vintage trek gravel bike

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Gravel Bike on the Cheap: Resurrecting “Gravel Bikes” from the 60s, 70s and 80s

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Most readers own a cyclocross bike or a do-it-all bike, and we’ve always said that such a bike is well-suited for most gravel, dirt road and mixed terrain rides and races. Often a simple swap of your mud rubber for a faster-rolling tread does the trick. Seeing a lot of climbing in your gravel crystal ball? Perhaps also adding a lower gear might help reduce your uphill gravel grunts.

Companies like Scott and KHS have proven the versatility of their cyclocross frames, offering gravel-oriented builds without a gravel-specific frame.

Yet despite most cyclocross bikes (and even mountain bikes ) being well-suited for gravel rides and winning gravel races , sometimes it’s just plain fun to apply the N+1 rule in an attempt to justify yet another bike. We’ll never tell you that you need another bike, but maybe you don’t want to be troubled by swapping rubber, upsizing your 11-28 cassette for an 11-42, adding chain links and playing with B screws. Race and train for cyclocross on tubulars and rather not swap wheels for an occasional gravel grind? You may not need another bike, but a dedicated machine might be a convenient option.

So maybe you’re thinking about adding a gravel bike.

Options Overload

Nearly every bike brand is ready to meet your needs, with one if not more than a dozen bikes ready for mixed terrain cycling—and aren’t mountain bikes or road bikes.

Every company has one, or ten. The $1,900 USD Rocky Mountain Solo gravel bike is the latest arrival. But what if you’ve got a smaller budget? Look to bikes thirty to forty years older. © Cyclocross Magazine

Walk into a shop or peruse bike company websites in attempt to find an ideal bike for such use? It’s understandable if you’re overwhelmed. Trek presents its Checkpoint, Boone, Crossrip, Crockett, Domane Gravel, 920, DS and FX hybrids, while Specialized counters with its Diverge, Sequoia, Crux, AWOL, Roubaix, Sirrus, Crosstrail and Ariel options (and I’m sure I’m missing others). Depending on your perspective, companies are making it easy to purchase a tailor-made, ready-to-ride machine for your exact needs, or are dividing pie slices into slivers so small, there’s not even enough real estate for their labels.

However, if your budget doesn’t allow for a brand new gravel bike , gravel frame, or even dedicated gravel wheels , and you’re not eyeing winning a brutal event like Dirty Kanza, there are a few decades’ worth of unused bikes collecting dust that are begging for new life as your gravel bike and can be had for a song.

Bikes from the 60s, 70s and 80s are often great candidates for a gravel bike on a budget. This 1964 Carlton Flyer with Campagnolo Nuovo Record was just $100 and can clear 38mm tires. © Cyclocross Magazine

Yes, many road bikes from the 60s, 70s and 80s can make fine gravel bikes, even if we joke that gravel cycling wasn’t “invented” at the time . Although many of us enjoy venturing off pavement on our modern road bikes, manufacturers built bikes during the 60s through 80s for roads from that era, when dirt and gravel roads were certainly more prevalent, and the tight tolerances and aerodynamics shapes of sculpted carbon hadn’t yet taken over.

Finding the Steel Steal

Intrigued by the possibilities of adding another steed and fun project, and want to know what to look for? Many European, American and Japanese steel road bikes from this period fit the bill, regardless of whether they were built around 27” (630mm ETRTO) or 700c (622mm ETRTO) wheels or subject to controversial import tariffs .

What? A road bike isn’t a gravel bike you say? I think back to my childhood and remember my father commuting on his road bike to work, with several miles of mandatory dirt road on his route. Today, doing that in the 80s and late 70s seems like an impressive feat, as he rode the rough roads year ’round without 40mm tubeless tires, disc brakes or a 40×46 low gear. Yet maybe he actually had it pretty good.

Steel road bikes back then typically had the geometry, tire clearance and often ride quality that will make you think they were designed with this gravel trend in mind, decades ahead of their time. Even though the term “gravel” wasn’t trendy back then, geometry wasn’t all that different from the latest crop of gravel and adventure bikes. Here are three examples:

Gravel Bike vs. 80s Road Bike Geometry: 2017 Raleigh Tamland & 1988 Nishiki Sport

Gravel bike vs. 80s road bike geometry: 2018 trek checkpoint vs. 1986 trek elance 400, gravel bike vs. 80s road bike geometry: 2018 ibis hakka mx & 1988 miyata triple cross.

No, they’re not identical, and not all mixed terrain bikes from this era resemble modern gravel bikes , but many of them are pretty close, with relatively low bottom brackets, and longer chainstays and wheelbases than modern road bikes.

A deeper look suggests they’re even closer than they appear. Yeah, the Trek Checkpoint has a slightly longer top tube than the 31-year-old Trek Elance 400, but the Elance has a slightly steeper seat angle, making the rider’s reach about the same. Three decades of development and in terms of geometry, we’re not far from where we started.

Getting into the follicles of such hair splitting probably misses the overall reality of “gravel” cycling though. The gravel term is so general, and can encompass anything from riding technical trails to loaded touring, that any versatile gravel bike is likely a compromise anyway.

Of course the latest crop of gravel bikes feature featherweight carbon frames, index shifting and hydraulic disc brakes. I’ll be the first to state I wouldn’t trade any of those for a chance to jump in a DeLorean to end up back in a world where all we’ve got is friction shifters and Weinmann centerpulls, but I’ll also admit that much of my “gravel” riding isn’t set back by such technology. I’m not sprinting out of hairpins or doing a lot of shifting under load, and most of it isn’t in wet, muddy conditions that can be to the detriment of rim brake systems. Heck, probably one percent or less of my gravel riding involves any form of competition and it’s more about enjoying the scenery, terrain and company. Friction shifting, a lack of chain-guiding ramps or braking that requires more than one finger don’t hold me back from still achieving these goals, and ride quality becomes a higher priority as the time in the saddle increases.

“The gravel term is so general, and can encompass anything from riding technical trails to loaded touring, that any versatile gravel bike is likely a compromise anyway.”

Goodwill Hunting

For some, the fun starts with the search, and Craigslist, eBay, Goodwill along with garage and estate sales are all fine ways to find your next gravel bike.

This 1964 British Carlton Flyer found a new home thanks to a blurry photo, $100 and Craigslist. This is how it arrived, in rideable condition:

A $100 1964 Carlton Flyer might be rare, but finding a 1960s or 1970s British lightweight with clearance for 35mm or bigger rubber is not. With 700c wheels, 35mm tires and a bit of TLC, the bike will be ready to fly through all but the gnarliest gravel grinds. © Cyclocross Magazine

The frame is fully chromed, dressed with some classy Campy Nuovo Record and Tipo, and has plenty of clearance around 35mm tires. A bit of steel wool and fresh rubber have given it a new shine and life, but that’s just the start.

While Carlton might have some cachet, often more forgotten brands are the ticket to gravel glory on a budget. This $60 1970s Viscount Aerospace Grand Prix (with upgraded fork and quirky pressed-in bottom bracket) shows that having fun riding gravel is not rocket science and doesn’t require a space-age frame or astronomical budget.

This $60 Viscount Aerospace Grand Prix has proven that selecting a bike for gravel riding is not rocket science. With new tires, bar tape and housing (recalled death fork replaced long ago), it should be ready for exploring off the beaten path, even if it won’t win any beauty contests or please period purists. © Cyclocross Magazine

Both the Viscount and Carlton orignally came with 27” wheels, but with 700c wheels, they offer more-than-generous tire clearance for many modern gravel tires.

Bikes from the 80s might be more commonplace, especially ones made in the States, and you never know when one will be just around the corner. This made-from-Reynolds 531 and made-in-Wisconsin Trek Elance 400 frameset was literally peeking out of a dumpster at my local corner store, begging to be rescued. It was missing wheels, and upon adoption didn’t feature all the same components, but on a shoestring budget, it became my first “dedicated” gravel bike, and survived the infamous muddy and hypothermic first installment of the mixed terrain Super Pro Spring Classic .

Dumpster diving can turn into a gravel grind. Made 31 years before the Trek Checkpoint, this dumpster find, a 1986 Reynolds 531 Trek Elance 400, featured similar geometry, a smooth ride, and made-in-USA pedigree. 35mm tires fit fine, and it’s been a dependable, budget-friendly gravel ride. © Cyclocross Magazine

Modern Mods

Got one of these old steel bikes in your hands? Congrats! Depending on its condition and recent use, you may not need to do much, although most bargains that were prematurely retired will take a bit of work.

First targets might be new tires, tubes, brake pads and bar tape along with cables and housing, while some drivetrains may demand a new chain if not new rings and freewheel. Bar-end shifters might add some convenience. You might even need long-reach brakes should you be downsizing to 700c wheels, and depending on rear spacing, you might start getting chills wondering about cold setting re-spacing or finding period-correct parts. But we won’t worry about such details today. This is not about building a L’Eroica-compliant showpiece . Enjoy your find however you want.

In the upcoming Part 2 of this piece, we’ll dive into the details of possible upgrades and gotchas on such bikes. For some of you, the garage is where the fun really begins. Stay tuned.

Have you given new gravel life to an old bike? Drop a comment below.

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Results have arrived, vintage steel road bikes: what we ride.

After publishing "What We Ride: Justin England's Giordana" we asked to see your vintage steel road bikes, and you delivered!

Written by: Bruce Lin

Published on: Jan 12, 2018

Posted in: Tech

What You Ride: Vintage Steel Road Bikes

After publishing "What We Ride: Justin England's Giordana" we asked to see your vintage steel road bikes, and you delivered! Below we have seven of our favorite submissions. Our selection criteria was was undefined as we picked some because of the photo, the story, the bike, but all because you love what you ride!

Rasco Lbo's 1972 Colango

"To me 1972 has always been a key year in the development of the bicycle: Eddy Merckx won his second Giro-Tour double and got the hour record, all three on a Colnago Super from 1972. When I started Collecting vintage Italian bikes in 2010, I knew I wanted to have a Colnago Super from that year but it took me until last year to get a chance to own one in my size, with the correct Campagnolo group set from that same year. A collector friend of mine from Mexico contacted me last October asking me if I was interested in selling my 1982 Cinelli Super Corsa, I said I wasn't looking forward to parting ways with it and that I wanted to keep it. He then asked me if I would consider trading it in for a 1972 Colnago Super that he had acquired recently, and the rest is history. I do miss my Super Corsa very much but I always wanted a Colnago from this particular year and I couldn't be happier with the bike and the way it performs."

Marcello Lopez's 1986 Look

 "1986 Look "Les Adieux de Bernard Hinault" number 4 of 500. 57cm frame with Reynolds 753 tubing. Purchased the bike back in 2004 on eBay with a mishmash of components. Campy aero brakes and shifters are of the era, as well as the Turbo saddle. Front derailleur is Dura Ace, rear derailleur is Campy Veloce. Bike is still a work in progress to get it back to original. Thanks, The Pro's Closet, for reaching out. This bike, along with the 7-eleven Huffy, are my dream bikes from my childhood, so having 1 out of 2 ain't bad!"

Doug Turner's Giordana

Chris Sheppard's 1987 Bridgestone

 "This bike is a 1987 Bridgestone 550 Racing Series, mostly original. Sun tour Alpha 5000 drive train (6-speed indexed) Sansin Hubs on Araya Gold Label rims. Triple butted CroMo Frame, a HOT bike back in the day. My daily rider."

Don Paullo's 1984 Palo Alto

James Meyer's Landshark

 "I bought this Landshark Road Shark on the Boulder Craigslist a few years back.  I did not own a road bike at the time and wanted to buy one and  I noticed the wild paint job in the listing and arranged for a meeting.  A nice lady wanted to part with it for $150 and I was all too happy to oblige after looking the bike over and loving the very custom spec on the drivetrain.  It has a pleasant mix of Campy hubs with FIR Rims, Campy seatpost, Dura Ace rear derailleur, Shimano 600 Front derailleur and cranks and shifters and brake levers.  The frame is full Tange Prestige which I had never really seen on anything but vintage mountain bikes.  I ended up with a winter project and stripped everything off the bike.  I worked on some of the rust issues with "Metal Rescue" then lined the inside with Frame Saver.  I put most of the original parts back on the bike but upgraded to Suntour Barcon Shifters, Nitto Moustache Handlebars, Dura Ace brake levers, Selle Italia White Perforated Saddle and vintage Michelin Axiel Super Comp Skinwall Tires."

Peter Plaunt's Marinoni

 "This is the late '70s Reynolds Marinoni that stayed in my basement as a frame for a decade until last month when I said I had to build it up. So Nuvo Record with a Rovel wheelset and a Cinelli Gramo stem."

Beau Grant's 1986 Look

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New arrivals.

Certified Pre-Owned

Cannondale Topstone Carbon eTap Force AXS Gravel Bike - 2020, Small

Allied Echo All-Road Bike - 2021, Small

All-City Zig Zag Ultegra Road Bike - 2023, 55cm

Factor Ostro VAM Road Bike - 2022, 52cm

Cervélo Caledonia-5 Road Bike - 2022, 58cm

Look 765 Gravel RS Gravel Bike - 2021, Medium

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Priority Bicycles 600X ADVENTURE Mountain Bike - 2023, Medium

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Table 2 - TUBING TENSILE STRENGTH AND YIELD STRENGTH*

* Most of the information in Tables 1 and 2 was extracted from Jalon Hawk's DesperadoCycles.com web site. Included at his site is Jalon's excellent write up of the geometry and physical properties of the various tubings and what it all means.

** Tubeset weight is not consistent among tubing manufacturers. The length of some of the tubes in a set is different between makers as is the length of butted sections. As a result, the total tubeset weights are not indicative of the relative weight of the resulting bike.

HELICOMATIC HUBS

Trek used Maillard Helicomatic rear hubs on some road bike Models in the mid 80s. They were a clever French innovation using a special cassette (of cogs) that mounts onto a special hub. Great idea, but poorly engineered and tested; they proved to be unreliable. For more information, see Sheldon Brown's comments at http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_ha-i.html#helicomatic and at The Yellow Jersey http://www.yellowjersey.org/helico.html .

What to do if you have one on your Trek and it no longer works, or you want a more reliable setup? People often replace the Helicomatic hub/wheel with a freewheel wheel or freehub wheel. If they are concerned about originality, they keep their original wheel and work to find a replacement for the hub or cassette. They show up occasionally on Ebay.com.

Vintage Trek bikes were originally painted with DuPont Imron paint. Imron is a two part paint that is difficult to use by other than professional painters. Imron is still available from DuPont. Some frame painters still use it today. However, some localities have clean air regulations that prohibit its use.

Classic Rendezvous provides a list of expert bike frame painters and refinishers. Desperado Cycles uses Imron as do Joe Bell Bicycle Refinishing , Rad Finishes and Spectrum Cycles . If you know of other painters who do, please let me know .

Many of the Imron colors used by Trek are still available. Trek generally used the same Imron color name as did DuPont, so it often is possible to match the original color. The Joe Bell Bicycle Refinishing web site has a PDF copy of the Imron color chart on its site.

For many years, Trek had a service to repaint an old Trek for an owner or bike shop. It would not reproduce the original colors and graphics, but used the then current year graphics and colors. This way, a bike might have been made in one year but have paint and graphics from a later year. The repaint service was discontinued around 2010.

TREK DECALS

One source of reproduction Trek decals is VeloCals.com . Here are examples of reproduction Trek graphics made by VeloCals . You can contact JR Anderson of VeloCals at [email protected] .

PAINT TOUCH UP

Because the paint used on Vintage Treks, Imron, is a two-part paint, it is difficult to use for touchup. Many serious bike collectors use Testor's paint. It comes in little bottles and spray cans. It is used for car and airplane models and can be found at hobby shops in lots of colors. If you can't find a match, mix a couple of colors together.

Richard Kaufman writes: "Testor's "Model Master" Enamel Paint in FRENCH BLUE is a virtual match for the Dupont Imron "Race Blue" on my '85 Trek 600. No mixing with other colors required, in my opinion."

Car paint touch up paint also works fine. Get it at a car parts store or car dealer. The bottle comes with its own paintbrush. Color matching can take a bit of work, you may need to mix two or more bottles.

Others have had good luck with fingernail polish, red bikes are especially good for this but, depending on the latest fashion, other colors work as well.

Another option is take the bike to a specialty shop that sells auto paints (not just an auto body shop). They will scan the paint on the bike and mix a perfect match. They can give you the paint in a jar or can put it in a spray bottle. It is a bit pricey; on the order of $60.

THREADING THE DERAILLEUR CABLE THROUGH THE CHAINSTAY

Trek ran the rear derailleur cable through the right chainstay for most of their steel road bikes beginning in 1985 and ending in 1989. A clever idea - that has its supporters and detractors. However, cleverness is also required when replacing the cable. Rich Tong's "Tong Family Blog" lists some helpful methods.

INTERNAL RUSTPROOFING OF A FRAME

Unlike some other frame materials, a steel frame does not degrade through normal use or simply through age. However, if a steel bike is ridden in the rain or is kept outdoors, rust on the inside surfaces of the frame tubing can be a problem. A way to check if your frame has been damaged by rust is to remove the bottom bracket and look at the bottom bracket shell and the tubes. Some rust is normal, but lots of rust or significant pitting can be a problem.

To prevent, or significantly reduce, internal rusting, people spray the inside of the tubes with a rust preventative. Two excellent products are "Frame Saver" by J. Peter Weigle and "Boeshield T-9" developed by Boeing. Frame Saver dries to a wax-like coating. It is available at most pro bike shops and over the web. Boeshield T-9 is a protectant and lubricant; it stays oily. Which to use? Peter Weigle is a custom frame maker (support a fellow bike guy). Boeing makes lots of great things that fly, but I believe bikes are not included . . .

People also use LPS 3, a heavy-duty rust inhibitor, which leaves a transparent waxy film. It is commonly available at hardware stores in spray cans.

A simple solution is to spray the insides with WD-40 penetrating oil. It dries to a thin, varnish-like coating that protects the metal. Not quite as good as the three products above, but much better than nothing at all. (BTW - because of this drying characteristic, WD-40 should not be used as a long-term lubricant.)

The rustproofing products above generally do not require removing the rust inside the frame tubes before applying. However, cleaning the inside of the bottom bracket and the headtube of loose rust is a good idea. To treat, remove the bottom bracket, headset and seat post. Spray into every opening in the frame, including the vent holes in the stays. Then, I like to tape over the openings and rotate the frame slowly a few times in various directions, to be sure that all internal surfaces are soaked. Remove the tape and let the excess run out. For the waxy coating types, and WD-40, it it best to allow a day or two drying time before reassembling.

CONVERTING FROM A QUILL STEM TO A MODERN THREADLESS STEM

Your vintage bike came with a quill stem. Can it be converted to a more modern threadless stem? NO, YES, and YES.

NO - The steerer tube on the original fork is almost certainly not long enough to use a full threadless system.

YES - A new fork which has a sufficiently long steerer tube is required. New forks typically are made for threadless stems, and have no threads on the steerer tube. One can employ a used fork from a (much) larger bike that has a sufficiently long steer tube. However, any threaded upper portion of the used fork must be cut off. In this conversion, a threadless headset will be required.

CAUTION - You should NOT attach the threadless stem to the threaded portion of a fork's steerer tube. The steerer tube may (will) break at the threads. This can result in a dramatic alteration of the rider's appearance.

YES - There is an adapter one can buy that has a quill at one end and a cylinder at the other. The quill is inserted into the steerer tube and tightened. The threadless stem is clamped onto the cylindrical end. These threadless stem adapters are available at most bike shops or on the Internet at places like performancebike.com or nashbar.com. Cost is about $20.

UPGRADING FROM A DOUBLE TO TRIPLE CRANK

This is a common upgrade for people living in hilly areas. It can be done by replacing a double crank with a triple crank or by attaching a triple chainring adapter, a triplizer, to the existing double crank. Information on tripleizers (triple chainring adapters) , has been provided here by Don Gillies.

What new/used parts do you need to replace a double crank with a triple?

• Triple right crank
• L onger bottom bracket axle or new bottom bracket
• W ide range rear derailleur (either a road triple or mountain bike triple)
• Longer chain
• STI or Ergo triple front shifter or a friction shifter capable of handling a triple (most can).
• A new front derailleur may be needed if: 1. the existing one doesn't have enough range to shift to the inner and outer rings, or 2. if the chain drags on the tail of the derailleur when in the small ring.

If you want to use a small inner ring, less than 30 teeth or so, (touring over the Rockies, stump pulling or just peace of mind) and a large ring of 50 teeth or more, a new front derailleur with a long tail will probably be required. Here are some suggestions for long-tailed front derailleurs (all no longer made): Huret Duo Par, Huret Pilot, SunTour Cyclone MK II, Simplex SJA 522, Simplex SJA 102, Shimano N-600, SunTour Mountech. A Campagnolo Super Record front will work with inner rings down to about 28 teeth.

Drew Saunders has detailed information on making a double to triple conversion. http://www.stanford.edu/~dru/tripleize.html . This page also describes the use of the " tripleizer " chain ring.

A Campagnolo Nuovo or Super Record double crank arm can be converted to a triple by drilling and tapping the crank arm to accept a 74mm BCD inner chainring. It requires some precision, so don't try it with a hand drill. Various shops can do it for you, including Elliott Bay Bicycles in Seattle.

An alternative to a new bottom bracket is to add a longer axle to the existing cup and cone bottom bracket. It may not be easy to determining the length needed. See Sheldon Brown's Bottom Bracket Size Database for a discussion of this problem: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bbsize.html . Vintage Trek road bike bottom bracket shells are the English/Japanese standard 68mm wide. Used parts can be found at bicycle swap meets, used bike shops, or on eBay.com

If you are able to find a vintage used road triple crank, you may have a challenge finding a bottom bracket or crank axle of the right length. See Sheldon Brown's site, http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bbsize.html , for guidance.

For a vintage Trek, a common setup is to find a used Sugino AT crankset (triple) and use a Shimano UN52 or UN72 or UN73 sealed bottom bracket with 127.5mm axle. This may require a 2mm spacer on the right bottom bracket end to provide sufficient spacing between the small ring and the chainstay. The spacer is typically available at your local bike shop.

One possible solution to the crank axle length problem is to take the crank and bike to your local bike shop. Ask them to sell you a new bottom bracket and install it for you. It is likely the will have only Shimano sealed bottom brackets to choose from. They may have to do some trial an error fitting, trying a few bottom brackets until they come up with one that works. Let them know that using a 1mm or 2mm spacer on the right side is OK.

ADDING MORE REAR COGS OR CONVERTING TO INDEX SHIFTING

Vintage Treks typically came with 5 or 6 or 7 rear cogs. More modern rear hubs have 8, 9 or 10 cogs. Can an old Trek be modified to have more cogs? Yes, but it does take some money and work.

First, you must decide on the number of rear gears you want. If you want more than 8 gears in the rear, it is likely you will need a new crank. A 9 speed chain will likely fall between the chainwheels. A 10 speed chain is more of a problem.

A modern Shimano road hub with 130mm spacing can take a 8, 9 or 10 speed cassette. With a commercially-available spacer, the hub can be used with a 7 speed cassette. This road hub requires 130mm rear dropout spacing (see the Spreading Rear Dropouts section below).

Campagnolo and Shimano components are generally not compatible with each other if index shifting (click shifting) is your goal. Campy or Shimano rear shifters will not work with the other's rear derailleurs or cassettes. (An exception is that 9 speed hubs/wheels can be used, imperfectly, with the other's equipment.) Cassettes of one manufacturer will not fit on the other's rear hubs. However, Campy and Shimano front shifters and derailleurs are usually compatible.

If you are going to buy new road components of a single manufacturer, the components will be compatible, if a common speed (8, 9 or 10) for the parts is specified. If you are going to use components of different years and models, there are some incompatibilities of which you should be aware. The book "Zinn and the Art of Road Bike Maintenance" by Leonard Zinn contains details of these problems.

What is needed to convert from a freewheel hub (5, 6, or 7 speeds) to a cassette hub system with index shifting?

• A rear hub capable of carrying a cassette with the targeted number of gears. (This usually entails buying a new wheel.)
• A cassette with the desired number of cogs, that matches the new rear hub.
• New shifters that are made for the number of cogs on the cassette.
• Cable stops to replace the downtube shifters (if you are using integrated brake lever/shifters [AKA brifters] or barcon [bar end] shifters).
• New rear derailleur designed for index shifting. A caution - a rear derailleur designed for a lower number of cogs (e.g. 7) will shift cogs with more gears, BUT - there may not be clearance between the derailleur and the spokes.
• Front derailleur designed for index shifting. If you want to friction shift, almost any front derailleur will work.
• New chain designed for the targeted number of cogs in the cassette. A modern 8 speed chain will also work with 5, 6, or 7 speed cogs. Nine cogs require 9 speed chains; ten cogs require 10 speed chains.

If your bike has brazed-on bosses for downtube shifters, to convert from 5 or 6 speed shifters you probably can find 7 (or rarely, 8) speed Shimano indexed downtube shifters that will fit.

Many conversions use Shimano bar end (also called barcon) indexed shifters. They were available in 7 and 8 speeds (find used or NOS on eBay.com). Nine-speed barcons are still available new. Bar-end shifters avoid the expense of STI integrated brake levers/shifters and allows you to keep your current brake levers. They require replacing your downtube shifters with downtube cable stops.

A caution - some downtube clamp-on shifter bosses made for friction shifting, that may be on your lower to mid-level Trek bike, are not compatible with standard shifters that fit on brazed-on bosses. Downtube cable stops also will not fit on these nonstandard types of clamp-on bosses. Types that do not work are various Shimano ones, including Shimano 600, and many by SunTour. Old Campagnolo Nuovo/Super Record clamp-on bosses work fine as do Shimano clamp-on bosses made for index shifting.

A shifter alternative is to use a brifter for shifting the rear derailleur, but a downtube shifter for the front. A regular brake lever can be used for the front brake. This weight-saving setup was often used by Lance on his climbing bike. Also, with this method you can use your existing non-indexing front derailleur and non-indexing downtube shifter.

Here are three innovative shifter alternatives that can facilitate upgrading or modernizing an old bike:

The Kelly Takeoff is: "A simple, low cost alternative to integrated shifting. Lightweight chromoly. Mounts simply. Uses your conventional shifters & aero/non-aero brake levers. Great for retrofits." Paul Component Engineering Thumbies thumb shifter mounts: "These are designed to be used with indexed Shimano bar-end (aka barcon) shifters. Both 9-speed and 8-speed indexed shifters are readily available, and these shifters also still have a friction option for everything else." Bar-end Shifter Mounts from Rivendell Bicycle Works . "If you have regular downtube shifters that you want to convert to bar-enders, you need these. Most shifters work on them. Not all, but most." CONVERTING FROM 27" DIAMETER WHEELS TO 700C WHEELS Many older Treks came with 27" diameter wheels/tires. More modern bikes use 700C wheels/tires. A common question is: "Can I simply replace my 27" wheels with 700C"? The answer is yes, if your brake pads can be lowered in their slots by 4mm or more. This is usually the case. A practical test is to borrow a set of 700C wheels and try them. If the pads cannot be lowered that much, the brakes calipers will have to be replaced with others that allow this much reach. There are plenty of good 27" tires available at road bike shops or on the Internet. Touring, commuting, and training tire availability is not a problem; lots of choices. Why change from 27" to 700C? Three reasons: 1. You want to use racing clincher tires. The selection and availability of lightweight skinny tires in 700C is huge. 2. You want to use tubular tires (which are not available in 27" diameter). 3. If you think 27" wheels/tires are old fashioned or your riding buddies give you grief.

SPREADING REAR DROPOUTS

Early Vintage Treks, 1976 to 1982 (or so), have a rear dropout spacing of 120mm. After 82, spacing increased to 126mm to accommodate 6 or 7 speed hubs. With a bit of effort (or $) you can bend the stays on your steel Trek to increase the spacing to work with modern hubs. Modern spacing is 130mm for 8, 9 or 10 speed (road hubs). One can even spread to 135mm to employ the extra strength of mountain bike rear hubs. This is common for touring bikes.

CAUTION: Only steel frames can be safely spread. Aluminum and carbon frames should not be spread as they tend to break or be damaged, not bend. Additionally, frames of Reynolds 753 steel tubing (such as the Trek Model 170) should not be spread. The forces required are so high that damage to the frame (or the person bending) is likely.

Unfortunately, there is some (but minor) risk involved in permanently bending a frame; the brake bridge or chainstay bridge can pop, leaving you with junk or an expensive repair job. An experienced bike shop can do the spreading, but usually with the proviso that is is at your risk.

One do-it-yourself method employs an 8" or longer piece of allthread, two nuts, and two washers. Allthread is a continuously-threaded rod available in most hardware stores. Use either 5/16" or 3/8" diameter. The allthread is placed in the dropouts and the nuts are turned outward to spread the dropouts. The washers go between the nuts and the dropouts. Lubricate the allthread to make the process easier.

You must spread well beyond the target width to get the stays to bend. It is an iterative process. Screw the dropouts out a bit, measure the spread, unscrew the allthread, and measure the result. If no permanent spreading is accomplished, spread again, going a bit farther. Repeat this process until the target is reached. Use care, there is little distance between spreading with no permanent bending and spreading with permanent bending. If you do go beyond the target width, use the allthread in reverse to bend the dropouts back together. Columbus tubing is commonly thought to be the most difficult to bend, followed by Ishiwata and then Reynolds 531.

I wrap the bridges with many turns of string and/or strapping tape to help assure they do not pop. However, realize that the tape or string can damage the paint. One can use the string method described by Sheldon Brown (see below) to check alignment after the spreading. Most Trek frames do not have dimpled chainstays, so spreading using the allthread method tends to spread the stays uniformly, and does not significantly affect alignment.

A final test of alignment is whether you can ride the bike with no hands and have the bike go straight with both bike and rider vertical.

More frame spreading information is available at Sheldon Brown's site http://sheldonbrown.com/frame-spacing.html . He suggests an alternative method for spreading, employing a wooden 2 x 4. However, the 2 x 4 method can misalign the entire rear triangle. If this happens, one can use the allthread in reverse to keep the dropouts from spreading apart while using the 2 x 4 to twist the rear triangle back into alignment.

After spreading the dropouts, a good frame shop will align the dropout faces to make them parallel. They will have a tool just for this purpose. For the do-it-yourselfer, this is not normally necessary. Non parallel dropouts are often cited as a cause of axle breakage, at least for freewheel-type hubs. However, with the wide bearing location of modern cassette hubs, the problem is not encountered.

A shortcut, useful for going from 126mm to 130mm, is not to permanently spread the frame. When you install the 130mm hub, just pull apart the dropouts to make it fit. Not very elegant, but works just fine.

IS IT COLUMBUS TUBING?

Is the tubing on your frame Columbus? If so, the steerer tube outer surface would probably have a little Columbus dove stamped on it. Also, if Columbus, the lower portion of inside of the steerer tube will typically have "ridges" or "rifling". (The inner surface of the top of the tube will be smooth to accept the stem.) If either is the case, the fork tubing is almost certainly Columbus. If the fork is original, the rest of the frame is almost certainly Columbus. However, if either the dove or the rifling are missing, it is not proof it is not Columbus, but it likely is not.

On vintage Treks, the Cinelli bottom bracket (with cast in "Cinelli") was more commonly used with Columbus tubing. However, it is not a reliable indicator as it also was used with Reynolds 531 tubing.

SOURCES OF GENERAL VINTAGE LIGHTWEIGHT INFORMATION HOW TO CONTACT TREK TECHNICAL SUPPORT HOW TO FIND VINTAGE BIKE PARTS BASIC SPECS FOR VINTAGE TREK STEEL ROAD BIKES STEEL TUBING SPECS FOR EARLY TREKS HELICOMATIC HUBS PAINT TREK DECALS PAINT TOUCH UP INTERNAL RUSTPROOFING OF A FRAME THREADING THE DERAILLEUR CABLE THROUGH THE CHAINSTAY CONVERTING FROM A QUILL STEM TO A MODERN THREADLESS STEM ADDING MORE REAR COGS OR CONVERTING TO INDEX SHIFTING UPGRADING FROM A DOUBLE TO TRIPLE CRANK CONVERTING FROM 27" DIAMETER WHEELS TO 700C WHEELS SPREADING REAR DROPOUTS IS IT COLUMBUS TUBING?

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Colnago embraces normal standard and makes no aero claims with its new G4-X gravel race bike

New bar, a threaded bottom bracket, and cyclocross heritage create a bike opposed to the heritage-focussed C68 Gravel

Colnago, as storied a bike brand as it gets, has been on a new model spree of late. We’ve been treated to a new all-road version of the C68 , and then recently a gravel version, the C68 Gravel , to add off-road capability to the brand’s lugged, made-in-Italy line. Hot on its heels we are now being offered a new model in the brand’s race-oriented line, the G4-X. 

This new gravel bike is to replace the existing G3-X, and serve as an off-road counterpart to the Colnago V4Rs road bike, raced by Tadej Pogačar and his UAE Team Emirates teammates. 

The new model aims to suit the needs of the modern gravel racer, offering a balance of performance characteristics, while also drawing from a history of success in cyclocross. 

New bar, wider tyres, and a threaded bottom bracket

As is the case with the ongoing evolution of gravel bikes, the headline specs will likely not be a shock. The G4-X embraces the trend towards wider tyres, offering clearance for 45mm tyres, an improvement of 5mm over the outgoing G3-X, and 3mm wider than the C68 Gravel. This figure allows for 6mm of clearance around the tyre radius, so there is scope to go larger, but it is not within manufacturer recommendations. 

In another well-established move, the G4-X also features full internal cable routing and ships with a gravelly iteration of Colnago’s cockpit, the CC.01 Wide. This has more flare than the standard CC.01, at 3cm rather than 1cm per side. Customers though are able to spec the new bike with either the Wide or Regular cockpit, and as it has a standard 1 ⅛” steerer it is compatible with aftermarket options.

The G3-X featured the usual additional pair of mounts on the top tube for a ‘bento box’ arrangement, and this has been kept for the G4-X, likely in a move designed to satisfy riders at longer races like Unbound. While the G3-X had a pair of mounts under the downtube, these were technically there to hold a small rubber mudguard on to protect the bottom bracket area. This bumper has been ditched, but the pair of mounts remain for reuters wanting to carry an extra bottle, or a tool caddy.

Speaking of the bottom bracket area, the Italian brand has also moved with the industry trend, particularly in the gravel sector, back towards threaded bottom brackets due to their widely-accepted reliability improvements and lower susceptibility to creaking. In this case, it’s the larger T47 standard, rather than the smaller BSA option.

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Finally, the seatpost clamp area has been bolstered, allowing riders to tighten the post with greater torque in an effort to combat any slippage over rough ground.

Geometry, specs, and pricing

The G4-X is available in five sizes, from 45 up to 57. In comparison to the C68 Gravel, the G4X is shorter, both in the chainstay length and in the front, resulting in a shorter wheelbase. This is combined with a steeper headtube angle to create what Colnago says is a bike that is “suitable for an aggressive riding style”. It is also slightly shorter in the wheelbase than the G3-X, but with a marginally steeper head angle and longer reach.

While the model will be seen under Colnago-sponsored athletes from today, it won’t be available to the public until June 20th, in five configurations; three featuring SRAM groupsets, and two featuring Shimano.

From the range topping-ist to the more entry-level (if such a thing can ever be said of a Colnago), the pricing is as follows.

• Sram Red XPLR w/ Zipp 303S $9,750 / €8,870 / £N/A
• Sram Force XPLR w/ Fulcrum Rapid Red 500 DB $6,250 / €5,710 / £N/A
• Sram Rival w/ Fulcrum Rapid Red 900 DB $5,250 / €4,830 / £N/A
• Shimano GRX 2x w/ Fulcrum Rapid Red 900 DB $4,750 / €4,330 / £4,500
• Shimano GRX 1x w/ Fulcrum Rapid Red 900 DB $4,750 / €4,330 / £4,500

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Will joined the Cyclingnews team as a reviews writer in 2022, having previously written for Cyclist, BikeRadar and Advntr. There are very few types of cycling he's not dabbled in, and he has a particular affection for older bikes and long lasting components. Road riding was his first love, before graduating to racing CX in Yorkshire. He's been touring on a vintage tandem all the way through to fixed gear gravel riding and MTB too. When he's not out riding one of his many bikes he can usually be found in the garage tinkering with another of them, or getting obsessive about tyres. Also, as he doesn't use Zwift, he's our go-to guy for bad weather testing... bless him.

Rides: Custom Zetland Audax, Bowman Palace:R, Peugeot Grand Tourisme Tandem, Falcon Explorer Tracklocross, Fairlight Secan & Strael

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March 29-31, 2024:   Gosh Darn  (Lyles, TN)

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