My (almost) restored 1985 Trek 720

[cloudhead]

Hi there, I am so proud of how this turned out that I had to post a pic to someone who understands...

Still working on her, needs thousands of adjustments and tweaks, but she's finally ridable. I'll be getting a better paint job soon and fenders and front rack are on their way. I had this bike since she was new, but after a couple automobile incidents, I had retired. At least I thought i did...

-Court

 

[SierraSlim]

[COLOR= #0000ff]Wow. Just Wow!! She is pretty![/COLOR]

[COLOR= #0000ff]When you get the paint job, will you paint the rear rack to match the frame? Love the leather bar wraps and saddle.[/COLOR]

[COLOR= #0000ff]Good job![/COLOR]

 

[cloudhead]

Thank you!

This will be the workhorse rack, so I'll leave it as is, or it'll get scratched up almost immediately. A friend of mine has a metal fab shop and is making a custom rack that matches the lug pattern, for more showy days.

 

[BHOFM]

I have found the first ride on a newly restored bike is priceless. One of the great
feelings in life. Like the smell of a freshly open can of coffee.

Beautiful work.

 

[BikeyGuy]

You did one heck of a job. I like it.
Any trips planned ?

 

[cloudhead]

Thank you! I was signed up for the AIDS Lifecycle, in which this human-powered Bentley would be perfect for, but I had some bad luck with an unrelated knee injury that has forced me to stick with smaller weekend rides. Perfect timing :-/

I have been fine-tuning it and replacing parts here-and-there over the last few months during the bad weather (and recovery). Been a lot of trial-and-error. I put some Honjo fenders and cleaner front and rear racks on -- I'll save that Tubus for the heavy touring next year. I'm actually about to take the whole bicycle apart now to get the frame powder coated (the top tube there is currently painted with a can of spray paint after a ding repair)

I plan on hitting the campsites around my home-- Mt. Madonna, Big Sur. I have family along the coast as well so I'll be doing some unloaded rides with soft beds waiting. Thanks again.


-Court

 

[vspa]

tubus cosmo rear rack ?
i bought one but have still to try it on the road,
the bike looks quite good, congratulations

 

[Crocosis]

It looks very cool! You've done a great job!!

 

[cloudhead]

Thank you! Yes Tubus Cosmo, but for daily use, I have gone with a VO constructeur rack. I like the minimal appearance, despite the pain of installation. I'll swap with the Cosmo when the loaded tours arrive. I have to get my knee back in shape first though before I can load up.

Here's a more updated photo. Next up: replacing the VO 50.4bcd crank with a Campy racing triple (custom-polished by a metal shop friend) & TA chain rings.

 

[vspa]

Originally Posted by cloudhead .


Here's a more updated photo. Next up: replacing the VO 50.4bcd crank with a Campy racing triple (custom-polished by a metal shop friend) & TA chain rings.

WOW

 

[cloudhead]

I just took it for it's first spin with the new crankset in the foothills by my house. It's as close to silk as aluminum can get. Perfect in every gear.

 

[ax25nut]

Love it, Cloudhead! Looks to be about a 25 inch frame you have there. I really like the fenders you installed. They give it a somewhat 70-ish retro look, reminding me of my old Schwinn Varsity I had (briefly) back then. I just installed a Sugino triple crank on my '84 Ross Gran Tour, and it's nice to have the low gears when I need to go uphill, but I'm sad to say it's been so long since I've ridden on this machine that I forgot how to properly shift it! That is, I tend to shift UP when I meant to shift DOWN, and the front deraileur shifts the opposite direction from the front one. The things you forget when you've been out of the saddle for more than a few years. Makes me nervous about dating again! I should mention that I was fortunate enough to not require new deraileurs when I swapped the stock double for a triple....everything worked just fine, to my amazement. I would've gotten a double, but couldn't find one with the lower gear I wanted. Why would I want to swap a 40-tooth gear for a 36? I wanted LOW. Thanks for sharing your pix with us here.

 

[vspa]

..

 

[vspa]

Originally Posted by ax25nut .

. I would've gotten a double, but couldn't find one with the lower gear I wanted. Why would I want to swap a 40-tooth gear for a 36? I wanted LOW. Thanks for sharing your pix with us here.

a compact crank offers you a 34 / 50, that would do the trick coupled with a 27 or 28 cog,

 

[ax25nut]

vspa wrote, in part:
"a compact crank offers you a 34 / 50, that would do the trick coupled with a 27 or 28 cog"

My reply:
I believe the Sugino I put in has 28/38/46 or somewhere thereabouts. Did I mention I wanted LOW? Now, if I could've found, say....30/46-50, this would've worked for me, as long as the spread between gears is less than 20 teeth. At any rate, 34 wasn't low enough for me on this machine. 20 years ago, but not these days. My heart is double normal-sized and rotated 30 degrees left, and I've no desire to push it that hard. I just don't want to get off to climb hills if I don't have to. Not that my boney hams & glutes can't use some more meat, but I'm 56 yrs old, and I'd rather lose gut than gain leg! Enjoy, everybody! Ride like the wind! Yee-HAWW!! Oh....thanks for the reply, vspa!

 

[vspa]

the other day i had to use the 34 x 27 on a long false flat ! unbelievable bad shape from me