Bicycle Addict

Hi guys,
I hope the new year has been good to you and everyone is safe.
I have been mucking around with the Trek 720 and the Giant Innova.
The Trek will be done as a Gravel Grinder(love the phrase) as it is the one with the higher bottom bracket, also the smaller of the 2 so it should be a bit more rigid. This bike will get either Tektro 710 Canti's and RL340 levers or Black LX Canti's(and rear derailleur, front will be something road) and Ultegra Flight deck 8 spd brifters.
Giant will be done with more road riding in mind, commuting light touring etc. It will have what is left from the Trek or RX100 Brifters and Shimano CX50's.
Anybody recommend a front load 1 inch quill stem? I want to run more modern drop bars still staying with the 25.4 clamp size and retaining the original fork also.
Here is a couple of bad pics, I will do some better ones soon.

Bicycle Addict

Can anybody remember what BB axle width? From maybe when they did a BB change?

NB 7-1-14 I just found the Sheldon Brown/Harris Cyclery BB sizing chart, WOW such an awesome amount of info on one page!!

IFPCL

Here's my beater/exploration bike

Bicycle Addict

Nice beater you have there. I also like what I can see of your workshop.

DorkDisk

I like your old steel hybrids and am interested in how they will come out.

I fix old bikes up and find front loading quill stems to be quite challenging to find since they combine old tech with new tech. A lot of cheap bikes have some realy cheap and heavy ones. Most new ones are adjustable models. A few road bikes from the late 90s had nice quill front loading stems, but good luck finding one now

If you meant a 26.0 clamp, this model is still being made. https://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...ls.php?id=7470 ... but the look clashes with many old bikes

Another option many choose is a quill to threadless adaptor.

If those were my bikes I would slap a nice Nitto on it.

edit: theres also this https://www.universalcycles.com/shopp...&category=1728

Bicycle Addict

oddjob2 I tried a 26.6 seat post and it seem to be a bit loose, could you check your seat post for me please? Thank you.

Bicycle Addict

Hi kaliayev could I trouble you to check your seat post size for me? Thank you
I really like how your bike turned out.
What is the stem?
Also are you able to measure your seat tube and top tube? Thank you I realize I ma asking a bit of you.

oddjob2

Sorry, but the bike and I are separated by 600 miles of FROZEN TUNDRA. Had the request been made prior to Saturday it would have been easy to do. If a soda can shim works than it is most likely a 26.8mm.

kaliayev

Thanks for the compliment, I really like how it turned out as well. The stem is a Nitto Riser. Not easy to find and like all Nitto's stuff fairly expensive. The seat tube is 28.6 and the top tube is as well from what I remember. Sorry I can't check as the bike is at another location. It takes a 26.8 seat post. I do know this as fact as I have replaced the original with a Thomson and am looking at the original. Mine is a '90. From 90-93 the 750 used lugged tubing. Starting in '94 the geometry was changed some and the tubing was tig-welded. According to Trek's tech manuals the seat post went to 27.2. Hope that helps. If you know the year of your frame you can go to Vintage Trek web site and they have Tech manuals by year on PDF files.

Bicycle Addict

oddjod2 and kaliayev Thank you both for your replies.
I have checked the vintage Trek site the only bike to match mine is a '93 720M(do not know what the M is for? none of the others had this) so that gives some clarity.
I will try to clean the seat post tube and see if I can get in there with the 26.8 I have.

kaliayev

The 720 was always tig welded so it might use a different post size.

Never mind. Tech manuals looks like all 7XX series took 26.8 that year.

Bicycle Addict

Well I have made a little progress and got the BB into the Multitrack, took a 110 according to Sheldon Browns BB guide, chain line looks quite good
A quick pic


Weinmann DA16 rear wheel got put in today, need to find a match for the front, although I am thinking of getting a bunch of Alex DM18's (as they are easy to get) and lacing as needed, how good are the DM18's?

ciao_bella

My 1997 Trek 730 Multitrack. I'm the original owner and I've babied this thing.



Ciao

Bicycle Addict

Ciao Bella I love the utilitarian build you have here, to me this is what bikes are meant to be, useful to the fullest meaning of the word. Racks and bar ends and "powergrip" type pedal straps . . .great.
Just out of interest how long are your seat and top tubes? Nice bike, I notice in your signature you have a Jamis Coda, I think they are great bikes, how have you found yours?
Thanks, Paul.

dr1445

I reconfigured my giant farrago for winter use.

Bicycle Addict

dr1445 that bike looks ready for just about anything! What year is it? Nice.

I have scored another rim for my builds and tried the rims out on both bikes to get more of an idea where I am heading with these builds.


I would like your thoughts on which should be turned into a gravel grinder and which I should set up for road? Also what do you guys think of the Landcruisers?
Thanks

dr1445

it is hard to find info on that model, it is either a 98 or 99. mounting the fenders was a problem, i had to use the wire stay from the front on the rear and fab aluminium brackets for the frame, then a wire coat hanger for the front fender stay. we had a jan thaw and already the pot holes are starting, then there is the winter winter winds, @68 i don't have a lot of hp so i just put it in low and grind it out. it was a bike rescue from the trash heap so the price was right. i made some other changes, 8 speed hub and shifter, alloy bars, new derailleurs and updated crankset.

ciao_bella

Seat tube is 17", Top tube is 20.5 inches.

Ciao

Bicycle Addict

ciao bella Thank you for the reply, and the measurements.
I have been wrestling with the Raleigh 300 RC photoed a while back, got the cranks off, finally. . . .oh no if the cranks were that hard . . how hard is the BB going to be? Answer, very hard. New BB in after cleaning threads, new/old cranks on that I had laying around, new rear inner cable, old rear inner cable used to service the front, new noodles. . . brakes still really bad so I greased the V Brake posts which was better, but decided to change out the brakes for a slightly better set, the brakes work good now. Derailleur cables are next, and I will true the wheel at work tomorrow.
I will get some CST tyres as the Vittoria Randoneer's are not beading in properly.
Anyway here is a bad inside night time pic . . .those rings on the tyres really do stand out don't they?

ciao_bella

Beautiful Raleigh bike BicycleAddict!

Mike M

Love calling it "Vintage" instead of "old"!

Trek 7900 MultiTrack bought new in 1995. Cool because of the carbon fiber frame and high-end components for its day, I added the fork shock and some knobby tires when I was living in Colorado for some off road riding too. Sat idle for many years while I got heavily into riding BMW sport touring motorcycles around the Rocky Mountains.

Got it tuned up and it rides great---but I couldn't resist buying a new 2014 Trek 8.5 DS. Here's the 7900:

Bicycle Addict

Nice bike Mike M a real time piece . . . Love the purple Ano, How is the carbon holding up after this many years?
Thanks for posting

dazevedo

Here's my 91 Schwinn Crosscut. It's my go anywhere do anything ride.

Bicycle Addict

That sure is a nice Crosscut dazevedo, a go anywhere bike for sure, this is what I am aiming for with my Raleigh here is a progress pic

What do you guys think? Gumwall or Black tyres?
Thanks for all the replies, lets keep 'em coming

dazevedo

Thanks and that Raleigh is coming along nice. As far as tires my preference is gum wall's on older road/touring bikes and black on hybrid/mountain bikes. I have 700 x 32 gum walls on my Sports Tourer and tried them on my Crosscut but didn't care for the looks on that style bike.
That being said you should go with what you like best, it's your bike and what pleases you is all that matters.