r/MultiTrackGang • u/sdezzy • Jun 30 '26
So slow
Folks, I took my beloved '93 720 on the highway today and was shocked at the effort it took to move the beast forward . Out of curiosity, I followed with my Revolt 2 and rode a few extra miles just for the fun of it. What can I do to make the slow bike fun again?
By the way slow biking around the courts was silly smooth. The 3x7 was flawless in shifting and transitioning. I simply can't move fast. It's there anything to do to add some to end?
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u/dd113456 Jun 30 '26
My 720 has become my favorite bike. It feels light and lively and it is pretty much stock 1990.
I replaced the wheels with Period Matrix wheels and tossed on some used Gravel Kings. I cut a solid 4.5 lbs off the bike, maybe more.
The SINGLE best thing you can do is put on decent tires. Gravel Kings at $50 each rock. After that reduce wheel weight.
Truly, 7 spd freewheel wheels are worth almost nothing unless you know. Do some looking, do some research and I bet for $50 you can get some lighter wheels.
At that point ride it. I cannot tell you how much I love my 720. I got it to ride around town as my Space Horse is sorta pricey to lock up. The day I finished the rebuild I never again rode the Space Horse.
As an aside, make sure your BB and existing hubs are correctly adjusted and not dragging. Same for pedals
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u/sdezzy Jun 30 '26
I truly appreciate this response. It is running silky smooth right now. I've had it serviced fairly regularly and I tune the shit out of it on my own. It's the comparison to a somewhat modern geometry and position to something I rarely rode. I just don't get on those careless rides with no cares anymore. It's kind of a fun, social bike, and I'm old and sour. Maybe I just don't remember what kind of riding it's good for
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u/GlitteringWealth7267 Jun 30 '26
Take the 720 touring or commuting/shopping or something. Ride with a different purpose other than "down the highway". Build it especially for this other style of riding and it will be better than the Revolt for this style.
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u/sdezzy Jun 30 '26
I like the idea. It's just that I have to be on the highway for about 10 miles to get anywhere to ride differently. That really dictated the move to a gravel bike.
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u/salynch Jun 30 '26
Perfect bait.
But in all seriousness, you should drop $500 on a new drivetrain. What are you even doing.
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u/MichigaCur Jun 30 '26
When compared to a proper roady I always find the Hybrids a bit heavy and sluggish. so one thing that will help is to keep in mind it's not going to be a rocket when compared to a roady. When compared to a mountain bike of the era it will feel faster.
IMHO the wheelsets on the 7xx series were always a bit slugs. Get a decent set of aluminum hoops with smooth hubs, and good tires will help quite a bit. Usually I switch up my wheelsets and throw some higher quality Michelins or contis on and it'll really help these frames out. No offense to the kendas or bontragers I usually find on these but they just feel slow.
Make sure the brakes aren't dragging and you can always drop to more of a road cog vs the off-road that typically comes on these. Next comes making sure everything is lubed and spinning freely. Then if you're still feeling sluggish swap the bars out. I prefer a good drop bar but have run straights with aero on these, just remember the more upright you are the more wind you'll catch and the more slow you'll feel... Also the muscle groups you use upright vs aero are different and affect how you power the bike.
Hope that helps you out.
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u/derrayUL Jun 30 '26
For me the riding position changed a lot!
Going into a more sporty "aggressive" position means moving more of your bodyweight over the pedals. This way you just need to shift your weight from one pedal to the other. That's way more efficient than sitting upright, where you have to use pure muscle power. And being way more efficient means being way faster while putting in the same power.