For Sale: Vintage 1984 Trek 520 650B Custom Conversion 22.5in/56cm, Serial number 141135

[David Dillard]

 

Vintage 1984 Trek 520 650B Custom Conversion 22.5in/56cm, Serial number 141135  $1500.

HiBOBs and 650Bers--

I'm finally putting this one up for sale--It's been a great bike for me, but I need to raise money for a new project.

Here’s your opportunity to own a classic, American built (Wisconsin) bike, set up to ride just about anywhere. I’m asking $1500.00 for it.  Pictures are here:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/53347917@N02/sets/72157627463312531 

This is a Trek 520 (1984, Made in Waterloo, WI) that I had converted to 650B and repainted by Jack Trumbull at Franklin Frames near Columbus OH.  Simplex retrofriction shifters, Suntour Cyclone MII Derailleurs, XC Pro rear hub, Shutter Precision front dynamo hub, Busch and Muller EYC front light, Spanninga Pixeo rear with chrome guard (wired down the down tube and around the fender), Berthoud fenders and White Hetre 42 mm tires.  Nitto M12 front rack painted to match frame, custom Peterboro basket front rack basket set.  Vintage Diacompe cantis and levers.

No dimpling was necessary on the rear chainstays.  As far as handling front loads, I think it rides fine with a front load, but I'm no expert on 'planing' or that kind of thing.  I didn’t have the fork reraked when Jack worked on it.

Ridden comfortably on quite a few centuries in Kentucky and Southern Indiana the past few seasons.  Love the bike, but saving for a custom and need to pay a lawyer. 

 

Potential downsides:  The Brooks saddle has a tear behind one of the nose rivets.  It hasn’t moved since I bought it, but it’s there.  The bike and its components have some wear on them, unless I specified otherwise (i.e., the chain is new).  The frame has dings and scratches.  Take a look at the pictures and ask questions.  I’ve done about ten centuries on the bike in the past few seasons, as well as riding it around town so it’s been a working bike, not a museum piece.  It looks good, but is not perfect.  The brakes are hard to set properly and have some squeal, especially the back.  I hardly ever use the back brakes, though.

 

This is how the bike is currently spec’d:  (including current eBay prices of the various components)

 

Old Trek house brand drop bars, 42mm cotton wrap over cork for classy comfort 40.00

Nitto Technomic 70 mm stem, 40.00

Simplex Retrofriction Downtube shifters, the best ever made 80.

MKS Sylvan touring Pedals with power grips 25.00 + 10.00

Tange Levin headset 15.00

Shimano cartridge bottom bracket 15.00

SP (Shutter Precision) front dynamo hub 32 hole (110.00) laced to a Sun RM 18 rim (30.00)

Suntour XC Pro rear freewheel hub (30.00) with Shimano HG (Sheldon Brown’s favorite) seven speed freewheel, 11-28 (25.00) laced to a 32 hole Sun RM 18 rim (30.00)

Relatively new Grand Bois Hetre White 42mm Tires 80. Couple hundred miles on them (2 centuries)

Berthoud fenders with leather flap 95.00

Nitto M12 front canti mounted rack with light mount 95.00

Dia Compe 987 brake levers (designed to pull cantis and v-brakes) 30.00

Dia compe canti brakes with Dia Compe roller straddle cable hangers and Yokozuna retro (Scott Mathauser style) reproduction kool stop salmon shoes (the best) 70.00

Suntour Cyclone MII derailleurs, touring triple cranks, rings 50-42-28, half step granny configuration 50.00 + 50.00

New chain 15.00

Brooks B17 large rivet saddle 80.00

 

Components alone would cost over 1000.00.  That’s not even including the frame, which is the main attraction.  Hand made in Wisconsin in 1984, before Trek went to a more automated lug frame build process.  Longer tubes made with Reynolds 501 steel, which is a little thicker than the 531, and makes sense for a touring bike designed to ride anywhere.  The cantilever brakes allow for tons of tire clearance.

 

Serial number 141135

Seat tube                             56cm

Seat tube angle                 73

Head tube angle               72

Top tube length                56cm

Chainstay length               45.5cm

Fork rake                             5.2cm

Bottom bracket drop      7.2cm

 

Frame dimensions from www.vintage-trek.com, check the site for more info on these high quality, American made vintage frames.

Thanks for looking,

David Dillard

Louisville