Ye Olde Trek Rides Again, with a Sella AnAntomica even

I spent some time in the garage last week changing my old Trek 620 from a fixed gear back to its stock configuration. My intention was to get it ready to sell, on my path to just three (or maybe four) bikes. But, and there's always a but, partway through the build I got the idea to put my Soma Oxford bar on there in place of the laughably narrow stock drop bars, as a sort of trial moustache bar.

My first try was a complete failure:

It's easy to see the reason why:


With the bars flipped upright, the angle of the brakes levers and hoods is all wrong. Also, the inward bending portion is angle the wrong way, out and up instead of out and down from the stem.  I tried to do a shakedown ride through the Metro Park, but the feeling was so bad, I turned back after just a few miles.

But there was enough good here that I changed out the stem, using a threadless type stem on an adapter to get more rise, and flipped the bars over. This worked much better:

Shakedown ride #2 today was generally more successful. The bars were comfy, and the few issues I had (not forward enough, not quite wide enough, hood area still isn't very good), will be rectified by the Albastaches, I hope. If they ever get in stock.

I enjoyed the ride today, even the big 27" wheels with cheap Kenda tires seem to roll very well, punching well above their class in terms of tires and wheels. I stopped on a back road to pick up a tube that I found lying in the road, and not wanting to dig into my banana bag, just X'd it over my shoulders. So there I was, on a rough road, no paint lines, feeling all vintagey Tour de Francey on my lugged bike with big wheels and a tube over my shoulder, like in those old sepia posters, when a Toyota Camry passed me and broke the spell. Oh well.

I was planning on going further on my ride today, but six or seven miles into the ride, I could already feel my Sella SagAtomica saddle chafing my inner thighs. I changed my route and looped around to home instead, spending the last mile or two standing as much as I could. I can't ethically sell this POS saddle to anyone, so I resolved to do something about it as soon as I got home. Start with drilling some holes:

I found it very, very satisfying to take a drill to the SA logo. They should include some shoe laces with their saddles, so the unfortunate owners can try to make it work:

A quick ride up and down the street, and it seemed to feel quite a bit better. It has a much tighter profile with reduced flair now:

I'll give it another try to see if my handiwork has made it into a usable saddle (unlike how it came from the factory) At least currently, I have to say it does feel better than my rock hard, super slippery Brooks B17N.

Anyway, I still don't think the Trek will be a keeper. With the CC as a fixed gear and the VO as a geared utility bike, I have my road uses covered. As always, subject to change.

Fleet news: sold the IP-106 carbon frame. I've got four figures now burning a hole in my bike fund. Where to go with this?