I am looking for a bike for my commute to my new workplace starting in July, and am looking mainly at hybrids. Today I went and tried a Trek 730 multitrack. I think it is a 1997 model. I'm also going to be looking at a Schwinn Trailway hybrid, and a Giant ATX760 MTB in the next couple of days. The Trek is going for $145, the Schwinn for $80, and the Giant for $70. Is the Trek a better bike than the other two?

I'm no expert, but when I checked the frame top to bottom it looked good. I didn't see any cracks or rust, and the frame seemed to be straight as far as I could tell. The wheels were true, and the owner said he replaced the tires and inner tube. A friend gave him the bike 6 months ago but he hasn't used it much so is selling.

So I took the bike for a ride in the parking lot and up a couple of short hills. One thing I noticed is that I needed to put a lot more pressure on the rear brake and even then it didn't stop the bike when going downhill, like the front brake did. I'm not sure what would be the cause of that. I couldn't see anything different between the rear and front breaks. The pads didn't seem worn. Also, it felt like the shifting between the gears could be better.

I'm not sure it's because I haven't ridden a hybrid bike before, but I felt high off the ground. I also felt the handlebars could be lower. I'm not sure if they are adjustable. The bike seemed to be a smooth ride.

Overall, apart from some maintenance for the rear brakes and the gear shifting, I think the bike is in good condition. I don't expect there to be any surprises but again I'm not expert. I reckon I could ride it for a few months (my commute is only 3.2 miles round trip) and get a tune-up early next year.

Is this a fair price for this model? I like the fact that is steel and it comes with a rack. All I need to add is fenders. Everything shown in the pics come with the bike.

The Trek looks clean but that's at the high end of the value for an old hybrid. I'd get the giant mtb if it looks good; that's a nice bike and will make a fine commuter at 1/2 the price.

If that trek is Forest Green with pearl gold decals it's a 1994. I have one. I live in the Portland, OR Metro area which is a very "Hot" bike market and prices are high. That bike would sell for $225-$200 here, so the cost of a given bike will, in part, depend on where you live.

Yes the stem can be raised up or down and the handlebars can be rotated forward/rearward. Vintage Treks tend to hold their values better than some other brands.
[MENTION=305894]oddjob2[/MENTION] - is quite the expert on these Trek hybrids. Maybe he'll chime in.

Where are you located?

The trek is a good bike. I would imagine you could get him down a bit. I would offer $100 and see where it goes. Learn how to do a full tune up, re-grease the bearings and it will last you forever

I'm with everyone else- The 730 is a great all around bike. The price is right on with what they go for around here. It is hard to tell from pics, but it looks very clean and in good shape. So, it is not a "steal" but a good everyday price in my locale. At $100 it would be a no brainer. The trailway is ok but not the same quality of the Trek. The giant could be good or bad depending on condition. Fit is the biggest part of the equation for me.
Bruce

I would have to get fenders and rack for the giant. The seat is torn so I might replace that too. It has mtb tires. How would that be for commuting? Speed is not an issue for me, but if there is any other reason, like less traction, or more water spray, then I might replace those as well. If so, then the cost may not be that different from the Trek.

I sent you a PM. Another Multitrack just turned up, a 720. It's about $15 cheaper. The seller says it needs a little work. There are also some 7X00 Multitracks going for around $200 and up.

The Trek has a very slack head angle, nice for cruising but feels a bit strange after more responsive rides. In terms of value, I picked up one for free at a music festival, the owner had rode it until the tire shredded into oblivion then rode on the rim, lucky it was on grass.
The Giant is also a good bike, I have an ATX840 I scored for a 6 pack. Would be much more exciting to ride than the Trek if it's a bit twisty and bumpy. I can still stay in the top 10% of descent times on fast single track on mine, as long as there's no big jumps.
If it's reasonably flat road then I'd be going for the Trek for commuting, the 700c wheels will roll better than the 26" on the Giant. If you have a few big hills you can put one of the Mega Gear Freewheels on it for about $15, the derailleur can cope with a 34T.
The brake blocks on the Trek have probably gone hard, happens to a lot of old bikes, ozone makes the rubber set like concrete. Change them out for a set of modern ones with swappable pads for about $7 a pair for something like Clarkes, then you can put Koolstop Salmon pads on in the winter. I did that on mine and they work fine.

Thanks. The 720 I mentioned above is going for around $100 but without a rack and lock. So adding those, like the 730 has, I guess it would be around $125?

My commute has a 1/2 mile hill that is around 30 deg for the 1st 50m then about half that for the rest. After that it's all flat on a sidewalk that is bumpy in places. It's not a windy route. Since my commute is short, I figure a mtb would be fine, maybe swapped out with road tires. That makes sense about the brake pads being hard. Thanks.

The Giant won't have lock out on the forks, so will bounce around like a pogo stick climbing. You get used to climbing smoothly to minimise the bounce.

[MENTION=26538]steel_is_real[/MENTION] - The Trek 730 has a bit nicer steel tubing than the 720 and the 730 came with a bit nicer components, in general. They have 700c wheels vs the mountain bike which you said has 26" (smaller) wheels. You'll want tires for street riding not heavily lugged mountain bike type tires on asphalt/concrete.

The Trek 7xxx are aluminum and not steel.

Will you do your own work? The most common things to upgrade/change are the consumables, i.e. brake pads, cables & housing/ shifter cables & housings and maybe tires (if they're old I'd personally replace because rubber degrades). Size is the most important thing. How tall are you? Do the sellers say what size the bikes are?

When I last rode 9 years ago, I commuted for a few months and did my own routine maintenance, adjusting the brakes and gears, lubricating the cables and chain, and truing the wheels. If I buy now I have 4 months before the commute begins to work on the bike, so I figure I can do it myself. The tires and inner tube on the Trek are new so no problem there.

I'm 5-8 1/2 and the Trek is 19.5 inches. The center-top measurement for the Giant is 18.5 inches. Based on an online calculator a 20" road frame is right for me, and 18" for an mtb frame.

Here are some pics of the Giant

So have you test ridden any of them yet?

Yes, I rode the Trek. Please see my first post. I'm about to head out to try the Giant now. I'll be trying the Schwinn tomorrow.

I would be surprised if the 730 fits you. It is not impossible but I would make sure before buying. I am 5'10" but have short legs, and most 19.5" frames are just a little too big. The giant seems in good shape too and might be a better fit. The tires will probably need to be changed for commuting but that is not a huge deal. The same with a rack. Personally, you probably need to test ride the giant and find out what you think between the two.
Bruce

edit- Steel you posted while I was typing... good luck with the test ride!

I test rode the Giant. Compared with the Trek I didn't notice much difference in the ride, except the Giant felt lower to the ground and more maneuverable. I preferred the click shifters of the Giant to the grip shifters of the Trek. The gearing of the Trek felt better for riding on pavement.

The gears on the Giant kept slipping off the largest front cog so I guess that is just a matter of adjustment, but because of that the price was lowered to $50, which kind of makes it a no-brainer pricewise compared to the $140 for the Trek.

The owner commuted 5 miles to work on it. One of the front brakes was rubbing against the rim and she said didn't know how to fix it, so it would seem not a lot of maintenance was done on the bike. It seems to go ok though.

So I'm just thinking about which one would be better for me now.

Hey steel_is_real, what is your general location? I tried to send you a pm but I didn't realize there was a post count minimum. oops
Bruce

The 700-720 series had straight gauge steel. The 730-750 series where built with double butted cromoly. Lighter and stronger with the latter. I'd get a 730 MT and come out ahead.

Might be a matter of adjustment, or you might need to replace the chain, cassette/freewheel and possibly chainrings. As for the brake rubbing, possibly the wheel is out of true, or even has a broken spoke or two. If the Giant is really beat up, you might need to put $100 or $150 in parts and labor into it.

Steel_is_real, I received your pm but couldn't reply yet, I was just wondering what type of weather you would be commuting in, from what I've heard...a bunch of rain... good luck with everything!
Bruce

Thanks. I ended up going for the Giant, but may still make an offer for the Trek and see what happens. I could ride both for a while before deciding which one to keep.

I got the Giant for $40 which I think is pretty good, assuming it won't cost too much to fix the gear slipping problem. It only happens on the large front cog. As for the brake rubbing, the wheel is true and there are no missing spokes. The Giant is in not quite as good a cosmetic condition as the Trek and needs a bit more work.
It drizzles a lot in winter so you don't need an umbrella most of the time. Not many windy days either. My workplace is so close that I could walk there in under 30 minutes, but I think the bike will be more convenient. Thanks.

I know this is 4 years old but just had to add a plug for the Trek 730. I bought mine new and it has served me well for 27 years and thousands of miles. Probably spent 2x as much in maintenance as I did to buy it new, replacing cables, chains, tires etc. You cannot find a more solid bike and the grip shifters are easy to use. I was tempted to sell it when I upgrade but maybe I will keep it after reading this thread.