Trek 510/Fun with paint pens

[exliontamer]

Just wanted to show one of my favorite bikes off. It's an '81 Trek 510 frame that I had canti-posts and a few other things added to. I know this isn't full Riv taste, what with the carbon Ultegra indexed levers and all and the black components, but it visually works to me somehow AND it feels ridiculously good.

Those are 42mm 650b tires in there. The 650b conversion thing died down years ago but I'd really recommend these frames for anyone looking for an affordable older road bike that has clearance when you convert it. The long reach Tektro side pulls even make canti conversion unnecessary. All that said it's one of the best riding bikes I've ever been on and having a 91cm PBH with a short torso can make finding older bikes hard but Treks geometry at that time was incredibly well thought out from size to size. It's such a different company now but that's a whole different topic. 

Anyhow, I went to town with some paint pens which I'd encourage anyone to do if you have an old beater. 

[Matthew P]

Awesome bike and awesome paint. Everyone, zoom in to see the speckles.
I was considering polka dots. Any lessons learned?
Wow, your coverage is so even and the dots are so small.
Took a while? Any tricks to speed it up or be even?
Thanks for sharing.
-Matthew P
San Diego, CA

[exliontamer]

Thanks! Treks from this era are hidden gems. I don't understand why they're so cheap considering how useful they are as all rounders. I picked up a set of water based, extra fine tipped acrylic paint pens. My only lesson was that the yellow and pink in this set were more vivid than the orange and teal against the dark green but that's my fault for not knowing enough about color contrast. Follow the directions that come with the pens in terms of shaking and getting paint flow(get the flow going on a scrap piece of paper or cardboard). Don't press your tips too hard. The brand I bought was Zeyar and they worked great. 

I'm not sure how long it took but it was an all nighter. I was too lazy/cheap to disassemble the bike outside of taking the front wheel off. I used one of those cheap stands that cradles the seat and chain stays and rotated between that and the bike laying on the floor across my lap. Wrestling documentaries and Star Trek passed the time/kept me relaxed. 

[Max S]

Love the bike! With canti brakes it's quite versatile. I'm guessing the chainstays were spaced / indented just right and the fork legs are spaced well to run 650x42 tires. I was able to do that on one of my bikes, but on the Trek 400 conversion, I could only get to 650x35. (See below) 

I agree with you regarding the geometry and ride quality – I like a 60-62 cm and shallow seat tube, and a 56-57 cm top tube, but that combo is hard to come by. The 400 I had was good in that respect. 

- Max "one day I'll start doing Yoga" in A2 

[M Talley]

Warning - total 510 nerdout 

I began my interest in bikes back when these 510/710s were hitting the sales floors. As a teen I only had interest for racing but was always struck by the value of this model when I began selling them. The 510/520 was the same quality as the 710/720 but at least $100 less - and with the exact same design and parts spec. The fork was made by Ishiwata with a lost wax crown and the frame was the lowest price model completely US made. 

To understand the 510-515 value - don't even discuss the bikes with lesser  (milder steel) forks and stays and headtubes with stays that were subassemblies (pre-manufactured - meaning the three main tubes were the bulk of the USA work)  and . . .  Simply nothing below the 510-515 was close in quality and nothing above it was appreciatively better -  a perfect value from of the late 70s thru early 80s.

I finally came to appreciate the geometry as I aged out of interest in racing and got lucky and bought one used but haven't done anything with it in the near two decades I've owned it.

Your bike has inspired me - I have wondered would 42mm width 650b tires fit?  Perhaps you modified the chainstays? I've bought long reach center-pull brakes.

Even the paint treatment gives me enthusiasm for a project like yours. Your paint reminds me of pen-paint sketch-on-frame ideas I have.

The infographic attached is clipped from old internet catalog images - mainly shows details about the fork (underappreciated if you think its the same as lower models) but also shows how this bike's tube specs outshines the 410 and 610. I could also do as deep a dive on how Ishiwata was given it's due

Thanks for the post about your bike and I too apologizes for non-Riv content,

Mark

  

[exliontamer]

Nice! Love it! Agreed on the geometry. The tall seat tube/short top tube combo is hard to find and I don't get it. Most people I've seen who are long limbed typically have short torsos. I know people(Grant Petersen's road bike geometry...) seem to think long arms make up for that but that assumes that you have an elastic spine. The chain stays were crimped a bit but it probably still would have worked. The fork wasn't touched & still has plenty of room. As is, I could get a 48mm in there safely. I'm wondering if the older models maybe had more clearance. The canti-posts definitely helped.

[exliontamer]

Also, if anyone is interested, Spicer Cycles in Evansville, IN added the canti-posts, crimped the stays, added the extra water bottle mount, fabricated the rear brake cable hanger, added downtube bosses, and spaced the frame. He's also one of the nicest, most intelligent people I've met and his prices were beyond fair. And yes 510s are absurdly undervalued and Ishiwata has the best decals. Nerd out all day! I'm a little romantic about Treks from this era.