I've tinkered with bikes for three decades, always having a soft spot for the classic lugged steel models. Yet, when constructing my inaugural fixie, I landed on this adhesive-bound, aluminum, lugless Trek—quite the contrast. Perhaps the sleek appearance of these frames seems apt for a fixed-gear bike. Plus, standing at 6'3", I value the added rigidity. Simply put, I've got a thing for Treks! I snagged this frame off eBay for a mere $10 ($25 if you count shipping). After shedding its less appealing paint and redundant fittings, I infused new life with a custom paint job. While I owned the wheels and some other components (you won't find many with a Takagi road crank as ancient as mine!), the rest were economical finds from eBay and nearby bike shops. The tires? They're from Cambriabike. I initially doubted the nearly vertical stainless steel drop-outs, but my chosen 39/14 gearing fit like a glove. And, the wheel re-dish? Spot on—resulting in a wheel without dish disparity and a flawless chain alignment. While the budget was a priority, roughly $250, this 18.25-pound bike emerged—a silent, swift, and sheer joy to ride.
The specs:
* Frame - 1989 Trek bonded aluminum, 60cm
* Fork - ????? Kinesis? aluminum
* Wheelset - Araya 700c rims, 36-hole, Suntour LePree hubs and skewers, stainless spokes laced cross 4
* Tires - Maxxis
* Crank - 170mm Takagi road triple modified into a fixed gear single (ground the inside of the spider flush!)
* B.B. - Shimano UN-51
* Gears - Ultegra 39t chainring, Suntour 14t track cog - both 3/32"
* Pedals - cheapo Victor BMX
* Bar and Tape - Profile with Cinelli cork ribbon
* Stem - Kalloy Uno, graphics polished off
* Brakes - Specialized in-line lever pulling a NOS Shimano 600 caliper
* Seat and Post - LBS take-off seat with cro-mo rails, NOS Kalloy aero post