General Cycling Discussion - What Year is my Trek?

I just got a Trek 7500FX through Craigslist. I was wondering what they year of the bike is. I went to Trek's website, but they only go as far back as '03, and my bike didn't seem to match anything years '03-'08. I googled the serial numbers on the bottom of the bike and the only thing I found was the Chicago Stolen Bike Registry........don't worry, it's not a stolen bike. Only part of the number was a match:D.

Here is a picture:
http://i27.tinypic.com/10pa88m.jpg

The color scheme was a partial match to the 2005 model, but not completely.
Anybody able to help me out?

Trek's website says to go to an authorized dealer for help with the year, and there is an authorized Trek dealer about 1 mile away, but right now I've got my bike somewhat taken apart due to cleaning, repairs and upgrades.

Is this it? That is, do most -- or all -- of the components on your bike match what's listed here?

http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/BikeSpecs.aspx?ItemID=35715&Type=bike

I picked that one because the decal layout is similar to yours; the others years have different decal sets:
http://www.bikepedia.com/Search.aspx?Q=7500+FX

Well, the wheels are completely different. But the guy I got the bike from had about a dozen different bikes, so it's entirely possible that he did some switching around.

Pedals, seat and seatpost are different as well. But the drivetrain is the same, as are the shifters and brakes.

Could be it. Thansk for your help BarracksSi

The drivetrain, shifters and brakes are what I'd usually consider a bike's "core" componentry -- they don't usually get replaced unless they break or if the owner is into more tool- and labor-intensive upgrades. Wheels, pedals, and seatposts are easy to swap, so they're commonly different from OEM.

FWIW, if it were mine originally, I probably would've changed the wheels from what's pictured at the Bikepedia site, too. ;) Yours looks well-maintained from the pic, so it should be a good ride. :thumb:

Well, he claimed it was his beater bike. I didn't look too hard at what his other bikes were, but they looked like they were nice and taken care of. All hanging from his ceiling, extra parts nice and organized on and around his bench, tools organized, etc.

But he does have a couple of things rigged....

He has too small of a diameter seat post. He has it shimmed with a piece of sandpaper to make it fit snug. I might get a collar from Nashbar or just get a new seat post altogether. It's maxed out for height as it is, and I may need it just a tad longer.

Same with the handlebars, sandpaper shim.

Also, the front brakes weren't connected, and I'm having a bit of trouble getting them set. I may turn to my LBS for that, I dunno. I just went and checked out a bike shop I saw on the way home and it turns out they're an authorized Trek dealer, and the guys were very friendly.

Also, My front derailleur won't shift to the outermost chainring. I'm reading right now on how to adjust that.

And I just discovered that one of the shifter assemblies is missing the bottom of the plastic shell(housing?), leaving the inner workings exposed to the elements.

Sheesh... okay, yeah, that's a beater...

Yeah, but it's a start. I knew going into it that getting a used bike would likely entail some initial repairs/upgrades, so I'm ok with it.

Check out Vintage Trek (http://vintage-trek.com/SerialNumbers.htm). They break down the code within the serial number starting back in the late 70's/early 80's up to the mid/late nineties.

I think it's an '01. BarracksSi pointed out the decal scheme to me and I think he may be right.

The easiest way is to look for the two-letter stamp on a Shimano component -- the crank arm, front derailleur cage plate, etc. Then check out this site: http://www.vintage-trek.com/component_dates.htm#shimano

1976 or thereabouts.