Vintage Trek Chainwheel change

[g4geoff]

I have a 70's Aluminium Trek 1000 with 10 gears, now I am getting rather long in the tooth I could do with more gear options. All the parts concerned are Campagnolo - what is my best options, change double chainwheel for triple, change cassette or both - are such changes possible - I am no bike mechanic???!

 

[Roadrider48]

You could get a triple chainring and that would give you lower gearing for easier pedalling. You could also do that and match it to a new compatable 10 speed cassette, or match it to your existing cassette. There may be a rear derailleur and chain issue as well. But it can be done.

 

[fossyant]

Trek didn't exist in the 70s nor did alloy frames. Do you mean 90s

 

[RecordAceFromNew]

According to this the oldest Trek 1000 is from around 1986 not 70's. A 87 catalogue from the same site shows it is a 12 speed, but it might have an ultra 6 freewheel so the rear dropout spacing might be for standard 5 speed and why you are running it as a 10 speed. I think this is quite an important issue to check (i.e. what the rear dropout spacing is, whether it is 120mm or 126mm, corresponding to 5 and 6 speed respectively). It is important because a) one really shouldn't try to force a wider hub on an aluminium frame, and b) the choice of 5 and 6 speed freewheels is vastly different.

Either way, with Campag parts it is probably worth maintaining as much originality/period correctness as possible, and to achieve that it is easiest to change the freewheel for a lower geared one if possible. If the rear spacing is 120mm then you are constrained to pick from 5 speed freewheels, depending on what the largest sprocket is there currently, a new one with a 28T sprocket (which are commonly available) might offer adequately lower gearing if what you have now is a closely spaced racing cluster, if not you might have to look for rare freewheels such as this. If the rear spacing is 126mm, the choice is much greater and freewheels with large sprocket up to 34T are readily available, but you will likely have to change the rear mech to adopt something like that. A larger large sprocket at the back will likely require a new, longer chain.

 

[Gravity Aided]

Pardon me, but Trek did exist in the 70's, but not the Trek !000, which I remember in the mid-80's
1977 catalog cover;

Building bicycles in a converted barn in Waterloo, Wisconsin. All silver soldered hand made lugged frames.
Here's a good site for history on Trek
http://www.vintage-trek.com/TrekBrochures.htm

 

[g4geoff]

Trek didn't exist in the 70s nor did alloy frames. Do you mean 90s

Sorry I thought it must have been the 70's when I bought it - obviously wrong.

 

[g4geoff]

According to this the oldest Trek 1000 is from around 1986 not 70's. A 87 catalogue from the same site shows it is a 12 speed, but it might have an ultra 6 freewheel so the rear dropout spacing might be for standard 5 speed and why you are running it as a 10 speed. I think this is quite an important issue to check (i.e. what the rear dropout spacing is, whether it is 120mm or 126mm, corresponding to 5 and 6 speed respectively). It is important because a) one really shouldn't try to force a wider hub on an aluminium frame, and b) the choice of 5 and 6 speed freewheels is vastly different.

Either way, with Campag parts it is probably worth maintaining as much originality/period correctness as possible, and to achieve that it is easiest to change the freewheel for a lower geared one if possible. If the rear spacing is 120mm then you are constrained to pick from 5 speed freewheels, depending on what the largest sprocket is there currently, a new one with a 28T sprocket (which are commonly available) might offer adequately lower gearing if what you have now is a closely spaced racing cluster, if not you might have to look for rare freewheels such as this. If the rear spacing is 126mm, the choice is much greater and freewheels with large sprocket up to 34T are readily available, but you will likely have to change the rear mech to adopt something like that. A larger large sprocket at the back will likely require a new, longer chain.

 

[g4geoff]

Thanks for all the information and correcting my poor memory on the date. I will check all the suggestions and measurements and let you know the result.