Trek 800 advise!
 

Finally found a deal but before I go pick it up is it worth it?
It is a Trek 800.
Can this bike handle an Uber Clyde?
Is it rebuildable and be converted to singlespeed?
How were the stock components?
Does any one know of one being converted to singlespeed or possibly know of a thread for this?
What material is the frame?
Can this bke handle a wide aggressive moutain bike tire?

Any help is apreciated. Thanks in advance!

The only question I can answer is about converting to singlespeed.

From the pic, when I blow it up, it looks like that bike has vertical dropouts. If that's the case, you're going to have to use either a chain tensioner or an ENO Eccentric hub to get your tension correct. If you're cool with that, a ss conversion isn't difficult at all.

Since you're an Uber, I'd definitely go with a new wheel instead of just pulling the cassette and popping on a conversion kit. A ss specific wheel will have less dish and be much stronger.

Can you recomend a site to purchase said rim. Also keep in mind $300 budget $350 if needed "don't tell the wife SHHH" $30 purchase price for the bike!

If it does have vertical dropouts I would recommend this wheel with ENO concentric hub and be sure to get the one with 36 spokes. If you are ordering from Harris that would also be a good place to get a cog and lockring.

Harris Cyclery: http://www.sheldonbrown.com/harris/index.html
And contrary to what the web page says, if you look up their phone # on the web they will pick up the phone.

The 800 is the bottom of the line Trek mountain bike. Components and construction varied year to year. I would make sure yours has a cromoly frame. Although it is bottom end, Trek makes pretty good bikes, so the bottom end is still a decent bike.


I would not consider it a great candidate for single speed, but I am not a single speed fan. That question best suited for the fixed gear/single speed forum.

I would just put slicks on it and some trekking bars and ride it, if you are going to ride it on the street. As far as how wide a tire you can mount, the Sheldon Brown site has great details on this. Basically, you can mount a pretty wide tire.

Material of construction of the frame is marked on the frame. I have a 1992 Trek 800, cromoly main tubes, everything else is high ten steel. You can find a lot of details on your bike at either the vintage trek website or bikepedia.

[QUOTE=wrk101;8312208]The 800 is the bottom of the line Trek mountain bike.

But at $30 is it a good deal and is it rebuildible in the cranset??

Yes, $30 is a good deal for that bike, assuming that the frame is in good shape. While I have no knowledge of that particular bike, I'd have a hard time imagining a scenario where the crankset could not be swapped for another crankset of your choice, or a different size chainring put on it for a single speed. More than likely it would not be necessary to buy a new crankset in order to make it a fixie/single speed.

I'm actually thinking about setting up my 1990 Stumpjumper as a fixed/free errand bike in the warm season and a winter bike with studded tires when it gets cold. Low gearing will work for both of those uses, but I would find it tedious to use that as my primary bike.

I live in Daytona Beach!! It is flat flat and the bike is to play with my son and some friends in Urban setting and possibly fire road type riding. When he is ready for Single track then we will upgrade but now I need simple but very durable bike.

[QUOTE=Big Pete;8312388]Sure. But what do you mean rebuildable in the crankset? Not sure I understand. But if you drop it off at your local dealer, and have them go fully through it one end to the other, you could quickly put more into it than it is worth.

A good clean ready to ride Trek 800 is worth about $100 to $125, depending on your market.

The 800 is a decent, sturdy frame.
Your concern will be wheel strength, not frame strength.

I'd suggest picking ONE gear combination only, and ride it a week or 2. You may decide you don't want single speed after all.

I rode this bike for many happy, trouble free years. Bought new in '88, it's an 830. You have three main tubes of cro-moly. I'm pretty sure the frame was the same as the 800, but cro-moly fork and better Deore components. In '88, Deore was mid-line. Finally, in '07, it snapped a dropout. Not worth repairing, so I got another old school MTB and roadified it just like this one. Then another, and another, etc. None have broken since. I've never used any other wheels besides the stock ones. They are my favorite bikes. As an Uberclyde, I trust these old work horses alot, as I ride pretty aggressively around town and go long on week-ends.

Personally, I'm not into "fixies". But , as a hobby why not? If it has BioPace chainrings, I think that might have to go for a fixed gear. Besides, even though I'm a true Believer in BioPace/Ovaltech, you would never have a use for it Florida.

Sheldon said that Biopace/Ovaltech could be used for a ss/fg bike because regardless of the shape, a chainring of a specific tooth number will always engage the same number of total teeth with the chain. There will only be a slight tension differential due to the varying angle between the 2 straight runs of chain.

He had a good write-up on BioPace/Ovaltech. I'm just hunching here. Some people find the slight out of round sensation to be bothersome. Not me, though - but it might be somewhat more noticeable in a fixie?? I just don't know for sure...

Good advice. As a clyde you may have trouble with a SS

[QUOTE=jcm;8315698]I rode this bike for many happy, trouble free years. Bought new in '88, it's an 830. You have three main tubes of cro-moly. I'm pretty sure the frame was the same as the 800, but cro-moly fork and better Deore components. In '88, Deore was mid-line. Finally, in '07, it snapped a dropout. Not worth repairing, so I got another old school MTB and roadified it just like this one. Then another, and another, etc. None have broken since. I've never used any other wheels besides the stock ones. They are my favorite bikes. As an Uberclyde, I trust these old work horses alot, as I ride pretty aggressively around town and go long on week-ends.

Thank you!! Not a fixed but SS.