My latest bicycle restoration project was this Trek 500 Tri Series built up for my son Aaron Fioritto. Last year he rode the Bike the Drive ride on his mountain bike and was jealous of the roadies flying by on his left. So I picked up this Trek 500 Tri Series from Craigslist. The bike has a Reynolds 531 frame, Shimano 600 components, SR cranks and Mavic wheels. The bike was in pretty good condition, but it would not shift and it had cyclocross tires on it.
I stripped the bike down to its frame and then rebuilt it back up. I overhauled the headseat, bottom bracket and hubs. I had my local bike shop true the wheels (I have not gained that skill yet!). Everything went back together fairly smoothly until I got to the derailleurs. This Trek model routes the rear derailleur cable through the right chainstay. You have to route the cable through a plastic guide under the bottom bracket, then into a hole in the chainstay and out the other end.
I started out with a new cable, but was unable to get it threaded successfully. It seemed to be hitting something at the end and fraying. I tipped the bike up vertically in the repair stand and tried again. I made a fresh cut on the cable and gently worked it through until I was sucessfully able to get it routed. I was pretty pleased with my patience and success, until I noticed that the cable was not routed through the plastic guide under the bottom bracket. It must have come out when I flipped the bike in the repair stand. So, with a fresh cut on the cable I had to repeat the process all over again. I did some research after the fact and found that others have had similar problems getting this task accomplished.
Next time, I think I’ll solder the end of the cable to keep it from fraying before starting the process.
This was also my first attempt at adjusting a rear derailleur. This model came with a Shimano 600 SIS setup. I found some great overall instructions on the Park Tool site. The H/L limit settings were ok, but I had to spend some time getting it to shift properly. Here are the steps I went through to get it done:
* Loosened the rear cable
* Screwed the adjusting barrel all the way in (clockwise)
* Shifted the bike to the large chain ring in the front and the smallest gear in the back (12)
* Removed slack in the cable and tightened
* Without moving the cranks, I shifted the rear derailleur up to the next cog then pedaled. It would not shift up to the next cog so…
* I shifted back, turned the adjusting barrel 1 turn counterclockwise and repeated the process over and over until it would shift up successfully
* I did this through the range of gears and kept adjusting the wire tension until it shifted smoothly
* I then shifted to the smallest chainring in the front and worked my way down through the gears in the back
Its not perfect, but for the most part it shifts smoothly. I expect I’ll have to make adjustments as he puts some mileage on the bike.
I put two new Continental tires on it and some flashy marbled yellow tape and he’s ready to ride.
Another lugged steel, vintage Trek back on the road.
*** I think this is a 500 Tri series based on the serial number and frame options, but I’m not entirely sure. If someone knows for certain, I would like the feedback.