The Golden Boy 

Around 2 1/2 years ago, I was lucky enough to find a 1985 Trek 720 in my size and I just happened to have the money for it. I have started around 74 threads about this bike, please forgive me for starting yet ANOTHER one. One of the phrases I've heard used about these flagship touring bikes is "Lifetime Bike," meaning this is a bike you can hang onto forever, and you can ride it forever. A bike of the highest quality- they don't make much better than this. I had been planning to have a custom touring bike built- something long, chrome, fillet brazed with a biplane fork; but in contemplating the "lifetime" and "grail" bike descriptors, I came to the realization that this bike is as special as whatever I had planned.

So I got the idea of combining my imaginary *someday* bike and my "grail" bike and going full on dick-out on this. I've rebuilt the bike several times since I've owned it. I've been fortunate enough to find some awesome parts to mount on this bike, as it sat, it was a dreamily awesome bike. However, I've been collecting parts and saving up for this *someday* bike for several years (justifies the "hoarding" thing ), and this is the the culmination of my imagination.

I wanted the *someday* bike to be a combination of a somewhat "modern" bike, but still being "classic," and outfitted with what I deemed to be the finest components I could round up- if it just happened to be a 35 year old part- but it is one of the greatest examples of that part ever- I was going to use it. My weakness for Suntour is clearly evident.

Here's the bike as it sat:



I'd most recently upgraded the stem and bars to a Nitto Technomic and a 44cm Nitto B177. Along with that I replaced the brake levers with some Aero Gran Compe levers.

Part of the impetus behind this was that I had scored a 10 speed indexing ring for Suntour Accushift Shifters. Meaning I can use any Accushift shifter with a Shimano SIS system- and specifically a 10 speed system. I love Command Shifters and figured the one of the most beautiful derailleurs was the Dura Ace 7800, what better to combine the two! This also has the added bonus of FINALLY learning how to take these shifters apart. I think it took me around 2 hours to do it- half an hour of which was looking for the little snap ring that went flying across the room...









And with a bunch of the components I've acquired:







One of the awesomest things I had acquired was a set of Phil Wood 40 spoke touring wheels- laced to 27" Super Champion rims- those are the most amazingly smooth, bombproof wheels I've ever experienced. Even though I've been fine with 27" wheels and the tire selection, I've wanted to change to 700c for a while, if just to give it a shot. Because I was going to be going 10 speed, I couldn't just have my inspirational Phil hubs relaced, and I really didn't want to go backwards. I've also loved the look of shiny high flange hubs. I spoke to Rich at Rivendell and got these:

The Golden Boy 

Once the wheels came, I started getting everything torn apart and started rebuilding everything. Rich suggested Ultegra cassette and chain- so I went with that. So I set about rebuilding it:









I ended up running into a problem with the Dura Ace FD; the inner cage on the FD is MUCH lower than the other triples I've had occasion to use- so it wouldn't work with the 50-45-28 I had- the inner cage hit the 45 before it could move the chain over to the 50.











I did order a 39T chainring, but, because me being me, after getting so far on this, I couldn't wait to ride it; T-Mar suggested I use an MT-60 FD- I didn't have a clean one, but I did have a Z206, as used on the 86 and 87 Voyageurs (that happened to be mated with an MT-60 RD)




Eventually, the 39T ring did come and I was surprised that I had to take the whole drive side off to change the inner ring.

The Golden Boy 

You guys realize I'm going to be posting pix of this bike daily for the next year.














One of the benefits of changing to 700c wheels- the tire selection. I've been quite happy with Paselas and the Sand Canyon tires, but WOW these Compass tires are something else!





Because it's all about the little parts, the Suntour QR skewers:



And the whole bike from the Shakedown Ride- I need to change the saddle angle- the XC Pro seatpost is the most adjustable seatpost I've ever used. Since this pic was taken, I'd replaced the middle chainring with the 39 and replaced the Dura Ace FD. I'm not so sure that FD is going to work. The inner cage scrapes the chain for a while before it moves the chain, where others just scoop it up and move on about their business.






All in all, I'm outrageously pleased with this- I'm so giddy with it. Seeing as how I've only had 5 and 6 speed bikes, this 10 speed thing is crazy. I did have to retighten the cassette, and after that the thing shifted fantastically. I may want to play with the B limit screw, but I'm satisfied with the shifting performance- seeing has how this is one of those unknown things- some guy on the internet making a product- and it works. I've noticed that the Compass tires pull a lot more leaves and such into the fenders, and I'm sure that'll calm down as the tires wear. I had initially inflated the tires to 75, but @Flog00 suggested 45- so I did that.

This is a stunningly incredible bike.

rccardr 

...and you obviously had a great time building it. Nicely done, sir!

Sir_Name 

Most excellent - enjoy!!

SteveP223

Sweet!

Roger M 

Nicely done. That Indexing ring is pretty neat stuff. Is there someone manufacturing those now?

plonz 

Your bike is beautiful.

Although I'm sure I don't know how riding that saddle angle can even work. I see a lot of them that way so maybe I'm missing out.

greg3rd48 

Handsome build!

pastorbobnlnh 

Dave, WOW!!!!! What a beauty!

Fahrenheit531 

Nice!

...That was an all-caps "nice," but this thing keeps downsizing my letters. Some sort of "no-shout" code, methinks. Imagine all caps to get the full effect.

And what's that bar tape in the first pic? Very, very cool.

otg 

Great build! I might try a set of those tires on my bike when the paselas wear out. The whole bike is nicely thought out and put together!

billytwosheds 

Sounds like a success. Always interesting to hear about the hiccups in the build that come with putting together your own kit.

The bike is a beauty, will use for reference whenever I can get my hands on a lugged steel Trek.

fender1

Very Sweet! Can you give some more detail on the Command shifter mods? FWIW. I switched to a triple (10sp scassette) and ran into the same issue with an Ultegra, triple specific FD. I I took a Shimano CX70 and filed the stop down about 4mm. Works great as a triple FD.

This is the FD:



The little nub on the left gets filed down and thi FD shifts a triple with no problems. You only need a few mm to allow the cage to move over far enough.

texaspandj

Cool build. Nice to see you make a classic, custom.

Salamandrine 

Funny that you mention that. I was just wondering if a XC70 could be modded to work as a road triple FD. I quite like my CX70 on a compact double. Road triple FD seem to be rather rare these days, and I can't see current MTB stuff working that well as it's optimized for teeny tiny chainrings.

Golden Boy: Nice bike! It's great seeing you have fun with this build. BITD the Trek 720 actually was the Grail touring bike, so be happy with what you have!

I have one idea/suggestion: consider one of those Blackburn stainless racks to go in the back. They don't make silver anymore but stainless is close enough, and stronger. Not at all necessary, but it would look nice and be good for a transworld tour.

masi61

Very interesting combining SunTour & Dura Ace triple like that. I was wondering if you had any suggestions or issues with installing the XC Pro cantilevers? Also, converting the Command accushift paddle shifters to Shimano 10 speed is going to require a thread of its own.

Flog00

Looks great all together! Let us know what tire pressure you settle on.


I think if both racks were silver it would really set off the bike.

Meathorse

Level out that saddle! Is the rear rack there to catch your arse when it slides off the saddle, or are the bars positioned so high to deter that?

Sir_Name 

Great info.

Whit51 

What a great creative build.

Whit51 

What's the deal with the 10sp ring for Command Shifters? Is the Iluminati behind this? Is it true that the Rosicrucians skunk works is fabricating these and distributing them through Silk Road?

ApolloSoyuz1975

Touring Trek... Command shifters... 3x10... Compass tires... this build fulfills all of my "sandbox" build wishes!

crank_addict

Excellent, Dave!

Talk about a great reference thread too~

Chrome Molly

Nice work D!