Project 420 begins; thoughts and suggestions
 

No, not my weight. Thankfully. That would be Project 325. To get project 325 going, I got a Trek 420 earlier today. Hence the moniker.

It's a yellow '89 420, all original components, needs some cleaning up tho. The Vetta gel saddle cover (Lycra?) is coming unglued. Specifically what kind of glue would work here?

I'm thinking of retiring some of the components and keeping them to restore to original should I ever sell. The frame just needs a good cleaning. Chain rings, cassette and chain....eh I don't know.

Definitely need to replace the bar tape. Maybe remove the rear rack, but it'll be OK there for now.

I hear Avocet saddles of the same period are pretty comfortable, are they still available NOS or otherwise? What about the groupset - would some of you folks suggest I get a Shimano 600 or RX100 groupset? How much would I probably be looking at on ebay?

General stuff like that. I think I'll set a budget of $200 (not all at once but total investment). So in a nutshell, what would you fellow Clydes suggest within that $200 limit?

And, of course, the wheels. Always the wheels...

Thanks!

Tom

Looks like a nice bike. Is there anything specifically wrong with the components? If not, just keep them. If it were me, I would get a new saddle, clipless pedals (platforms on one side, SPD on the other), new bartape, and new tires. And brakes, if they are worn. So long as the components are working, I wouldn't change them, as the performance you get from upgrading might be small.

I would absolutely keep the rack. If you didn't have one, it is a tossup whether you would get one, but since you have it, why not just keep it? Depending on the bag or trunk you mount on it, it makes the bike a lot more versatile for touring, long rides, or even trips to the grocery store.

I own two bikes, one which has a rack, one that doesn't. It is always a delicate operation deciding what to pack in the seatbag on the bike without the rack. On the bike with the rack, I just throw everything I think I might need, like tools, innertube, pump, jacket, and food into the trunk rack. And if I want to stop and pick up some bagels or a six pack of beer on my way home, I can.

I agree with MRT2 on the rack. I'd keep it. As for the rest, I'd ride it a while before deciding anything. Other than functioning mechanically, I think the most important things are the contact points...bars, saddle and pedals.

If the saddle is comfortable, I'd keep it and say a prayer of thanks!;) If not, think about a Brooks. Opinions differ but I love mine. If you're looking at riding long distances, I'd go for the spd pedals. If you're just starting out riding around the neighborhood etc, I'd keep the platforms for a while.

That's a nice looking bike. I'd adjust as necessary to make it comfortable then ride!:D

Check the tires, if they have a lot of wear, dump them, check the brake pads if they are hard then replace those, have a good look at the cables, any rust on the visible cables, if there is, then I would replace those, if there is rust on ANY cable I would replace them all, housings may be okay though, although if you pull a cable out and the there is rust where it was inside a housing, then I would bin the housing as well. Any rust on the chain? If there is, then you can spend hours trying to resurrect a chain, or just replace it. Bar tape, I would dump that anyway, a nice black cork tape would suit that bike better. You need to strip the frame and check the components, clean them up and lubricate, if something is in bad shape then I would put that on the list of things to replace, but if components work, then I would keep them on there. By '89 pretty much everything was 700C and alloy rims, look for broken or rusted spokes though, if any are broken or rusted then I would consider rebuilding the wheel with fresh ones, whether the spokes are good or not, you should get them properly tensioned and trued.

As for gluing the saddle, not sure, it's unlikely to be lycra though, lycra is used in materials that need to stretch, if that's lycra on the top it could be a removable saddle cover, actually kinda looks like one, have a look at what is underneath, if it's leather or faux leather then take the cover off and try the saddle on it's own. If it's not a cover, add the saddle to the things to replace. If you have a favourite saddle, then try that one first.

Hmm? I saw 420 and was interested. What a let down;)

Walk into your LBS with the bike and declare the following in a steady, clear voice:

"I have two hundred dollars. I want new wheels, saddle, bar tape, and a tune up. When can I pick it back up?"

That is all. Oh... nice bike, BTW.