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A Tale Of Two Trek 715s

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A Tale Of Two Trek 715s

Old 06-07-23, 06:28 PM
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RiddleOfSteel
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A Tale Of Two Trek 715s

Or "Chasing After The Ethereal," perhaps.

I'm sure all of us have had at least one of these sorts of periods, but one/another installment of "a whole lotta life has happened" has taken its course over the last half a year or so, and very much within the last one to two months. One chapter closes, but immediately the next opens and awaits writing. Naturally, I am writing it with bicycles, at least in part. They vary (certainly their components with me holding the wrench, haha), but they are a constant.

I found myself with family in central Oregon a few weeks ago and perused Craigslist for anything of interest with an agreeable asking price. Lo and behold, it's a pretty familiar looking bike: a 1981 Trek 710 thanks to the serial number being clearly photographed. A pleasant surprise! I have had one of these before and sold it a handful of years ago. Great bike, that quiet yet somehow expressive oh-so-Trek pewter metallic paint, and a sinuous ride and handling experience brought about by its full 531 tubing. It was a bike I recently wanted to have another go around with, especially with a subsequent pair of earlier 510's since that didn't quite have that fully-double-butted Reynolds 531 magic (though beautiful and nice riders in their own right).

The Trek's build was mixed, but it was in my size, and a 700-level Trek. I couldn't lose, even with the healthier asking price. Was it a 715 (Suntour, Dia-Compe, SR, Sugino et al), 716 (Shimano 600), or 719 (Dura-Ace) based build? No idea, but I ended up making the 45 minute drive to the seller's home to find out. He wasn't kidding about shoehorning 27" wheels and (new..) tires into an old 710 frame with its classically low rear brake bridge. So I test rode it with the tires somewhere around 40-45 psi. Of course it felt smooth, but it steered beautifully and I was, well, considering the weeks leading up to that evening, even the dinner conversation that evening before I left, I was not really wanting to come away empty on this opportunity. So we agreed on a number, talked bikes for a bit, and I drove back to where we were staying.

The drive out and back was, to put it plainly, good for the soul. One of those kinds of drives, and one that was needed, and perfect, for this moment in time. An old truck, a 5-speed manual transmission, the sunset (and later dusk), an eastern Oregon plains view going one way with a silhouetted Cascade Mountain Range view the other, and no radio.

This is what I brought back: The pedals I'd taken from home in anticipation of the purchase, but otherwise she's as bought.



Modolo Speedy brake levers and short-reach calipers slow down a pair of wheels--Campagnolo-hubs (Tipo, most likely?) laced to Matrix Strada 27" rims. Shimano 600 SIS (6208, last of the 6200 era) shifters run a Suntour Blue Line front derailleur and a Shimano 105 (1050 generation, SIS as well) rear derailleur. A SR 5AX (forged, second from top) crankset and BB, along with the Levin headset and SR seatpost, seem like the only things "stock" from the 715-based build.

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Old 06-07-23, 06:47 PM
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More and more, I've been angling towards not building a vintage bike well beyond its era in either spec or capability, save for some very select components. This is what had me keeping my Voyageur SP stock, it's what had me outfit my Cannondale SR with same-year componentry, and it's what motivated me to find and build up my OS Paramount with Shimano 600, having purposefully removed some very nice and very effective 9000-generation Dura-Ace. Accept the bike for what it is, as it was made, in its original context. Newer and nicer components, in my experience, can and have enhanced many of my vintage frames. Sometimes they don't, and for whatever reason, "lesser spec" and heavier components result in a more harmonic whole-bike ecosystem.

I could also just be tired. Or getting older (and more mature, totally). But I truly believe there's been a sea change here. And the '81 Trek is part of it.

I spent a few rides--one good one over three or four fast miles--putting it through its paces, albeit with normal shoes and no saddle height adjustment. Lots of in-saddle riding (vs out of saddle shenanigans). Pumped the tires to about 65 PSI and the rear immediately contacted the underside of the brake caliper. Some "I used to work in a bike shop"-level decision there, putting 27s on a made-for-700C frame. Still, a shift of the rear wheel in the dropouts had the bike going from "it won't even roll" to "it rubs a little once per rotation" and off I went.

My plan was to slowly go through the bike when I got home, replace what was needed, maybe get things more catalog-spec or at least more matching. But then another old tall Trek popped up in the Portland area after I'd been home for a few days, for a hair more than half of what I paid for this '81. What's that? 531 decals on the seat tube and fork blades? Oh, boy, it's another 700-level Trek. What's a guy gonna do? Collect all the 25.5"-sized 531 Treks?

Well....



So now I have both these hanging together:


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Old 06-07-23, 06:52 PM
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So, neither of these two are remotely mostly original. Not that it matters after 40 years, but wow. Another "this'll do.." parts swap affair. Naturally, with this being a 715 also (of 1982 flavor), a comparison must be done.

But first, when in doubt about fixing a delaminating tire, super glue it back together and to the rim...



Extra places for extra security and strength. And yes, I did test ride it like this! 45 PSI again (lol). Brakes worked great!



Can't get enough of that glue job, but look, a slick SR Aero X crankset!

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Old 06-07-23, 07:16 PM
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So here I am, signing myself up for more work. Passion and enthusiasm, they are the innocent rat races we make for ourselves. These two Treks have many other siblings, they just happen to be in a storage unit at this point in my life. That wasn't the case before, and it won't be, but it's the reality right now. I'm working on shuttling a handful of bikes to new, happy owners, but that's been slow going.

Aside from colors, there are a few differences between the two frames. For starters, the '82 715 is 5-6mm taller in the seat tube, making it a 65.3cm CTT frame vs the ~64.7cm frame of the '81 715. The '82 also has a higher-set rear brake bridge, allowing for more tire and fender clearance. The frame angles are different--the '81 is catalog-spec 73°/73° while the '82 deviates. [I cannot find the piece of paper that has its measurements on it...] Chain stay lengths are different, albeit minorly (5mm).

I removed the roasted tires off the '82, scrape enough glue off the rim, and mount some nearly-new Conti GP4000 S2 28mm tires just to get some solid rubber to gauge the bike with. Total downgrade in looks with the black sidewalls, I must say. At least in person. Regardless, I bump the saddle position up a bit and get the bike rolling.

There is something to be said for 1) not being super stretched out like the pros and 2) the classic setup of narrow handlebars vs. today's ethos of wider-set ones. The narrower bars are something I've quietly liked and have been analyzing for both steering feel (LOVELY) and out-of-saddle characteristics (usually not as willing vs the increased leverage a wider bar offers in that scenario). With both of these Treks, the goal is to keep this "as built" (originally) and "as bought"--if not uncomfortable--only replacing consumables. This, of course, after completely disassembling, cleaning, overhauling, and polishing/shining the frame and componentry up.



With the increased rear tire capacity brought about by the higher-set brake bridge, I was able to shoehorn massive 35mm tires in back, so on went the pair of Compass tires I had from another bike. The result? An obviously more plush ride than the original "25s" or the GP4000 28s, but at the great expense of steering feel (a considerable wheel flopping tendency to one side or the other when steering into a corner). This is what a narrow bar setup combined with originally-designed-for front end geometry can result in, and as I've found, it's fixable, to varying degrees with wider handlebars (the wider the "better").

I really liked the purity of steering and overall feel with the smaller 28s (nearly what the bike was spec'd with originally), and so as much as a plush ride is nice, I want the look and feel of the bike to remain, and will let the 531 tubing shine, be felt, and smooth out the road. But only tan sidewalls apply..



Clearance, Clarence!

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Old 06-07-23, 07:50 PM
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So back to the 1981. How does it ride? This is a comparison of sorts, after all, and you want your money's worth. The '82 ended up being a true sweetheart, and really danced when I got up onto the pedals, and this with 170mm length crank arms and not 175mm (5mm in cranks makes a big difference in bikes out of the saddle, at least for me). I changed out the 27" wheels for the 700Cs on the '82 (with the Conti tires), so a bit of an apples to apples comparo. Saddle went up and bars went...nowhere, max height on that short stem. Oh, and I took the standard reach brake calipers from the '82 as I needed ones that reach...and also because those brake pads have a good stopping relationship with those rims.

On the stand and in person, the all-black tires look remarkably good on this. I was not expecting that, but certainly appreciate it for future build/aesthetic composition flexibility. So the front end/bars look a bit low--all business. Ride is fine, steering is lovely, out-of-saddle--now that I have my normal clipless pedals installed (like I'd done on the '82)--manifests an interestingly "tight" or stiffer rear triangle with these 170mm cranks and low-set and narrower bars. Very interesting. Reminds me of several Columbus SL/SP road/race bikes I've had. Do I like it? Not in my 531 Treks. Compared to my first '81, these are very much their own character, but I truly think that a similar build of this '81 to my previous would close that gap.

Compare this:



To this:



Hilariously, I have most of the parts to replicate this build. But here we have, in my experience, the critical differences of a more highly elevated brake/shift lever position, wider bars (42cm vs 39-40cm), longer 175mm cranks, and slightly larger tires (30mm "33s" vs 27mm "28s"). The wheelset is also nicer, but that may not really be a factor given my more recent experience. The previously mentioned differences are enough to really alter the out-of-saddle character of the bike.
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Old 06-07-23, 07:57 PM
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The next question, of course, is how do I build these bikes? Do I build to ride? Build to keep one and sell the other?

I am remembering that I have previous history with my '82 715: I have had another, just considerably smaller. And many more moons ago--a lot earlier in my bike "career." Bought it to build and sell. Used parts from my 1985 Ross Signature 294S with Campagnolo Triomphe. Looked stellar!



The rear Rigida 13-20 rim was replaced with a as-similar-as-possible Sun M13-II. Weirdly, I also have a wheelset with these Sun rims, in black. But I also have early-'80s Cyclone components. This is a saga already with them, but they are original to the spec of the '82. Much to think about!
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Old 06-07-23, 11:37 PM
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My build sophistication is not on your level, but I love the Trek metallic dark blue from that period. I had not seen it much until recently, those years were so dominated by the grey and the grey-blue. But I'm building a 1979 710 and I liked the dark blue so much that I just sanded down the rusty spots and clear coated it. Definitely a co-op build. Today I found a Campy 144 BCD 39 tooth chain ring at another co-op that I can try out on the original owner's Mighty crankset for just a little extra help on the hills in an upcoming tour.
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Old 06-07-23, 11:38 PM
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Nice write up! If it were me, of course I'd keep them both, and just build them up a little differently. Which reminds me, I have a 710 from '82 that I need to build. So I'll be following along with interest.
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Old 06-08-23, 01:42 AM
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Originally Posted by albrt
My build sophistication is not on your level, but I love the Trek metallic dark blue from that period. I had not seen it much until recently, those years were so dominated by the grey and the grey-blue. But I'm building a 1979 710 and I liked the dark blue so much that I just sanded down the rusty spots and clear coated it. Definitely a co-op build. Today I found a Campy 144 BCD 39 tooth chain ring at another co-op that I can try out on the original owner's Mighty crankset for just a little extra help on the hills in an upcoming tour.
Thanks! I am a big fan of Trek's dark blue metallic paint as well. I have an '82 720 and that's taupe and dark brown, both metallic. Very calm, but the metallic makes it pretty in its own way. Very endearing, these Trek colors.

Originally Posted by Hobbiano
Nice write up! If it were me, of course I'd keep them both, and just build them up a little differently. Which reminds me, I have a 710 from '82 that I need to build. So I'll be following along with interest.
Thanks! The plan is to build them differently at this point. The '82 will be built up first as I have the components, the vision, and most importantly here, the knowledge of the frame's character with "just" the pieces on it in their as-bought state. I've long thought, and said, that a good or great frame will let itself be known regardless of the components it's graced or saddled with.
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Old 06-08-23, 02:29 AM
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Ok, back from dinner and a few errands, so as mentioned in my post/reply above, the '82 is getting built up first because it's really showed "who it is" in a state of build very similar to what I'd like it to be (aka stock/period correct). I also like that it's the bigger/taller frame because I'm me. Original 715 componentry would have been Cyclone 2x6 with the '81's SR crankset also spec'd for '82. I have entertained the thought of mimicking my former 21" 715 build and having the wheelset with the black Sun M13 II rims, but--and here's where I get particular--I really like the curved profile of the original 13-20 rims and really any narrow rim like that during that time (Module E, a number of Arayas, etc). The black M13 wheelset has some very nice cartridge bearing Suntour touring hubs. I wish the hubs' finish was in better shape, but crucially, I don't like that it's high/higher flange and thus visually bulky. One of the goals is to keep this bike aesthetically lithe, almost like a counterpoint to today's bulkier frames and deep section wheels.

I have the spec'd Cyclone front and rear derailleurs already, but it took me driving back to Seattle (to see friends, and friends/the good people who work at bike shops) to source a complete Cyclone rear derailleur with the recessed pinch bolt nut present. That derailleur is actually correct for the 715 as it possesses the longer GT cage. However, the standard cage looks better and more visually cohesive to me, and importantly, its parallelogram pivots are in better shape, to say nothing of its overall finish.

The SR crankset will be taken from the '81, as will the Avocet Racing saddle, whose yellow graphics I really like and think will smartly complement the yellow-against-blue paint of the '82. The bottom bracket will be a Shimano cartridge unit of some sort. Curiously, BOTH bottom brackets on these Treks, while looking like ho-hum multi-piece units you'd find on a mid or bottom-tier bike, spun absolutely perfectly. No lumpiness or looseness. I've never come across that, unfortunately. I think the narrower of the two could net me the Q-factor my knees need, so surprisingly, that's still in the mix.

I'd like to keep the stem at 100mm in length, and basically carbon copy the stem/bar/bar angle/brake lever position. The artist in me would like to employ a stem in nicer condition. After stumbling across a lovely 40cm Nitto Model 55 handlebar (for cheap/killer deal, like all of this is), I'd like to use that, but it's a 26.0 clamp diameter (cool!) and I need to obtain an appropriate 26.0mm stem, which I don't have unless I swap from a bike I am selling...tomorrow! Lol, this is the story of this bike!

For wheels, the trip to Seattle and buying a gorgeous Araya/Cyclone setup from Mr. 66 will be perfect. Lightweight rims with a beautiful profile, finished in an anodized medium grey. I wanted to use the stock wheels--Campy Tipo hubs to Matrix (Strada?) rims, but the rims and hubs seem to have been sanded with 220 grit sandpaper and it would take a complete disassembly of the wheels to efficiently rectify. It certainly could be done, and the new spokes and nipples would be welcome in place of the dull and old ones, but that is a lot of work and having Cyclone wheels to go with Cyclone components scratches the matchy-matchy itch. The Tipo/Matrix wheels are already set for another bike, so nothing is being wasted!

The current tire selection, also a Seattle LBS find, are some barely-used folding-bead Clement Strada LGG 700x28s which should be about 25-26mm wide by the time they're mounted. They will look the part and align with the aesthetic goals, all while being decent rollers.



The hubs spin perfectly--as good as anything Campagnolo or Dura-Ace. What a treat! I will clean and shine them up though. The rear wheel needs just a touch of truing--the front is good.



Sorting out the shifter has been an ordeal. I haven't worked this hard to bridge a gap between desired shifters to use and bicycle (in)compatibility. I'm not a fan of Suntour's piggyback/top mount shifters, as most of their shift levers' shapes are unattractive to me. I'm also not a fan of Trek's refusal to put braze-on downtube shifter bosses on their top level frames for so long. I would like to have shifters in their "normal" location on the downtube. I would also like to use these power/ratcheting shifters--Cyclone level no less--I picked up last year as anything remotely close to Simplex Retrofriction shifters is the ideal friction shifter to me. Holding gear position, even under heavy pedaling load--a novel concept!

Issue #1 is that these Cyclone-level Power shifters will not work with any Symmetric (which I like) top mount shift lever bosses, nor many other Suntour setups. And the ones it could, needed to be modified. So I dug around my shifter bin and found an aero top mount setup. All I'd need to do is file the 16.25mm diameter to 15.75mm or less and the shift levers would slot over the elevated circular extrusion and interface correctly.



One lever mocked up. Looking good!



Got the other side done, sanded the deep filing marks, then polished the mount up. Lovely!



But wait!! There's a catch! The mount bolt/screw that interfaces with either a braze-on top mount boss or band clamp is a fine-thread M6 x 0.75mm, not the normal M6 x 1mm. AND, the screw head needs to be less than 9mm in diameter. I have a M6 x 0.75 mounting screw, but the head is 11mm wide, so it doesn't fit into the recess of the aero mount.

*** If anyone has this screw or knows where to get one (not eBay--none there), please let me know!! ***

Barring that, I decide, after spending 20 minutes digging through a huge coffee can's worth of old bike hardware at City Bikes, to buy a complete Suntour shifter setup with all its hardware and, after examining it, adapt my shifters to it. So I do, and it's, again, soooooo close but somehow, inexplicably, not immediately compatible. I will share photos tomorrow, but man, this isn't ending! I will prevail, and I am not discouraged, but I'll have to take a few more swings of the ax at this proverbial shifter tree. That may include a visit to Bike Farm again, going through their sorted hardware. Or not.

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Old 06-08-23, 06:37 AM
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I wonder if all the ‘82s have that so nice brake bridge placement. I let my 81 go because it was too touchy playing dress up with 28s and fenders. You can keep both. Set them up the same. Ride the blue one. But hang (hide) it behind the grey one in the garage. Mine was so pretty with polished TB-14s, GP4000s and SS Berthoud fenders.
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Old 06-08-23, 09:16 AM
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Originally Posted by RiddleOfSteel
Ok, back from dinner and a few errands, so as mentioned in my post/reply above, the '82 is getting built up first because it's really showed "who it is" in a state of build very similar to what I'd like it to be (aka stock/period correct). I also like that it's the bigger/taller frame because I'm me. Original 715 componentry would have been Cyclone 2x6 with the '81's SR crankset also spec'd for '82. I have entertained the thought of mimicking my former 21" 715 build and having the wheelset with the black Sun M13 II rims, but--and here's where I get particular--I really like the curved profile of the original 13-20 rims and really any narrow rim like that during that time (Module E, a number of Arayas, etc). The black M13 wheelset has some very nice cartridge bearing Suntour touring hubs. I wish the hubs' finish was in better shape, but crucially, I don't like that it's high/higher flange and thus visually bulky. One of the goals is to keep this bike aesthetically lithe, almost like a counterpoint to today's bulkier frames and deep section wheels.

I have the spec'd Cyclone front and rear derailleurs already, but it took me driving back to Seattle (to see friends, and friends/the good people who work at bike shops) to source a complete Cyclone rear derailleur with the recessed pinch bolt nut present. That derailleur is actually correct for the 715 as it possesses the longer GT cage. However, the standard cage looks better and more visually cohesive to me, and importantly, its parallelogram pivots are in better shape, to say nothing of its overall finish.

The SR crankset will be taken from the '81, as will the Avocet Racing saddle, whose yellow graphics I really like and think will smartly complement the yellow-against-blue paint of the '82. The bottom bracket will be a Shimano cartridge unit of some sort. Curiously, BOTH bottom brackets on these Treks, while looking like ho-hum multi-piece units you'd find on a mid or bottom-tier bike, spun absolutely perfectly. No lumpiness or looseness. I've never come across that, unfortunately. I think the narrower of the two could net me the Q-factor my knees need, so surprisingly, that's still in the mix.

I'd like to keep the stem at 100mm in length, and basically carbon copy the stem/bar/bar angle/brake lever position. The artist in me would like to employ a stem in nicer condition. After stumbling across a lovely 40cm Nitto Model 55 handlebar (for cheap/killer deal, like all of this is), I'd like to use that, but it's a 26.0 clamp diameter (cool!) and I need to obtain an appropriate 26.0mm stem, which I don't have unless I swap from a bike I am selling...tomorrow! Lol, this is the story of this bike!

For wheels, the trip to Seattle and buying a gorgeous Araya/Cyclone setup from Mr. 66 will be perfect. Lightweight rims with a beautiful profile, finished in an anodized medium grey. I wanted to use the stock wheels--Campy Tipo hubs to Matrix (Strada?) rims, but the rims and hubs seem to have been sanded with 220 grit sandpaper and it would take a complete disassembly of the wheels to efficiently rectify. It certainly could be done, and the new spokes and nipples would be welcome in place of the dull and old ones, but that is a lot of work and having Cyclone wheels to go with Cyclone components scratches the matchy-matchy itch. The Tipo/Matrix wheels are already set for another bike, so nothing is being wasted!

The current tire selection, also a Seattle LBS find, are some barely-used folding-bead Clement Strada LGG 700x28s which should be about 25-26mm wide by the time they're mounted. They will look the part and align with the aesthetic goals, all while being decent rollers.



The hubs spin perfectly--as good as anything Campagnolo or Dura-Ace. What a treat! I will clean and shine them up though. The rear wheel needs just a touch of truing--the front is good.



Sorting out the shifter has been an ordeal. I haven't worked this hard to bridge a gap between desired shifters to use and bicycle (in)compatibility. I'm not a fan of Suntour's piggyback/top mount shifters, as most of their shift levers' shapes are unattractive to me. I'm also not a fan of Trek's refusal to put braze-on downtube shifter bosses on their top level frames for so long. I would like to have shifters in their "normal" location on the downtube. I would also like to use these power/ratcheting shifters--Cyclone level no less--I picked up last year as anything remotely close to Simplex Retrofriction shifters is the ideal friction shifter to me. Holding gear position, even under heavy pedaling load--a novel concept!

Issue #1 is that these Cyclone-level Power shifters will not work with any Symmetric (which I like) top mount shift lever bosses, nor many other Suntour setups. And the ones it could, needed to be modified. So I dug around my shifter bin and found an aero top mount setup. All I'd need to do is file the 16.25mm diameter to 15.75mm or less and the shift levers would slot over the elevated circular extrusion and interface correctly.



One lever mocked up. Looking good!



Got the other side done, sanded the deep filing marks, then polished the mount up. Lovely!



But wait!! There's a catch! The mount bolt/screw that interfaces with either a braze-on top mount boss or band clamp is a fine-thread M6 x 0.75mm, not the normal M6 x 1mm. AND, the screw head needs to be less than 9mm in diameter. I have a M6 x 0.75 mounting screw, but the head is 11mm wide, so it doesn't fit into the recess of the aero mount.

*** If anyone has this screw or knows where to get one (not eBay--none there), please let me know!! ***

Barring that, I decide, after spending 20 minutes digging through a huge coffee can's worth of old bike hardware at City Bikes, to buy a complete Suntour shifter setup with all its hardware and, after examining it, adapt my shifters to it. So I do, and it's, again, soooooo close but somehow, inexplicably, not immediately compatible. I will share photos tomorrow, but man, this isn't ending! I will prevail, and I am not discouraged, but I'll have to take a few more swings of the ax at this proverbial shifter tree. That may include a visit to Bike Farm again, going through their sorted hardware. Or not.

I have one from a band clamp style, if that will work for you. PM me your contact info and I'll mail it to you....John
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Old 06-08-23, 10:36 AM
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RiddleOfSteel
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Originally Posted by mtbikerjohn
I have one from a band clamp style, if that will work for you. PM me your contact info and I'll mail it to you....John
Thank you! I will send you a PM to discuss further!
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Old 06-08-23, 10:49 AM
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Originally Posted by Classtime
I wonder if all the ‘82s have that so nice brake bridge placement. I let my 81 go because it was too touchy playing dress up with 28s and fenders. You can keep both. Set them up the same. Ride the blue one. But hang (hide) it behind the grey one in the garage. Mine was so pretty with polished TB-14s, GP4000s and SS Berthoud fenders.
From my experience and catalog gawking, the 610s/61x's have had more or less maximum (and matching) tire clearance using standard reach calipers all along. Less 531, and a shorter frame if you're tall (all but the 25.5" sizes have the same geometry, why?), but still a vintage Trek. Below is my '81 616 that I had powder coated black. This was a very long time ago, also early in my bike explorations. I couldn't imagine trying to stuff fenders and 28s on my '81. That little of clearance, compounded by the mismatched greater reach of the front, was one of the reasons for selling it. Priorities, realizations, and ride quality goals have evolved since then, so that is forgiven.

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Old 06-08-23, 11:11 AM
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Great bikes, great thread! Clearance for 25mm-30mm tires plus fenders I think is the platonic ideal for a sport touring bike that plans to spend most of its life on the road.

I am very interested to see how it finishes! Your builds are always inspirational
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Old 06-08-23, 04:13 PM
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Originally Posted by Piff
Great bikes, great thread! Clearance for 25mm-30mm tires plus fenders I think is the platonic ideal for a sport touring bike that plans to spend most of its life on the road.

I am very interested to see how it finishes! Your builds are always inspirational
Thank you! I'd probably sneak PDW fenders under the '81 at this rate and have a really modest sport tourer with 25mm-ish rubber. That's if I keep it 2/3x6. If I start putting glam parts on it, which I have ideas about, that may change. There's more room on the '82, but I don't want to put fenders on it just yet. Certainly not when my 620 wears them presently!
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Old 06-08-23, 04:26 PM
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We have Shifter Woes progress!

Since being able to pick up a clamp-on Suntour unit--one that had standard-looking bosses that aped the normal/Campy standard, I was determined to make this work. The shaved portions of these bosses somehow are 0.1 to 0.15mm too thick for my shift levers. How and why, Suntour??? No big deal, since a few seconds of filing gave me the clearance and the fit was perfect. And by perfect I mean that these bosses are also less wide along their horizontal/main axis and allow for perhaps a touch of wiggle room compared to the more oblong Campy standard. Can't stop rolling my eyes here.



Next hurdle was getting these lever stops to fit on the band clamp. they needed a touch of chamfering to play nice with the stamped steel form around the bosses. Done and done.



And here we have the desired, final result! Finally! Very much looking forward to using these.



These derailleurs still need some cleaning and Mothers' polish, but they're in the queue.



I have some replacement brake pads to mount to these NGC calipers (from my '83 Cannondale ST). Pads here say "Gran Compe" and my replacements just say "Compe" a bunch. Anybody know or remember (like when these were new/newish) if the pad compound was different or better the higher one went up the model ladder? Or, after 40 years, it really doesn't matter?

At any rate, lots of disassembly, greasing of pivots, and polishing to do here, but they'll come out great. As always, there's some extra bit to do, and that is to find the cap for the cone nut...or just find a different style (but period correct) of cone nut, but a pair of them. This build remains cheap on components, but spendy on time invested. Oh well, so it goes!

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Old 06-09-23, 03:18 AM
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This is my 710,shortly after I inherited it..


This is how it looked after work done by Groody Bros. I changed out the drivetrain and brakes to a mix of XT & Dura Ace,with a Sugino triple
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Old 06-09-23, 12:39 PM
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TLR (not entirely anyway), but.... I'm disappointed not to see any pics of the old truck.....
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Old 06-09-23, 12:41 PM
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@mtbikerjohn that looks awesome! How did you get the front brake reach to work with short reach calipers? Looking at my old 710, that was not a possibility, and it's no different on this one.
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Old 06-10-23, 01:39 AM
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Keeping the chains moving here, I finally (to me) got to cleaning, waxing, and touching up the paint. What a radiant metallic blue--indoors no less! This will really be something in direct sunlight.

Another pleasant surprise that actually makes me quite happy is the placement of the band clamp stop on the underside of the downtube. Coming out of the '70s and extending into the early '80s, certainly on Treks of this era, that brazed-on stop was positioned a bit downstream. Upon slotting the shifters on and hand-starting the clamp bolt, I noticed that the shift levers are positioned much closer to the head tube, essentially in the same place they were/are on bikes in the later '80s (and on my '85 620). I am liking this bike more and more!



With the paint and headset now glowing, it's going to make for tough sledding for the more demurely anodized componentry to gain attention or match intensities. The shifters keep up, mostly, but it's alright. [And don't worry about the upside down fork. The touch up paint is drying and I'll install it correctly tomorrow.]

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Old 06-10-23, 07:15 AM
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Originally Posted by RiddleOfSteel
@mtbikerjohn that looks awesome! How did you get the front brake reach to work with short reach calipers? Looking at my old 710, that was not a possibility, and it's no different on this one.
With those Ultra brakes I had to use a set of BDop brake pad holders on the front..the brake bridge in the rear was set for short reach brakes. I changed the brakes and drivetrain out since that picture was taken. I'm using a set of Dura Ace 7800 brakes, again with the BDop holders up front..It is starting to turn into frankenbike with a mix of Dura Ace 7401 levers,7800 brakes,7401 downtube shifters operating XT M739 series derailleurs, shifting an 8 speed cassette..Surprisingly, it works fine..John
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Old 06-10-23, 01:18 PM
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As of today's ride...

Need to put the rear rack back on..I had Mark @ Groody Bros. powder it the same Volcan Blue as the frame & fork...I'm
liking this version : 3x8 speed
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Old 06-10-23, 03:46 PM
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Originally Posted by madpogue
TLR (not entirely anyway), but.... I'm disappointed not to see any pics of the old truck.....
And by old I mean barely C&V. 2nd gen Ram 2500, single cab, long bed (as God intended), 4x4. I love the 1st gens, but they don't exist anymore, really, or at least in daily driver spec. Many have roasted paint, tons of dents, blown out interiors, and/or carb'd motors, and I'm just interested in a heavy "driving" project. Not to worry about 2nd gens as plenty of those are dented and missing all top-facing surfaces paint etc etc. It's a lot nicer truck than the 1st gens, but it's still a very real truck. The new stuff is mind-blowingly capable and refined, but one has to really pay to play.
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Old 06-11-23, 11:48 PM
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Well, I have some decisions to make here. Below is the polished up '82 715 and the Cyclone/Araya wheels outside. The blue is quite radiant. New innertubes had the rear one get cut from debris stuck in the rim strip. My patch, of which I have done many, failed almost instantly after this. Not amused.

I sat with the possibility of the anodized grey rims pairing with the rest of the bike and my initial feeling never changed. The grey rims are not right for this color of bike frame. These Clement tires didn't really mount on the rim beads well either. This is design/composition iteration, so at least we're seeing how it looks.



You can see the grey rims here. Beautiful rims, but combined with the tan of the Clement tires, makes for a dull or at least not-optimized look.



For whatever reason, the '81 715's pewter metallic really works with black wall tires and, well, more black (like components) than I'd think it would, especially for a vintage Trek. The Araya rims' grey is essentially a dead match for the pewter paint, certainly in ambient light, so I thought why not see how that looks? This compositional change would be followed by some short test rides to get a feel for the bike again, the main driver of that being a swapped stem and bar setup that puts the brake hoods at a higher elevation as well as slightly wider thanks to the Nitto 55's 40cm width.

Don't mind the crusty and crummy Cinelli bar tape re-wrap. The Continental GP4000s are back for riding duties, and the SR AeroX crankset completes the rideable bike with the fluted SR crank receiving all the polishing (for intended use on the '82).



The comparison of greys going on here. Pretty indistinguishable if you ask me.



I've had some long-held Challenge Strada Bianca 30mm tires--super high TPI count, handmade, lay flat like any other open tubular. Compared to the GP4000's 250g weight, these are a hefty 330-340g! One of the reasons I've held on to these after buying them used for cheap (thanks, Bike Works, as always!) is that there is damage/blemish to them that while doesn't bother me, would make them unsellable. That and the rash of lighter tan wall tires that have graced many of my bikes since then. Measuring 30-31mm wide on these rims, they provide a great ride, as one would expect. I seem to remember these rolling a bit slower than I liked years before, but they seemed just fine today.

I was encouraged by the tires' out of saddle effect on the whole bike, along with, the new stem/bar setup. This is now that willing 531 Trek frame that I know!



As a final component change-and-test to cap off today's productivity, I swapped the 170mm AeroX cranks for my Chorus 175s. The result was as expected: My legs' torque application was put to demonstrably greater effect when out of the saddle. Always fun! Now it feels like my '82 720 in that scenario.

So what's the conundrum here? Well, I'm looking at putting components on a different bike than I thought. The Araya rims are staying with this '81 715. Whether they are laced to Cyclone hubs like now or to 7400 Dura-Ace hubs from another wheelset is another decision. If I keep the wheels as is (preferable!), then the Cyclone components destined for the '82 will now go to this frame. What helps this case is the fluted SR crank, which was on this when I bought it, looks better on this frame, IMO, than on the '82.

The '82 715 looks perfect with bright, polished componentry. It will get that componentry. I was/am working to keep it period correct with narrow bars and narrow tires to enjoy it "in context" and now that goal is being considerably challenged by what the Araya wheels offer to the '81. The '81, out of the saddle, was responsive with 170mm length cranks and new bar/stem, so that assuages any fears that I'm not getting what I'd want out of that frame. The wider Challenge tires, and their being non-tan wall, were already trying to take the bike in a different direction, so now there is even more pull.

The path forward for the '82 is less sure when getting to specific components. TB14s (laced to 6500 hubs) match the polish I'm going for, but I'm not putting a tire smaller than 35mm on them. Pacenti Brevets (laced to 7400 8-speed hubs) are a much lighter rim, but have a subdued polish which, while beautiful, doesn't match the enthusiasm "needed" to play with the '82's frame and componentry. So basically what we have here is the sparkly period correct Cyclone componentry is being 'taken' from the '82 to be on the '81, and that puts the '82's build into a bind as the rim choices are at odds (TB14's ride quality, Brevet's finish) with what I've determined the '82's componentry to look like. I'm not looking to re-rim wheelsets here, but can if needed. A good part of me is more than satisfied (and looking forward to) putting the Cyclone on the '81 and enjoying the bike. It'd be a beautiful bike! All I need to do is fully disassemble, clean and wax the frame, overhaul the headset and do all the other small detail work (like find a 118mm BB) and it's a first class rider. I know the worth of the '82, and can make that something special as well, just with more cogs out back. It will just take a little more time to determine what goes onto it.

[This is truly first world problem stuff, but it is also creativity stuff, and artistry happens at all 'levels'.]


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