Trek Antelope 800 to put away for my kid: Worth making it a little nicer later?
 

I found a $28 Trek Antelope in burgundy.

It has cheap Altus derailleurs, cheap Altus brake handles (at least the levers are metal, but since the rapid fire is bad and they are integrated... I need to likely change them out), and a lightly rusty chain.

I was told the crank might have been a recall from Shimano. I might be able to get that covered, as well as the front derailleur.

Otherwise, it is in pretty solid shape. The rear rapid fire cassette shifter is gummy, but that is common with little use too.

I am thinking I will put it away, fix up a few things that won't wear from sitting around 7 years. That is probably about when my little guy will be old enough for a 14.5" bike.

So I won't do the tires or the shifters yet. Anything else I should "sit on" till then?

I figured I would use whatever front derailleur Shimano provides with he crank (if they cover it) and then add better brake levers like Tektro, a basic Sram chain, and someday.. Acera shifters on the bars, or rather is decent at that point. I could do it now, I have access to cheap new ones from a friend.


I want to make this his bike to use in general and go bike camping on the back roads. I will add a rackI have sitting around and whatever I can find over the years. He probably won't care about having albatross bars like Dad must have :) I know.. I plan ahead.. A LOT.

Any ideas?

The 800 Antelope was a decent entry level bike back in the 1990s. They make good general purpose bikes, commuters, grocery getters. You can still find many of the 7sp components for decent prices so a decent pair of shifters shouldn't be any problem. If there is a bike co-op in the area you can probably find a lot of 7sp components at very reasonable prices.

I figured I might drop $60-80 more into it to make it a good reliable bike for him. I rode it the few blocks from the thrift shop and it has a smooth ride, regardless of the shifter not responding. I think this will be great for him years down he road.

You are joking about Shimano replacing the crank right? How old is this bike?

I have a trek antelope that I went riding with the wife today. Bought it new many years ago. Has been a wonderful bike. Not rode much, but the wife does not go very fast and does not want a road bike. We bought her a hybrid and finally got it adjusted to her liking. ( also took her to a class that helped her gain confidence) The bike shifts well. The only thing I have done to it over the years is replace the tires. It still has the original tubes in it. Just a very heavy bike compared to modern ones. You should be very proud to ride it around when the time comes.

My daughter brought a mid 90s Trek 820 home from school. It had the recalled crank. Just got it replaced a couple of months ago, Shimano is still honoring it. They replaced the bottom bracket, front derailleur and chain too.

A Recall, is a Recall.

I bought my son a used Trek 800 in that size from a LBS when he was about 9. He rode it regularly for 3 years until he outgrew it. (was maybe 5' tall when we got it, 5'7" when we sold it) The 800 replaced a bike with 20' wheels, and we jumped right over the 24" wheel bikes in favor of an adult mountain bike. It was an excellent bike for him to learn on.

If memory serves, the stock shifters were fine, but the rear derailleur was broken, and we did put an Acera RD on. The stock Altus shifters and brake levers were fine. Add to that a new chain, freewheel, brake pads, and slick tires, and he had a nice, bombproof bike that gave him plenty of room to grow as a cyclist. He rode that bike around the neighborhood and on rides with us as long as 35 miles, without a problem.

If the frame weren't so small, I would have kept it as a spare bike, but there wasn't much point keeping a 14 inch frame bike once my son out grew it.

I've got one stripped down , sanded and ready to paint as soon as the weather cooperates,got it at thrift store $12.85 it was half price

Some gentleman in another thread, I think a gentleman who was in the midst of a divorce and had lost his car, bought a Giant Iguana (and a bike ... sorry, couldn't resist.) It was a '90s bike, and Shimano replaced the crank---and this was about a month ago.

I bought a Trek 820 last year on CL. It had the recalled crankset and I had my bike shop get the recalled parts - included: bottom bracket, crankset, chain and front derailleur. They were obliged to send the recalled part back to Shimano. No charge at all to me. This was 2015, so they still honor the recall warranty.

I have a 1995 820 that I love. It's a great little bike. I've upgraded all the parts with era specific, but higher end, derailleurs, brakes/levers, wheels, street tires 26 x 1.5" Paselas, new cables/housing, and brake pads, seat post. It's fantastic as an all around bike.

Vintage Trek 800's have nice old steel frames that are worth upgrading. They are nimble and tend to have longer chain stays than many other options. I have rebuilt and converted many old steel mtn bikes for commuting and touring. I prefer the Trek 800 series, Specialized Rockhoppers, and Bridgestone frames from the 90's.
Over time, upgrade the tires, saddle, wheels, then drivetrain.
Customize with modern handlebars and accessories.

When buying a steel mtn frame for general use, I find it better to size up on the frame then close down the cockpit length with stem and bars for a more comfortable ride. I have also thrown 26" Surly Trucker forks on the front for loaded handling and rack and fender options. Better yet, use a 26" Disc Trucker fork and go with a front only disk for wet climates and/or loaded descents.

Good luck !

Of course that bike is worth saving and making nicer for your kid to use. If you're talking about a 7 year wait, however, I wouldn't spend any money on it just yet. Since you appear to be into fooling around with bikes, just wait. One way or another donor bikes that you can salvage parts off of will find their way to you. Good luck!