AriusAneid

I am new to the bike community and am looking for a bike that is a bit better than a department store bike. I am looking to buy a bike from a guy, but I am struggling to figure out what year it is and if I'm getting a good deal or not. I have yet to go and see the bike (likely will be later today or tomorrow) but I have pictures.

It is a dark blue with white words that say "TREK" along the front post, "Mountain Track" along the center bar, and "820" on the post beneath the seat. I haven't been able to find this bike anywhere, along with a model year. My best guess is sometime in the 90s, which also concerns me on whether it is worth getting and potentially not having an up to date bike. He only wants $50 for it though, so if it's as clean as it looks in the pictures, it seems like a good price to me.

Mainly just looking for a road/gravel trail bike for using around campus and town.

bargainguy

Probably after '93, because that's when Trek changed the naming system from Antelope + model number to just the model number.

Those are some funky bar end attachments. Bit of a safety hazard the way they're set up - you don't want to fall into them. If you want to keep them, I'd rotate them 180 degrees to mimic a road drop bar.

Looks like the original mountain tires have been replaced with hybrid tires. Keep this in mind - great for street riding, not so great for trails with loose substrate, especially if you like to take turns at speed.

You might need to replace the chain, cables, housing. Measure the chain slack on a chain checker and replace if too much slack. Also replace if signs of rust. Chains are not terribly expensive and worth replacing to keep the rest of your drivetrain from wearing prematurely.

I wouldn't be worried about not having a modern bike, especially at $50. Look for signs of frame damage, stuck stem or seatpost, and that everything either works well or it can be tuned to make it work well with not too much effort. I don't like to buy into problems, especially problems I might not be able to fix.

AriusAneid

Hey, thanks for the reply.

That was my exact same thought regarding the bar attachments. I was probably planning to just figure out how to remove them.

I won't typically be going for speed (having had some very bad, and very lucky, crashes in the childhood, I tend to take my time on a bike), but I'll be sure to test out the tires on the trails carefully before really going for it. My understanding was that hybrids would be good for my mix of concrete around campus, and small gravel on the trails, but I likely misunderstood their purpose. Thanks for the info though, it'll be good to know that might be something I would need to be careful of or replace if it became an issue.

Thanks for all the info, it was very helpful. I've read a few guides on what to look for when buying a used bike, so hopefully I can avoid buying too many problems. Thanks again.

zukahn1 

The bike in is a 95 base level MTB model if every thing works good worth $125-150 as presented. Should make a great all around basic rider well worth the asking price.

AriusAneid

Thanks for the info. Guess I got a steal then! Picked it up and the guy had a like-new chain on it, gears are in good condition (a few concerns that I'm gonna ask about on the middle front gear), break wires are mostly in good condition but might need replacing (a few are starting to rust/fray, but the breaks work fine), and the frame only has a few minor spots of rust but no other structural damage. Overall very happy and glad to have a model to put to the bike and a confirmation that I did alright. Appreciate it!