Interesting bike. Top of the line. I'm not a Trek expert, but I'd put this at about '81 because of seat tube graphics and the dérailleur cables are still running above the bottom bracket where they should be. The brakeset is the now famous $802 black Modolos. Well, close enough. Mavic drivetrain, SR post. NO CAMPAGNOLO! Campagnolo made some very fine, sturdy components at this time, but it is boring to see the same parts on every bike. Campagnolo It will shift poorly ... forever! I had a similar reaction when I built up my McLean, keeping only the Campy drivetrain. The only reason Mavic didn't show up on mine is that I wanted primarily an Italian setup. If I could have found the right Galli parts, I'd have bought'em. I digress. This Trek is a great bike, about the last one in my interest horizon. (Check out the vertical rear dropouts that get Jack all moist.) I do have some reservations about the candy-cane bar-wraps, but I don't want to get into another bar-wrap mud-fight.
10 comments:
NICE Trek. I love the Mavic SSC bits! -Tony
I like the candy cane bars. Also I find it ironic that the brake calipers are Italian but with a French identity.
I'll reserve comment.
JG
Aren't there some French drive train parts re-labeled as Italian I could use?
Gunnar; Gipiemme comes to mind....
-Tony
True. Simplex, right. They should shift and look presentable. Now that I've scoured the boneyards and already found an excellent Super Record Pat '80 set up.
I'd stick with the Super Record. I know that there's a huge lovefest for Simplex right now (seemingly eminating from Japan). But honestly, if you have a modern chain and cassette/freewheel with a hyperglide (Shimano) or exaglide (Campy) tooth profile, you can't tell the difference in shifting performance. And Simplex/Gipiemme deraillers have those cheesy glued on name plates that have a habit of falling off, and the finish work is kind of rough even on the top of the line SLJ's. The retrofriction shift levers however are without equal! -Tony
I was looking for photos of Trek 750s and found you have posted my bike. It is a 1981 Trek 750, Reynolds 531 tubing. Also in NO way is it a Anti-Campa bike. It is simply a Mavic SSC bike or my best attempt at a all French Component bike from this time frame. I am a user of Campagnolo, in fact all my other road bikes are set up with Campagnolo. My Trek 950 is SR equipped so I had two very similar frames and I wanted something different. All of the components sans seatpost(Vitus Aero), freewheel(Suntour Winner), chain(Sachs) are Mavic SSC. I would have to say that the Mavic/Simplex retrofriction shift levers are superior to the Campy NR/SR, but the Mavic/Simplex rear derailleur does not shift as nice as the Campy NR/SR. As far a friction shifting rear derailleurs, I thought Suntour Superbe worked very well.
Dan
I would like to say one more thing about the bike, The paint (white with green) and the group (bronze green) kinda went together. Since Sean Kelly road this group during his career, to honor his efforts I thought to do the tape in green, white, and orange after the Irish flag or just green and white. I do not believe that Benetto made those combinations so I did it in Italian, trying to show the mostly green and white. I do have a few rolls of green around, maybe it is time for a change.
Oh, Levers and Calipers are modified Modolo Master Pro's, Mavic ordered them without the Ti bits.
One other cool thing about the SSC group is most of the fasteners use a 4mm Allen including the DT shifters.
Dan
Thanks Dan,
If you weren't aware of the posting,
I wonder where I got the pictures from???? Maybe Gabus?
Gunnar,
I do have a few possibles on the pics, I sent them to out to a few that was interested in old Treks several years ago. I believe the photos are public viewable on my FB page. Liked your Blog, Since your group has a interest in French bikes check out my '62 Rochet http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.213641675731.129851.751610731 , It really needs to find a museum somewhere. It was built by Gene Portuesi at his shop in Detroit, Gene then moved to Cadillac and started CycloPedia. The Half step triple has no redundant gearing
I do have one other French build, my rider, a '96 Riv Road. The bike sports French 753/531 fork decals so it was built with Sachs Quarz deraileurs, New Success Ergos, Mavic Pro calipers, Mavic 601 hubs with Reflex rims, Mavic Cassette. Though I believe the makers were Campagnolo, Modolo and Marchisio; I still like the French Monikers on the parts.
Cheers
Dan
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