Trek 620 Strip-tease

Here's an update. I've disassembled the 620 and stripped the paint off 80% of the frame. I left the seat tube panel for last so as not to infringe upon her modesty. I'm not sure how to get the headbadge off in one piece, but I'll figure it out.

Trek 620 Rebuild

Recently, I bought a mystery Trek that turned out to be a 1983 Trek 620, a model intended for touring. Unfortunately, the frame had angered the rust gods at some point and consequently was smitten. One of the bike's previous owners had seen fit to cover up the rust with touch-up paint, which may have prevented the spread of rust but sadly made the bike look a little bit like a sparkly turd. The parts were mostly mostly mediocre and almost worn out. My first thought was, cheap townie. Surely someone on a budget would overlook the paint and buy the bike for it's practical value as a getting-around-town vehicle. I even went to the trouble of swapping out the handlebar setup along with my regular maintenance. But then my ambition got the best of me. I couldn't condemn such a well-made frame to live out the remainder of its days as an under-appreciated beater.

Here's the plan, so far:
--disassemble and sell parts for cheap
--strip the frame and sand away the surface rust
--have it powdercoated in cream color (mmm...)
--build 650b wheels
--add long-reach center-pull brakes
--add mustache bars and bar end shifters
--add rotund Grand Bois Hetre tires (in red) and Brooks Colt saddle (in mustard)
--add Velo Orange randonneur front rack

As you can tell, it ought to be a pretty unique bike in appearance. I'm really trying to stretch myself on this one, tackling new technical challenges and taking aesthetic risks. I've got my fingers crossed.

Nishiki Riviera Townie

For sale as of 11/22/11. I'm calling her "Black Beauty" at the moment. I've been avoiding plastic fenders for a long time, but when I saw the glossy black paint on this frame I couldn't help myself. Wish I had a set of cork grips on hand...

I think this was my first love...

... or hopeless infatuation, whichever you prefer: an '88 Miyata 1200 (three years younger and two notches down from my current Team Miyata, for those of you keeping count). From day one, she electrified my formerly staid existence with her aura of glamour. When we'd go out on the town, I couldn't help but notice (with shame) the painful incongruity between her elegant midnight blue attire and my own shabby garb. But like all grande dames, she had what it took to make a man out me. Soon I was strutting with a confidence and élan that I'd never before known. Even after some tempestuous months, during which we'd hardly deign to acknowledge each other's presence, I swore I'd never leave her. But the curse that follows all young men would not spare me. Soon my wandering eye was captivated by another svelte creature and in a fit of untempered jealously she left me...

Here's to you, milady! May your days be enchanted and your nights bewitching.

If Don Johnson were to go bike touring...

I'm pretty sure his rig would look something like this. Hmm... maybe he would have chosen pink bar tape?

This is another one that I built just about from the frame up.

Gotta love the pearlescent Santé hubs!

Trek 620

A really great touring bike, the 1985 Trek 620 with loooong chainstays and the very cool Huret Duopar Eco rear derailleur.

Raleigh Super Course, Mark II

Here's one that I built from the frame up, using mostly parts that I had lying around. If I'd had a little more cash at the time, I would've sprung for a white saddle. I just love the lugwork on these '70s era Raleigh's. I can't recall anymore who I sold this one to, but it's long gone.

'86 Trek Elance 400

Another bike that's currently for sale. This one's almost exactly like my personal 500 Tri Series. Love those two-toned paint jobs!

Update: Sold on 11/17.

Miyata 912

I love orange bikes (and yellow ones too). I paid more for this one than I normally do, but I don't regret it. It was a pleasure to work on. It had the most pristine "arabesque" components I've ever seen. For the layman, those are just swanky, old fashioned Shimano parts.

The last photo depicts the elusive Panaracer Pasela tire in its natural habitat. (It's cleverly camouflaged amidst the native flora, so look carefully.)

Trek 614

A genteel, old dude passed this bike on to me after telling me about how he and his wife had toured all over the Pacific Northwest and Canada on their Treks in the '80s. It cleaned up really, really nicely and I had a hard time selling it. Fortunately, fate stepped in. Somewhere in South Berkeley, a some poor guy had his vintage Trek stolen at gunpoint. The next day, he went on Craigslist to find a replacement and found my bike which he said was almost the same bike he had just lost, only nicer.

As an aside, I like using accent colors that pop, like the yellow cable housing on this one.

Also, funny story: It was on this bike that I perpetrated one of my most serious goofs to date. When I was installing the fenders, I tried to force an old screw into one of the rear eyelets. It didn't like being told what to do, and it promptly snapped in half leaving no nub by which to remove the half that was still stuck in the frame. There were a LOT of curse words bandied about over the next hour or so. Finally, I decided to take the bike down to the machine shop in the mechanical engineering dept of UC Berkeley, where a friend of mine works. Since I don't have a car and I live pretty far from campus, I hopped a bus and put my project bike on the front rack. I was still absorbed in self-abasement when I got off the bus and 30 seconds later realized that my bike was still on it, now making its way to Rockridge. Well, I realized that that particular bus route wraps around campus, so I hauled ass full speed past Doe Library and through Sproul Plaza, taking steps four at time and hurdling befuddled undergrad sunbathers to arrive huffing and puffing just as my bike pulled up to the bus stop on Telegraph and Bancroft. Whew!

After that I brought mybiek to the shop and my friend helped me to drill out the old screw and re-tap the threads of the eyelet--thanks, Flip!--and all was right in the world again.

Another Schwinn Voyageur

Here's the slightly older, bigger brother of the Voyageur below. The fellow who bought this one planned to go long-distance touring on it. I love it when that happens.

Schwinn Voyageur

I had the pleasure of fixing up this classic touring bike not long ago. It sold to a really nice young couple who took it on a really, really long test ride. I was pretty sure my bike was stolen, but they came back. These are great bikes.