I don’t normally have much affection for early-2000s road-bike liveries, but the USPS Trek is an exception. There’s something unmistakably of-the-era about the blue and silver paint, the huge TREK logos and, inevitably, the Lance-era racing association.
This 2003 Trek 5200 USPS came to me essentially as half a bike, which made it the perfect excuse to take it somewhere a little less predictable.
Rather than rebuilding it as another period-correct road bike, I wanted something closer to a countryside messenger bike with gears: quick, light, slightly strange and capable of disappearing down lanes for a few hours.
The centrepiece is the cockpit. A Nitto Van stem is paired with a set of brilliant Nitto B824 “Metallica” bars, shortening the reach significantly from the original road-bike setup and giving the bike a much more upright, direct position. Oury grips finish it off.
The original road drivetrain has been repurposed around a simple 2x9 setup, controlled by Microshift R9 shifters. It retains plenty of Ultegra hardware, including the brakes and rear derailleur, with fresh cables throughout.
It currently sits on new 28mm Panaracer tyres. There appears to be room for 30mm rubber too, although I’d treat that as something to confirm depending on tyre and rim combination rather than a guaranteed fit.
Despite the transformation, it still weighs only around 9kg including pedals. It feels every bit as fast as that suggests — a proper little ripper so far, with a longer ride very much on the agenda.
Build
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Frame: 2003 Trek 5200 USPS, 56cm
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Cockpit: Nitto Van stem
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Handlebars: Nitto B824 “Metallica”
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Grips: Oury
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Groupset: Shimano Ultegra
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Shifters: Microshift R9
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Drivetrain: 2x9
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Tyres: New Panaracer 28mm
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Cables: Fresh throughout
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Pedals: Shimano
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Weight: Approx. 9kg with pedals
Fit
The frame is a 56cm, but the flat-bar conversion and shorter Nitto cockpit reduce the effective reach considerably compared with the original drop-bar setup.
As always with older bikes, sizing is best treated as a guide rather than an absolute. Get in touch if you want measurements before purchasing.
Condition
This is a 23-year-old bike that has been built to ride, not restored into a museum piece. There are scratches, chips, marks and general signs of use across the frame and components, all of which form part of its character. Please study the photographs carefully for condition.
A slightly odd take on one of the most recognisable race bikes of the early 2000s — less Tour de France, more blast across the countryside to the pub.
Delivery
I am happy to deliver in and around the Greater London area, or arrange courier delivery to the rest of the UK.
