Right now I do a lot of mountain biking, but I want to get into road biking, particularly so that I can ride the MS 150. I have found a used Trek 1500 for sale, probably a 1994 model. I am wondering how easy it is to get replacement parts for this older model bike. Do modern components fit? Also, what should I look for when I go to check it out?

Thanks for the help, I'm excited to get out and ride!

Justin

I just got into road biking as well. I ride a Schwinn Worldsport road bike from 1990. Some differences between this and a newer bike that I am aware of are:

Cassette / Shifters - mine is a 7-speed, which made replacing the broken shifters difficult, as any 7-speed components are increasingly hard to find. Newer bikes use 8, 9 or 10-speed cassettes, and parts for these are very common. With the deraileurs, this isn't a big deal however, since the indexing takes place in the shifters (a 10-speed rear deraileur should work fine on an older cassette).

Stem / Headset / Fork - older bikes used 1" threaded headsets, where newer ones use 1-1/8" threadless models. You can change to a threadless headset (still must be 1"), but you will have to change the fork and stem at the same time. The good news is, there are plenty of forks, headsets and stems still available for the older standard.

Wheels - Mine has 27" wheels. Newer models are 700cm. There's far greater selection in tires for the newer 700cm wheels. If you ever replace your wheels, you can probably switch to the newer standard without any trouble. All you have to really worry about is if the brakes have enough room in them to adjust to the different rim diameter.

I have installed new brake levers, downtube shifters, all new cables and housings, saddle, pedals and tires (keeping my 27" wheels) without any real trouble, and at pretty low cost. It has been a great way to learn how a bike really works, and I highly recommend it. Good luck!

Modern components will fit just fine, because the bike already has them. The bike probably came with Shimano 105 or Ultegra (600) components. It will have the same hub spacing (130mm rear, 100mm front) as current road stuff. Probably already has STI shifters, though possibly down-tube or bar-end shifters. Very likely the components are 8-speed. Wheels are definitely 700c.

Only substantive difference compared to current road-bike stuff is that this 1500 will have a threaded headset and quill stem instead of a threadless headset system. Threadless can be slightly lighter and moderately stiffer and is more difficult to adjust the height, definitely not worth changing out unless you need a new fork anyway. In that case, 1" threadless headsets and stems are still available.

I would say, though, that unless parts are worn out there's no need to replace anything, unless you really have a hankering to get 9- or 10-speed drivetrain. But since you're just getting into road biking, I'd say that if the components work well (or will work well with a tune-up) then just use the bike as-is. The difference in function is minimal aside from having slightly wider range (or more closely-spaced) gearing.

Thank you for the replies. The seller said he rode it for 1 year, and has been storing it since. So I bet the components are in good shape. If not, then I will get to learn how to fix a bike

It's possible that the grease has dried out in the hubs and/or headset and will need to be repacked. But all of these bearings are probably sealed (but not sealed-cartridge) on a bike like the 1500, and I suspect they're smooth enough. Rusty chain might be a problem. Whatever the case, you'll probably want to remove the chain and soak it in solvent, let it dry, reinstall and use whatever chain lube on it. Other than that, just clean off dirt, dust and grease and you're likely good to go.