jlaw

Saw this recently for sale - seller says it is Reynolds 531 and as you can see the seat tube decal lacks a 'panel' behind it (1980 and before?). It has eyelets near the front and rear axles and what may be a Reynolds 531 sticker on the fork.

24" frame?

1980 catalog: https://vintage-trek.com/TrekBrochure1980.htm

Thank you!

polymorphself 

I don't know much about Treks, but I found this: https://www.vintage-trek.com/Trek_gallery710SE.htm

cb400bill

Frame looks like my 1980 710 frame. Campy dropouts?

JohnDThompson 

Looks legit. Checking the serial number with the database at vintage-trek.com could cinch it.

plonz 

jlaw , did you buy this? Saw the post last night and decided to sleep on it. This morning it is gone which saved me a trip and a few $!

It looks to be original with Suntour V-GT derailleurs. Leads me to think it wasn’t a 710 but maybe a 5/6xx. Either way, still a great deal on a super clean looking Trek.

cb400bill

I don't believe that the 500 and 600 series bikes had 531 forks.

bikemig 

I think that there may be a few non 700 models that have full reynolds 531 but yeah this is basically right. The 700 series had the full ticker Reynolds (or columbus) and the lower numbers were "tretubi" (reynolds 531 or something else).

plonz 

According to the catalogs, you are correct. I wasn't convinced that was a remnant of a 531 sticker on the blade when viewing on my tablet. Zooming in with my monitor, it does indeed appear to be a 531 sticker which would indicate a 710. Nice bike for sure.

The Golden Boy 

There are exceptions, but basically you can kind of break down the old Treks (letters w/o panels) into two categories- "racing" and "touring."

Basically, for the old Treks a 900 level frame meant Columbus tubing, a 700 level frame meant 531, a 500 level frame meant CrMo and the lower numbers usually meant hi-ten.

The TX-900 had a "racing" geometry and was Columbus. The TX 2, 3, 5 and 700 were "touring" geometry and made from Ishiwata hi-ten, CrMo and 531.

The series after (until about 81) was the same way- the x30 was a "racing" frame (730 and 930) with 531 and Columbus respectively. The x10 bikes were "touring" frames. Touring frames generally had longer chainstays, and thus a larger distance between the seat tube and the tire.

So if you look at a bike, see the distance between the seat tube and the tire and look for the tubing sticker, you kind of know what you're looking at the bones of.

The Golden Boy 

It starts deviating from the nomenclature after 85. (I mean, aside from the TX770 which had a 700 designation, but was Columbus with a touring geometry).

Any 900 level frame was Columbus
Any 700 level frame was 531/531.
Any 600 level frame was 531/CrMo or MnMo. Any. (Where the catalog says the fork and stays are 531cs- the fork and stays in 531cs are CrMo)
Once you get into 500 level frames it's a little weird, but you can generally state 500 level frames are CrMo/CrMo
400 level frames are CrMo/Hi-Ten or MnMo/Hi-Ten
300 level frames are generally Hi-Ten or MnMo/Hi-Ten
200 level frames are generally Hi-Ten/Hi-Ten

After 85, Trek started using 531 in 500 and 400 level frames. I don't quite follow it- but 86 400 series bikes had DB 531 frames with Tange fork and stays- and so did 500 series bikes... And 300s had CrMo frames, not sure about the fork and stays.

jlaw

Not me unfortunately! I was going to drive down today, but I figured that somebody in western Mass. would recognize what it is - there is a pretty strong bike culture in that area. $100!! I think it lasted less than a day on CL.

Oh well, I still have two vintage Trek projects in progress - both cantilever brake frames - was looking for a 22.5" or 24" frame to convert to 650b.

Next time!

Chr0m0ly 

I noticed in the early treks the odd numbers are full frame/fork/stay while the even numbers are "tre-tubi" type frames.

300 full hi ten (butted)
400 Ishiwata main tubes/hi ten fork and stays
500 full Ishiwata crmo
600 531 main tubes/hi ten fork and stays
700 full Reynolds 531
900 full Columbus

This puts the pecking order (for me at least) at
900
700
500
600
400
300

This is valid till I think '82.

In '83 you have the 500 and 600 frames with 501 and 531 main tubes and Manga fork and stays.

Then in '84 the 600 series gets a bump with cromo fork and stays. While the 500 stays the same.

Then in 85 everything gets those cast luggs and they introduce heat tempered 753r and TruTemper chromo. Then it gets a little fuzzy for me.

bikemig 

That's certainly more or less right in terms of the pecking order in terms of snob appeal but it's hard to argue that there's much of a difference between a full columbus, full reynolds, or full ishiwata tubing bike. All three were low temp silver brazed. Granted the "higher" end tubing sets had nicer fittings but in terms of the quality of the ride and of the material, there isn't a heck of a lot of difference.

Chr0m0ly 

Absolutely!

I have a 79 514 and it is a beautiful ride! And maybe the components get nicer but I think in ‘79 the 5/7/9 series bikes all use the same drop outs and lugs. Maybe different fork crowns...

I keep eyeballing an '84 400 on Craig's. Manga main tubes and hi ten fork and stays, but it's a low trail bike, I think 46mm of trail. Would be an awesome rando set up with a front load. 👍

The Golden Boy 

On the price lists on the Vintage Trek site you'll see they refer to the Ishiwata CrMo as the "best" and "exceptional" value.

Chr0m0ly 

I'll say it rides like it!
I really like the geometry of the OP’s 710 (shared with my 510)! When I bought mine I saw those chain stays and figured it would handle like a tourer, but with the fork rake and angle it's a lot more responsive than it looks! The light snappy feel only adds to the ride.
I picked it up to replace my ‘84 610, and it is doing a fantastic job in that regard.

JohnDThompson 

5nn had Ishiwata 022 frame and fork (early); later models had Reynolds 501. 6nn were Reynolds 531 three main tubes, stays and forks were Ishiwata 022, Tange, or Reynolds 501 depending on when they were built.

cb400bill

The info I gave is from the 1980 and 1981 Trek brochures, courtesy of the great website vintagetrek.com


1980


1981

IsleRide

I purchased this bike last week. It is indeed a 710 as per the serial number and 531 decals on seat tube and forks.
The serial number H4D9B05 indicates H=710, 4=24", D=April, 9=1979. B05 is batch/run but I haven't found much on that.

It has the brass head badge secured with brass screws. The component group matches the 005 designation with Suntour VX derailleurs, Suntour Winner 13-28 freewheel, Diacompe 500G side pulls with drilled levers, Suntour shifters (pre power-shifter), Shimano 600 hubs (with oiler clamps) Rigida 13-20 700c rims. Campy dropouts. Crankset, stem, post and bars are SR. Tange headset.

I put the vintage Brooks Professional on it to make it feel better. I usually ride 62-63 frames but will try a tall Technomic and a Nitto Rando bar to see how it sizes up. Will leave the original stem and bar alone while doing that because the cotton tape is original. (with Velox plugs)

If I feel I can enjoy the fit it will be completely disassembled, cleaned, polished and serviced.

jlaw

Congratulations on getting that bike - looks very nice.

If you decide it is not for you, pls. let me know.

Thanks.

plonz 

So I had the good fortune of meeting @IsleRide last night when I bought a couple of stems from him. Heckuva nice guy. He was telling me about a Trek he just got off Craigslist and I knew it had to be this one.
@jlaw, he told me the fork was bent, the hanger was mis-aligned and the seatpost was stuck. Pretty sure you wouldn’t be interested.

jeirvine 

Nice get. I was visiting my parents near Northampton last weekend, and (as one does) checked the local CL. I saw this one, and was too late. Glad you were able to grab it. I have a 930, just a few months older than yours, and it is my best riding bike.

IsleRide

I'm into originality but when it comes to my back I keep moving the bars up and away from their original position. I refuse to give up on drop bars.

So here's what it looks like set up for me to be able to enjoy it. (could drop to saddle height but like it here) Nitto 100cm Technomic and B135 Grand Randonneur bars. (45 ctc at the flared ends, original SR stem was 80cm) Looks cool with the bars down low as it was built but to me this looks cool because I can ride it. (yes the minimum insertion mark is below the nut)

This bike is a hoot! Very light and responsive and with a supple ride. Reminds me a little of the 853 Lemond Zurich that I rode for 17 years and keep asking myself why I sold it.

dailycommute

Love these early trek frames.

Road Fan

The 500's did not, or at least seem to have been clearly stated so as to imply that. For 6xx's it's ambiguous, because they never fully defined the tubeset for the public. Some model years and models said it one way and others said something a different way, in Trek's literature. And then there's the debate over whether if the steer tube says "Tange," does that imply 531 fork blades could not have been used? Again Trek did not clarify, and with their perpetual disclaimer of the product content will sometimes not match the literature, how can anyone know?