Hi everyone,

Thought I'd post this here, first.

I'm letting go of my favorite bike. It's been wall art since I got it a couple years ago, a pleasure to look at, but never ridden. It needs to go to a good home where it will be ridden, TOURED, like it was designed to. I have another identical frame, yet much worse for the wear, and have been too apprehensive to ride this one. My intention was to hold on to it until the other frame died, but I try to be a good minimalist, and can't justify sitting on a bike I may never need.

If you're thinking about buying a new touring bike, please consider this one. In my opinion, echoed by many others, this is the best era for the Trek 520. Between 1990 through 1993, these True Temper 4130 double butted lugged frames were built in Wisconsin USA.  Tire clearance is ample; at the seat stay bridge, and where the widest part of a tire would sit in the chainstays closest to the bottom bracket, it measures 55mm. The fork also mirrors these numbers. The TIG welded versions, starting in 1994, reduced this clearance.

For winter riding, I've run Nokian w240's, at 40mm wide, with full SKS P50 fenders!

No toe clip overlap.

Trek calls this a 19” frame, and indeed the bottom bracket to top tube, c-t, measures that. However, the top tube measures 55.4cm c-c. I normally ride a 54cm, and this bike is a great fit. Standover 30in. I would consider this a 54cm frame with a lowered top tube for standover clearence, much easier to get into when fully loaded.

The bike is in immaculate condition. It appears as if it were ridden for a month and put in storage. The only blemishes the frame shows is one incident of chain suck, aside from a couple really tiny nicks to the paint, and a small scrape on one of the brake hoods. I can't really get a good picture of them with my cell camera. Barely any wear to the components.

All original, with the following exceptions:

Tires/tubes replaced before I got it, I replaced all cables (stainless), bar tape (brand new), and chain(brand new). I have the original chain, which shows no signs whatsoever of stretching. I repacked the bottom bracket (with Phil's grease) and put on a new Sram PC58 which I had laying around, for the convenience of the quick link.

Everything else is original and in perfect working order.

Parts rundown, briefly:

Shimano Deore DX 7 speed front and rear derailleurs. Half step with granny gearing, (50,45,28). Hyperglide 12-28 cassette. Indexed bar end shifters. Deore DX 170mm cranks. Deore DX 36 hole hubs, 135mm. Rear frame spacing measures 132.5mm, for either road or mountain hubs. Shimano BR-MT62 cantilever brakes. Blackburn rack. MKS AR8 pedals (similar to GR9's). Bottom bracket is 68mm wide, English thread.

Link to 1990 Trek catalog, for detailed specs and geometry:

http://vintage-trek.com/images/trek/90Trek/90Trek.pdf

More pictures here:

http://s1137.photobucket.com/albums/n503/soundbiker/1990%20Trek%205...

$750.00

-Brian

fairdayacoustics@gmail.com