Old Bike

This is the bike I have been riding since 1993. I bought it at a yard sale in Marblehead for $75, from a woman who had bought it new 10-15 years before. It is a old Trek sport-tourer with a Chromoly steel frame made of Ishiwata tubes. I don't know the exact age, but I suppose I can look up the serial number here to find out.

Since 1993, I've replaced everything on this bike except the shifters, brakes, seat-post, and front derailler.

For anyone interested in bicycle minutia (likely very few if any people who read this), it is equipped with the following:

• 46cm wide Nitto bars with black cloth tape (width as recommended by Rivendell's Grant Peterson). I once tried Nitto moustache bars from Rivendell, but found them to be uncomfortable on long trips.
• 8cm Nitto dirt-drop stem, which puts the handlebars up at the level of the seat.
• 27" Weinmann wheels (replacements) with Conti Top Touring tires (the most flat-resistant bike tires I have ever used).
• SKS fenders
• a Sugino crank, 46 and 34 tooth chainrings
• cheap-o Alivio rear derailleur, which seems to work fine.
• Nitto platform pedals with toe-clips and straps (the toe-clip bracket of one broke shortly after the above picture was taken, yet to be replaced).
• a Tubus Cargo rack
• a Busch and Muller 6-volt Dymotec 6 bottle generator (now living on the Biria bike, as mentioned below), running a Lumotec Oval Plus headlight and a DToplight Plus tailight. Both of the lights have LED "Standlights" which remain illuminated when one is stopped at an intersection. Also, battery back-up lights both front and rear.
• a Carradice Nelson longflap canvas saddlebag, which sits on the Tubus rack.
• a Brooks Conquest saddle. This saddle is a leather Brooks B17 but with springs. Previous un-sprung saddles would cause me discomfort after about 60 miles or so. The Brooks soaks up almost all road vibrations.
• a Sigma odometer (cheap one).

I used to use this bike to commute (18 miles/28km round trip), and have gone on a couple of longer rides (70 miles/112km was the most I have ever done, from Roslindale MA to Stratham NH). The idea behind building up this bike was always long-distance light touring, commuting, and perhaps randonneuring. Hopefully its ragged appearance will discourage theft.

This picture was taken in October, during a ride/picnic to Maudsley park. In the background of this picture you can just see Lisa, standing behind her new Breezer commuter bike.