tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post6455951540954001730..comments2024-03-28T11:56:48.304-04:00Comments on The Retrogrouch: Trek 720 RecallBrookshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12110998345857993287noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-77776570999798550412017-02-02T12:30:40.327-05:002017-02-02T12:30:40.327-05:00I have the great pleasure of riding an original st...I have the great pleasure of riding an original style 720, model year 1985.<br />It is one of the best bikes I have ever ridden.<br />I did some upgrades, swapped to 700C wheels (36 -36 spoke count, hand built by myself and went to 8 speed cassette index bar end shifting, but overall kept the "flavor" of the original intact.<br />I initially felt some excitement when I heard Trek was resurrecting the model 720 as a touring bike but when I saw a review I was stunned by the low spoke count wheels.<br />I knew after reading that initial review that Trek was only trying to grab some of the old legend as a marketing ploy and their new bike was little more than the same old same old from the new and modern bike designers.<br />I am not impressed.<br /><br />Fellow Grouch,<br /><br />Randy RRandy Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10859292292401837535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-43818601113605110612017-01-28T11:48:50.716-05:002017-01-28T11:48:50.716-05:00They also had to make the rims heavier to make the...They also had to make the rims heavier to make them strong enough to handle the amount of dish that rear wheels need.Neil E. Hodgeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06096087090901980142noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-850556577366141072017-01-27T14:52:54.601-05:002017-01-27T14:52:54.601-05:00The problem with low-spoke-count wheels is that th...The problem with low-spoke-count wheels is that the effect of a broken spoke is more pronounced than with 32+ spokes. A single broken spoke is more likely to make a wheel go out of true, and consequently less rideable, it has only 24 (or fewer) spokes in the first place.Morlamwebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17799436150549217033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-84869851737745624272017-01-26T14:40:55.405-05:002017-01-26T14:40:55.405-05:00I am not saying 24 spoke wheels are a good idea fo...I am not saying 24 spoke wheels are a good idea for touring bikes, but spokes break due to fatigue, not because of excessive load. I would bet it is a poorly built wheel with either inadequate tension or too much play at the spoke/hub interface. A carbon fork bothers me more than 24 spoke wheels!Conradhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09297850009729752883noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-15522701643783468982017-01-26T13:05:48.659-05:002017-01-26T13:05:48.659-05:00I had broken spokes in my practice and also had ca...I had broken spokes in my practice and also had caught spokes in chain as well. Stainless steel is fairly soft material, so all safety concerns aren't as serious, which is a good thing. Broken spoke will just bend. It isn't strong enough to throw you into header in case when it traps into rotor.tumbleweed_092https://www.blogger.com/profile/03101115616028888885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-9159579066314230912017-01-26T10:42:19.659-05:002017-01-26T10:42:19.659-05:00MY bike has whatever wheels were in stock for ISO ...MY bike has whatever wheels were in stock for ISO 559 tires, but that was years ago, before I discovered the Retrogrouch and developed an appreciation for high-spoke-count wheels. I haven't counted the spokes but they're most likely 36s. Nowadays, if I were searching for a new wheel, I wouldn't go for anything less than 36, and would go with 40s front and rear if I could find them. I ride damn near everywhere and I need indestructible wheels.<br /><br />I can't remember clearly the last time that I broke a spoke. It was at least 4 years ago, probably more, and it was on a 36-spoke wheel. A single broken spoke did not end my ride nor did it appreciably bring the wheel out of true. I rode the bike daily for a week before I had time to bring it to the shop for a replacement spoke. It also has rim brakes, where's no chance of a loose spoke getting caught.<br /><br />The chance of a spoke getting caught in a disc brake does make me wonder: have any of the disc-brake proponents thought of that possibility? I've heard from many sources about disc brakes' supposed meat-slicer capability in a crash, but none of them to my knowledge have warned of the danger of loose spokes.Morlamwebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17799436150549217033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-5272172917147513342017-01-26T10:30:00.685-05:002017-01-26T10:30:00.685-05:0036/36 for me too.
I am heavy (100 kg during winte...36/36 for me too.<br /><br />I am heavy (100 kg during winter, 90 during summer) and i ride a lot of cobblestones so less than that and the wheels just fell appart. Hell, my touring bike still has 650b with "ballon" tires. Not fast, but far stronger than 700 rims.<br />Carbon fibers wheels just are not up to the task. A friend of mine just has to change a zipp rim at 500€ after just a few kilometers of cobbles.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00518909092982637229noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-11226804115105443142017-01-26T07:17:33.010-05:002017-01-26T07:17:33.010-05:00it's much easier to find matching sets of hubs...it's much easier to find matching sets of hubs and rims -- either 36/36, or 32/32. Mixing them means hunting around to find pieces one at a time - or buying pairs and ending up with extras.Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12110998345857993287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-66401244012398029392017-01-26T07:13:50.942-05:002017-01-26T07:13:50.942-05:00Exactly - like I said, I'd have been cautious ...Exactly - like I said, I'd have been cautious about using a wheel with 28 on the front, even though I was a flyweight.<br /><br />Funny thing - but rims today seem to be heavier. They've cut the number of spokes, but made the rims heavier to compensate. Rims like the old Mavic GEL280 rivaled the weight of the best carbon fiber rims today -- but the carbon rims are lousy for braking, so they are the real reason for the big push to disc brakes (which are also heavier).Brookshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12110998345857993287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-37095320380344279842017-01-26T02:09:31.805-05:002017-01-26T02:09:31.805-05:0036/36 laced on my RACING bike. Too many potholes o...36/36 laced on my RACING bike. Too many potholes on the roads, especially after winter and I'm tall and heavy.<br /><br />I have limited experience with purely racing rigs (i.e. lightweight everywhere) but my understanding is that if one is tall, heavy and stong enough, there's no way lightweight components will last for any prolonged period of time. Pity that few mfgs place info about weight limit.tumbleweed_092https://www.blogger.com/profile/03101115616028888885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-87678238561761561952017-01-25T19:31:52.182-05:002017-01-25T19:31:52.182-05:00I just go for the 36/36 anymore on everything. Hub...I just go for the 36/36 anymore on everything. Hubs of vintage quality of this count are cheap on eBay, especially the freewheel ones that I prefer.Chris Phttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03206266021301909754noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-61957820161473682142017-01-25T14:53:20.507-05:002017-01-25T14:53:20.507-05:00I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who ...I'm glad to know I'm not the only one who rides 36/32 or 36/36. Or any wheels that aren't pre-made.<br /><br />24-spoke wheels on a touring bike? I wouldn't have ridden 24 spokes on a racing bike even when I was young, skinny--and racing.Justine Valinottihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10852069587181432102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-53278180798752634882017-01-25T14:36:23.228-05:002017-01-25T14:36:23.228-05:00Thing is the new ones retail at $2400 ...so not ch...Thing is the new ones retail at $2400 ...so not cheap. Also noticed that a few of the reviewers had wheel issues...surprise, surprise<br /><br />Maybe it's an OK bike for credit card touring where you're not carrying anything or you have sag support but marketing it as a touring bike is egregious. Maybe they mean it's a bit more of a touring than a racing geometry?<br /><br />Whereas the old 80's Treks and Specialized touring bikes were superb ...older Cannondales were pretty decent, too. Designs then factored in reliabilityAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09212874875946083273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-61961024449948635502017-01-25T14:22:45.317-05:002017-01-25T14:22:45.317-05:0024 spokes....dangerous and dumb for a touring bike...24 spokes....dangerous and dumb for a touring bike<br /><br />Builtin obsolescence mentality which is obscene in my opinionAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09212874875946083273noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-88188488956111040362017-01-25T14:16:34.845-05:002017-01-25T14:16:34.845-05:00I would love a nice old 720, if the opportunity ev...I would love a nice old 720, if the opportunity ever presents itself. The new ones don't interest me at all. I've seen the notices on that recall and it had me scratching my head that what is ostensibly a touring rig was being sent out w/ 24 spoked wheels. Nuts to that.<br /><br />I have an '80 5xx frameset that has gone through numerous builds in its time with me. It finally landed on a touring-ish build and I had a set of really nice wheels made for it. I got crazy and went 36/36 on the spokes! haha, I normally follow tradition and do the same spoke counts that you do, but the rims forced my decision.<br /><br /><br />Wolf.N/Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14710395292374599493noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8492685525705691186.post-20647168889376915322017-01-25T12:58:14.121-05:002017-01-25T12:58:14.121-05:00If the human race is good at anything it is "...If the human race is good at anything it is "uninventing" well thought out ideas!Colinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01667939789517989280noreply@blogger.com