I picked up a 1981 Trek 412 from Mark Chance, a great guy with a lot of
bikes. I was surprised to see that it was 100% original, probably even
with the original tubes. The tires were cracked and rotting, the chain
was rusted, and the cables/housings needed replacement. Also, while
cleaning it and replacing the cables, I found that the original Suntour
VX-GT rear derailleur was bent and had a badly damaged tension wheel.
I had the front wheel trued but the galvanized spokes in the rear wheel
were siezed in the nipples, making a truing impossible without a rebuild.
Rather than rebuild a 27" wheel and then track down a 7 speed freewheel
to upgrade the existing 6 speed, I'm likely to go with 700C wheels and use
what I have. I'll need to replace the brakes, but I would prefer dual-
pivot brakes anyway.
I've since acquired a replacement VX-GT rear mech and will swap it out for
the SunTour 7 I temporarily put on the bike.
As found:
Modifications: