Trek 400 Elance-MLCB Post #462, February 15, 2020

I have always wanted a Trek 400 Elance, since 1986, when they came out. This frame was from 1985, but built for the 1986 product line. It is made of Reynolds 531 steel, like my 600 series, and has the same investment cast lugs and beautiful workmanship. This one lacks the original components. It was reconstructed after seatpost trauma at my local bike co-op. It was pretty much missing most of the components when I saw it first. It was less expensive due to the careful removal of a stuck seatpost. It had a little damage. Nothing that bears on the ride characteristics or durability.

The Elance 400 was a nice, light bicycle for the time, with a beautiful metallic blue paint job with a silver-grey head tube. It was quite a head turner in its day, well beyond the wallet of a grad student on an assistantship. I’ve seen a few over the years. They are hard to find in that 24″ size,too. But this one is pretty fine. The Bianchi will have to surrender her period set of 600. Because that 600 series Shimano will work well with this.

And the Bianchi has had her problems. I cannot get a fork to work well with this bike. I’ll wait until I can find an appropriate 700C Italian steel fork for it. It seems to have other alignment issues as well. I want to get everything resolved for the Bianchi. It’s a keeper, for sure, but it needs some careful restoration. The Elance, beside some better brake levers, proper derailleurs, crank, and chain rings, can be ready to go pretty quick. The Elance has a SunTour Spirit Rear Derailleur and cranks. It also has Shimano 600 shifters, and what looks like the original Shimano Light Action front derailleur.

How they got this thing to shift as well as it does with this flying circus of a group set is a testament to the skill and dedication of the guys at the bike co-op. But for me, I think I’ll just commit to Shimano 600 from the get-go. It is a good, reliable, practical group set. That is, unless I tripelize this Elance, as Trek did. Trek made a model of the Elance with a triple crank set by SR. That would be a possibility. I may make further study of the possibilities of that set up. That may bring this into the territory of having fenders and a rack as well.

I know I don’t have to rework or repack the bottom bracket on this bicycle. I did that as part of the work initially done on this bicycle. The headset is good as well. I know where to find replacement parts for it also. I disliked the Trek 500 Tri-Series I had, but this one will be a better stablemate to the Trek 600. The wheelbase and handling are better. I need to give this bike a better run than it got when testing. Because of the snow and ice, you know. There’s not a lot of it, but it is messy here. Spring is on the way, though. It is just a matter of time before the weather gets nice again.