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Groupset for trek tx900 - how would you build it?

Old 10-07-22, 03:43 PM
  #1  
stedge 
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Groupset for trek tx900 - how would you build it?

I am the lucky gent that bought the green Tx900 frame and fork that was for sale recently. Been considering how to build it up. It is a blank canvas. Campy,Shimano, Suntour. Never done anything like this so looking forward to learning and building up a cool bike.

I am curious, if you could choose whatever components you wanted, how would you build it? Dura Ace? Superb Pro? Super record? Modern setup ( I have a spare, well used Campy ergo super record early 2000s set sittin in a box). But if you could do anything?……. Curious.

I lean to Dura Ace 7400, but am considering all. Would Sante look weird or cool? Decisions, decisions…..

Main use would be simple road biking. No need to consider some conversion to deal with heavy, touring, gravel, etc, etc. I have that covered. For fun, fast (relatively speaking, for an old fat guy) rides. But to be used not hung on a wall.

Thanks for any input.
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Old 10-07-22, 04:21 PM
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My '78 Trek TX 900 was, ahem, actually a parts bin build; some of the parts came originally on the bike and some I had on hand. They also happen to be some of my favorite vintage parts. I went with a Stronglight 99 crank with 47/32 rings (a very versatile vintage crank with 86 bcd rings) and a 12-30 7 speed suntour new winner freewheel; campy nuovo record brakes; stronglight A9 roller bearing headset (IMO one of the best headsets ever made) ; campagnolo super record seatpost and turbo saddle; suntour cyclone derailleurs and suntour ratcheting downtube shifters; mavic hubs laced to Mavic MA 40 rims; time atac pedals; and 700 x 28c gravel king tires. My goal was to recycle parts and make it useable to ride in hilly areas NE of where I live where 15% grades are not uncommon and there are 20% grades as well.

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Old 10-07-22, 05:28 PM
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I built my with mostly Campy NR. The exception were Superbe Brakes. This was just after the build before the first ride and adjustments.

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Old 10-07-22, 06:11 PM
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I like where you’re leaning.
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Old 10-07-22, 09:45 PM
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7410 Cranks - very lightweight and (to me) some of the most beautiful cranks ever made.

I'll second the Stronglight A9 headset...again, very lightweight and a great piece of kit.

Both of these parts are relatively inexpensive (used) and are great ways to keep the build light.
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Old 10-07-22, 10:40 PM
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I'm really good at throwing money at bikes. Especially other people's money...


Nitto B177 bars
Brooks microfiber bar tape
TRP drilled brake levers
Dura Ace 7800 brakes
Nitto Technomic stem
Chris King headset
Berthoud saddle
Dura Ace 7401 seatpost
Jagwire cables n housing (Titanium or Carbon colored)
Dura Ace 7803 rear derailleur
Dura Ace 7700 front derailleur
Suntour Command Shifters modded to SIS 10 speed
Phil Wood hubs
Pacenti rims
Ultegra 10 speed 12-32 cassette
King titanium bottle cages
SR SP-11 pedals with MKS wire toe cages and Brooks straps
Rene Herse 48-38-28 triple
SKF BB

Something like some of these pieces:

IMG_1715 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr

Command Shifter + RRL Lever by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr

PhilFront by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr

IMG_1727 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr

IMG_1728 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr

Berthoud Saddle on Trek 720 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr

SP-11 King2 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr
IMG_1744 by Dave The Golden Boy, on Flickr


I suppose that kinda does it.
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Old 10-08-22, 12:32 AM
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Originally Posted by stedge
Main use would be simple road biking. No need to consider some conversion to deal with heavy, touring, gravel, etc, etc. I have that covered. For fun, fast ... rides. But to be used not hung on a wall.
Based on your preference for dura ace 74xx, I would just put together the closest kit to that and ride. That crank design is one of the nicest ever.

For me personally, I’ve a terrible aversion to the shimano brifter deer-antler look, and vastly prefer the early campy ergos (pointy-hoods) on vintage frames. I would just put together a record gruppo circa ‘95 or ‘96 and head out for some fast fun.
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Old 10-08-22, 05:40 AM
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Depends on a few things.
1. Do you want more gears...Would you alter dropout spacing?
2. What gearing would you want? Flats, hills, mountains? Triple? Double?
3. Cool factor, weight factor? Price factor?
4. Down tubes, brifters or bar ends?
5. Are you buying another frame set for the ergo stuff...if not, go for it.


i echo a few items above.
Stonglight needle bearing headsets...set and forget. Stronglight 49d is cool.
Shimano 7400 series is great.


And if you are willing to respace drops a bit, aren’t worried about contemporaneous matching and can source down tube stops for the brifters, then the Record Ergo is really good stuff.
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Old 10-08-22, 06:03 AM
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Originally Posted by Shrevvy
I built my with mostly Campy NR. The exception were Superbe Brakes. This was just after the build before the first ride and adjustments.
I like a Campy NR build for the TX 900 since that seems right for a 1978 bike. Of course, BITD people weren't as hung up on going with one group as they are today. Friction means you can pick the parts you like the best and superbe are easily as good as campy NR brakes.

I chose a really eclectic build (post 2 above) mainly because I wanted to use parts on hand and I had in mind a very specific and very hilly ride which ruled out campy for me. That said, I've stripped my TX 900 down and I think I'm going with a mainly campy build. I'll go with a campagnolo super record rear derailleur, a NR front, and simplex super LJ downtube shifters. That will limit the freewheel to a max of 28 teeth. I really like the looks of the stronglight 93 crank and I think I'll run that with 50/37 rings. I like mixing campagnolo with good quality french components to improve climbing gears (the stronglight 93 crank has a 122 bcd), a more durable headset (stronglight A9), and better shifting (simplex super LJ downtube shifters).That will effectively give me a mainly campy racing bike but with decent hill climbing gearing.

I like the OP's idea of going with an older Dura Ace group as well (as opposed to Campagnolo) but personally I'd avoid the 130 bcd crank as the low on that is 39 teeth.

The one suggestion I have for the OP is to figure out the kind of gearing he might need to do his local rides and work backwards from there in deciding which components to use.

Last edited by bikemig; 10-08-22 at 06:29 AM.
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Old 10-08-22, 07:01 AM
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Thanks. Durham/chapel Hill area. rolling hills but nothing serious. So dont need to get particularly low gearing. For currently planned use. If I ride out Asheville/blue ridge way I have a bike with that capacity though I would likely die before I got to the top of Mt Mitchell no matter what I had unless it had a motor. As I get older the range sure is comfortable, though. So I guess I am open and contemplating. Seen some of your great builds but wanted to see how folks would do this frame with a clean sheet and someone else’s money (though that is just an excercise). Anything from 12-25 w up front a low of 39 certainly can work. However more range is certainly practical.

The spacing is 120. It has been refinished so it is no pristine vintage bike so I could have it spread but it looks great and I kind of like the vintage ethos - to a degree. Ean, I just bought an old lugged frame, right? But function first, form second. I was planning on keeping the ergo as a backup for 2 other bikes that use it, so it is there in a box and I could use it if nothing presents itself (I do want to do the build this winter), but I’d prefer something else for this bike, I think.

There is a bike near me with Sante. I would guess I could, in essence, get a free frame there. So that is the reason I asked about Sante. However, the color is…. Well, it would determine some direction. But it is good quality from what I understand, slotted just below DA. I am trying to picture this bike - the frame is green powder coat - with that group. Hmmm. Was really more thinking chrome, and black or tan/brown accents much like an old British Racing Green MG or some such, brooks saddle, etc. Not a Miami Vice kinda thing. But perhaps that would be…..different and worth a first try. Still thinkin, and waiting on photos to see condition of the stuff.

Last edited by stedge; 10-08-22 at 07:13 AM. Reason: Added info
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Old 10-08-22, 08:06 AM
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One question and one suggestion. Is the bike 120 OLD? Mine was set at 123 so that you could go with 120 OLD or 126 OLD wheels and that was, AFAIK, fairly common in Treks of that era.

The suggestion is that if you're OK with mixing up the dura ace build a bit, you could hunt down a SR Apex 86 bcd crank which will let you run, in effect, a "compact" crank. I like running 48/34 rings with a 13-26 freewheel. New 86 bcd chainrings are available from SPA cycles in the UK. Alternatively find a 110 bcd triple (say the shimano 600 triple) and run it is a double. YMMV of course.

https://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=2c2ad4ff-698b-4e99-912b-434209b794e2&Enum=115

https://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=f6e74fd2-417d-4154-a7c2-af9e1392a018&Enum=115

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Old 10-08-22, 08:58 AM
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With the rear dropouts spaced at 120 I would probably look for a 7 speed 640X drivetrain. I would place eight of nine cogs from a nine speed cassette on the seven speed 126 rear hub. Add a nine speed chain and a set of DA7402 downtube shifters and you've got eight speed index or friction comfortably stuck into 120 dropouts. You'll need a band type shifter mount that will work with the Shimano DT shifters.

I'm guessing mid reach brakes so whatever floats your boat. Shimano did or does make some polished dual pivots that would look nice.

I always liked the 6400 crankset so that with 39/53 rings would work well.

Nitto B115 bars and stem.
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Old 10-08-22, 09:44 AM
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Originally Posted by The Golden Boy
SR SP-11 pedals with MKS wire toe cages and Brooks straps

I suppose if one wanted to use the ugliest pedal/ toe clips ever created, these would be the ones. Looping the end of the strap through the buckle is definitely an amateur move.
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Old 10-08-22, 10:03 AM
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I’d go down the line with what The Golden Boy was doing except with Paul, and White Industries, over the Shimano. Since I like SRAM shifting I’d head there..basically I’d just rebuild Cross Check with a quill stem
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Old 10-08-22, 10:39 AM
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Originally Posted by smd4
I suppose if one wanted to use the ugliest pedal/ toe clips ever created, these would be the ones. Looping the end of the strap through the buckle is definitely an amateur move.
Yeah, your mom said something about that last night...
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Old 10-08-22, 11:05 AM
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Although i have to admit i amlaughing, please, let’s not degenerate from my useless topic about how to build up a cool old frame. Please. I am learning from your experience (with bike components), so thanks.
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Old 10-08-22, 11:09 AM
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Originally Posted by The Golden Boy
Yeah, your mom said something about that last night...
If my mom told you they were ugly too, that should tell you something.
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Old 10-08-22, 01:44 PM
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Here’s mine, P.O. ordered frame from Trek, Jul of 77 build date, with all the braze-ons, it’s pretty much as he built it. Except changed out the 120mm stem for a 90mm one, and got rid of the Mavic blue tubulars after the first flat, replaced the rims with some Super Champion clinchers.
Tim



77 TX900



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