Trek 730 MultiTrack Curb find- Operation WetTrek
01-12-24, 01:43 PM
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Trek 730 MultiTrack Curb find- Operation WetTrek
When I picked up this one from the curb 4 houses down in the rain, I promised myself to save it for another rain day or until I got a few of the other projects wrapped up. Since garage space is limited, the 730 was banished to the basement until a more opportune time presented itself...or until I could not leave it alone. The later it is!
Back story - While headed to church on the Sunday before Christmas, I spiked the bike sitting at the curb. If it was there when I got home, I would walk down and grab it.t I figured it was a 26" bike that would make a great organ donor for my other three Trek projects. I was in luck! It was still there so I walked down, found it sitting with a sign that said "free" taped to the seat. I said a prayer of thanks and headed home with it.
Here are pics of the bike as I found it.
Back story - While headed to church on the Sunday before Christmas, I spiked the bike sitting at the curb. If it was there when I got home, I would walk down and grab it.t I figured it was a 26" bike that would make a great organ donor for my other three Trek projects. I was in luck! It was still there so I walked down, found it sitting with a sign that said "free" taped to the seat. I said a prayer of thanks and headed home with it.
Here are pics of the bike as I found it.
Last edited by Trav1s; 01-15-24 at 10:18 AM.
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01-12-24, 01:56 PM
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A few more pics as found. It spent some time outside but the frame was not full of water.
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01-12-24, 02:11 PM
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Others have suggested that the fork/headset has been replaced along with the stem, other than that it looks pretty much original. After looking everything over, I decided this would be my around town runner and the teardown began. After a good cleaning, I gave the frame two coats of Griot's Garage Ceramic wax and I'm happy with the results. I need to get some scratch removed but that not a big deal. It has enough patina to not command attention and not worry about people stealing it. See upgrade in next post...
Last edited by Trav1s; 01-12-24 at 04:13 PM.
01-12-24, 02:21 PM
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Thinking about what was on the shelf, I decided to swap leftover the FSA crank/bb as well as 105 5800 derailleurs from my Quick 1 upgrade. Those parts are probably worth more than the bike. A little bit of tap over the 105 on the rear derailleur and I doubt anyone will notice.
Last edited by Trav1s; 01-12-24 at 04:16 PM.
01-12-24, 02:31 PM
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Found a home for the $20 SKS fenders. The stem/bars are a temp install. I have a quill stem adapter and silver painted bars from FB marketplace for $20
Last edited by Trav1s; 01-12-24 at 04:18 PM.
01-12-24, 03:41 PM
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Since the brakes that were on the bike at arrival were mismatched and in rough shape, I replaced them with the take offs from my wife’s Verve 3 which received an Alivio upgrade. These have lots of tire and fender clearance.
Total cost so far = $20 for the fenders
Total cost so far = $20 for the fenders
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01-12-24, 04:22 PM
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Quill stem adapter installed and new bars in place using a borrowed stem. A silver replacement will be here Sunday.
01-12-24, 05:49 PM
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Project thoughts...
Shifters - likely a spendy proposition... I'll either use Shimano RS700 or microSHIFT Centos 2 x 11
Brake handles - TBD but I have my eyes on some sale Alivio stuff
Tires - swap the Schwalbe Marathons from my Quick over to this - great tires but heavy
Chain/Cassette - I'll go for the same wide ratio 11 speed and chain on my Quick
Seat post - TBD
Shifters - likely a spendy proposition... I'll either use Shimano RS700 or microSHIFT Centos 2 x 11
Brake handles - TBD but I have my eyes on some sale Alivio stuff
Tires - swap the Schwalbe Marathons from my Quick over to this - great tires but heavy
Chain/Cassette - I'll go for the same wide ratio 11 speed and chain on my Quick
Seat post - TBD
01-12-24, 05:55 PM
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Reading this post reminded me of this Trek 730 frame that I also found. It was missing a fork, but I was lucky to find a black threadless fork that matched the original black frame paint. Turned into a great bicycle!
01-12-24, 07:44 PM
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Looks great! Do you recall the tire size in the pics?
01-13-24, 07:25 AM
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01-13-24, 10:35 AM
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Removed the dry-rotted tires and polished both wheels with Mothers Mag wheel polish. Next step is addressing the free hub and wheel bearings.
Before and after
Victory!
Looks good enough to me.
Before and after
Victory!
Looks good enough to me.
01-13-24, 04:39 PM
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Done for the day. Cleaned and repacked all the wheel bearings and Free hub upgrade complete - ready for the 11 speed cassette. New stem to arrive tomorrow. Now to figure out controls.
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01-15-24, 07:36 AM
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Next item needed - seat post as I’m not reinstalling the suspension post that was on it.
Last edited by Trav1s; 01-15-24 at 07:45 AM.
01-15-24, 08:00 AM
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Stem arrived and installed with FB handlebars. I find the generic Amazon stuff with the repurposed 105 parts ironic 🤣. I think Microshift controls would be appropriate too.
Last edited by Trav1s; 01-15-24 at 08:05 AM.
01-15-24, 08:29 AM
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Ah, the lowly, but not really so lowly Trek 730. Super sleeper.
Full DB chromoly frame and fork was most years identical to the venerable 750, and only differed from the 750 in components. Same frame though. And the 750 was an identical frame to the beloved 520, but configured as a hybrid instead of a touring bike. So you have the same bones as a Trek 520 or Trek 750.
A Trek 730 frame would make it home with me any day. Even if there wasn't a single other usable part, that frame would be worth building into something special if you wanted to. Powder coat it, and only you will would know that it started life as a lowly Trek 730.
Full DB chromoly frame and fork was most years identical to the venerable 750, and only differed from the 750 in components. Same frame though. And the 750 was an identical frame to the beloved 520, but configured as a hybrid instead of a touring bike. So you have the same bones as a Trek 520 or Trek 750.
A Trek 730 frame would make it home with me any day. Even if there wasn't a single other usable part, that frame would be worth building into something special if you wanted to. Powder coat it, and only you will would know that it started life as a lowly Trek 730.
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01-15-24, 09:26 AM
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Suddenly it all makes sense! Sounds like I have a keeper that will get some additional love in the future. This makes me rethink what parts I’ll use. The powdercoat option sounds great too.
Last edited by Trav1s; 01-15-24 at 09:30 AM.
01-15-24, 01:18 PM
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Trav1s - whats happening with the headset, spacers, and stem?
- that fork is not original- Trek wouldnt put a fork with '525' branded tubing on a bike with a frame that only claims the main triangle is made with unbranded cromo(and therefore hiten stays).
- a Tange Passage headset is a threaded headset. There is a nut that locks in the headset which verifies its threaded.
- there are 20mm worth of threadless spacers between the headset and top locking nut...so the fork is really threaded for that much past the top headset bearings? That would further verify the fork is not original, for what its worth.
Neat project and component mix.
- that fork is not original- Trek wouldnt put a fork with '525' branded tubing on a bike with a frame that only claims the main triangle is made with unbranded cromo(and therefore hiten stays).
- a Tange Passage headset is a threaded headset. There is a nut that locks in the headset which verifies its threaded.
- there are 20mm worth of threadless spacers between the headset and top locking nut...so the fork is really threaded for that much past the top headset bearings? That would further verify the fork is not original, for what its worth.
Neat project and component mix.
01-15-24, 01:38 PM
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Trav1s - whats happening with the headset, spacers, and stem?
- that fork is not original- Trek wouldnt put a fork with '525' branded tubing on a bike with a frame that only claims the main triangle is made with unbranded cromo(and therefore hiten stays).
- a Tange Passage headset is a threaded headset. There is a nut that locks in the headset which verifies its threaded.
- there are 20mm worth of threadless spacers between the headset and top locking nut...so the fork is really threaded for that much past the top headset bearings? That would further verify the fork is not original, for what its worth.
Neat project and component mix.
- that fork is not original- Trek wouldnt put a fork with '525' branded tubing on a bike with a frame that only claims the main triangle is made with unbranded cromo(and therefore hiten stays).
- a Tange Passage headset is a threaded headset. There is a nut that locks in the headset which verifies its threaded.
- there are 20mm worth of threadless spacers between the headset and top locking nut...so the fork is really threaded for that much past the top headset bearings? That would further verify the fork is not original, for what its worth.
Neat project and component mix.
it is definitely threaded and I used a quill stem adapter on it.
01-15-24, 02:19 PM
#24
Not so New
If it's not too late, you might want to measure the seat tube ID without the shim.
