The 38mm Bontrager Hard-case tires are well-suited for the tarmac and will offer a smooth ride on light gravel. Snapping through the gears was a breeze with the Dura-Ace bar-cons and Alivio/Deore derailers all meshing nicely. French is my first language, I don’t get everything right Thank you for writing this review. Your email address will not be published. The brakes are Hayes CX Expert mechanical discs, with levers from Tektro, just as on the comparably priced Kona Sutra, which I reviewed in May 2014. To improve your shopping experience today and in the future, this site uses cookies. These are among the top mechanical disc brakes in the market, offering an option that is easier to fix than hydraulics when you’ve been on a beaten track. Whereas most manufacturers abide by international tire clearance standards- at least 4mm of space- Trek adds an extra 2mm so that you can potentially fit 54mm tires in the 520. FRAME SIZE: TIG-welded butted Chromoly in sizes 48, 51, 54, 57, and 60cm Trek has been supplying its customers with quality long-distance bikesfor more than three decades. You can go bigger if you want, but I found the Hard-Cases well suited to my rides around Albuquerque. The 48×11 top gear is built for powering down hills while the Alivio rear derailleur and Sora gear lever pairing work nicely together. The ride was relaxed but responsive — just the ticket for those impromptu coast-to-coast getaways — and the Bontrager AW1 Hard-Cases felt surprisingly plush for an all-weather, puncture-resistant 32mm tire. Join the conversation. Trek says, "Madone SLR 9 Disc is the hero of the road disc revolution. Biking with Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My. For a generation the idea was loading up a stalwart Trek 520 and following the pavement wherever it took you. Not to mention the lifetime warranty provided by Trek that ensures you can get your bike checked by experts whenever it develops a malfunction. The Trek 520 is a functional touring bike with improved features that will serve you well on long-distance rides. If you are planning a long bike tour with a significant load, the 520 has the right geometry for a comfortable ride. The Trek 920 blurs the line between “gravel” bikes and loaded touring bikes. The Alivio derailer may not be sexy, “but it is functional, reliable, and easy to find an economical replacement for, should the need ever arise,” said David Studner, Trek’s assistant product manager for city bikes. As you might expect, this venerable touring bike has seen a few changes since 1983, when Ronald Reagan was in the White House and I was in the newspaper business. Read more from and about Patrick O'Grady here. The grounds for this move, I believe, could be since Deore has currently moved on to 10-speed, there are no Shimano STI shifters that will pair with the 10-speed Deodre drivetrain parts. And, because this is a Trek, you’ll see a lot of Bontrager bits too, as in just about everything else. You, Trek, the world's greatest athletes, 140 characters. The good thing is that despite the chipping of the paint, the metal underneath does not rust easily. The Trek 520 geometry and frame of the bicycle provide you with a smooth ride on a bumpy road and can still take on mild dirt trails when fully loaded. “Thirty-four consecutive years in the product line; no other Trek model comes close to that track record,” he said. Thus, the disc-brake model is the only one you’ll see at your local dealer. And because pedals and a rear rack are included in the $1,360 price tag, you’ll be ready to roll as soon as the credit card clears. A majority of the components on this bike are either Shimano or Bontrager. This workhorse is perfect for the daily trip to work, or places far beyond. The Blendr-compatible stem lets you mount lights, computers, and accessories above or below the faceplate. The product lines offer highly accurate and cost-effective electrostatic detection and measurement solutions for your semiconductor, aerospace, automotive, medical, defense, PV solar, test, and measurement applications. It's the longest-running model in Trek's lineup, and it's built to carry you and your gear on your longest journeys. Trek's 520 Disc is a steel touring bike built for epic adventures. Its classic touring geometry has stood the test of time and is considered a cult classic by many. Another feature you’ll like is the 36-spoke Bontrager Affinity rims, which add to the 520’s sturdy build. The 520 is perfect for long-distance bicycle tours or for the daily commute. Hi! There are a few exceptions. After years of using a Trek FX 7.2 (for daily commute and weekend tours) I decided to upgrade to a touring bike (same kind of use, but in the spring I plan to do the GAP). A 57cm fit me like an old slipper, with an assist from the short-reach, shallow-drop Bontrager VR-C bar. Test Rides & Repairs: Because we have a smaller, focused professional staff and a smaller space than many shops, we suggest emailing or calling before visiting to test ride, especially in the off season, inclement weather, or for trikes, tandems, recumbent, and used bikes. The advantage here is that these parts are relatively inexpensive and easy to replace. You, Trek, the world's greatest athletes, 140 characters. That 1985 560 was an eye-popping purple and yellow, like a bruise with wheels, which seemed oddly appropriate as my years spent working a series of copy desks had left me looking a bit puffy. The Trek 520 touring bike shows its more adventurous ambitions with its gearing, which has gone lower than before. Gearing is what you’d expect from a touring bike with more than three decades on the road — a 48/36/26T triple up front and an 11–32T cassette in back. What if I weight 84-86kg? I do have an aesthetic problem with that Alivio front derailer — it looks boxy, cheap, and clunky, especially sitting next to that triple crank with its equally obtrusive chainguard — but the solution is to avoid looking down while riding. The Trek 520 is a bike you can take a chance on! Really, a steel frame and aluminium fork?Aluminium is a dirty word in the bike travel world, but the thing is – broken aluminium forks that are designed for the purpose of touring are about as rare as hen’s teeth. Trust me. Whether it's full-blown touring or the daily commute, the Trek 520 Disc Adventure Road Bike 2018 is designed to be the ultimate steel touring bike. It doesn’t get better than this when it comes to frame stiffness on a touring bike. You’ll find quite a few Shimano components on the 520 — 36-hole M475 hubs with quick-release skewers, Deore M590 triple crankset, Alivio and Deore derailers, Dura-Ace bar-end shifters, and a nine-cog HG50 cassette. Limber up those fingers and go. If biking and staying fit is your priority, too, you’ve come to the right place. We also liked the 48/36/26t Alivio mountain bike chainset, which comes with a tiny 26t internal chainring instead of a Shimano 105 road bike 50/39/30. I’m sloppy about shifting, generally slouching around in the middle ring until some emergency arises, but with the Trek I found I wanted to be in the little ring if using the 28T or 32T cog to keep a clean chainline and avoid the occasional auto-downshift from the middle ring. An easily chipped paint job is not something you want on a touring bike given the prolonged exposure to elements involved. Shimano Deore LX and Deore components take care of shifting and braking. The Pacific awaits. After a while, I forgot that my ’85 560 looked like the upshot of a hard left to the ribs and just rode the bike. Or you could save yourself the time, hassle, and expense, and go with the instant gratification of the modern 520 to get started on your own midlife escape from the Potomac. Designed for comfort and durability with low touring mounts on the front and rear to stabilise heavy loads, the 520 Disc is more than capable of hitting the road less travelled. BRAKE TYPE: TRP Spyre C2.0 mechanical discs I started a bike shop in Denver, CO, and have seen amazing growth over the last few years. re- to a flat touring market and in. These cable-operated brakes utilize a special design that pulls the two brake pads simultaneously, providing a breaking performance close to hydraulic brakes system. Your email address will not be published. Following suit, the 1120 was a natural progression for Trek. Twenty-three years later, the descendant of Lamb’s bike seems equally well suited to adventures large and small. An Adventure Called Bicycling: Trek 520 Touring Bike Review Trust me. Let me know what you think in the comments below & Don't forget to subscribe!! 520 is a steel touring bike made for the open road. I don’t see the Hayes mechanicals as often as I do the Avids, but they impressed me on the Kona Sutra and I like them here too. Download bike photo. Its durability, comfort, style, and combination of convenient features make it all the worthwhile. There are a few exceptions. © 1997-2021 Adventure Cycling Association, a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization. I think I just didn't know enough about the Nishiki company to go that route. However, a controversial feature on the this model is the step down from the Shimano Deodre gears to Alivio. After a while, I forgot that my ’85 560 looked like the upshot of a hard left to the ribs and just rode the bike. With three bikes in the British brand’s touring … 520 is a steel touring bike made for the open road. The rack that comes on this bike is a Bontrager BackRack Deluxe L. This adventure bike comes with Hayes mechanical disc brakes to help stop you and all your gear. For a couple of years after I bought the 520… It ensures that the quick release wheel is perfectly aligned in the fork, as is the case in a thru-axle system. Required fields are marked *. If you no longer have access to the email address call our memberships department at (800) 755-2453 or email us at memberships@adventurecycling.org. Welcome to the unofficial Vintage-Trek* bicycle web site. The price may also be a bit costly for those who are on a budget. Why mess with success? Does that mean it won’t be good for me. Trek offer its customers only one touring bike option, the Trek 520. Trek 520 Disc Adventure Road Bike 2018. With sizes ranging from 48cm to 63cm, fit shouldn’t be an issue for most customers. 520 is a steel touring bike made for the open road. Trek's 520 touring bike is a perennial favorite among long-distance riders, commuters, and adventurers. February 3, 2015. Download bike photo. This is an article by Simon Withers from bikeradar.com. 520. It only made sense that I expanded my reach and got online, making it possible for me to help people all over the world. What impressed us about this bike is that the gear ratios have been improved. If you've ever wanted to cross a continent on two wheels, then the Trek 520 Disc is the bike to make your dreams come true. The bike maintains the usual Chromoly frame, with the break from tradition being an aluminum alloy fork as opposed to the previously used steel forks. The brakes have also been upgraded to TRP Spyre-C calipers.