FLJeepGuy

I just picked up this bad boy, a 1991 Trek 1200 in "Yellow and Black Splash with Black on Silver and Blue decals" from a local CL seller for $40. As far as I can tell it's all original including the Shimano RX100 componetry with the exception the seat and the aerobar add-ons. Wheels are true, brakes work and gears shift smoothly (just need adjustments). The tubes and tires are original and shot, so those will be replaced. I'll also be replacing all the wear items and seat and removing the aerobars. These are a few "as found" pics. I'll post more once I get it cleaned up and ready to ride.

Velocivixen

I love that paint job. Nice find! How's it ride?

Bianchigirll 

I agree nice paint.

FLJeepGuy

Thanks on the paint! It's nearly perfect however, there is a small chip (visible in the pic) on the down tube above the right hand shift lever. Also some scuffing on the right hand fork which hopefully will clean off.

I haven't had a chance to ride it yet as I just got it home and it needs tubes and tires. It's very light though and I expect it'll be quick. I do need to figure out why the chain is drooping so badly, but I haven't really looked into it. I'm going to start dis-assembly over this coming weekend so I can make a list of things that will need to be refurbished.

Velocivixen

I noticed the chain is droopy. Might need to remove a link or so. There are several ways to figure out ideal chain length. One is to run the chain over large chainring and large cog without running the chain through the derailleur then adding 1-2 full links. Guys at bike shop said another way is to put chain in large-large combination and through the rear derailleur, and if the lower arm of the rear derailleur is at 45 degrees forward then don't go shorter.

anyway have fun with it. Would love to see more photos and get a progress report too.

rgver

I had a 1200 in blue, with STI's, there is a lot of sellers remorse with that one

Null66

I have my old 1220 upstairs...

It's a marvelous bike!

I'd refit it and ride it now as fast fun bike, but at my current weight I'd go through wheels quicker then when i was 200...

Enjoy your new ride!
IT'S MARVELOUS!

Steve Whitlatch 

Great looking bike. Love the color.

FLJeepGuy

Cleaned up the rims, and installed new tires and tubes. Took off the crappy aerobars and the rear reflector. Cleaned up the handlebars and installed new grip tape. This was the first time I've done a handlebar wrap, so it's not perfect, but I'm happy with it. In hindsight, I should have started at the middle and worked to the end of the bars, as I think it would have given a cleaner look maybe.



At this point, the bike is completely in rideable condition. I still need to give it a good bath and detailing, the chain still needs cleaning and lubrication, and the FD may need to come up a few mm from the front rings. It shifts well, but I do get some rubbing on inside top of the FD when in the lower gears and the large ring.

Bianchigirll 

Bathing is the first thing you do!!! It wasn't that dirty to begin with but you should get in the habit of striping the seat, bars, brakes, wheels, and cranks. then clean the frame and over haul BB and HS (this BB is sealed right?) after the bearing are back in give the frame a good waxing with nice auto wax. The reassemble as you clean the components. That's how I do it anyway.

Looks great how does it ride?

FLJeepGuy

Normally, that is my usual process, however, this bike was so clean (it had obviously been garaged and rarely ridden) I did the wheels and bars first. It really isn't going to need much more than the usual bath that I give my daily riders. No gunk to clean up anywhere, etc. I also didn't tear down the BB and HS as there were no issues there. They're both smooth as silk with zero play in them.

It does ride beautifully, and is nice and fast. The frame is really light and easy to toss around. However, I'm finding that it's just on the small side for me. When I get the seat adjusted where I need it, the handlebars are way to low for me to be comfortable in the drops, and the reach is too close. This also puts the downtube shifters just at the lower limit of my reach too. So, it won't become a daily rider for me. My son, however, has his eye on it and keeps telling me that I won't be flipping this one. And I have to admit it fits him well as he's just a bit smaller than me.

Bianchigirll 

If you ride a 60 I know where you can get a white 1000 frame.

FLJeepGuy

Hey! I just saw this post! Thanks for the offer, but for some reason white bikes just don't do it for me.

FLJeepGuy

Just a quick update... I've done a bit more cleanup, but I haven't been able to get the bike out from under my son long enough to get some more pictures before now. Here are some more...

First a link to my OneDrive folder with the high resolution pics: 1991 Trek 1200 High Res (Click the pic to open it and then right-click the pics and select "View Original" for the full size image)

Zap Hassellhoff

Heck yea man! I used to have one. Loved it and regret selling it. I'm looking for another. Sweet retro paint job and bonded aluminum frame with eyelets for a rack and fenders. The RX100 group is pretty underrated in my opinion. This bike makes for a nice speedy commuter. Only drawback is that the frame can't be spaced to 130mm and 7-speed shifters/brifters are hard to come by at a decent price. You could always go the retroshift route if you're looking to get the shifters of the downtube.

Great ride.

FLJeepGuy

Thanks! So far the bike rides beautifully, and my son has taken ownership since the fit is perfect for him. I'm not going to invest any more into it until he decides if he is going to ride it enough to keep it. If he does, then we'll consider upgrades.

oddjob2

Nice find, glad your son loves it!

Suggestions to improve comfort and safety:
saddle should be leveled.
quill stem appears to be beyond safety insertion point, bars are too high.

GentlemanGeorge

Welcome to the club! I picked mine up earlier this Spring. The only non steel bike in the fleet, it sees its fair share of time in the rotation though. I have to admit, the primary motivation for picking it up was the day glo color with the Jackson Pollock splatters.

FLJeepGuy

Thanks. Actually the saddle will be the first thing to go and the new one will be properly installed and leveled. For some reason my son seems to like the lowered angle on his saddles but I can work with him on it. (Probably lower the saddle a bit and level it out?)

I'll double check the stem when I get home. We adjusted it one evening but it seemed to have quite a bit more to go. I'll lower it a bit if it's over extended. The small mark in the photo above is just a wear spot in the black coating and not a "max extension" mark.

Any suggestions on proper bar setup would be helpful. I'm new to drop bars and was under the assumption that the tops should be level. Is it because the current position puts the brakes/hoods to high? If so, what would be the proper angle? Should they be rotated down until the drop section is level?

Still learning here, so bear with me.

FLJeepGuy

Nice bike!

I find it interesting that yours has the exact same "ding" in the paint right above the right hand shift lever on the downtube that mine does. Wonder what that's about??

GentlemanGeorge

If you turn the handlebars to the right, you'll see the brake arm hits the downtube right by the barrel adjuster. The previous owner must have gotten a little sloppy.

FLJeepGuy

Oh wow. That's totally obvious now that I've seen it. At least it's all aluminum and won't rust.

noglider 

Could you please turn the loudness down! My eyes are hurting!

FLJeepGuy

You should see this thing out in bright daylight!

noglider 

Please. I'll pass.

One of these days, I'll build up my white glow-in-the-dark Bianchi racing frameset.