1REK (trek) seatstay cap. Anyone else?
 

I recently picked up a 1978 trek tx300. It's a surprisingly nice quality frame for being made with high ten steel. Going through the bike I found a humorous quality defect In a seatstay cap stamped with '1REK' instead of the full TREK. Is it a commentary on the bike or an omen of things to come? :p

Anyone else have a rek of an early trek?

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...3111aec08b.jpg

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Looks like a heavy hand with the file and a blind eye at inspection to me. ;)

That seems to sum up their brake bridge brazing to a T.

-Kurt

Trek made something with Hi- Ten?!

I've posted this pic before, but here is my REK. The other seat stay is fine.

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...274da61e5e.jpg

They sure did! Starting right at the beginning, the tx300 was double butted ishiwata high tensile steel

Wow and on the drive side of a nicer frame no less!

You should see @lonesomesteve's Frek

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...fcbae251b0.jpg

Yes, and the REK is so well done. Somehow the T was just missing. You can see there was no filing are anything like that where the T should be. I no longer ride this bike much, but want to keep it just for the novelty.