lonesomesteve

I just acquired a “new” (new to me, that is) 1982 Trek 710. It’s always fun to buy a new bike, but this acquisition was more fun than usual, so I thought I’d share the story here.

In the interest of total transparency, I already own a 1982 Trek 710. It’s currently set up with a Shimergo, retro-roadie build–Campy 10 speed Ergo shifters shifting 8 speed Shimano in the rear, with a modern Campy Veloce crankset and Veloce FD up front, and modern Tektro dual pivot calipers. Yeah, it’s a Franken-build if ever there was one, but it works well and it’s a very nice riding bike. For me bikes are for riding, so I set them up in ways that meet my needs.

Here's the perfectly good 710 that I already owned.



Anyway, I obviously have no need for another 1982 Trek 710.

So, I was perusing Craig’s List on Saturday evening and ran across a recently posted ad for an ‘82 Trek less than a half hour drive away. It looked pretty good in the pictures. It didn’t have all of its original parts, but the parts that were there were mostly good stuff. The description noted the bike had paint missing in places, but claimed no dents and no significant rust. Sure, it was missing a chain, and the wheels were obviously non-original cheapies (Shrader valves!! Ghastly!). But, the asking price was only $100! If I already owned a dozen Trek 710s, I still wouldn’t be able to pass up one like this for $100.

The description was brief, and in it the seller mentioned that they had purchased the bike thinking they would convert it to 650b, like the Trek they had seen in Bicycle Quarterly, but they never got around to it and now it was time to let it go.

By the way, the Trek 650b conversion that was featured in BQ #58 is mine (“The Frek” is still going strong and it’s still my favorite bike). So not only was the price too nice to pass up, but this bike was destined to be a Frek!

I texted the seller immediately to ask if I could come take a look that evening. “Alex” answered pretty quickly and said, “totally!” Five minutes later I was heading out the door, and on the way out I said to my wife, the phrase she’s heard many times before, “I’m off to see a man about a bike.”

It turns out Alex was not a man at all, but rather an enthusiastic and amiable young woman, maybe 20-something. Even if Alex wasn’t quite as I had expected, the bike was exactly as she had represented it in the ad—well worth the asking price. When I mentioned that I was the builder and owner of The Frek in BQ, Alex was thrilled! To be honest, Alex made me feel a little like a rock star.

After a few minutes checking the bike out, I started thinking it might be the perfect lump of clay from which to mold another Frek for my 15 year old son who is starting to really get into bikes. It’s a little bit too big for him now, but if he grows into his feet, it will fit soon enough. When I told Alex my thoughts about making another Frek for my son, she was ecstatic!

So, a few minutes later I handed Alex a fresh $100 bill still warm from the ATM and loaded the bike into the car. As we said our goodbyes she said, “I look forward to seeing another Frek on the road!”

So, here it is.





Cyclone Mk II! Did I mention Biopace rings?



Yeah, yeah... I know the brakes aren't connected. I had to take pictures before the sun went down.



In the interest of making it rideable I’ve cleaned it up a bit, repacked the bottom bracket, thrown a chain on, and rewrapped the handlebars. Otherwise it’s still as it was when Alex sold it to me. The real transformation probably won’t start until the days get shorter and the weather turns ugly.

schundog

VERY cool story! I love old Treks. My 1985 Trek 470 is one of the most comfortable bikes I own. I look forward to seeing the full transformation.

2cam16

Good story and nice find!

nomadmax 

Great find and story!

What is a Frek?

lonesomesteve

Here's a picture.



It started life as a 1982 Trek 614. I added numerous braze-ons and made quite a few other modifications to turn it into a poor man's fully integrated constucteur style randonneuse. It was featured in the pages of Bicycle Quarterly a couple years ago. The name comes from a mashup of my last name and "Trek".

nomadmax 

Another nice bike and great story; thanks !

stardognine

Hey, it's the Seattle pervert bag lady statue. 😁😉 Nice grab, on the bike, and I support your decision to use a chain. 😁

The Golden Boy 

You are!!!

Your redesign of that bike has inspired a whole lot of people. Even people who aren't going to 650B their bikes- it's just a beautiful bike and a beautiful build.

Congratulations on the 710 score!!!

shoota 

That's an awesome story. I wish I could find a high end trek in my size like that around here!

lonesomesteve

Ah shucks... That's awfully nice of you to say. But if I'm a rock star, then I'm the equivalent of the bass player in Weird Al Yankovic's band. Gugie... He's Keith Richards.

The Golden Boy 

I happen to be close personal friends with Steve Jay.

Well... at least he autographed my Dare To Be Stupid jersey back in 1985...


AlFront by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr


And I happen to be the bass player in Milwaukee's *PREMIERE* Rolling Stones "tribute" band.





You qualify as rock star.

lonesomesteve

Wow! You, my friend are a genuine rock star!!

I had to look up Steve Jay on Wikipedia. He sounds like one awesome dude and a rock star of the first order.

We're surrounded by greatness here in C&V land!

Okay, back to bikes...

An update on the new Trek 710, since I've now got it set up for some serious riding.

I built a couple of 650b wheels for it, put on some lightly used Panaracer Pari-motos I had lying around, swapped the brakes for some long reach Tektro r559s, and put on a comfy Brooks C15 saddle. Other parts are pretty much what it came with. I just went for a 30 mile ride and completely fell in love with this bike. For some reason these old Treks are even better with 650b wheels and wide-ish tires. This is how it will stay until my son grows into it...

Rollfast

You don't have 92 Rolls Royces that that guru from the 80s who took over a small town in Oregon (Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh), so don't fret over an N+1 like this.

Your 710 has a buddy now. Lonely Treks are the worst. Find a pal to ride it with you.

roccobike

Hard to beat a vintage steel Trek frame for a comfortable ride. I've had several pass through my hands and they all rode like a dream. I've got three in my collection, one of my favorite vintage brands.