Rex, I have basically the same Trek, same size--mine is slightly older, a 2002 model. It has been a great bike for me--it got me into cycling "seriously" back in high school, got me coast-to-coast when I was 17, and has basically been whatever bike I needed it to be since then without much of a complaint. However, its fit--esp. since I discovered Riv--has been somewhat questionable. I've never really been sure what was up, but it is definitely the smallest "62cm" frame I have ever seen; namely, it's head tube is super short for that size. I think part of it is overly generous measurement on the part of trek (center to way top of seat tube, maybe?), and also that, at least in my model year, it was one of the first years that they spec'ed a threadless headset, and I think the product designers hadn't quite wrapped their head around how switching to threadless removes a few cm's of stack height from the front end. The headtube still ends exactly at the top tube junction, as was common on frames for threaded headsets. I think there's an interview with Richard Sachs by Grant in an old Reader where they discuss this issue, with Sachs explaining that this is why he designed lugs for extended head tubes when he started using threadless headsets. For sure, if you look at bikes designed after the dominance of threadless, they tend to have a few more mm of headtube above the top tube junction.
Anyways, that's my theory about the wonky fit of the TIG-welded 520's. I'll probably never sell mine because of its sentimental value--i'll hang the frame on the wall if i'm not using it. Recently, I've been thinking about putting upright bars--like an albatross--on it to deal with the fit issues without using some kind of crazy stem. Or maybe I'll put on the Nitto Trekking bar I picked up at the garage sale a little while back...although my fiance looks at me like I'm crazy when I say that. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msg/rbw-owners-bunch/-/F-UKf_V7-EQJ. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
