New subscriber - just found your channel from GCN. The Armstrong era is my favorite era of cycling, born out of me being a kid and watching the tour on the tele with my dad. It bestowed in me a love of cycling. I think your thoughts on Lance are spot on. Flawed characters all around, all drinking the same steroid cocktail. It's hard to watch old TDF videos and not think "damn, this is fun". I'm a proud owner of my own Postal OCLV (I believe mine is from 2002?) and it's a blast to take it out on rides. I have had the misfortune of being "the guy on the Lance bike who got dropped". Fun video.
Thanks for this video ! Keep them coming :) About Lance, I don't think he was stripped from his titles solely because he was doping. He was sanctioned also for being a bully, for threatening pretty much everyone who suggested he was doping back then, and also because he was untouchable during this time when being such good friends with the president of UCI (Verbrugge I think his name was). None of the other big dopers (Riis, Pantani, Ullrich,..) had that much power over the peloton.
Lifetime warranty is correct! I got T-boned by a vehicle in Belgium and crushed the downtube. Trek sent me a new, 7 time winner, version of the Madone. It rides ok, but miss the OCLV! That was the best.
Bucket of water with some Sonax car wash shampoo always at the ready, a Wheel Woolies large 18” brush and lastly a leaf blower to finish the job…that’s how we keep our bikes clean over here in the colonies when the weather gets ugly.
I only like steel frames, but this frameset is for sure an exception in my book and if I ever come across one, I would totally buy it. And I fully agree with your comments about Lance!
I have one of these frames in the loft, love it, thank you for the video! I *think* I’ve found the correct headset for it as unfortunately it’s different to what’s in my 2002 OCLV. Fingers crossed.
I might be wrong (and I often am...) but the early `99 Postal Treks used a quill stem 1", then after a few months they switch to 1" ahead stems (mines a quill with ahead adaptor), get it down from the loft and dust it off...
The 99 version of the Trek is a favorite and often sell at a higher price. The sun looks nice there and hope you stay warm. As far as Lance goes he's not my favorite rider but it's not fair to hang the doping blame squarely on his back. Personally, I think Delgado was the first of the modern day doping techniques and he mentored Indurain who seems to get a free pass somehow. The doping was widespread and no one is able to completely identify a non doper deserving of being a clear winner.
Hi there - great videos, I am really enjoying these. I recently aquired a Trek 5500 commemerative ed. with chips on the underside of the top tube. The chips are where the previous owner had secured his cables via zp ties. I want to stop any further chipping - its a gorgeous bike. What brake cable routing do you use and how do you secure the cables on your Trek?
Good question, the paint on OCLV`s is very soft - think you just have to accept a bit of cable wear - fixing the paint can lead to a lot of issues as I`ve just found out, Dan
Dan many thanks for your reply - do you have a video on that. Any thoughts re reducing furture wear at the point of contact? (i thought maybe putting tape underneath the zip tie). Even if its not worth filling the hole, the chips are large enough, I would be happy to just prevent it spreading @@vintagevelos9517
I just saw your latest vid - great timing! Your 5500 looks great, so the touch up to the frame's paint definitely worked well How are your cables secured? I couldn't see from the video.
The brake clip insert to hold the cable were never used - one is missing. I am thinking of buying a new insert and using both to avoid the zip ties. And maybe I would touch up the paint chip
Very much like the classic frame on these. Do you worry that the fork might break, if its full carbon that is? I stopped riding my 2003 Wilier alpe d’huez for this reason not so long ago.
Hmmmm..... its sometimes a thought in the back of my head - I often research failing parts (they often get mentioned on forums -Kinetics death forks, Ava death stems etc.) - I always check the junction of the carbon fork to the fork tube - at this age steel to carbon not full carbon, looking for any delamination, whitening or issues - these Treks are pretty much bomb proof unless heavily crashed - though if in doubt, get a professional to check the condition.
I don't hate the prick for doping I hate him for being an out and out bully. The way he treated even those he called "friends" was and still is appalling....love the bike tho but i'd have a Hincapie version. Still a doper but a nice doper 😏✌️😉
For sure Armstrong was an aggresive bully to those around him - Hamilitons book highlights a lot of his behaviour - fuelled no doubt by the team managements win at all costs drive.
I sometimes wonder if Armstrong was always a bully or if it resulted from the strong treatment and extreme regime he put himself through to recover from Cancer? You are right that a lot of riders who undoubtedly doped get a free pass.
@@berenicebaker7191 I believe he was super competitive from his early triathalon days well before cancer - Booby Jullich talks about Lances early days in some interviews
Ah, good question - depends who you ask, I`d put the Trek firmly in the "vintage Vault" - depending on the set up and how you match your gear and clothing to match - as long as people look at it think "cool ride" your pretty much there, unless its steel and they its always there.... Dan
Plenty of the darker blue US Postal kit on ebay, the whiter stuff also comes up on ebay, just have to be patient (the light coloured gear is not made by any repro merchants so period stuff only), Dan.
Hmmm... the price is right for an unwridden example(assuming you don`t want to ride it much) but thats not the most desirable gruppo - personal choice on this one, Dan@@SergeyB07745
@@vintagevelos9517 it's tough because I love the frame and as soon as I lose the granny gear I can turn it into a good winter bike like you have done but I think 1500 is too high for this...
my bike is falling apart at the moment. i dont even own a car, i ride literally everywhere i need to go(and have done so for almost 10 years now), i should take a little better care of my bike huh? my right side hood is TAPED on :/ tomorrow.. tomorrow is bike maintenance day!
i dont think lance armstrong was alone breaking the rules then. he was a jerk about it at every opportunity, but many other people did the same (to lesser degrees mainly). anyway, he sucks, but we can all talk about him and the other clear dopers of that time without crying about it right? maybe?
Nothing as middle range frame, is a top noch TDF winner. Really nice indeed!
New subscriber - just found your channel from GCN. The Armstrong era is my favorite era of cycling, born out of me being a kid and watching the tour on the tele with my dad. It bestowed in me a love of cycling. I think your thoughts on Lance are spot on. Flawed characters all around, all drinking the same steroid cocktail. It's hard to watch old TDF videos and not think "damn, this is fun". I'm a proud owner of my own Postal OCLV (I believe mine is from 2002?) and it's a blast to take it out on rides. I have had the misfortune of being "the guy on the Lance bike who got dropped". Fun video.
Awesome, as long as you can look past the obvious doping its an era full of fascinating characters, Dan
Thanks for this video ! Keep them coming :)
About Lance, I don't think he was stripped from his titles solely because he was doping. He was sanctioned also for being a bully, for threatening pretty much everyone who suggested he was doping back then, and also because he was untouchable during this time when being such good friends with the president of UCI (Verbrugge I think his name was). None of the other big dopers (Riis, Pantani, Ullrich,..) had that much power over the peloton.
No Sabes Lo Que Dices 🤦🤦🤦
Very nice! I’ve got my US Postal Trek 5200 well under 8kg. Rides like a dream!
Under 8kg - nice... Dan
the roads are bad here in asheville NC USA, but they look much worse there. i wish we all had safer roads. great content. absolutely great.
Greetings from Kuala Lumpur. Just discovered the channel. Great content. Keep it up!
I had one for a few years. Mine weighed 7.5kg, i did the etap du tour on it. Fantastic bike.
Lifetime warranty is correct! I got T-boned by a vehicle in Belgium and crushed the downtube. Trek sent me a new, 7 time winner, version of the Madone. It rides ok, but miss the OCLV! That was the best.
OCLV - bombproof unless you drive a car over it!
Bucket of water with some Sonax car wash shampoo always at the ready, a Wheel Woolies large 18” brush and lastly a leaf blower to finish the job…that’s how we keep our bikes clean over here in the colonies when the weather gets ugly.
Yep, that would do the job - being motivated enough to do it as soon as you get back really helps but rarely happens... Dan
I only like steel frames, but this frameset is for sure an exception in my book and if I ever come across one, I would totally buy it. And I fully agree with your comments about Lance!
Its looks very classic and pretty for a carbon bike - feels stiff and quite heavy on the road though
Naa no es una bicicleta clásica ok, clásica is 40 años old
@@vintagevelos9517I have one and mine is not heavy, well able to keep with modern bikes
Lance was singled out and made an example of because he's an American with seven wins in THE race.
Never once did I see my postie delivering mail on one of these !
Lol 🤣 😂😁
Would have been neat and perhaps faster though...
I have one of these frames in the loft, love it, thank you for the video! I *think* I’ve found the correct headset for it as unfortunately it’s different to what’s in my 2002 OCLV. Fingers crossed.
I might be wrong (and I often am...) but the early `99 Postal Treks used a quill stem 1", then after a few months they switch to 1" ahead stems (mines a quill with ahead adaptor), get it down from the loft and dust it off...
@@vintagevelos9517 thats correct... 👌👍
I have a 2002, Trek 5200 in Smoke Carbon finish and triple chain rings that I’m in the process of overhauling.
Nice - my brother has the exact same year 5200 in the smoke and blue - its a great ride, Dan
That’s a sweet ride you’ve got there, I’ve been on the hunt for one but they are scarce in Aus.
Yep, quite something to ride - its available to purchase at www.vintage-velo.org - take a look, probably able to ship it to Aus, Dan
@@vintagevelos9517 I shall.
The 99 version of the Trek is a favorite and often sell at a higher price. The sun looks nice there and hope you stay warm. As far as Lance goes he's not my favorite rider but it's not fair to hang the doping blame squarely on his back. Personally, I think Delgado was the first of the modern day doping techniques and he mentored Indurain who seems to get a free pass somehow. The doping was widespread and no one is able to completely identify a non doper deserving of being a clear winner.
Yep, I think you are correct - the scourge of EPO was prevalent in most teams by `92 - not sure how Indurain has ducked the scrutiny over the years...
I think that Stephen Roche was a doper too but got away with it.
Hi there - great videos, I am really enjoying these.
I recently aquired a Trek 5500 commemerative ed. with chips on the underside of the top tube. The chips are where the previous owner had secured his cables via zp ties. I want to stop any further chipping - its a gorgeous bike. What brake cable routing do you use and how do you secure the cables on your Trek?
Good question, the paint on OCLV`s is very soft - think you just have to accept a bit of cable wear - fixing the paint can lead to a lot of issues as I`ve just found out, Dan
Dan many thanks for your reply - do you have a video on that. Any thoughts re reducing furture wear at the point of contact? (i thought maybe putting tape underneath the zip tie). Even if its not worth filling the hole, the chips are large enough, I would be happy to just prevent it spreading @@vintagevelos9517
I just saw your latest vid - great timing!
Your 5500 looks great, so the touch up to the frame's paint definitely worked well
How are your cables secured? I couldn't see from the video.
The brake clip insert to hold the cable were never used - one is missing. I am thinking of buying a new insert and using both to avoid the zip ties. And maybe I would touch up the paint chip
Should do the trick, Dan@@DonnachaHennessy
Very much like the classic frame on these. Do you worry that the fork might break, if its full carbon that is? I stopped riding my 2003 Wilier alpe d’huez for this reason not so long ago.
Hmmmm..... its sometimes a thought in the back of my head - I often research failing parts (they often get mentioned on forums -Kinetics death forks, Ava death stems etc.) - I always check the junction of the carbon fork to the fork tube - at this age steel to carbon not full carbon, looking for any delamination, whitening or issues - these Treks are pretty much bomb proof unless heavily crashed - though if in doubt, get a professional to check the condition.
Nice looking bike that
Classic...
I don't hate the prick for doping I hate him for being an out and out bully. The way he treated even those he called "friends" was and still is appalling....love the bike tho but i'd have a Hincapie version. Still a doper but a nice doper 😏✌️😉
For sure Armstrong was an aggresive bully to those around him - Hamilitons book highlights a lot of his behaviour - fuelled no doubt by the team managements win at all costs drive.
I sometimes wonder if Armstrong was always a bully or if it resulted from the strong treatment and extreme regime he put himself through to recover from Cancer? You are right that a lot of riders who undoubtedly doped get a free pass.
@@berenicebaker7191 I believe he was super competitive from his early triathalon days well before cancer - Booby Jullich talks about Lances early days in some interviews
When does a bike become vintage? I have a 2005 Trek 5.9
Ah, good question - depends who you ask, I`d put the Trek firmly in the "vintage Vault" - depending on the set up and how you match your gear and clothing to match - as long as people look at it think "cool ride" your pretty much there, unless its steel and they its always there.... Dan
Where can I get that kit it would be perfect for my white/blue 5500
Plenty of the darker blue US Postal kit on ebay, the whiter stuff also comes up on ebay, just have to be patient (the light coloured gear is not made by any repro merchants so period stuff only), Dan.
Found one at my LbS , never ridden from 99, he’s asking 1500. What’s a fair price?
Is that complete or just a frame - if complete what groupset and parts, Dan
Complete. 3x Ultegra 9sp standard .
Hmmm... the price is right for an unwridden example(assuming you don`t want to ride it much) but thats not the most desirable gruppo - personal choice on this one, Dan@@SergeyB07745
@@vintagevelos9517 it's tough because I love the frame and as soon as I lose the granny gear I can turn it into a good winter bike like you have done but I think 1500 is too high for this...
@@SergeyB07745 Probably, Dan
Ooh! By the way, how old are you ? Are you as vintage as I am?
I`d put me at mid vintage, Dan.
my bike is falling apart at the moment. i dont even own a car, i ride literally everywhere i need to go(and have done so for almost 10 years now), i should take a little better care of my bike huh? my right side hood is TAPED on :/ tomorrow.. tomorrow is bike maintenance day!
You need to upgrade that fork. Last person I saw with this had a bad crash. The fork is no longer valid for use.
Hmmm... originality or upgrade... I pulled it out and checked for any sign of defects but all good at the time of inspection, Dan
Froome doped like crazy too
i dont think lance armstrong was alone breaking the rules then. he was a jerk about it at every opportunity, but many other people did the same (to lesser degrees mainly). anyway, he sucks, but we can all talk about him and the other clear dopers of that time without crying about it right? maybe?
Go Lance!!!