jjames1452 

bwilli88 

Nice bike

Mtbnomore

That one looks to be my size. The only one I've found in my area was going for way too much money. Good buy.

JohnDThompson 

Finally got around to installing the Velo-Orange fenders on my 720. Now I need to decide if I should replace the old Grab-On padding on the handlebars:

engineerbob

"Thou shall not covet they neighbor's bicycle."

Only 10:20, and I've already sinned.

Bob

The Golden Boy 

Is that another one?

steelbikeguy

very nice! I'm so used to the 520's that I forget that Trek made a high-end touring model too.

It does raise a question or two...

1. how big is that frame? I ride 24.5" Raleighs, and the head tube looks longer than my bikes.

2. what type of crank is that? Looks like a very useful 110/74 BCD model. A Sugino, or something from Shimano?

3. when will you be putting fenders on it? I think I can hear the Brooks whispering "please protect me from the melting snow".

Steve in Peoria

The Golden Boy 

The 1985 720 came with a Sugino LP, all other years came with a Sugino AT.


Edit- that one looks like an LP- from the location of the marking on the crank arm. I couldn't see it on my phone.

steelbikeguy

The Sugino AT is one of my favorite cranks! I've got two bikes equipped with them.


Steve in Peoria, heading out to ride one of those bikes.

jeirvine 

Nice bikes. What is the biggest 700c tire one can fit on a ~1982 720? One popped up on the local CL and my brother is looking for a commuter/tourer that can take like a 36 or bigger.

JohnDThompson 

If you're referring to mine, that's the same one I've always had. I just replaced the ancient Esge plastic fenders with hammered aluminum Velo-Orange fenders.

The Golden Boy 

Sorry John, that was directed at @jjames1452. I know he stumbled on his 720 but it was a touch too big- wondering if he found one in his size.

Your bike... as always- a really cool color and beautiful bike.

due ruote 

Nice. Unfortunately, by the time they got to my 520 a couple years later, they were almost out of that paint.

The Golden Boy 

They had to fade it to black and hope no one noticed the difference.

I'm very much an enthusiast about Trek's bikes of the 1980s, I didn't realize how well appointed the 1987 520 was.

Trek's 531 framed touring bikes of the 70s were the TX 700 and the 710. In 1982 they introduced the 720 as the high end touring bike. Over the years between 1982-1985 it evolved into what most people recognize as one of the ultimate touring bikes. It seems that in 1986 the bottom dropped out of the touring market- presumably gone to ATBs. Trek dropped the 720 (and 620) and the 520 was a distinctly "not exactly tour-y" type bike. I thought Trek stayed that route until after 1988, but a few forum members have recently acquired 1987 520s that really surprised me with the chainstay length and the geometry and components that were on par with other makes of touring bikes.

rhm

That depends on the brake and the fenders. At first I ran Specialzed Expedition27 x 1 3/8 on mine, with Suntour Superbe calipers and ESGE chromoplast fenders. Later I ran Pasela 700x35c with Planet Bike fenders and some Dia-Compe side pull calipers that didn't stop the bike adequately. When I switched to Tektro dual pivots, I had to go to 28 mm tires, which was unacceptable. Currently running Dia-Compe centerpulls... but I can't remember the tire size.

jjames1452 

That is the same one I had last winter. I haven't ridden it much. 25.5 is just too tall. I have been riding the heck out of a 24 inch 620. I have a 24 inch 720 in the works. Sadly, this beauty will hit the market after I get a nice day to polish and take some new pictures.

arimajol

How do you like this model??

jjhabbs 

I have been looking for that bicycle in a 24 inch for a long time in good condition.

JH

due ruote 

I like it a lot, although I should add that I don't have much experience with tourers so I can't compare. I don't tour; I am just using it as an all-rounder, mainly on pavement but occasionally gravel trails. I think it rides great with 32mm tires. Very smooth and predictable as one would expect. I have often heard it said that tourers really need a load to handle properly, but I have no sense of that. Whether that's because this bike is more akin to a sport tourer, or because I am not discerning, I can't say.

RiddleOfSteel

To the OP, that is some proper 25.5" frame you have there! Glad to see another one around (I have a 'lowly' 400 in the same deep burgundy/maroon in that size). Excellent ride.

The Golden Boy 

The 87 520 is all tourer- unlike the 86 520.

Where the 86 had a shorter wheelbase length (shorter chain stays) and caliper brakes, the 87 has the equivalent of an old 600 series tube set (531 main frame and CrMo stays and fork), much longer chain stays (45.5 vs 42.5) and full on high quality touring/ATB components.

IMO- there's a difference between the ride of a touring bike and a sprightly built sport bike- I generally like that overbuilt stability of tourers, but through comparing my Trek 400 and 730 with my tourers, I can see why some may not like that feel.

arimajol

Thanks!

due ruote 

Thanks for clearing that up. I can certainly feel the difference between this bike and my sportier or legitimate race frames. Much more of a Cadillac ride. I only meant that I never feel like 'gee, I should load this thing up so it will ride properly.'
Apologies if I have taken this thread off course.

jjames1452 

Thank you.

The Golden Boy 

It would drive me NUTS knowing or thinking that there was a 720 on the way or just out of reach.

Just the amount of time from when I talked to the seller, to the time the next morning I was flipping **** the whole time. I remember getting up that morning and trying NOT to, but ending up Google Image searching 720s.

This was shortly after I got the bike:



This was in Fall:



Last week: