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08-13-04, 02:38 PM
I have a few questions about upgrading to a road bike from my 2001 Trek 1200 MultTrak 800 hybrid, specifically if it'd be worth it to upgrade an older road bike I have, or spend a lot more for a new one.
I've been road cycling for 2 years now. (I was inducted into AARP last year -- i.e., over 50). I've lost 30# so far, and was planning on moving up to a road bike pretty soon, when I won this old Trek 800 road bike being raffled at a Saturday cycling rally a few weeks ago. The owner had to quit cycling due to medical problems, so he donated it to the rally organizers, and I won it with a $5 raffle ticket, along with a nice shop stand. A nice surprise, but I now reckon it's 10-15 years old (1988?) with, I'm sure, a lot of miles on it as shown by chainring wear and the fact that the owner was apparently a serious cyclist. (I didn't find out how old it was until I drove 150 miles a few days later to pick it up.) I was told the owner had a total of $1300 into it. The frame looks OK, and it rides and shifts sharply.
I've been unable to locate it's specs on the web, but it has a turquoise blue, Cro-Moly frame (I think), Shimano 101 derailleur and several upgrades -- carbon seatpost, saddle with gel seat cover, lightweight, ergo road handlebar, lightweight Bontrager wheels, cranks, Look road pedals. Altogether it's quite light --I'd guess about the same as my son's 2002 Trek Alpha 1200 aluminum road bike.
I found an identical Trek 800 on eBay starting at $50, although I didn't see it's sale price a week later. I figure it may be worth more to me to fix it up for about $350-$400 and use it, rather than try to sell it and use the proceeds towards a new road bike. (I have 6 kids, and am therefore not yet independently wealthy.) It needs new tires, new chainrings (shortly), new (or at least lubed) bearings and new pedals to fit my own Shimano M424 clips. It also has downtube-shifters, and as I am still too big of a guy (6'2" - 250#) with too high of a center of gravity to easily reach down to shift, without also getting dangerously wobbly with the one-handed steering, I called my LBS and was told they could be modified/replaced with (my choice) Shimano Sora 8-Speed Double STI/brake levers (about $100). Wonderful.
I'd like to ask you more experienced guys as to whether you think it'd be worth investing $400 into this bike and keeping it for a long time, or waiting a while longer to buy a new bike that can be closely matched to my needs, but which would more likely cost around $1200? My 2-year goals are to lose another 55# to get to 195#, and increase single-ride distance from 20mi. to 40mi. and then to something like an overnight Multiple Sclerosis-150 (75mi. each of 2 days.) I'd like to train for a century ride in a few years.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Mark Lauritsen, Dallas, Texas
I've been road cycling for 2 years now. (I was inducted into AARP last year -- i.e., over 50). I've lost 30# so far, and was planning on moving up to a road bike pretty soon, when I won this old Trek 800 road bike being raffled at a Saturday cycling rally a few weeks ago. The owner had to quit cycling due to medical problems, so he donated it to the rally organizers, and I won it with a $5 raffle ticket, along with a nice shop stand. A nice surprise, but I now reckon it's 10-15 years old (1988?) with, I'm sure, a lot of miles on it as shown by chainring wear and the fact that the owner was apparently a serious cyclist. (I didn't find out how old it was until I drove 150 miles a few days later to pick it up.) I was told the owner had a total of $1300 into it. The frame looks OK, and it rides and shifts sharply.
I've been unable to locate it's specs on the web, but it has a turquoise blue, Cro-Moly frame (I think), Shimano 101 derailleur and several upgrades -- carbon seatpost, saddle with gel seat cover, lightweight, ergo road handlebar, lightweight Bontrager wheels, cranks, Look road pedals. Altogether it's quite light --I'd guess about the same as my son's 2002 Trek Alpha 1200 aluminum road bike.
I found an identical Trek 800 on eBay starting at $50, although I didn't see it's sale price a week later. I figure it may be worth more to me to fix it up for about $350-$400 and use it, rather than try to sell it and use the proceeds towards a new road bike. (I have 6 kids, and am therefore not yet independently wealthy.) It needs new tires, new chainrings (shortly), new (or at least lubed) bearings and new pedals to fit my own Shimano M424 clips. It also has downtube-shifters, and as I am still too big of a guy (6'2" - 250#) with too high of a center of gravity to easily reach down to shift, without also getting dangerously wobbly with the one-handed steering, I called my LBS and was told they could be modified/replaced with (my choice) Shimano Sora 8-Speed Double STI/brake levers (about $100). Wonderful.
I'd like to ask you more experienced guys as to whether you think it'd be worth investing $400 into this bike and keeping it for a long time, or waiting a while longer to buy a new bike that can be closely matched to my needs, but which would more likely cost around $1200? My 2-year goals are to lose another 55# to get to 195#, and increase single-ride distance from 20mi. to 40mi. and then to something like an overnight Multiple Sclerosis-150 (75mi. each of 2 days.) I'd like to train for a century ride in a few years.
Thanks for your thoughts!
Mark Lauritsen, Dallas, Texas