" (I'm a little over 6') and I find it extremely comfortable.

But what about for a full two month long tour? It only has one water bottle cage, I'm not sure about it's rack capability, the wheels are 27" and the hoods are uncomfortable.

It also seems like more of a light-touring bike as opposed to the heavy duty bike that I will need.

It's a really nice bike and a good tourer but not an optimal one. From the pics of the bike online and the specs, the bike has what appears to be long reach sidepulls. They provide plenty of stopping power. To the extent you had issues, it was probably due to the brake pads and/or improper adjustment. The problem with the sidepulls is not the stopping power but that they limit how fat a tire you can use. You probably top out with a 27 and 1 and 1/4 inch tire.

You'd be better off going with 700c wheels. You will have wider tire selection and it may well help you fit a little larger tire (such as a 700 by 35c).

Certainly the stays are long enough for panniers at a little over 17 inches long.

The terrible handling that you experienced was probably due to using only rear panniers. In my experience, that is not a great set up. Using low riders and front panniers will be a big help.

One water bottle cage is no big deal. You can carry an xtra water bottle in your bags or you can mount a 2d cage fairly easily.

The bike fits you and it is a fine bike. It is a fine bike for touring although you may want to make some modifications (such as 700c wheels). The parts are old and some will need replacing. Insofar as a rear rack is concerned, get one that is a little longer (Jandd expedition is a bit longer than most racks and it is a very fine rack) as that will help with any heel clearance issues you may have. The point is that the bike just needs a bit of tweaking and you are perhaps second guessing your initial decision to buy the bike. Certainly none of the issues you had on your initial tour raise a red flag.

"The point is that the bike just needs a bit of tweaking and you are perhaps second guessing your initial decision to buy the bike. Certainly none of the issues you had on your initial tour raise a red flag"

I think that's a perfect analysis. I was reading all about the bike and comparing it to models that are the ideal touring bike. After a couple of forums I was beginning to regret my uninformed purchase. Thanks for helping me see the logical side.

Do you have any specific wheels and tires that you would recommend me purchasing? My knowledge base when it comes to wheels goes no further than brand recognition. From what I've read, the tour will mostly (maybe 100%) be on paved roads. I don't see myself getting in to offroad touring or riding in the near future.
-Is it possible to use a 700c tube with a 27" wheel/tire?
-After looking online it seems like there is a variety of 27" tires available. Is the issue that they are rarely stocked in stores and must be ordered?

Which other parts, specifically and without seeing the bike, would you consider replacing?

Thanks again for the info and advice

marcuseck, Short answer is yes, your bike will be fine.

Some suggestions: Rack systems still exist that don't require a fork with a mid mount, which will balance the load and improve handling. Tektro makes an inexpensive, but quality dual pivot caliper brake, which will provide more stopping power. They also make brake levers that many have found comfortable. Clamp-on bottle cages are available from Bell and available from Wal-Mart. Now-a-days 27" wheels and tires are rarely used for touring, but good tires are still available in the US.

Let us know what your gearing is for suggestions.

Brad

As far as I know it has the stock gearing.
Triple: 28-45-50
6 speed: 13-28

I'll check to confirm when I pick it up

What do you guys know about rear racks? I've been looking at the Jandd Expedition and the Topeak Tourist but they both say they only fit up to 700c...does this mean that it won't fit on my 27"?

If that's the case, any suggestions for rear racks? As said earlier, I could use a decently long rack for additional heel clearance. They also need a horizontal bar at the bottom to attach the clip from my panniers.

My old Trek touring bikes that still have freewheels all have seven speed freewheels, which should fit just fine on your wheels, and are set up with a half-step plus granny. This gives one a great range plus tightly spaced gears at the cost of doing a lot of front shifting. A typical touring set up would involve chain rings of 45-42-24 and something in the 12-24 range on the back. One of my old Treks has been modernized by cold setting the rear dropouts (after the seemingly inevitable failure of the seat stays at the seat tube; be sure to check for that regularly on your 620) to accept a nine speed cassette. That has become my favorite bike.

If you have a full-service hardware store nearby, you should be able to get rubber-coated U-bolts to attach low-rider panniers on the front. A bike really does handle a lot better when you put the bulk of the load even with the front axle.

On brakes, you can replace yours with some more powerful dual pivot side pulls, which may restrict your tire size a bit, or bite the bullet and find a framebuilder who will put on the appropriate braze-ons for the modern brakes of your choice. Of course, if you choose to go disc in the rear you're going to be building some new wheels and cold-setting that rear triangle. I'd probably put this sort of thing off until the seat stay/seat tube junction fails. By that time you will know if you love the bike and the way it fits you or not.

Edit: Are you sure there isn't a second water bottle braze on under the down tube just forward of the bottom bracket?

I have a 1983 Trek 620 with original components that I do not use for touring - although I originally thought I would. I live in the western US. The reasons I do not use the bike for touring are because of braking (not strong enough downhill - even if unloaded) and downtube shifting (not smooth). Some of the problems you experienced will be amplified in the mountainous west.
I bought another bike that is a great touring bike, so I will never use the Trek for touring.
I am getting rid of many of the original components on the Trek and going with 700c, brifters, dual pivot brakes. I'll probably use it for sunny weekend rides with the family.
Not sure if I'm helping you, but that's what I have to say.

I have one neat old touring bike with sidepull brakes; it is a custom built touring bike from the early 80s. No problem whatsoever when it comes to braking with full panniers going down mountains or hills.

More than a few professional bike races were won with bikes with downtube shifters. They may not be optimal for touring (I prefer bar ends) but a lot of people have toured a lot of miles on downtube shifters without problems.

Like the bike? , satisfied with the luggage stuff you get? Go For a Tour.

Its the trip, not the gear kit..



this week, boxed shipped 5 tourists back after their riders finished their transcontinental tours ..

Every one was different.

I've got a 1984 Trek 620..

I never used it for a fully loaded tour, but have used it for some supported touring. It came to me with some changes from stock, and I made a few more of my own. It handles 50-38-28 in front, 11-34 8 speed rear quite well. (You'll need to stretch the rear from 120mm to 126 mm spacing -- or just be very strong when you put the new wheel on!) I added a 2nd water bottle mount fairly early on.

As for how it handled, you can see a trip report from the Bon Ton Roulet at https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...om-the-Bon-Ton

I have an '83 Trek 520, which, at the time, was advertised as a touring bike (and has since become the mainstay of the Trek touring line). The 620 was considered nicer, but, I'm guessing, similar. Bikes of this vintage, despite being "tourers" aren't always set-up that way by modern standards (e.g., no cantilever brakes, smaller tire clearances, wheels may be less robust). This is what I realized with my 520, where I had the option of getting a new bike or figuring something out for this one. I opted to use a bike trailer; there are many threads on this. For me, I could use the current bike, not worry about loads on the frame/wheels, and just ride. People say trailers are heavier but, compared to the Trek 520 I have (not really a heavy touring rig), lack of racks, pannier bags, and no need for beefier frames/wheels, I think it is about the same (I calculated this out once). It also takes care of the chainstay length issues you can get to with these older touring bikes. It was also cheaper considering what I had and I was able to pick up a nearly new Burley Nomad on Craigslist for cheap on Craigslist. The Bob Yak is the single-wheeled trailer alternative. There is an old thread that documents my upgrades and first short tour with this bike (and my waffling between upgrading or getting a new touring bike). https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...D-Gran-Turismo.

A lot of the upgrades were just me trying to make it nicer, but I would've likely been fine with the stock bike with the trailer. I've done touring with only rear panniers...and it handled a lot better without those and just the trailer - and I like how the bike handles, generally, with the Burley Nomad. A couple of things I'd note is that, if going down big descents, I'm not sure about the brakes... I have salmon kool stop pads on my bike and haven't had any braking problems with the sidepull brakes...but not sure about descending down mountains (I've never done that). From what I've read, cantilevers don't really offer advantage here (other than clearances) in maximum stopping power - but discs would be better. Also, there are some people who bring up trailers and fishtailing and what not...although I think this is more of an issue with single wheel trailers. I've never had anything like this happen to me, even remotely, and while I've been down some big hills - I don't just careen down hills with abandon...at least not since my mid 20s.

I'd consider these as options, though, Personally, if it got much more involved than that or I really wanted front panniers, cantilever brakes, different wheels, etc., I'd probably give serious thought to just picking up the Bike's Direct Gran Turismo touring bike as opposed to trying an make it would with a vintage tourer. You get a pretty well speced touring bike for the money, and others have seemed happy with them. You'd still need to equip this bike with racks and bags, though - and probably wrench/tune it up a bit (or pay an LBS to do that). For me though, the trailer on my '83 Trek 520 works pretty well - and I've been happy with it. When not touring, the bike is a good, non-tank, around town bike back-up/more upright change of pace to my usual commuter and, if desired, would serve well in that role if it were my only bike.

Just this weekend I took my '83 620 on an overnight test trip. To be fair it isn't stock: new 700c wheels, 8-speeds in back, traditional triple setup rather than 1/2-step, dual pivot brakes, and bar-end shifters. While I've done many miles on it and love its ride this was the first time with a good bit of weight on the back end. With about 30lbs of gear I found the steering to be a bit twitchy at low speeds but not unrideable at all. Certainly think that putting low-riders up front would help correct this problem. Otherwise it was a sweet sweet ride. Super comfy on 32c Paselas (and with 700c, still plenty of room for the fenders) over a mix of country roads and gravel.

My recommendation: upgrade your 620! If it fits well, there is not reason not to keep it. You're not going to find a better frame, let alone for the money. Buy a decent pair of 700c wheels, put 8 or 9 speed cassette on the back, upgrade the brake calipers and/or the pads, and buy a set of cheap tektro aero brake levers. You can put lowriders on the front with a u-bolt or with the clever adapter made by Tubus.