niliraga 

Hoping Trek experts respond to the bat light: a fairly unhelpful (and sole) photo of a bike ad up on the local CL here -- I'm looking to experiment with touring frames to see how they feel, and this one looks my size and carries clues (eg. rack bosses on chainstays) that it might be a match.

Looks lowish-end otherwise (DC brakes, cheaper seatpost etc) - any Trek gurus here who can zero in on further clues? (pretty sure i see unoccupied bottle bosses on down tube, etc) maybe also confirm it's 24" and not 25"?

lostarchitect 

With that paint scheme, probably 1980-82, if I recall correctly.

If that's a Reynolds 531 sticker on the seat tube, probably a 6XX or 7XX frame.

Best guess, a 1982 610? Whatever it is, it seems to be a pretty decent one.

lostarchitect 

I see it on the Brooklyn craigslist. Go get it now. At that price, you'll be lucky if it's not gone already.

madpogue 

It's an '81 or '82, by the livery and the above-the-stay rear mech cabling. Color and seat stay rack braze-ons suggests it's an '82 613, but it should have a Laprade seat post and nicer DiaCompe brake levers with hoods. Rims appear to be replacements.

ryansu

Looks like a good bike but to be clear the touring line for Trek at that time was 420 (sport touring) 520, 620 and 720 the later 3 would have come with Cantilever brakes and triple chain rings, a serial number ought to answer the questions. Vintage Trek is also a great resource. Good luck

niliraga 

thanks folks - appreciate the collective brain dump. can make it out there tomorrow pm at best, so fingers crossed.

lostarchitect 

OK, guess I'll go get it now, then.

KIDDING.

niliraga 

as the old saying goes, "if someone steals your cab, well, it wasn't your cab!"

jeirvine 

Looks like an Ishiwata 22 tubing decal on the seat tube. That says 400 series to me. Maybe upgraded rims too. Nice bike.

nesteel 

Somethings up with that front wheel/brake situation. The "upgraded" wheels might be 700c's, and it looks like the front caliper has insufficient reach to drop the pads far enough. Unless you like braking against the tire. Then it looks terrific.

niliraga 

it'd be a bonus if it's already wearing 700s, and the existing Dia Compes would be coming off for sure.

niliraga 

...but I've seen a lot of Weinmann LP18 rims used around these parts for newer 27" wheelsets, so I fear it's just wearing newer 27s

madpogue 

A 400 series would not have rack braze-ons, and I don't think they came in Gunmetal those years. 'Course, that said, I have one with the serial number of an '82 400 series, '83-style under-the-BB cabling, 022 stickers on frame AND fork, and rack braze-ons.

Am I the only one itching to know the serial number?

Space between the tire and fork crown does kinda suggest it's on a 700 up front; IIRC, the 27s stuffed into the original fork pretty snug.

bikemig 

I wish I were selling my old bikes in NYC, . This looks like a 25 inch frame and looks to be, as others suggested, an early 80s 600 or even 400 series. Both are fine bikes and other than snob appeal 3 main tubes Ishiwata is as good as 3 main tubes Reynolds 531. One thing to keep in mind is that some of these bikes came with a suspect fork which you may need to change out.

I have a pristine (and I do mean pristine) 24 inch 1983 Trek 620 that I need to get rid of one of these days.

revcp 

Do the chain stays look a little short to the rest of you to be a touring frame? They're certainly not as long as a 520/620/720. The seatstay braze ons indicate rack, but I just don't see touring geometry.

The Golden Boy 

Until the 720- 44 was “touring” length on chainstays. And that was long.

niliraga 

ok - scuffed and chipped, but straight and true (photos not yet), here's what I can add so far...

- s/n appears to be 016262 - seems this indicates a 1982 610?
- measures ~24" ctc
- tubing is 531, though decal is largely gone
- rear dropouts with adjuster screws
- has a full set of Blue Line mech
- newer 27" rims
- rack mounts on seat stays, a chain hook also, and one set of bottle mounts on downtube

bikemig 

Good deal. The tubing is 531 main tubes if an '82 600 series; Ishiwata magny fork and stays.

You are going to want to take a look at this thread:

https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-v...ata-forks.html

I have a 400 series Trek with that potential fork problem and I think I may just replace the fork.

Road Fan

S/N says 1982 24" Trek 610.

madpogue 

^^^^ +1; the "610" in the serial number tables is just a place-holder of sorts. At that point in the process, it's unknown whether the bike would be a 613 or 614. Being a double, with gunmetal paint and BlueLines, that def. makes it a 613. Nice find. Wonder why the front brake appears to be hitting too high; trick of the photo angle?

niliraga 

photo had been taken with front wheel loosely (ie, not) in place - with everything seated properly, pads hit where they should.

niliraga 

ja, i was reading this thread - trying to not let it spook me too much. Once cleaned up I will inspect where crown and blades meet and look for hairlines/rust etc.

niliraga 

the Trek color names back then are bizarre - so was this considered the "Gunmetal" they speak of? Me, I would have guessed Dark Blue, but what do I know...

madpogue 

^^^^^ They used DuPont Imron automotive-style paint BITD, so either they just used the DuPont color names, or came up with the names under the influence of the fumes...

altenwrencher

Does it seem that more than one-half of photos of bikes being sold on line show the left side and not the right? Wouldn't you expect it'd be 50-50? Does some corollary of the Peter Principle account for that?