The 2300 is a vintage carbon bike with the original tiger tape. Pretty LOUD!

Yes, I thought 23 was funny too - it's a CL typo. Probably meant 24 - a very nice conversion. I would like to do at least 7x3. 8x2 doesn't inspire me. There are alot of steep hill climbs around here and I want to be able to ride with my friends that have high end carbon bikes.

FastJake, I've been considering what to do to most enjoy my beloved Trek in the upcoming years and eventually pass it on to one of my kids. They love this bike and this upgrade is something I definitely want to do. Contractors will always say it doesn't make sense to do a 2 foot addition to your home -likewise I don't want to just upgrade from 7 to 8 gears. Only one side of this group is indexed which always bothered me. It's akward going up a hill fenagling a "by feel" shifter on a downshift.

Bobtech, how do I find a coop to learn how to do this conversion? I am with you on STI! So glad I asked about this and you told me the 129mm spacing will be fine. I am excited! I have an general idea how to do the conversion but am ready to get more details.

I figure I need brifters, cassette, crank set+. Not sure if I will need new handlebars, derailleurs or more. How much did your 9x3 conversion cost? What brand did you use?

Also my bike is only 47cm so I am doubtful of how collectible it is in this size so I may do other upgrades to lighten the load as budget allows. One things for sure, no bike will go to waste around here. Everyone is always jumping on each others bikes and skateboards (my daughter has a couple of really tricked out upgraded ones).