Gallery - 1985 Trek 620 - Kirk Rappe
Note: 1985 is the year the 620 had the very desirable 47cm long chainstays,
the same as the 720.
Kirk writes: "My goal was to build a bike for commuting
to work, doing errands, doing moderate length rides with friends, and
of course touring. I found this Trek 620 (serial number 160067) at Budget
Bicycle in Madison, WI last January and it was in pretty decent condition.
"I had it repainted into the current crimson color and had the
"WisconsINnovation" logo placed on the chainstays. Last year
the Wisconsin Historical Museum in Madison, WI had an exhibit on Trek
bicycles since they are a "homegrown" industry. Being a history
major at UW - Madison and having grown up in the Badger State, I thought
I'd add this commemorative touch. http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/museum/trek/
"About half the components are new - I kept the original Matrix
wheels, but replaced the rear hub, which was failing, with a Hyperglide
105 rear axle. This allowed me to keep the 126mm spacing in the rear
axle dropouts.
"The front chainring is a 50-45-24 tooth set and the front derailleur
is a Sachs-Huret clamp on. The rear derailleur is a 1994 Shimano Deore
DX. Obviously the person who owned it before me upgraded it since '84.
"Due to an unfortunate "accident" with some degreaser
"not compatible with anodized aluminum" I had to replace the
headset and stem with a new Ritchey Logic headset and unknown stem.
"The handlebars are Nitto Randonneur bars with Cane Creek aero
levers. The shifters were originally downtube, but I realized early
on I don't like to take my hands away from the brakes too much.
"Shimano brifters, I heard, cannot be replaced if they break,
and I also didn't like the feeling of bar end shifters (again, a bit
like the reason I don't like downtubes). So, I learned about the "poor
mans brifter" - Kelly Take Off mounts which move my downtube shifters
up and next to my brakes. They are wonderful and this is probably one
of the best decisions I made in restoring the bike - not quite as slick
as brifters, but hey, a heck of a lot cheaper!
"The bar tape was wound in a harlequin pattern - found at: http://www.wastedlife.org/bike/harlequin/index.html.
I then shellaced the tape to give it some toughness.
"Fenders and bicycle computer by Planet Bike.
"The coloring of the bike actually has some significance - since
I intend to do a tour of Germany someday (I've already been there twice
and have relatives living near Essen), I have the black, yellow, and
red representing Germany, and I guess, in hindsight also the red and
white of the University of Wisconsin.
"For a 22 year old bike, it rides beautifully!"
Brochures
| Price Lists and Values
| Trek History |
Trek Timeline |
Serial Numbers
Component Dates
| Gallery |
Contact | Buy/Sell Suggestions
Refurbish/Upgrade |
Bike Resources
| Home
*Trek is a trademark
of Trek Bicycle Corporation, Waterloo, WI
All copyrights in
the TREK brochures, pricelists, owner's manuals and photographs displayed
on this website are the sole property of Trek Bicycle Corporation, Waterloo,
Wisconsin.
All materials in
this site not copyrighted by others are Copyright © 2001-2014 Skip
Echert Web Associates, All rights reserved.
