Improving Trek 520 Touch Points

One of the things with cycling for sometime is that you are more savvy how to make it more comfy. It is also good idea to learn from experiences of others.  

Esp with social media platform like Face book, there are many groups specialising on specific stuff. For this case, vintage Trek bicycles. As you know,  I recently bought an 1985 520 Trek road bike. It rode well and very comfortable. However, the brake lever areas were the old style Shimano 600 ish. 

I even double wrap foam tape and it was thick as a good German sausage... 

Just before the old Shimano 600 levers come off.  Thank you for yr service. Its time to rest 

Lovely to look and vintage period correct.... except that and it wasn't as comfortable.  I asked around the good people from Vintage Trek Bicycle FB group for their opinions and alternatives. 

Connect with fellow vintage Trek bike users 

Through asking the riders on Facebook group, I got lots of suggestions to try a more modern style ones. I learned that the old brakes were single pivot types and they don't work as well as double pivot version.  A new set of brake pads could make it stop better. Kool stops were highly recommended but I couldn't find any in my local bicycle shops and I just got a non famous brake on the shelf - hope it works(I tried it, it does!)  
After reading the comments, I eventually settled for TRP SL retro styled levers after reading favourable comments on them. 
They cost a pretty penny but I think for better comfort, it might be worth it.

Arent they gorgeous? Personally the holes were abit too fancy to me. 

Yep, they are much more ergo.  The design is still respectfully vintage. But not exactly period correct. Compromises.

 It took little time removing the old grips and I got the TRP SL lever in place and kinda of reused the old tape to try to find the best spot, ride for some distances and tweak little.  

Coke and messing around 

TRP SL installed and just ride with old tape for 1 week

After a riding week with time, tweaking the angle, I went on to wrap it in Bernali leather bar tape that was going for a good price than the Brook Brown leather tape I used to buy. 
The color was abit too orangy for my liking but I think in time, it would weather out and darken... I hope.  As I am a wimp, I added 2 layers of foam tape on the top of the road bar for comfort. This is how it turn out. I took it for a spin and it feels nice. 
How do u like it? 

I have this seat for years and its still so hard haha 

Trek 520, Patina and all... with touch point upgraded. Yes, that was original pouch left over by previous owner.