Recreational & Family - modifying old road bike

Hello everyone,

My son has recently gotten a new bike and my husband and I have been considering getting out our old bikes and joining him in some family rides.

My bike is about 20 years old and is a Trek 400 Elance. I was wondering if it was possible to modify this bike (and if it would be worth the $$) to make it more comfortable for my 47 year old body!

Specifically, I would like to make it more like a crossover bike - with upright handlebars, a more comfortable seat, and perhaps larger tires (I don't remember the exact tire size that it currently has but its NOT the really skinny tires; they are larger than that).

Any thoughts? I would most likely be taking it to a bike shop for the modifications, not doing them myself (well, maybe the seat I could do myself!) Another possibility would be to get a new, relatively inexpensive bike (but I don't want anything from a department store - we originally bought my son one from a dept store and had to return it after a week due to various problems with it.) My Trek is still in good shape and it would be great to just modify it a bit if it's not prohibitively costly.

Thanks!

Look at some trekking bars, for one thing. Multiple hand positions and the upright stance of flat bars

I would clean the Elance up and sell it on eBay or Craigslist. It won't be worth the money to make it 'more comfortable'; it's a classic road geometry bike.



Check out Trek's FX bikes. Here's the 7.2FX. The geometry is upright; about like a mountain bike but it's lighter, has faster wheels and tires. This one has an adjustable stem to get the bars where you want them. Triple crank with a wide-range cassette means you can fly on the flats and still climb those big hills. Tires are wider than road bike ones. You can add fenders and racks, front and rear. $430.



Giant makes the FCR, a similar bike. Marin, Specialized, Bianchi, etc. have bikes like these, too.

You could easily and relatively inexpensively switch out the drop bars for North Road or cruiser bars, put on bigger tires, and a cushier seat.

I did the same thing with my Nishiki.
I got the bar on eBay for 3 bucks and
used parts from an old MTN bike. That
would be the break levers, and the stem.
That way I was able to leave my old drop
bar set up as it was can easily switch
back if I have to.

That Elance (as pictured from the catalogue) is a beauty. Check out these well loved old steel bikes.
http://bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=301166

Why not ride it a few times and see how it goes? You might find that simply by raising the bars to the height of the seat or an inch higher, you can make it comfortable.

The dept. store bike sould be a NO/GO, you already know that,they're simply too flawed to be enjoyable. One man stated selling it and getting a different bike, a good choice,not the only choice. you're older as you say, OK..BUT at one time, didn't you like the drop-bars. if the answer is yes, stay wtih them. I've recently converted some bikes to be more rideable simply by purchasing a hi-rise stem. your stem is a quill design, you will need to re-tape the bar. i found a source of stems, they lift the bar up 2-3 inches. that may not seem like much, it's plenty,it renders a pain in the neck, literally.. to a plearsureable bike. I also put mustache bars on a bike, it required new fitment of the SAME brake levers, tape, 28mm tires which may seem not so fat but they make a BIG difference. Don't be quick to dimiss road bars. I have no regrets BUT the bike's intended for someone else, I experimented, I don't HATE it. Now I know road bars are IT.

Convert the old bike to fixed gear

Give it to your son

Use the son's bike

Convert an old Trek roadie to a fixed gear? Good lord, why would anyone do that? ;)

That's a great old road bike, why would you want to change anything? Get a proper saddle, new bar tape, some gloves and a professional bike fitting and it should be very comfortable.

I have an old Bianchi Premio that is going to become a fixed gear bike. My dad gave it to me for christmas a couple decades ago, and I can't part with it..:D

You might swap out the stem to allow you to put the drop bars up a bit higher....something like this http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/handlebars_stems_tape/16007.html then you wouldn't have to replace brake levers.

seats are subjective....but for me "cushy" seats become more of pain if i ride alot, so you might not want to go too cushy

have fun

I would clean the Elance up and sell it on eBay or Craigslist. It won't be worth the money to make it 'more comfortable'; it's a classic road geometry bike.



Check out Trek's FX bikes. Here's the 7.2FX. The geometry is upright; about like a mountain bike but it's lighter, has faster wheels and tires. This one has an adjustable stem to get the bars where you want them. Triple crank with a wide-range cassette means you can fly on the flats and still climb those big hills. Tires are wider than road bike ones. You can add fenders and racks, front and rear. $430.



Giant makes the FCR, a similar bike. Marin, Specialized, Bianchi, etc. have bikes like these, too.


First I disagree with selling the bike, this is a good bike it just needs a few inexpensive items to up day it.

Now look at the pictures of both bikes, in particular look at the bars on each. A poster responded that you have more hand positions with a flat bar and this is simply not true, in fact you have way less. Look at the pics again, the flat bar only allows two hand positions, on the bar on or on the brakes but the wrist is still in the same basic position in either place. On the road bar you can have your flat bar position just like the upright bike has, but you also can put your hands on the hood, or on any angle on the drops.

As far as triples go, do you really need this? do you have mountains to climb? I use to ride all over the mountains of southern Calif and never had triples. Triples are great thought for loaded touring and for MTB's. But again think about this further and decide if that's something you want to do.

You can get fenders relatively cheap from Planet Bike.

You have a sport frame which has a more comfortable ride to it then a race frame. It also has eyelets for either fenders or panniers, but I assume fenders would probably suit your purposes more.

New seats are a usual replacement item anyway, problem is find a comfortable one for you. The best place to start is to measure your sit bones from the center of one to the center of the other. Then take that measurement and make sure whatever seat you buy that the center of the sit bones will be on the middle of each flat part of the pad. If the seat is too narrow your sit bones will ache because they are actually setting on the downward slope, too wide and you will chaff all the time.

I would also keep the 27 inch rims and just buy slightly wider tire like the 27x1 1/4 and Conti Gatorskin is a good choice. BUT, 27" tires are becoming increasingly more difficult to find. So one upgrade I would recommend would be getting a set of 700 rims. But take your bike to a LBS and ask them what is the widest rim/tire you can put on that bike and still have room for fenders-if you want fenders. You should be able to put at least a 700x28c rim tire combo on that frame and maybe even up to a 32.

But having said all of that the Trek FX seems like a well made bike but it is a frame made in China and some people like me, frown on that stuff.

But having said all of that the Trek FX seems like a well made bike but it is a frame made in China and some people like me, frown on that stuff.

It's also a piece of crap in comparison.

An old classic road bike can be made plenty comfy if the frame is already the right size for you. The stem can be raised or replaced (see the two Bianchi's in my sig that have TTT quill stems) to give you a more upright position, the saddle can be replaced and, if need be, you can change out the crank and cassette for different gearing options. Other than the frame, everything is fair game...and you just can't beat a classic geometry steel frame for comfort.

Comparing a classic steel road bike with a 7.2FX or any other hybrid is like comparing a 69 vette to a new Ford Ranger.

It's also a piece of crap in comparison.

I also agree with this sentiment, but didn't want to hurt someones feelings who may already own one and perhaps cannot afford a better steed, that's why I mentioned it was made in China.

I think though if I was only going to spend $450 or so for a bike made in China, I would just get a $250 bike from Walmart (which they have a couple that would work just fine including a Schwinn and a Denalli)also made in China and save the rest and add to it for a better bike later a year or two down the road.

An old classic road bike can be made plenty comfy if the frame is already the right size for you. The stem can be raised or replaced (see the two Bianchi's in my sig that have TTT quill stems) to give you a more upright position, the saddle can be replaced and, if need be, you can change out the crank and cassette for different gearing options. Other than the frame, everything is fair game...and you just can't beat a classic geometry steel frame for comfort.

.

You can also get a Nitto Technomic stem that is the tallest stem on the market and you can get as upright as you want with that stem.

This bike already has 700-28 tyres, to go any fatter you will need a MTB or a Hybrid.Neither cheap.

A set of MTB bars and levers to suit your road brakes and you should be away at minimum cost with a frame quality you wouldn't replace by selling it.

I'd think that a nice 531 frame with 28mm tires is going to be plenty comfortable for all but the roughest roads. But of course, YMMV.

OP, where are you? As you can tell by the responses to your post, you've got options. Going by your post("crossover bike"), I suggested the FX but raising the stem or using one with a higher angle could raise the bars up for more comfort. Wider tires and you're good to go.

Unless you've not ridden your bikes for many years. Then you probably will have to have cables replaced, gears cleaned up, chain replaced, hubs and crank bearings lubed/repacked. New tires, spokes retensioned, new saddle almost certainly. I'm just guessing at the state of your bike; we need more info.

Try looking in the touring thread. They have lots of info there about converting bikes.

Hello everyone,

My son has recently gotten a new bike and my husband and I have been considering getting out our old bikes and joining him in some family rides.

My bike is about 20 years old and is a Trek 400 Elance. I was wondering if it was possible to modify this bike (and if it would be worth the $$) to make it more comfortable for my 47 year old body!

Specifically, I would like to make it more like a crossover bike - with upright handlebars, a more comfortable seat, and perhaps larger tires (I don't remember the exact tire size that it currently has but its NOT the really skinny tires; they are larger than that).

Any thoughts? I would most likely be taking it to a bike shop for the modifications, not doing them myself (well, maybe the seat I could do myself!) Another possibility would be to get a new, relatively inexpensive bike (but I don't want anything from a department store - we originally bought my son one from a dept store and had to return it after a week due to various problems with it.) My Trek is still in good shape and it would be great to just modify it a bit if it's not prohibitively costly.

Thanks!




Size:
Make sure this bike actually fits you before anything else

Tires:
Most quality newer tires have a kevlar belt and will almost completely prevent flats, so new tires would be a good investment regardless. I like the Bontrager hardcase tires for a good value that rides nice and is relatively flat resistent. Any trek dealer would have them. There are better tires, but not for the $30 you could get the Bontragers for. Tell the LBS that you want the fattest tires that will fit it. Tires will smooth the ride more than anything
Look to spend $60-$70 for a pair of good tires

Saddle:
This is a very personal thing. Try to resist getting the most padded seat you can find. A firm yet padded seat that is just slightly wider than a normal road saddle usually works pretty well. Look for saddles designed for touring. A lot of bike shops will let you ride several choices. Make sure it has a groove in the middle to keep the boys from going numb. Let the LBS guy help you set it up and adjust it for the best comfort. A sprung seatpost can help too.
Good saddle will run ~$40-$100

Bars:
From my experience the thing that makes some drop bars uncomfortable is when they are too narrow. If you get new bars, have the bike shop guy pull his catalog out. Find wide bars that have a flat ramp leading to the hoods (check out this link then click on the "noodle" bar http://www.rivbike.com/products/list/handlebars_stems_and_tape). Err on the side of getting a too-wide bars if in doubt. There are bars which will fit your roadie brakes besides just drops, although wide drops with a "flat" area leading to the brake hoods will be quite comfortable. Get cushy bar tape or put padding under the tape.
Don't raise them too much. The bars shouldn't be much higher than the saddle for comfort if the bike actually fits you. If the bars are too high, all your weight will be on your arse and you will have a sore bum. Keep your body weight distributed between your hands, feet, and bum. If you want a bike that you pedal a few strokes then coast for a block while you relax with your weight on the saddle, you need a totally different bike.
Bars will run ~$40-$50. Tape another $5-~$30. If the bars arent crazy narrow, just start with getting some new cork tape and put some thin foam padding under it. You shouldn't spend a fortune on new bars til you really understand what you want.

If you just want a cushy cruiser buy a new bike. I bought a cushy Raleigh (http://www.raleighusa.com/items.asp?deptid=6&itemid=362)for my girlfriend that had quality fat tires, sprung front fork, decent sprung saddle, and relaxed geometry for $400. There are a lot of bikes like this for $400-$500 range. When you buy a new bike you get a bike where everything is new, you pick out just what you want and get to test ride em, plus most bike shops throw in a year of tune ups. If your bike has been rotting for a while, it'll need an $80 tuneup and it sounds like you're going to end up spending at least $100 on upgrades. Perhaps selling your old steed and buying a new one makes sense for you.

Do you realize you are responding to a thread from 2 months ago?

I can't imagine the OP is still expecting advice.