robatsu

Well, this 1985 Trek 620, 22.5 inch, just arrived yesterday evening. After throwing it together (nothing is adjusted as to seat height, etc) and giving it the once over, I had limited time for pictures in the waning light:



Had one before, main ride for 10 years, sold it about 2 years ago. I didn't regret selling that one because I always felt it was a shade small. But I've since been regretting not having a Trek tourer in principle. This one rectifies both situations, it is one size bigger than my previous one.

Condition is uber sweet. paint, components all quite fresh, considering their age.

Gaping anatomic bars and black seatpost indicates the previous owner was, well, maybe that thought is better left unsaid.

Not as anywhere near as spectacular/droolworthy as today's chrome paramount, but a neato bike, got big plans for this one.

Anyone need a nice, barely used set of 27" wheels (w/tires!). Too bad the hubs are helicomatic, but the matrix titan rims are pretty nice.

OldsCOOL

Very nice! Did you access the Trek sight to confirm the year? That looks older than '85?

Trek makes quality stuff!

Edit to add: the Trek logo is the same as my '85.

ColonelJLloyd 

1985 Was the only year the 620 with those long stays was produced in that blue color. '85 it is.

robatsu

It is definitely an 85. The previous years had caliper brakes and short chainstays. They only sold this 83,84,85, officially, anyway.

A few of these showed up in 86 trim, contrasting head tube, "Cirrus" on the top tube, but still 620 on chainstay, my previous one was an example of this, but I've yet to see it in any sales literature.

robatsu

Isnt' that what I said in my OP?

ColonelJLloyd 

Yep, my post was in response to OldsCOOL. Sorry.

Very nice bike. I'm trying to procure one of these to build up for my dad.

fender1

What size^^^

robatsu

These have been getting high enough prices recently such that more of them are coming out of the woodwork on ebay, obviously this is a good and bad thing, more supply but higher prices.

I've been selling off all my bikes recently, kinda looking to the day when I'm in Japan full time, got to thinking, well, if I had to have just one. Based on my experiences, my old Trek 620 came out on top as far and away the best all rounder I had. Other bikes would fit the same general bill, like a Riv if they still had level top tubes There is a certain sentimentality in picking up one of these in addition to straight rational calculation.

Plus, it matches my wifes 720. Most of us can understand that right off the bat, but since my wife is Japanese, there is a little more going on.

First, in Japan, red (not just pink) is for ladies and blue is for guys and not just for kids, for your whole life. Like, if you go to a traditional Japanese inn, the ladies get handed red or red variants (orange..) and the guys get handed blue or variants (green), nearly all the restroom signs throughout the country are color coded like this, and so forth. So red bike for wife, blue bike for hubby, my wife's mental harmony and sense of order in the universe is increasing.

Second, Japanese tend to like uniforms and such a lot more than Americans. Pukey stuff like husband and wife in matching outfits is more common there than here. So the same essential bike, but just in different colors, totally closes the deal for my wife, makes the going off on long rides more enchanting for her. This was definitely confirmed with my previous (blue) Trek 620.

robatsu

22.5"

In addition to being just a little too short for me by traditional sizing standards, my 21.0 had a little toe clip interference with big fenders/tires.

The wheelbase on the this is a little longer, I'm hoping it makes a perceptible difference. I don't have it set up enough now to test it. Not a really big deal, I urban commuted on the old one on/off over the ten years I owned it, after a while you just automatically adjust to it. But it would be nice if I didn't have too. I was also running overly generous toe clips...

Beach Comber

FYI im case you are interested:

Original Blue Blackburn Rack For Vintage Trek 620 & 720

https://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ht_4296wt_1327

I'm not the seller. Its just something I stuck in the watch list today.

ColonelJLloyd 

^

Beach Comber

Oops. Just looked at who the seller was.

auchencrow

Lovely Trek robatsu - just needs a little cosmetic help as you have already noted - (I'd opt for gum walls and white bottle cage too.)

robatsu

Wow, how uncanny, I've been wondering how hard it would be to find one of those

Beach Comber

But can you trust the seller?

robatsu

You're not going to believe the stuff I've ordered for this bike. I was just after the frame mostly. I've been having to sell of the last of my accumulated stuff and I'm treating it mostly as mad money.

Serious mad money... I've sold over 5k stuff already, and while I am closer to the end than the beginning, there is still a ways to go.

One criteria is spending money for no tangible benefit other than it is the coolest piece after selected down to a subset of functionally equivalent high end parts. And perishing the thoughts of poor starving kids on the indian subcontinent..

I've already got most of the stuff ordered, a couple of final decisions on various parts.....

When I'm done with this, it is going to make a typical Riv build look like a Trabi. The economy model Trabi.

This may be my last big fuji otaku series of blog posts for a while, I dunno, but I figure if I can have only one.....

ColonelJLloyd 

What size seat post does this bike require, robatsu?

dgodave

So nice.
I'm blue with envy cause I have this '83 620 thats just a bit too big. I would LOVE this bike in the 22.5" size:
.

septacycles

I have the same trek 620 in blue also I think from 85... but its a 50cm and I ride a 56... I'm looking to sell it soon after I give it a tuneup and new tires. I love sparkly blue paint. Picture is how it was when I bought it... I have since put the original wheels back on... picture was take by the guy who sold it to me. I'll post picture once I'm ready to sell it.

robatsu

27.2, quite wonderfully.

robatsu

Why don't you just sell it and apply the money to a smaller model. Those 83's with the dark seat panel and head tube are lovely and just scream vintage Trek. In fact, when they started getting away from the seat panel motif was also the time that Trek started becoming the borg. The 83 (and others) seem to come up with some regularity on ebay. I noticed recently that while 720's were scarce, 620's were plentiful, a little bit of a reversal of the equation from a few years ago.

dgodave

You know, thats probably what I should do.
.
But I'm an ebay virgin and a bit apprehensive about doing it right, from the buying AND selling end.
.

jgedwa

I have one exactly like that that is a couple of cm's smaller. And too small for me. If you are within striking distance of Central PA, and are interested in a trade, let me know.

jim

dgodave

YOU are my hero. I would love to trade. BUT I live in Durango CO, which is somewhat outside striking distance. Maybe - hopefully we can figure something out. (This bike is in really fine shape, btw, and shows very little wear.)
.

jgedwa

Here are the only pics I have of my Trek 620. It is in excellent shape. Well, the tires could stand to be replaced, but otherwise it is clean and not abused.

jim