Some friends gave me this bike for free. For free! They work on bikes and have a surplus and had me come over and pick one out from their shed. It’s what got me into biking again. I don’t think I’d ridden a bike since I was a kid. Now I’m obsessed.
From my research, it’s a Trek 850 from the 80s. I took it to a shop to get it tuned and the guy there advised me to never let the frame go ever.
I’ve ridden it pretty much as-is for about a year now, only changing the pedals and grips, and now that I’m home with access to my dad’s workshop for a couple months, I’m gonna try to work on it and make it truly awesome. It (and YouTube) will teach me how to work on bikes, and hopefully by the end it’ll be sparkly and beautiful.
Today I worked on touching up the scratches on the paint and cleaning the frame up a bit before deciding to just jump in the pool because of the miserable heat. I rode it in the desert before this and just moved it cross-country on my trunk, so it was a bit dusty and needed a basic cleaning. And there were dozens of little dings and scratches that look way better now. I’m not sure I’ll be able to find a red paint that matches the lettering, so I might just leave it faded.
I think the next step is cleaning the spokes one-by-one and trying to clean the smaller components. Then I guess I’ll research brakes to see if I can install disc brakes. I’ll probably keep the friction shifters, though. They’re pretty cool.
Just thought I’d share. Looking forward to learning with this thing!
by sneepsheep
5 Comments
This bike is awesome!
To do disc brakes you’ll have to get tabs welded not the fork and frame. I would recommend just getting a cheap set of v-brakes and new levers that will work with them. Give the braking power a little upgrade and doesn’t cost a ton.
This was Trek’s first entry into the “ATB” market and is actually pretty valuable if all original and intact. This is a handmade frame built in Wisconsin and was among the most expensive models of Trek you could buy at the time. I would guess this is a 1984/5 model; it can probably be narrowed down with some pics of the drivetrain and wheels/hubs.
I would invest in some Kool Stop pads and a decent brake cable set before thinking about doing a disc brake conversion. The fork would have to be replaced with something designed to take the forces that disc brakes create; there’s no way I’d trust the original (40+ y/o) fork with a welded-on tab. Additionally, there needs to be a brace between the seat and chainstay; you risk bending the seatstay otherwise.
sick ride! make sure that brake pad in the back is aligned properly if you haven’t already
One hell of a gift, nice Tange prestige tubing. This is my 1984 Trek 850 basket bike. With some finessing, I was able to fit some 26 x 2.2 tires on there. The basket really should be lower but this bike is kind of a run what you brung, parts bin bike with the exception of the tires and it all works just fine for all intents and purposes.
https://preview.redd.it/kx5ohi6ra79f1.jpeg?width=6000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3628c6daae90ed6d8a31fc77da1d88cd9efcdc37
To clean up the spokes, use aluminum polish. Mothers brand is commonly available at stores that stock car care products. Polish up the rims and hubs with it, and then wipe down the spokes with the same rag.
The question is if the spokes are stainless steel, or zinc plated. If they’re zinced, and the coating is degraded, you won’t be able shine them up very much.