Originally Posted by
Nyah
Fenders (and disc brakes) are the main reason I want an upgrade from my 1999 Trek 520, so I will probably only try bikes that are already setup with them. Fenders with tires no narrower than 35mm.
You should be able to put fenders on the Trek. It’s designed for them. As to the disc brakes, frankly, they are overblown as an upgrade. I have bikes with disc, linear and cantilever brakes. They all work equally well and equally effectively.
I was hoping to stay with 700 wheels because that's what I'm accustomed to riding. I would think smaller wheels will make the bicycle more squirrely at higher speeds, in comparison to 700.
They aren’t squirrelly at all. I’ve been riding them on mountain bikes since my first mountain bike 35+ years ago. I’m not shy about speed and have had mine up to the mid 40 mph range with knobbed tires. It’s not a problem and as stable as my road bike. I can go faster on my road bike but that’s a function of the tires rather then the wheels.