A New Respect

I picked the frame for Project Blackbird yesterday. Cobbled it together and got it on the road so I could see how it rides. Talk about a kludge. It wouldn't shift gears. I had to add links to the chain. Only one brake worked. It's a patch work of parts I had laying around and parts I borrowed from the Somec. It looks like a circus bike. Yellow handlebar tape and brake cable housing. Purple frame. White weels, one with a blue tire and one with a red tire. Brown brake levers and a white seat.

I can't believe how well it rides. It has that silky smooth feel that so many die-hard lugged steel frame aficionados speak of. The frame is an old (1984 according to the serial number and Vintage Trek.com) Trek 760, one of their top of the line racing frames. It's made of Reynolds 531 tubing, which until now I've paid little attention to. I'm a fan of Columbus tubing and Italian steel frames, my Somec being a good example. But this thing is really comfy, and I think you could easily do a century on it. It accelerates when you step on it, and its stable. My respect for Trek went up a few notches. No wonder they're so common. But don't expect me to go and trade in my Cervelo just yet.

Tags: Reynolds 531, Reynolds Frame