Back in the saddle - Ebay score
 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=7220835361

I'll cross my fingers, hopefully it will be a smooth transaction.
I will be posting pics as soon as it arrives! The RD is no biggie, I've taken apart my share of bikes. I can soon retire my '72 Schwinn Continental SS to recreational rides and quick trips to the store. I'm going to ride the snot out of this Trek, I can already feel the upgrades piling on. Wheelset, fork, etc.

I'm curious about the real wheel but I still have a month or so until this will hit the road.

Appreciate any comments/past owner advice.

Ryan

good price to be sure! Enjoy!

What he said. I just (easliy) sold a Similar Ultegra equipped Trek 1500 for twice that, and the lady was thrilled to get it.

Well I got a little ripped off on the $50 shipping...
Overall I'm pleased. Minor scratches, could use a tune up, but its light. I have only tested it on the trainer, it's been too cold/snowy here to road test it.

Any tips on where to get a new seat post bolt? It's close to becoming stripped. So far I've put new tires, bar tape, and tubes on it. Ignore the huge pedals, I don't have shoes/cleats for the Look Arc Carbon pedals that came with it.

The shipping isn't terribly out of line, but whoever packed that bicycle should be made to sit in a small box for 4 or 5 days as it's shuttled around the country. They'd probably do a better job the next time.

Not knowing anything about the seatpost bolt other than what you say, I'd try my LBS. Cycle Smithy is my favourite stop in Chi-town.

After you ride it for a while, my guess is you'll definitely want a carbon fork for it. The all aluminum 1500 I had was light and fast, but after 30 or so miles I usually had had enough. It rode a tad harsh on the longer rides to suit my tastes.

I have a sister bike to yours I purchased mine in 93 it was a demo bike from 92. I commute on lugged steel bikes and then take the Trek out on fun rides. You are going to be amazed at the differance between your Schwinn Continental and the bonded Alu. Trek. I hope your weather is favorable for ride soon -The 105 shifters on our 1400's have index and friction mode so you can test her out with out having do dial in the indexing.

The seatpost is 27.2, and about a million of 'em come up on ebay every week. The 1500 and 2000 came with the american classic, a seatpost that I like just fine - should be about $15 on ebay on an average day. Otherwise, maybe find a ritchey - a used one should be really cheap...they come in mountain bike lengths so you can get some additional loft if you need it. You can find the look cleats on eBay regularly too - get the red ones - they have some float.

Which company shipped the bike? That box looks like it was used for a dance floor.

American Classic seat post?
just took 2 of em out of my bikes, they work great but can be
a PITA sometimes to adjust. For some reason one of mine
kept loosening (and I don't like loctite on that kind of application)

I thought you needed a seatpost binder bolt, As stated above check
LBS, if that doesn't work let me know I think I have a few laying
around.

Marty

Try the blue loctite, it is for general service, not for locking things up like the red. I use it on my pruning shear adjusting nuts and can always get them apart to service.

hmmm. okay, I guess I jumped to conclusions...but I have never actually seen the bolt go, it is always the cradle that gets stripped out. And a batch of the earlier AC seatposts had counterfeit seatpost bolts that weren't up to the marks on the topbolt. They often broke, so if you have one of these it is a good idea to get a spare from the hardware shop for your bikebag.

I rode 27 hilly miles back to the car one day in the mid-90's standing the whole way, with my seat in my back pocket, just to bring you that message.

Just the binder bolt. Cycle Smithy is great, they converted my Continental to SS.

What type of fork can I install? I know there is threaded and threadless, I'm guessing mine is threaded? I need to catch up on this new technology, allbeit 15 years old. I'm still stuck in the 70's era with one piece cranks and 27x1 1/4 wheels.
A carbon fork would look killer on this though..

About the DT shifters, do I turn the ring a half turn CC to enable the firction mode? I imagine I still need friction mode for the front derailleur.

It came UPS, or OOPS. I'm surprised the chainwheel wasn't sheered off. There was no packing at all inside, just the bike loose in a box. Guess that's the chance you take with private sellers.
Thanks for the suggestions.

I think you could fit just about any 1" carbon fork to that bike - You'll need a new headset and stem to go with the threadless stuff - the plan would be for a better ride and about a pound or so weight reduction. There's been a guy on eBay recently selling Columbus Carve forks for $85...I know because I just bought one for $120 from the LBS and thought I was getting a really good deal. It's an okay fork, maybe a little stiffer than the good ones from reynolds and look -

yeah, twist the d-ring to go between friction and indexed...

Ryan: The basic frame on this bike looks nice and could be a good platform to build a nice road bike from. From the ebay ad there are a few issues that hopefully you will not continue: 1) the tilted down saddle looks really dorky, if the vetta saddle is tore up you should plan on replacing it, at the very least you should adjust it to level with the ground and start from there 2) the stem: its raised up so high in the photo that I suspect its way beyond the "max" line...very dangerous situation. 3) matrix rims :rolleyes: : you'll have to tune up your wheelset, true the rear wheel. Personally I'm not real fond of matrix rims, the pair I have make a "thump" when the brake pads hit the seam each time around. This condition can make your fork oscillate as you're trying to slow your bike down...not a real high precision riding experience. You might want to consider going with a different wheelset or have the hubs rebuilt with more modern machined sidewall rims for increased braking safety. 4) The rear cassette looks real junked up, and possibly worn out. You're going to want to remove the cassette and scrub the individual cogs and spacers and inspect it for excessive wear. You'll want to install a new chain while you're at it.
By the way, I was just curious how tall you are and what your cycling inseam is,
this is a rather large bike. If you are over 6 feet tall it should be o.k.
To whoever recommended an American Classic seatpost: if you're over 200# you should look to a better design, the upper clamp on the American classic isn't very good, and the little setscrew that they use to adjust tilt is just too much of an afterthought. My suggestion there would be to get a Thompson, Salsa , Syncros, Control Tech or Ritchey with the 2 bolt design.
The shimano parts are keepers they can be cleaned up, greased, lubed and reassembled to perform well for a long time. Adjusting the rear derailleur for indexing isn't hard once you get the hang of it, but you need to start with a clean drivetrain and a new chain in order to improve your chances at flawless indexed shifting which is a reasonable goal, there should be no reason why you would want to run the rear shifter in friction mode. Good luck, and post some pics to show the after shots...

I'm 22 years old, 6'5" 185lbs. 35" inseam.
The wheels seem close to true, the saddle isn't torn but it's more of a snag in the material. I adjusted the seat according to http://www.coloradocyclist.com/bikefit/
The last time I went in for a new chain, I was told I need a new cassette because of the way the chain wears in the cassette. I'm trying to stay away from spending $2-400 on replacement parts....

For starters checking the hubs/BB and a new chain will do. Fork/wheels come later on. Seat and post are fine for now, that's last on my list.

New RD cable and chain. I cleaned up the cassette as well. Carbon cage, the first of many carbon pieces to come. I have the Look pedals on, I'm using Cat-1 Carbon shoes with red Look cleats. So far its been pricey, but fun.