Trek Multi Track 700 / Winter Commuter Part 2

Greetings and Welcome, I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday. At the end of part one I was talking about cleaning up the 700 c wheel set. So I think I`ll move onto the tires. When I was looking at new tires I told the salesman that I wanted something that would be good in slippery conditions. I was not convinced right away these tires would meet that need. Once he told me that these could be returned "for any reason" within 90 days of purchase, I thought well why not give these a try.

Above: The Specialized Trigger Sport tire has an aggressive tread along the outer edges, similar to the tires I installed on the last GT triple triangle frame bike. But the main tread (above) is this tiny diamond shape pattern. This tread pattern combined with a PSI range of 50 to 100 psi gave me the impression these might actually work well in slippery conditions. I will have plenty of opportunity to test them, as winter has finally returned to South East Michigan after taking last year off.

Above: While I was picking up cables at my "not so local bike shop" (about a 1/2 hour drive from here)I decided to purchase tires and tubes and saddle and handlebar cork tape while I was there. With my discount, and not having to pay shipping. And the fact that the saddle is a new "take off" The price was about the same. Not too shabby considering these are all Specialized brand bits. With the exception of the cables, which are bulk Jag Wire.

Above: Not that it is important (because it really is not) these tires do have attractive graphics on the side wall. These are 700 x 33 C tires, about the max width that the Ze'Fal mud guards can handle. So "all in all" I would say these tires appear to be a good match for this bike. Ok, now lets look at the derailleurs.

Above: Laura did a really good job cleaning the Shimano Altus rear derailleur. Unfortunately it will not function properly and will be replaced. But at this point I did not know this so we will get to that latter on.

Above: The Shimano Altus front derailleur cleaned up beautifully and appears to be functioning perfectly. I think I mentioned it on the face book page, but the chain I was going to use was stretched so I did replace it with a new 3/32 Schwinn Multi speed chain. Next the (first) handlebar change with safety levers. (commonly referred to these days as suicide levers)

Above: Here I have decided to clean-up and install the lighter drop handlebars off Laura's Dads bike. A huge improvement over the Wald or Schwinn? chrome drop bars. I am also using the "suicide levers" from Laura's Dads bike (World Voyageur). The main levers are take offs from one of the many Schwinn Continentals that have come and gone these past 3 years. The mirror is a take off I have been saving for ages. The (friction) stem shifters I salvaged from a bike long since forgotten.

Above: Here I have mounted or installed the Specialized Woman's road saddle. When looking at used (or take offs) Specialized saddles you can identify a woman's saddle by the diamond around the S logo. A Specialized Men's saddle will have the S logo without the surrounding diamond.

Above: I found this Axiom Transit rear rack at Treefort Bikes (online). With the automatic price match at checkout I got it for 19.77 (about 45% off). Not too shabby! I really like this rack, it is light weight. And it has a pretty good max load limit of 130 lbs. not bad for a twenty dollar rack.

Above: I added this salvaged water bottle cage which I think came off the Trek 330.

Above: Here I have taped the handlebars using Cenelli Gel cork tape and added a "BELL" brand bell compass. It took a little time to position the main levers so that the suicide levers were located close enough for a person with smaller hands to easily reach.

Above: Here the bike is assembled and ready for a road test. It has the drop bars Laura requested along with the suicide levers. Also the fenders, rack and bell along with tires that will "hopefully" perform well in slippery conditions. Also the stem mounted shifters. The idea was to build a winter ride that would duplicate the riding position of her summer road bike. As far as that part goes the build appears(ed) to be a success.

Above: I made up some white piping to cover up some bad scratches and scrapes. I used 3M white vinyl trim tape for this. Test rides are very important, especially when using reconditioned components. Running the through the gears on the work stand and checking the brakes is great. But a road test is much better as there is resistance and weight. Not to mention only a road test will show you how the bike handles and feels over all. This road test showed me I have some more "serious" work to do before I can turn it over to Laura. That is where I will pick up on the next post.

Above: Walking the bike path early this afternoon. I forgot how fast walking through snow can wear me out! LTMS

I must have been good this year because "Santa-wife" (and son) brought me an Ultrasonic parts cleaner and a complete set of cone wrenches. And as if that wasn't enough they also brought me a really cool Topeak "Alien II" multi-tool and a set of Parks brushes. And if that wasn't enough (and it really was) I also received The Book "Hollywood Rides a Bike". Which is really "Super Cool" because I LOVE old movies and old bikes :) I have been truly blessed in my life and I try real hard to remember that.

Summertime and Mackinac island are now a distant memory. So now I will do what northerners do, make the best of it (winter) and dream of springtime. I wonder if the outdoor ice rink in Milford is open? It was so mild last winter we never got to skate at all. Until next time RIDE SAFE and remember to Always....RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE Cheers Hugh

ATTENTION! Amazon Shoppers! You can HELP support this blog by simply SHOPPING on Amazon dot com using the amazon search box located at the Top Right Corner of this page. It will not effect your cost and I will receive a very small (tiny even) commission. Thanks for your support, Hugh