riverdrifter

Yeah those goatheads are vicious!

I'll get some more pics soon. It looks really cool with the 1 1/4" Contis!

riverdrifter

It actually looks fairly tight with the 1.25" Continental tires. Does anyone have experience with SKS Longboard fenders on the 620? Would I need the P45? Thanks!

jlaw

Here's a previous thread re: fenders on a 620 - not SKS-specific.
https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...-possible.html

And, this guy did an excellent blog re: his money-is-no-object 620 rebuild, including fenders:
Fuji Otaku: The Phoenix Project - Further Fender Follies

There's no secret potion because the space is limited. It's a balance between tire size and tire clearance. 700c definitely gives you a bit more breathing room.

riverdrifter

Thanks, I checked out those links. Looks like it's a bit of a futz. I'll see how things go this winter (how much I actually ride that bike, and what the results are). I do have another bike with fenders, an old Raleigh.

jlaw

The canti brakes are the main challenge on the 1984 620 - limits your options re: wheel size and hence fender use and tire size. The 1983 and earlier had caliper brakes that allows for the substitution of long-reach brakes, 650b wheels, etc.

Still, the 84 620 is a very nice bike.

riverdrifter

I installed the new handlebar wrap yesterday. I hadn't anticipated so many problems with that. It was a 2 hour exercise in frustration.

I watched about a half dozen videos, and made a couple practice runs, but the real deal just didn't work out. It is mostly the finishing that I struggled with. I used this Fizik 3 mm tape and it was hard to get it to look good, being so thick.

It's plenty tight, and feels good, I just want it to look better. Ah well, next time.

riverdrifter

Continental Super Sport Plus.

After last nights ride, I inspected my tires before I brought the bike in. I had a large goat head thorn broke off in the exact center of the front tire. As soon as I began to pull it out, I realized that was a mistake. It was super long! I thought I'd hear air right away.

Nothing seemed to happen and this morning the tire is fine, no air loss at all. So far this s tires seem awesome! They are also comfortable and feel fast and confident.

riverdrifter

Here it is so far. Plans to come yet are service BB, all new cables, dual Blackburn SS bottle cages, front rack, and panniers.

jlaw

Looking good!

A few questions:

Is the middle chain ring the original half-step or did you change it?

What's the freewheel - 13-28? I tried a 34T Mega Range 7 speed, but that last jump to 34T is awkward.

Which frame pump?

riverdrifter

Thanks!

This bike did not have the Shimano 600 crankset that the catalog specs for it. It's got a 1984 dated Sugino AT crankset, with a normal triple 52-42-34. I've seen one other midwest 620 with this crankset, so I wonder if it was an option that year?

The freewheel is 13-28.

The frame pump is a Zefal HP.

Hobbiano 

That's looking great. Mine has the 600 crank. The 720 came with the Sugino AT so maybe you got an upgrade.

My 620 looks just like yours except it's a 19" frame instead of a 21" which is my normal size. But the top tube is very close to the same length on both. So with a slightly taller stem and a longer seatpost it seems to fit pretty good. I've only just mocked mine up though as its still waiting for me to get to it and give it a complete overhaul.

The Golden Boy 

That handlebar wrap looks great- and that tape looks classy!

The Golden Boy 

I'm one of those people that hate the Duopar- Starting with the Eco on my 620- and the Titanium on my 720. The hate of a thousand suns.

I wanted to like them- I thought they looked cool- in that industrial sort of way. My 620 was fine for a while until I started commuting. I kept having problems with the chain coming off the upper jockey pulley and between the cage and the pulley. It happened out of nowhere and once it went... it kept getting worse and worse.

The Titanium on my 720- I used it in conjunction with the Helicomatic- even though that thing had straight, square teeth- I swear I've never felt shifting that smooth. Like seriously not knowing that the shift actually happened until I felt the resistance on the pedals change. All that changed on one ride about 15 miles away from home- I still don't know exactly what happened- but what I think ended up happening is the stop spring ended up on the wrong side of the pin on the cage. It was a cluster****. I think the very next day I replaced it with a Deore XT.

If I were to get another bike that had a Duopar on it- I would replace it immediately. There's seriously no need to play ****-**** games and taunt fate. One of our esteemed members here tested out a 1985-ish Suntour XC with a triple pulley cage- it handled a freewheel fine up to 38 teeth. (38!). XCs are easily overlooked, they're usually cheap because no one knows what they are- and the triple pulley models are, frankly, weird looking. And best of all- the XC is perfectly in the time frame of the 84 and 85 Trek 620.


*I really should add that many, many people have had exemplary experiences with the Duopar- including people that I respect and have much more experience than me and have more experience based knowledge than me.*

The Golden Boy 

I think there's WAY too much made about cantilever brakes. Cantilever brakes have more stopping power and more fender clearance than any single pivot calipers- especially of this time.

There's brakes that have the adjustment to go from 27" to 700C and brakes that don't. The spacing between the bosses is much tighter than on modern bikes- so most modern brakes won't work- as they're not designed to.

I have used Shimano BR MC70, and M732 brakes (and I'll bet MT-62 brakes would work equally as well), I have also used Suntour XC Pro brakes. I've read conflicting things about DC/GC 960s, but I haven't used them.

thook

re: canti's/old frame post spacing/wheel size....

i have an '83 univega gran turismo with the same exact canti's as riverdrifter's 620. no problem converting to 700c. i've tried 19mm, 22mm, 24mm, and 25mm (external) wide rims of different wheelsets in toying around with my set up. even with the original pads.... no problemo!
what's odd to me is i have another '83 ...same model.....and tried a 700c conversion on it when i first got it years ago. now, as my memory serves me, i couldn't convert and get the pads to hit the rim right. i have no idea how to explain the discrepancy except perhaps i didn't know/understand as much i do now about bicycles and could have simply not been doing something right.
in any event, canti's limiting? i say not. i can fit a surly knard 41c in this frame easy with the dropout spacers removed and wheel shove all the way back. it's close, but it does work just fine. dare i say, in part, because of canti's!
oh, i can fit 35c's with fender, too

merziac

Going to chime in here and say that a proper and correct BB service ALWAYS includes fixed cup removal, clean cup and shell threads, regrease bearings and torque.

Its called a fixed cup because it has no adjustment not because it should not be removed, it should be removed to make sure it is not seized and can be taken out if it needs service or replacement without damaging the frame.

I know many here disagree with this, that's fine, I disagree with that. It can be challenging, I do agree on that but it doesn't have to be, it's all about leverage and holding the tools in place while you apply it, especially when you need a lot of it.

Anyone that finds this too challenging can PM me for a foolproof technique that never fails and has never damaged any cups, tools, frames or flesh.

riverdrifter

Thanks guys!

I got a set of NOS Christophe Special toe clips installed last night. Wow they are shiny! I also received my first Ortlieb purchase! Just a saddle bag. It's super nice though, feels really tough, waterproof of course, and a good size. I wanted something for day rides just big enough for a tube, a tire lever, multitool, and phone, snack, and wallet. I ordered the size small (having read these bags are big, relatively) and the small is just the perfect size. I got the slate color and it looks great on this pewter 620.

ryansu

Looking like a sweet ride @riverdrifter, the handlebar tape looks good btw, nice that you have it road worthy with so much good weather still left. Some people love that Vetta saddle. I was not a fan and upgraded a couple bikes that came with the Vetta to Brooks. YMMV. Have fun riding that beauty!

riverdrifter

Here is a quick pic with the toe clips and saddle bag. I also tried to get a detail pic of that great pewter metallic paint.

nesteel 

You've done a nice job refurbishing that bike. Enjoy it for a long time, hand it off to your kids when you're done with it.

merziac

+1 Agreed! Very nice, well done.

riverdrifter

Thank you! I hope I can hand it off to my son. He's 8 years old and on a 20" BMX now and I'd like to get him on a 24" road bike soon, so we can do some road miles together!

riverdrifter

Thanks!

Hobbiano 

Beautiful bike and nice pictures. Especially like the first one.

riverdrifter

I hate to admit it, but after riding this bike for awhile, I think it's too small for me. I've got the stem and seatpost at max height and I still can't quite get the extension I need.

My other bike is a 51 cm modern compact geometry road bike with a sloping top tube. It's 51 cm and the fit is okay. I thought this Trek, being a 21", would be just marginally bigger. Instead it feels just a bit smaller. Doing some additional reading, it looks like that is common, that vintage bikes tend to "fit smaller" than comparable sized modern bikes. The next size up is 22.5", that converts to 57 cm and seems like it would be too big. Maybe not? Of course that doesn't change the fact that this is the bike I've got, and finding a bigger 620 might not happen.

I know lots of people run taller stems on these, but that isn't really my issue. I'm not sure that it would be practical to fit a longer seatpost on it, and if that would really even correct the problem?