Touring - Used 520 for $175

I was at the bike shop this morning and saw this ad on the bulletin board. 1986 Trek 520 28" $175. No picture.

I've been cycling for years, but I'm new to touring. What are your opinions of a deal like this. Obviously, fit is a big issue. But what about the components? Are the today's components that much better than what might be on a 1986 model? Will good components stand up to 20 years of riding? How many centimeters is 28" equivalent to? I am casually shopping around for a touring bike in the $1000 range, but is this too good a deal to pass up?

While I've got your attention... here a few other newbie questions:

Can I tow a trailer with a light weight racing bike? I know the gearing would be wrong and the frame stiffer, but would a light bike be sturdy enough to pull the trailer for long distances anyway? Would skinny tires matter as much since the weight is on the trailer?

If I buy a touring bike and also use it unloaded for group rides, centuries, etc... how skinny can I go on the tires. In other words, if I use the same wheels that normally carry a 35C, can I put a 23 on there?

Thanks for your time.

28 inches is 71 cm. That's immense. I suspect an error. The biggest current size is 25" (68.5 cm). Also, Trek currently measures seat tubes from center (or bottom bracket shell) to top (of seat tube), yielding nimbers larger than those of frames measured center to center (of top tube).

If it's really 28", unless you are extremely tall the bike won't fit you.

Generally, you'll have to look at a bike this old in person, in detail, to evaluate it. It could be a good buy, and it could be a money pit.

Trailers: Depends on the bike and how the trailer attaches. If your question is whether you'd want to take a racing bike with skinny tires and high gearing on a tour with 50 pounds of trailer and gear, the answer is that you'll be dealing with the same issues as with a touring bike: climbing without low gears, wheel durability, inability to mount fenders, etc. But you probably won't hurt the frame.

Tires: You probably can't go that low, no. Typical touring rims are wider (inside width) and mounting too narrow a tire will create all sorts of problems, beginning with being impossible to mount and ending with pinch flats and probably damage to the rim. Normally a touring rim (like a Mavic 520) won't be happy with anything much smaller than a 700x28c.

RichC

If it's a 1986 it probably has 27" rims, not 700c. You would run 27x1 1/4 and be fine.

The frames on today's touring bikes, including the 520, are thicker walled than the older models. This difference may make the older bike more wobbly under load, and shorten its touring life.

Great stuff, thanks guys! Maybe I read the sign wrong and it said 26", refering to the wheels.