shelbyfv

Very cool survivor!

Squeezebox

So what is your comment supposed to mean in this thread. What about my experience? Sounds very inappropriate from here.

cb400bill

It is a compliment. A survivor is a bike that looks good and is mostly unaltered from its original condition.

shelbyfv

Yes, very much complimentary. It's a term from the old car hobby.

mstateglfr 

He has a quote of yours from January under his posts.
That doesnt mean the quote applies to every post he makes.
Goodness.

Chriscraft760 

Its been a while since my last post. Took some time searching ebay to find a replacement rear Grand Compe 450 brake but I did find one this summer.
I also picked up this vintage set of C'dale panniers made of nylon Cordura. Rear Overlands B041, front Switchers B043, Trestle handlebar bag B037 and the Caboose B047. They look to be in great shape for being 35 years old.
Still need to buy tires before installing my fenders

davlafont

Nice bike, and good job on keeping it period correct. I picked up a 1984 Trek 720 last year with a full set of luggage. It had the same Avocet saddle you've found but I decided to replace it with a Brooks Professional (wide copper rivets) and blue bar tape as shown in the '84 catalog. I'm not super fanatical though, as the tape is modern gel and I've swapped the rear rack for a modern Topeak.

If you still have the black front rack, I'd be interested...

veganbikes

That is killer, back when Trek made great bikes and Cannondale had awesome touring stuff you just had to have. Glad you are trying to keep it all correct, it looks awesome, but if you are touring on it don't be afraid to make it comfortable for you. Vintage is cool but if you cannot ride it, it doesn't make sense.

Chriscraft760 

Dav, I guess those vintage front racks don't come up too often. I had save an eBay search for Jim Blackburn front rack and have only been notified a few times in the past 8 months. Probably the reason they fetch a good amount of money on eBay since they rarely pop up.
That front black rack was an eBay purchase at $70. Once I found my aluminum colored front rack, I simple offered it back on eBay at same purchase price and sold it in a couple of weeks. So I no longer have it. The black color Jim Blackburn front racks must be less sought after than the aluminum color rack cause the few I've seen in black have been priced between $60-$75. The last aluminum front rack listed on eBay was part of a used F/R set. It was only listed for a few hours and quickly sold with a buy it now of $175. That's crazy money for an aluminum color front rack, the matching rears can be had for $25-$30 all day long.

skranish

I would like to add myself to this conversation. I bought my Trek 728 new in August of 1983, after my Heinz 57 - Claude Butler was pretzeled on the front of a car driven by a young lady who did not understand the concept of a left turn, as opposed to simply drifting left across the road. I fared better than the British bike.
The 728 was really my only ride until 2006. It has gone in and out of favor since then, but I have to be honest and say that if I were forced to downsize from my ridiculous collection of 7 bikes to just one, it is the one I would keep. It has been the only constant in my adult life, having outlasted a marriage, raising two children, and numerous jobs.
I ditched the beautiful but mushy centerpulls long ago for a set of Modolo Professional long-reach side pulls, but I probably should replace those, too. I have been using Look SL-1 and SL-2 pedals for a long time; they are obscure sort-of MTB pedals with metal cleats that are similar to but not compatible with SPD.
The drivetrain and derailleur are pretty much stock. I think it is on its 3rd Huret Duopar, which I regret only in that the change from 1st to 2nd was done at the suggestion of a bike shop mechanic who thought that the 18 year old derailleur could not possibly be any good. I would not replace with with anything else; they are, for lack of a better word, R E L I A B L E.
It has some rust around the edges; the worst is the cable holders on the top tube.
Although it is approaching 35 years old, it is not a museum piece, it is for riding. When I was mostly doing recreational riding, I rode lighter bikes. Now my riding is mostly commuting: 54 miles round trip in reasonable weather, or 28 miles round trip in colder weather. Colder meaning < 45F. I use the 728 in colder or wetter weather because it has fenders, racks, and bags.
I also have a 1984 620 that I bought on eBay, expecting it to be nearly identical, which it is not. It was supposed to be ready to ride, but it really needed a lot of work. Despite having the wheels trued at a local shop, I have blown a spoke in the rear each time I have done my 54 mile commute on it. My recollection of the 728 is that I blew a lot of spokes until I had it rebuilt, so rather than rebuild the wheels on the Helicomatic hubs, I ordered a new set of wheels from Velomine. They will have 126mm rear hubs, which I hope is the right size. Does anyone know if a 7 speed freewheel will fit these?
Steve

52telecaster

i have a nuovo with the long cage from soma.... could be talked out of it.

jacksbike

The 728 is a beautiful bike. Am still searching for the 720 model in my size, but have plenty of other brand touring bikes to keep me happy.

raria

Please elaborate? The dealer stole it or it was stolen at the dealer?

B. Carfree

Short version of the story is that the dealer kept making excuses for why the frame hadn't gone back to Trek for repair (rep on vacation, rep out of the country, and so on). I dutifully checked in with them every month or two and each time they needed my contact information given to them. Finally, I gave up on dealing with them. When my wife finally called them, they gave her a cock-and-bull story about having cut the frame up because it was in their way. Two possibilities here:
1. They really don't know anything about Trek frames in spite of being a dealer for decades and actually did cut it up.
2. They do know something about these frames and one of the employees stole it and they made up the story about cutting it up.

So much for repair or replace lifetime warranty. The dealer is Paul's Bicycle Way of Life in Eugene. Perhaps because I tell this story a wee bit, this dealer has gone from four locations down to two. Then again, it could just be that with Eugene having lost 43% of its cyclists from 2009-16 (latest data), the fall in the size of the local market is why they closed half their sites.

raria

I'm not getting it. You gave the frameset to a trek dealer for a warranty issue and they cut it up because it was getting the way. In what way did they cut it up? The took a saw to it.

Also, why would dealer cut up a frame. I've worked at an LBS and the only time they messed with frames was to do a cold set. Most of the time they just shipped it back to the trek.

fietsbob

Estate sales go online now ?

Cycle Tourist

I know it's a older thread but I just bought two 728's for $150. These beautiful bikes have carried a couple across Canada. The history tickled me.
pictures are non-drive side but it was late and I was in a hurry.