Trek Multi-track 730
 

If I buy a multi-track 730 or 750, will it most likely require a lot of work to get it in shape? Used 730s are around $100-$200. Seeing how the bike is 30 years old, how much do you typically spend to get it in great working condition? The ones I have looked at are pretty beat up with quite a bit of rust.

Used bikes that old are case-by-case.

"Barn finds" are more likely to have rotted tires and brake pads, calcified grease in the bearings (bottom bracket, hubs, headset, pedals), and so on. But the metal might be in better shape if it's been indoors and not getting wear. While a bike that got ridden all the while might be pretty clapped out or have wildly different components due to replacement, but it's but maintained and ready to ride

I got a really nice Motobecane recently and it seemed like it was in marvelous shape, but it had cracked tires, brake pads like charcoal briquettes, and some pitting in the front hub cones just from getting water in there that sat a while. It's docked right now because the chain broke for no reason I could parse.

Location matters too. Here in California's elbow, nice old bikes are plentiful, due to both bike culture and dry climate, but in places with neither, good luck

That is not a question with and easy answer. For me, all the touch points, that is the seat, grips, handlebars, pedals are not part of my consideration of money because these are important to be good for me. I'm not that fussy about them, it just that if I spend money on them, it mentally doesn't go toward what I tally up for the bike.

Expect to replace the cables and probably the housings. You will probably be replacing the tires as well. If the tubes hold air, I save them. Others have implied that old tubes are not reliable, however, my experience with old tubes has been good.

I like these Trek Hybrids. If I like the bike and it doesn't require a repaint, or for me even if it does, I will go for it. But if it required a repaint, the price would, of course, be far lower than $100.

And as Darth Lefty pointed out, someone will need to go through the bearings to clean, inspect and regrease them. If you can do this work then that is a big help. If you like doing this, then it is a bonus.

So, it all depends. If you are not into doing this type of work your best bet might be to look at new bikes. I don't mind spending time on cleaning and rebuilding. To me it is part of hobby. And the payoff is being able to ride it.

I hope that non-answer makes sense.

I have an assortment of Multitracks. I spent $50 on one and all it needed was a $10 cantilever brake stud repair kit. Another cost me $150 and was in nearly perfect condition, needed nothing more than some minor adjustments. A third, also $50, needed a complete overhaul - I replaced just about everything except the frame, fork, and wheels (mostly). I rebuilt it as a drop bar gravel bike and put $200-250 into it. So as others have said, there's no one answer on this.

ok. I am looking for one in nearly perfect condition. Either original or had work done to get it in shape.

I'd have no problems paying $100 for a 750 in good shape and maybe half that for a 730. $100-$200 for a 730 is on the high side. Depending on the condition of the bike (and the work that has been done), that may be a decent price for the bike or maybe you need to keep looking for a better deal.

As long as the paint is good, the bike is not crashed, and the wheels are reasonably true, a used Trek hybrid is a fine machine. But you will need to be able to do (or learn how to do) your own work on the bike. It's not hard to do.

Unlike road bikes, gravel bikes, and mountain bikes, most hybrids are bought by casual riders, and many of those riders ride only a couple of hundred miles per year. And many of those ride considerably fewer miles. That's why so many hybrids listed for sale on Craigslist and Facebook look pristine. (I'd ignore bikes that look beat up or rusty. There are too many being sold in great condition to settle for fixer-uppers.)

You shouldn't have much trouble finding an appropriate hybrid for $200 or thereabouts that fits you well and requires little or no immediate maintenance. I might not pay much more for one---maybe $250 or so if I really liked the bike---but $200 or so for a decent example isn't worth arguing over for a bike that might last you 10 years or more. I paid $225 five years ago for Cannondale's entry-level hybrid model from 1995, and I've ridden it at least 5,000 miles a year since then, with the only expenditures being consumables such as tires, tubes, and brake pads.

Edit: I see a couple of posts from people quoting prices considerably below $200. Great if you can find a bike at such a price. But, as I noted above, it's not worth obsessing over the cost, unless you're the type who feels you're cheating yourself if you don't get it at a bottom-feeder price.

Second edit: there have been plenty of hybrid brands and models that are equal in quality to Trek's models, so you might consider casting your net a bit wider. I love my Cannondale hybrid, for example, which was built in the US, like the Trek 750 (and unlike the 730, if I remember correctly, for some model years at least), but there are plenty of Japanese and Taiwanese hybrids out there that you'd be just as happy with.

do you normally have to replace the brake & shifter cables on a bike this old?

No, unless the bike has been abused or neglected. That said, some form of corrosion is likely to occur over time, so if the shifting turns out to be sluggish, replacing the cable housings and inner wires often improves performance greatly.

I gave $50 for the 730 I rebuilt for my daughter with modern drivetrains. Purchased it from the original owner and it had alll original parts. I gave $80 for my 730 and it’s in beautiful condition. The tires and brake pads were replaced at some point.

Look for a new bike of similar quality and then consider what a Multitrack offers for $50-200.