I didn't know about the Classics gallery when I took these photos about a year ago, but since finding the gallery, I felt that my old 1976 Trek might fit in nicely with all the other beautifully classic machines here. I rode this bike throughout my college years as my basic mode of transportation, and for the joy of riding. I did several week long tours over the course of 6 or 7 years, and one three week partial "circumnavigation" of lake Michigan (mostly - I took a ferry across to avoid the treacherous urban southern shore).

This bike has evolved. Savvy Trekkers will point to the decals and cry foul - you're right - those are not circa 1976. My Trek suffered a broken seat stay about 1981 (on the second last day of a tour from Madison to Bayfield, WI), and since I lived in Madison at the time, it was an easy matter to have the frame shipped to Trek from the Yellow Jersey bike shop for repair. It came back with a new paint job, and the current decals. The original bike was dark metallic blue with the plain Trek decals.

I purchased the frame in the spring of 1978 from my local small town bike shop in southeastern Wisconsin. Trek had not yet started selling complete bikes at the time, and to my 21 year old emerging mechanical engineer sensibilities, the thought of buying a frameset hand-built by guys like me in a small town in southern Wisconsin was really cool. I outfitted it with a combination of new parts and some old parts stripped off my 1971 Gitane Interclub - you can still see the vintage Pivo stem and bars - the Huret bottom bracket cable guide isn't visible, but the Zefal pump holder is. I bought the Sugino Mighty Tour crank from the legendary Sam Braxton himself at his bikeshop in Missoula, MT while I was a student there in 76 - 77. That was an upgrade to the Interclub that got transferred to the Trek. The Shimano 600 derailleurs, Suntour Power shifters, and Ideale 90 seat are other components I purchased for the original build. I upgraded the seat post, brakes, headset, pedals, and wheels while in college. The original build used Shimano 600 hubs, Fiamme red label tubular rims, and the Gitane's Mavic Racer centerpull brakes from the Interclub.

Here is a rundown of components:
Wheels - Campagnolo Record hubs, Weinmann concave rims 27 x 1-1/4
Brakes - Suntour Superbe, long (standard) reach (early model)
Headset - Campagnolo Record
Derailleurs - Rear: Shimano 600, Front: Shimano 60
Pedals - Loyotard Berthet platform
Crank - Sugino Mighty Tour
Shifters - Suntour Power ratchet
Seat Post - SR Laprade
Seat - Ideale 90
Bars and Stem - Pivo

As of today (February 2007), I have disassembled the old Trek and used some of it's components in building a "new" bike - based on a 1983 Trek 500 that is a better fit than the '76, which was always too big for me. I'll post that bike here later.

Paul Jacobson
Minnetonka, MN

paulj@relres.com