dddd wrote:
>> Here, Burke reveals how he built the bicycle giant:
>>
>> ".....In 1984 we made some bad product...... "
>
> Haunting statement, ouch.
>
> Does anyone know what implications this statement entails for owners of,
> say, bikes like my 1984 Trek 720?
I think the bad product referred to are the models Trek machine-brazed at that time. (400, 500, and 600 series). These had one-piece investment cast head tubes (weighed a ton!), seat lugs, bottom brackets, and dropouts. The castings were designed with ease of construction in mind -- none of the tubes were mitered but rather straight-cut and fit against cast-in shoulders inside the lugs. They were not brazed with torches but using electromagnetic induction and automatic wire feeds for the brass. I remember a lot of time and effort spent on this, with less than satisfactory results.
The 700 and higher series (including 720s) were traditionally lugged, mitered and torch-brazed frames. Your bike is a "keeper" IMHO. :-)
--
John (john@os2.dhs.org)
Appleton WI USA