Jicafold

I've looked through the catalogs and color charts on the Vintage Trek page and I can't figure it out.

CroManganMan

It looks like a 1987 560 Pro Series but missing the "Pro Series" decal on the top tube and components have been swapped out: https://vintage-trek.com/images/trek/87TrekCatalog.pdf

Sometimes you have to look at the brochures on vintage-trek to compare the decals for the year and then match up your guess to the list of model numbers and colors by year on this page: Trek Bike Models by Year and Color

jlaw

If you can get a serial # then the year/model can be found here:

Vintage Trek Bicycle Frame Serial Numbers, bike

Once you know the year/model you can find the original spec. here:

Vintage Trek Bicycle Catalogs and Bike Brochures, Fisher, Klein LeMond

T-Mar

The Trek 560 Pro Series used the investment cast, fastback seat lug, which this does not have. I concur with determining the year using the serial number and using that as the starting point.

CroManganMan

Aah, I didn't even notice the fastback in the photo on the catalog. I'm such an amateur at this!

Jicafold

I already said I looked at the Vintage Trek website.

That is why I specifically put a photo of the seat lug. I had already noticed that in the catalog...hence posting this question. The serial number is 094890 which seemed to make it a 1983, which doesn't make sense either according to the 1983 catalog. I put those components on there.

madpogue 

Definitely a respray/rebadge; those graphics were not used in the pre-fastback generation. Identifying frame features:
* RD cable stop below the seat stay - '83 or '84
* Short chainstays
* Shifter braze-ons
* No rear rack braze-ons
* Pump peg
Maybe an '84 460/560/660? :shrug:

Edit - that late in '83, it might well have been an '84 model. The serial number pages are by year of manufacture, not model year.

Cl904

Looks like the ugly graphics from my 84 610, which has the same seat cluster.

madpogue 

'84 graphics should have the TREK letters closer together, followed by the model number, on the downtube. They didn't drop the model number and space out the letters 'til '85.

And +1; '84 graphics were the worst. '85-up were at least tolerable. That's what made me think it's an '84, with later graphics.

jlaw

That serial # is shown as a 1983 Trek 560 24" frame on the vintage Trek site.

madpogue 

^^^^^^ Once again, it corresponds to a 24" 560 MADE in late '83. Not necessarily the same as an '83 bike. Just like cars, bicycle model years change before the end of the calendar year.

Jicafold

I see that now, thank you. However, a 1983 Trek 560 only had 1 set of water bottle bosses and this bike has 2. And that paint and decals sure look original. A 1984 Trek 560 had 2 bottle mounts. But it was black.

l.

madpogue 

Are there any frame material decals?

Pulling the fork might provide more paint/color intel, and there might be a month/year (or just year) stamped on the steerer tube.

Jicafold

Nope. No other decals or remnants of decals.

jlaw

Agree with madpogue, pull the fork and you may find that this frame was re-painted. The downtube decal looks cleaner/whiter than the decals on my '84 and '85 Treks.

Jicafold

Good idea. So I pulled the fork and crown race. No other color. Fork says Tange 3K Made in Japan. Same overspray color inside sreering tube, same color inside frame head tube. Rear dropout says Tange TR.

madpogue 

^^^^^ Another hint about the badging -- looking again at the catalogs, the T R E K letters were spaced further apart, and slightly "slanted" (akin to italics) starting in '86, compared to '85. So those are '86 (or later) graphics on this ^^^^^ bike.

Funny, the subtle changes they'd make from year to year. Sorta like the way the auto designers would make the tailfins just a little bigger, or slightly change the shape of the hood ornament, BITD.

Jicafold

Yes. Interesting about the letter spacing. I just noted that the 1984 560 has Tange TR dropouts. The 1983 does not. I had to take a wire brush on a drill to get the paint off the dropout for that picture, and it still took a lot of effort....again, making me think the color was original or someone went through an awful lot of work.

Maybe it's a unicorn.

natterberry 

My 760 is a ‘83 braze with ‘85 color and graphics. The years don’t always align.

Jicafold

I suppose that's true but I would expect that more from say..Italians. Truth is, the decals and coloring on this look like the 1985 670. So maybe I have the same type of scenario as you do.

https://www.vintage-trek.com/images/t...TrekRacing.pdf

JohnDThompson 

Early 560 production did not use the investment cast seat lug. The Tange Aero 1175 crown is pretty distinctive for a 560. I suspect that the dropouts are Tange TR, another distinctive 560 feature.

madpogue 

So what year does that indicate?

JohnDThompson 

1983 sounds about right.

OldsCOOL

My 760 has an ‘84 braze date, sat a year on the rack and has 86 Pro Series decals. For some reason it didnt make the call for the ‘85 fitting.

madpogue 

^^^^ Yup, my mystery Ruby has an '82 serial number, '83-style RD cabling, and 400-series Ishiwata 022 tubing but rack braze-ons that shouldn't be on a 400 series. I think @JohnDThompson has mentioned before that BBs often got serial numbers stamped and sat for some time before being incorporated into a frame.

Must've been fun working there, seeing all the... er... uncatalogued combinations that went out the door. Cool that they're finding their way back to these threads.