Originally Posted by
dakref
But 3 out of 4 shops wanted to sell Trek.
I'm not in the industry but I seem to recall Trek's business model rewards bike shops with better terms and costs the more Trek (Trek, Fisher, Bontrager, Electra) bikes and branded stuff they move. Trek offers a full range of quality goods, but don't hesitate to advocate for yourself.
We are going to ride what we've got and not rush into buying something right now.
Does everything spin freely? (We're talking about 23 year old grease, right?) Cables actuate smoothly? Brake pads not hard and tires/tubes not dry rotted? <-- All this is pretty easy to take care of. Clean and oil the chain and enjoy cycling!