Tende

I'm planning a self supported cross county ride (maybe Washington DC to Washington state) for this summer and have two framesets from which to choose. Both are vintage Treks in reasonably good condition. Both are 25.5" and should fit me. Im 6'2", 170# and will mount Needleworks/Beckman lowrider front panniers/rack and probably a small set of Ortliebs on a rear Blackburn rack. I tend to load at least half of my weight on my fronts, except when needing to carry extra water & food. Though I haven't picked out my gear yet, I tend to travel reasonably light. Many years a go I owned a Specialized Expedition with which I did some major rides, but I haven't done to much recently (I did ride the Oregon coast, pulling a Burley trailer last summer).

First up is a 1978 Trek 700, all 531 tubing, with a 107.5 wheelbase. Bare frameset.

Second is the 1985 Trek 520, 501 tubing, with a 105 wheelbase. Partially assembled.

Neither bike has cantilever brazeons (Im thinking about fitting some DiaCompe centerpulls). I'd probably go with an 8 speed drivetrain/barcons/machine built Velocity Dyad wheels. I like big rubber and I think I could fit larger tires on the 700.

Any thoughts?

hueyhoolihan

if you like big tires, chainstay clearance dimensions may well be your deciding factor. i would measure them at the brace and see. you might measure their length too while you are at it, for pannier/foot clearance issues.

cycleheimer

I have an '85 520, and you definitely need to look into tire width, fender clearance and chainstay length to make sure it will suit your needs. Make sure the rims, hubs, other components and everything else will also meet your needs.

fietsbob

520 is their touring frameset they build around.

'85, = give it a full overhaul so the bearings and cables are all new to start out.

pdlamb

Take the 700 and send me the 520.

Tende

Yeah, the 520 has varied over the years. In '85, it was more of a sport touring geometry. I havent mounted a wheel on it yet, but I was concerned about clearance - especially as I would probably need fenders. I was wondering if 501 tubing might be less wippy than the 531.
Everything on both bikes would be newly installed/overhauled.

Tende

Your 520 sure is a sharp looking bike. I like the red accents.

cycleheimer

Thank you. It is all original. It still looks, as far as condition goes, like a 3 month old bike.

You can get images of old Trek brochures and specs through this link ... you probably have seen it, but here it is for anybody who may not have...

https://vintage-trek.com/TrekBrochures.htm

kayakdiver

almost any bicycle can get you across the county.

jeffpoulin

It is now, but back then, it was their entry level touring bike (more like sport-touring, really)*. The 620 was their mid-range model and the 720 was their high end.

Given a choice between the two, I'd go with the 700.

* I owned a 1983 Trek 520 for 22 years before giving it away in 2005.