Newbie member with a TREK 5200 USPS

Afternoon all.
New member here. Just started a project to rebuild a 1999 TREK 5200 in USPS livery as ridden by the maligned Mr Armstrong.
Always wanted this bike before the drugs were proven and despite that I still think it is an iconic bike. But thats just me.
Anyway. I bought the frameset last year and so gar have been unable to get much time for the build however I have put a set of Ksyrium heliums on and Deda stem and bars. I was going to do a neo retro build but now not sure if I should go with a full original restoration?!
I would be interested in any thoughts or guidance on where I should go with it.

3 Attachments

I would go modern shimano groupset, gumwall tyres, and resist all temptation to put any more colour accented parts on.

I can see why you have picked that stem to match the decals but overall I do wonder if it works. From a distance maybe close up not sure.

In any case it's a lovely frame and the colour scheme means a nice silver groupset (shimano Dura ace 7700/7800/7900 and silver hubs and spokes would be lovely).

Deep section wheelswould look fine too but silver hubs and spokes and so would gum wall tyres.

Modern groupsets are very black. That with black wheels and then you have to match the bars, stem and tape in black it just make the standout frame less standout. Kind of tricky as this is all subjective.

Another vote for modern. With a plain frame you can get shouty with the parts but as above, on a frame that loud, keep it simple with the rest.

I have one the same colour. It sparkles in sunlight. It reminds me a bit of a dodgem at the fairground.

Mine needs a respray which is on the to do list. Way down the to do list

Always wanted this bike before the drugs were proven and despite that I still think it is an iconic

I don’t think the bike took drugs.

polish the stem.to give the neo retro look. Let the frame standout not the cockpit

1 Attachment

I like these. Personal approach would be silver rims and gumwalls, silver finishing kit, white saddle and bartape.

Raccoon tail and bandana obviously go without saying.

Hi
Thanks for the comments. I thought the cockpit might draw attention! It is quite bling but I tbink it might work. However it can be changed should I change my mind. Keep any other suggestions coming. Or if any one has a NOS blue USPS saddle or some DA7800/7900 kicking around let me know!
Cheers
Mick

inspo / coincidence:

https://www.lfgss.com/comments/15258389/

Full yellow US Postal skinsuit and aero helmet every time you ride it please

🤣😅🤣😂
You will never see that!
Not enough money in the world!

This^

Thanks for the photos. Given me some insights of different looks!

Sup bro. I'm on the same boat here. My first road bike was a 5200 back in the day.

Fast forward to 2015 I got myself the same 5500 you've got. It came with full 7700 but not 100% true to the 1999 bike (i.e. it head a threadless headset instead of threaded).

I rode it for about a year as such, stripped it, went modern (Columbus minimal fork, Dura ace 9000, zipp 808s, etc). As a matter of fact, my profile pic here on LFGSS is me racing a crit on that bike in its second iteration.

Fast forward a bit, that bike got stripped and I went full, 100% true to, 1999 bike build. That include sourcing out what was an incredibly hard to find one inch thread cutter (thanks Mattias!) and an even harder shop willing to give the threading a go (thanks TLC near Clapham Common!).

The bike is now exactly as per the 1999 pics you'll find on the webz. Right headset, stem, bars, bar tape, groupset, sick Mavic Heliums (you'll find pictures of the team riding heliums (red hubs and rims) and some other mavics. I went for heliums cause of how the red worked with the frame).

Aaaaaanywho, that project has kept me busy for the past five years. I still ride that bike and love it to bits.

Shout if I can help.

Thanks. You have given me some ideas for different looks etc.

Thanks thats really great.
Yeah I have the heliums to, knowing they were ridden by the team. I like the red in them to also another reason why I went for the bars and stem to. But am hoping the rest of the build will keep it balanced

This is my old one, 2/3 years ago - weighed basically nothing with all the carbon

I’d say build it how you like - as long as you ride it ;-)

ridden by the maligned Mr Armstrong

What, why? He won so many TdF's and despite the illnesses and all that.

Subbed to this.

Which campag shifters are you running there? No issues with that setup??

Good luck, they are excellent frames!

Seeing all these makes me want to get 50mm rims

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/346282/

And almost makes me regret the respray of mine.

What, why? He won so many TdF's and despite the illnesses and all that

This is rad

Dura Ace 7700 is 🔥 and can be had at a decent price.

Depends how much you're going to ride it really-if it's your main bike I'd be more inclined to go modern, if not then retro groupset with a bit of a weight or performance penalty is fun for a change.