Same with the previous post, kind of wanted a riv, but prefer a usa made bike (there are usa rivs, but they're a premium).
I spread the rear to 135, crimped the stays to fit 42mm, moved the brake bosses down 4mm to run 700c, reduced the rake on the fork to be a bit more stable, and made a bilaminate stem to match the esthetic and fit a modern bar.
by Western_Truck7948
14 Comments
Damn. That stem you made is simply beautiful. At first, I was going to ask where you found that handlebar clamp lug. Or, is it a faux lug (seeing where your brazing appears)?
Regardless: mad props. I want to get practicing these skills (jig, miter and brazing) to make my own custom stainless stems and mad alt-bars. This is beautiful work: jealous of your skills.
Love the work done here. Stem is beauty
520s have long been the most versatile and comfortable of Trek’s bikes. They’re capable tourers but don’t feel dead when unladen
Trek 520 is in the same tier as Stumpjumper IMO. Trek Multitrack has to be the Rockhopper equivalent
What the stem is going on here 😮
Nice stem! Looks exactly like an AVA death stem
I thought the 520 was a 700c bike? Why did you have to move the brake posts?
That bilaminate stem is the star of the show. Spreading the rear to 135 and reforking it to clear 42s is a lot of work, but building your own stem to match the whole vibe really ties it together. 520s are such a solid starting point since the geometry is already sorted and the steel is worth saving.
Did you paint the stem? Also how did you do the cap where the bolt goes? I starting to braze stuff and I think I may just out right copy your stem. Love it
The new rockhopper? That’s like comparing apples to peas. Rockhoppers were a dime a dozen, a very large production bike (which doesn’t mean they are bad in any way) but a touring bike is relatively less common. I wouldn’t even say that the 520 was a big seller among commuters as there were always other options, often more economically priced. We aren’t ever going to see any one specific touring bike in numbers like we see Rockhoppers which are just ubiquitous. Give me a month and a willingness to drive up to maybe 250 miles, and I can source at least five Rockhoppers in my size just watching Craigslist.. I might find a single 520 in that time.
They do make a great xbike though or even a retro gravel bike or sticking with their original touring duties. Nice frames although there was a weird period where they moved to threadless but didn’t change the geometry so they had these really short headtubes (on top of gearing that was entirely too high, a move away from cantis to v-brakes while still trying to run dropbar levers and keep enough clearance for fenders). Mine is still set up for touring duty but I keep debating doing more of a Riv sort of build with it and retiring it from longer distances in favor for something with disc brakes, more upright geometry, and the ability to run a modern fork. It’s a bike I’ll likely never part with.
I’ve done less on an old trek and throughly enjoyed it. They be good bikes. Hell yeah
Would the Specialized equivalent not be a Sirrus? Which in its 1990 issue I incidentally have in my stable …
People are finally discovering hybrids and touring bikes in greater numbers! Love a well set up hybrid.
Meet my recently built up 1985 620- still on 27s and nearly all original
https://preview.redd.it/wgz669z5fzah1.jpeg?width=5712&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3beb8c19a1554f660355edfa7f553e6a4647e494