mtnbud

Help me decide what I should do about my 1987 Trek 1000.

I bought the Trek at least 20 years ago and used to use it much more often than I do now. Whoever had it before me replaced the crankset with Campagnolo Strada cranks and the brakes to some unique roller cam style brakes. I looked up the brakes and I believe they're Shimano BR-7300, Dura-Ace AX.

When I set up my Specialized Sequoia for touring, I put the wheels from the Specialized on the Trek and sold the Trek brand (Matrix) wheels to get them out of the garage. I was out riding the other day and the chain went over the largest sprocket and into the spokes. With a quick inspection, I saw I cracked the hub flange I'm wonder if it's even worth finding a new rear wheel for the Trek as a new wheel would probably cost more than the bike is worth.

What do you guys think? Should I replace the wheel? Should I sell the bike on Craigslist as is? Should I hang onto the bike and keep my eyes open for a used rear wheel? I've found it's really hard to sell anything on Craigslist unless it's listed at a real low price. I doubt I could get much more than $100 to $150 for the bike, yet if I did sell it I'd have more space in the garage and possibly the desire to look for a replacement...

I don't really need the Trek as I usually ride my Specialized Sequoia. The Trek did seem faster and more responsive.

thinktubes 

Can you post a pic? Similar vintage Trek 1000s go for $275 to $350 on Ebay. You should be able to get a decent used rear wheel for $20 to $30.

mtnbud

I might be able to find time to post some pics of the bike tomorrow.

I haven't seen any suitable rear wheels on Craigslist yet, but maybe if keep my eyes open and I'm lucky... I've seen a few in the $80 -$150 range, but they've all had a low spoke count and I weigh 200lbs.


I did e-mail this ad and am waiting for a response. - Portland is an hour drive from Salem, so the drive to look at it would be a bummer. I'd probably save money by buying it sight unseen and having the guy mail it to me!

FastJake

That wheel will almost certainly have 135mm spacing, which won't work at all in your 126mm Trek frame. You'd have to cut the axle short and re-dish the wheel quite a bit to get it to work. I'd keep looking for a suitable wheel. Or, If your rim was still in good shape you could have it rebuilt with a different hub.

mtnbud

Good point. I hadn't considered the wheel spacing on that wheel. The Trek Fx does look like the wheel would be spaced at 135mm. My Trek seems to have 130mm spacing, since the wheel I took off my Sequoia fit in just fine. There's no way a 135mm width will fit.

The wheel with the cracked flange is a 28 hole. I looked on the web to price hubs and was surprised at the cost of new hubs. I'm not a wheel builder, but that is something I was going to ask my lbs about. I have a feeling buying a new hub and having the wheel rebuilt may cost more than a complete wheel.

Thanks for the heads-up FastJake.

FastJake

Yeah, if you don't have a cheap donor hub you're looking at the cost of a hub plus spokes (most shops will not reuse spokes) and since you're not doing it yourself you have to pay the labor. If you had a 32h rim it would be cheaper as 32h hubs are far more common. But even once you get the hub, figure $30 for spokes and another $30-50 for labor. And that's using your old rim. So you're right, it would probably be cheaper to just get a different wheel.

wrk101

Used wheels are plentiful, if you look aggressively. I picked up two sets yesterday, $15 a pair, plus a bunch of other stuff. With several hundred bikes rehabbed, and lots of wheels replaced, I have yet to have bought a single new wheel. OK, someday I will probably have to buy a new wheel. But looking at the stack of wheels I have in hand, if I don't buy another wheel, I am probably good for a year (or two).

Bianchigirll 

If it is a 59 I'll give her a nice home

mtnbud

Attempting to add pictures:

thinktubes 

That looks pretty sweet. Considering the upgrades, you should be able to get at least $250 for it.

Relaxin 

I have two 87's, too. Rear spacing is 126mm. I however use a modern 130mm Mavic Aksium Race wheelset with the frame. However when you reinsert the rear wheel you'll just have to spread the frame a little bit to clear the lock nuts. Unless there's something horribly wrong with the seat stays or chain stays the chainline won't be too severely out of whack that you can't get the drivetrain alligned. Doing this I upgraded the stock 6spd Suntour drivetrain that I completely wore out to a 9spd Shimano 105 drivetrain with Ultegra shifters. Again, the stays all have to be in good shape. Have a shop double check the frame and the dropouts before you spend a bunch of money on the upgrades. I would imagine that you could also just get a 130mm wheel and have it sized down to 126mm but might be more trouble that way.