Old Trek

In article <[email hidden]>,

kzag said:

I have an old trek 620 touring bike that i just love. I have ridden so
many miles on that thing and it just keeps going. I know so much has
changed since I bought it but I have so many memories on it I just
don;t want to change. any suggestions on tuning it up? I have all of
the original gear on it, just pulled it out of the garage after a long
hiatus and realize it needs some work. any insight on how to update it
and still keep its integrity?

Change the chain 🙂. What work does it need? What is your hope for
improving it?

I ask because I ride to work most days on a similar-vintage
Japanese-made Bianchi. It works! The only major upgrade on my bike was
changing the front brake out for a dual-pivot model (a Nashbar
long-reach unit; it's probably a rebranded Tektro) and an "aero" SLR
brake lever. These two items considerably improved the stock braking.

For consumables, you can't go wrong with Shimano freewheels, Kool-Stop
salmon brake pads, and um, some kind of chain. If you want a nice,
all-weather commuter or tourer, I'd recommend a rack for the back and a
set of fenders.

One more thing: before you go to indexed shifting or anything like that,
try adding one of those Shimano Hyperglide freewheels. The difference in
shifting performance over older freewheel designs -- with no other
drivetrain changes -- is substantial.

--
Ryan Cousineau [email hidden] http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos

A good overall tune-up and clean-up is a good start. I recently did
this with a Takara Prestige I purchased on eBay. You can check it out
at:
http://home.comcast.net/~billhenry2/bikes

There's no reason to change bikes unless you really feel you want to.
New handlebar tape and a new saddle or some pedals could help the bike
feel new.

That truty old trek will last you a lifetime and you get a lot more
comfort from the longer wheelbase of a touring bike. The idea of a new
chain is excellent since that is the one part of a bike with the most
moving parts, and since it is an ols bike change the freewheel, since
the chain has probably stretched and worn the gear cogs unevenly...you
will be amazed at how crisply the bik shifts...If the seat is
comfortable keep it...make sure evrything is tight, and if there is any
wobble in your bottom bracket, adjust it, and check that your wheels
are true< no wobble> and then check brake pads since worn ones will
not stop you very well....If you do not have indexed shifting, but are
comfortable with what you have...then you do not need to spend the $ on
an upgrade...but I have found that the indexed shifting is the
equivalent of going from a stick shift to an automatic in a car....Bar
end shifters work well on a touring bike and are less expensive than
the all in one shift/brake levers now available, however if you don't
mind putting out a few bucks on your old ride...they are unbelievably
good! Make sure your tires are not worn or dry rotted, fresh tires at
100 lbs psi give a great easy pedalling ride.

I have an early-80s Trek tourer that I bought for $5 at a local chuch
fundraiser.

I swapped it from 27 inch to 700c.
Added fenders.
Put on a On-One Midge bar (like the old WTB Dirt Drops)
Added Cane Creec brake levers.
Made it a fixie/singlespeed with a flip flop hub.

It's quite retro-modern looking, and gets some compliments from folks
who don't realize at first that it's a 20+ year old frame.

Your opinion of "updating" may differ from mine, but I'd like to think
that my ride has lots of integrity.

Ryan Cousineau said:

One more thing: before you go to indexed shifting or anything like that,
try adding one of those Shimano Hyperglide freewheels. The difference in
shifting performance over older freewheel designs -- with no other
drivetrain changes -- is substantial.

I totally agree. You'll want a new hyperglide chain to go with that
freewheel--which would mean pretty much any modern chain. You should be
able to put a 7 spd freewheel on there (AFAIK) if you just have six
now. Nashbar's got them on sale for $20. 😄

I upgraded a late 80s rockhopper with a Uniglide cassette to a homemade
Hyperglide cassette I fashioned from Sram cogs--the resulting shifting
was marvelous, and didn't cost me a dime as I used bin parts.

Definitely try a fresh freewhee/chain before doing anything else. It's
under $50 and guaranteed to make the drivetrain feel marvelous.

If the rear mech is tired, a new Deore derailleur is $35 if you shop
around, and a great bang/buck part (assuming it's a triple chainring
bike)

I'd also upgrade the brake levers if they're feeling tired, as NOS
hoods can be a PITA to find. I put the Tektro R200A on my ride ($30)
and they're marvelous. If you have small to medium hands, the house
brand Nashbar levers (made by Tektro probably, $15) are great.

Add some fresh bar tape, and that 620 is good for another two decades.
😄

kzag said:

I have an old trek 620 touring bike that i just love. I have ridden so
many miles on that thing and it just keeps going. I know so much has
changed since I bought it but I have so many memories on it I just
don;t want to change. any suggestions on tuning it up? I have all of
the original gear on it, just pulled it out of the garage after a long
hiatus and realize it needs some work. any insight on how to update it
and still keep its integrity?

If it sat in the garage for a while, new chain, brake pads, pull the
cables and check for rust, if any of them have rust, replace the rusty
ones and the housing as well. I would go with new tubes, and tires.

W