Classic & Vintage - anyone familiar with the older trek 1200's?

I just picked up this Trek 1200 aluminum frame bike off CL for $25 bucks, couldnt pass it up. It seems to have nicer or at least more modern components than my other trek bikes and it has matrix 700 wheels. So I guess my question is, would I be better off swapping the components off it to either my older trek 720 or my newer trek 420, or just keep it and ride as it is. I havent ridden it yet, I need tubes, it needs a good cleaning and servicing and the handlebars cleaned and rewrapped....I am not crazy about the pink, but im not going to repaint the frame over it.

I saw that ad last week on the Delaware CL and emailed the seller, but he never got back to me....glad you were able to snag it...sweet score!

Those stock rims were the weakest link. I never found them to be reliable. They don't take the road too kindly. Its a great deal at 25$.

i emailed him last week , he said he had a few in front of me that didn't follow through. are the frames decent? it seems beefier than my early steel trek frames.

For $25, if it's a TREK adult bike I would buy it and figure out whats wrong with it later. Those early aluminum road bikes evaporate in minutes at yard sales for twice that price. The last 1200 I saw on CL around here went for $150.

I picked it up this morning....those pics were in front of my house..I had to drive 100 round trip miles to pick it up, but it was too good of a deal to pass up. now I look at it though the frame is a bit small for me..it was owned by a female rider..I may end up stripping the frame and using the components on something else if my wife decides it won't work for her

The 105 parts are ok, wether you like the bio pace rings on the crank is up to you. Couldnt go wrong for $25 bucks even if it doesnt fit you. The matrix wheel set is good IMO - nice and light, but you gotta take care of them... no sprinting into a chunk of shrapnal metal on the street like I happened to do once.. ended up with a flat spot in the rims I couldnt straighten out with any amount of truing and a couple of flat tires.

My son has that exact model as his campus bike. I'm guessing 1989-91. The frame is very solid. Regarding the Matrix rims, I have those same rims on three bikes and have put thousands and thousands of miles on them with no problem.

new tubes rewrapped the tape on the bars, used a bottle of black car touch up paint on the chips and scratches and put 2 coats of car wax on her. lots of elbow grease and new tubes, and she looks 100% better. Its light and fast too, but it rides hard as a rock. guess im used to my 420 trek.still a great deal for a less than 50 dollar investment.Hope the wife likes it as much as I do.

I picked up a 1989 Trek 1000 last week for $20. Rear rim is pretty bent up, so conventional truing isn't going to do it. Seems like a nice bike overall.

Thats an awesome bike for 25.00. I have a 1420 almost exactly like yours, its nice and light and rides pretty stiff. I personally love the 105 with the hyperglide freewheel, it shifts extremely well.

Mine has a Cro-moly fork which seems to make the ride a bit smoother, it still is a bit harsh though compared to my steel frames. Great bike, and I like the black/pink combo!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3449/3377753978_1748c65dae_o.jpg

I had a '93 (I think) that was very similar to yours. The rims were crap, but otherwise a nice bike. At $25 it was a steal! The only downside is that you are kind of stuck with 7 speed (I'm guessing) because you can't spread an aluminum rear triangle.

I've got nearly the same bike, with 105 hyperglide components. 7 speed gears, no biopace.
1990 model. Solid, light and does the job nicely. I'm considering a CF fork for kicks and to smooth out the ride but since I've always ridden it i don't consider it harsh.

Amazing find for $25, I'd buy it in a heartbeat to have spare wheels etc. Stuff gets snatched up really quick with prices under $100. Just replacing the quill stem would cost you more than $25!




And hey, where's everyone buying their replacement Aero brake hoods? I need some in white and in black.

That depends on how big you're going. I converted my '91 Trek 1200 to 8 sp Dura-Ace. Went from a 126mm rear to 130mm just fine. Super solid, but I wouldn't want to go any wider than that as cold setting Aluminum isn't really as safe as Steel.


I had a '93 (I think) that was very similar to yours. The rims were crap, but otherwise a nice bike. At $25 it was a steal! The only downside is that you are kind of stuck with 7 speed (I'm guessing) because you can't spread an aluminum rear triangle.

I have a trek 2000 converted to Ultegra 9 speed and it works great. Don't cold set...I have never cold set the rear triangle, just worked the wheel into the dropouts - when I remove the wheel it springs back to spec. Kind of a pain to fix a tire when it is cold out, though.

The matrix aero rims were a little soft, and spokes would eventually pull through. I have a couple of sets of those that died that way. The other matrix rim death I have seen was brake surface failure, although those were exceptionally high-mileage wheels.

Have an '88 2000 frame here. Currently running 130OLD DA paired spoke wheels w/8s cassette :eek:

The only downside is that you are kind of stuck with 7 speed (I'm guessing) because you can't spread an aluminum rear triangle.

I though those old cassette hubs were 130mm old.

Couldn't you also take a 2mm washer out of the non-drive side of a newer cassette hub and dish the wheel just a bit more, making it 128, and you're only spreading 2mm from 126 when installing the wheel?

That 1200 was a sweet frame, and Trek backed it up with great warranty service in every case I know of.

I have said it a few times in other threads, but I may as well say it again:

Trek has been amazing with customer service, I wrecked in my Trek Vapor helmet and got a free replacement. My 1990 Trek was missing the headbadge and Trek shipped a new one to me for free. They never asked how, who or why.... they have been amazing!

+1 to that. I bought a sweet fluorescent yellow 1200 from 91 and am getting ready to strip it and get it powder coated black. some manufacturers actually make some cheaper aluminum frames in in-between sizes like 132.5 so you can put either a 130 or 135 hub in it...its perfectly safe as long as you don't stretch the frame. I figured it was a great aluminum frame to build up.


That 1200 was a sweet frame, and Trek backed it up with great warranty service in every case I know of.