Trek 2300 OCLV
 

Just came across a Trek 2300 OCLV with Campy Veloce and STI levers for $400. It's in excellent condition with low miles and a recent tune up, so there's that.
Link: Trek 2300 54cm OCLV Carbon Race Road Bike 27spd Campagnolo Veloce

Would this be worth my money? I don't expect much, just want to know if its an alright deal.

Thanks in advance.

For a first bike I see no problems, but I am not sure it is an OCLV model, but it still is fair.

Looks good as long as the frame size fits you.

That is a bonded, composite carbon/aluminum frame that Trek made up until 1992 or so. The full-carbon OCLV frame came out in the mid-90s. The price may be a bit high, but it appears to be in very good shape. The original quill stem may have been converted to threadless (a good thing), and it has a triple crankset to make hill climbs easier. It also has STI levers. At the time Veloce was entry level for Campagnolo (followed by Chorus and Record), but most find it to be very reliable. Be sure you know your proper frame size. A 54cm frame is for a small adult -- under 5'8" or so.

Thanks for the help guys, I'll probably be meeting up sometime in the week.

I think it's just a bit high. From what I've heard, those frames are pretty flexy - and definitely not OCLV. IMHO, maybe $350 or so if you really want Campy. FYI, I've seen these frames built with Shimano 105 8 or 9 speed go for $300 or so.

Speak for yourself. I'm a hair under 5'11 and I ride 54 or 55 quite comfortably. It depends on geometry because every bike and every person is different. For me 545-550mm top tube is the sweet spot. This bike is probably 540mm top tube but I'm sure plenty of people that are 5'9 or 5'10 may be comfortable on it

But I personally wouldnt be comfortable on a 20-25 year old lugged carbon frame. Not to mention that carbon frame with alum fork is all backwards. But, price is probably reasonable considering the SF used bike market.

For sure, that fork setup is wonky. Still, it matches what I'm looking for, and I'm 99% sure I'll fit it.

Same; 6 feet, 54cm bike, no issues with fit.

I would definitely carefully inspect the lugs. The epoxy holding the carbon and aluminum lugs together may have degraded. Otoh epoxy has been used to suspend multi-ton concrete blocks without issue, so it's definitely not an epoxy problem; more of an age and design question.

Glad you guys are happy with a 54cm road frame. I would guess you may also have taller seat posts and longer stems to get a comfortable fit. Remember, the OP is asking for advice on a potential purchase and should hear that frame size matters. There is nothing worse than a poorly fitting bicycle...

Happy riding!

Also longer legs and shorter torso

I'll see what I can do to bring down the price. Would it be reasonable to call him out on the OCLV part? And what are the signs that it isn't OCLV? The lugs? Thanks for the help.

OCLV is a different technology that Trek used to describe their molded carbon monocoque frames. This involves bonding individual Carbon fiber sheets together in a mold with epoxy under high pressure. The frame you are considering precedes that technology - it's composite carbon tubes that are conventionally bonded together with aluminum lug joints that are glued to the tubes.

The OCLV technology creates a stronger frame that is essentially one piece of Carbon Fiber and Epoxy without discrete joints. The 2300 is not made that way.

Thanks a ton for the information! I'm still very much interested in buying the bike, so I'll do what I can to bring him down.

I'd guess that this is a frame that someone built up, or possibly a bike that an Owner heavily upgrade on his own.

The Trek 2300 was a bonded carbon fiber/aluminum frame bike with a carbon main triangle, and an aluminum fork.

It came with a 2 X 8 Ultegra Group (some years a 105 Group). They never came from the Factory with a Campy Group. This bike has a threaded 1" fork and a quill stem, NOT A THREADLESS HEADSET. The only 2300s composite bikes that had a threadless headset was the 93 model.

The Trek 2320 was the same frame with a triple (3 X 8) crankset.

The Trek 2200 is/was the only Trek Composite bike that was offered with a Campy (2 X 8) Group.

The bike that you are interested in, is one of the later model year 2300 frames (maybe a 1998 model?). 1998 was the last model year for bonded aluminum and composite frames, with the exception of the Trek 2000. The graphics on the seat tube are different from the earlier 2300s that I usually see. It's newer, making the bike possibly a 1998. You can tell by the headbadge (94-95 had a different headbadge).

I've never seen that fork with those graphics on a 2300, but 1998 2300s are very rare.

$400 would be the top of the market for a Trek 2300. I'd check the frame over carefully , along with the condition of the group, AND most importantly the fit. Before considering paying that much for the bike. Out here a 2300 selling for $400 will not sell unless the Seller is willing to wait a long time for the right Buyer, and the bike has to be something special..

I do not believe that Trek frames are true monocoque and in any case, OCLV has been associated with Trek frames since at least the early early 2000s so I don't think the seller was trying to intentionally fool you.

Also I believe OCLV is a crock of marketing BS. OCLV tech might make Trek frames stronger but really now, when was the last time someone had their frame break JRA? Most incidents can be traced to a single catastrophic load, such as hitting a garage or a crash.

Thanks for the clarification, I tried searching up to see if any of them actually came with Campy, but didn't see it. I will be giving it a test ride sometime during the week, and I'm pretty sure I'll fit it.

I'm hoping to get him down to $350 or below, would that be reasonable?

How reliable are these frames? I really am hoping to keep this working for many years. I've heard a lot of good things about them, and I don't mind the weight.

Years ago I had a VERY EARLY Trek 2500 - basically the first year of that frame, equipped with full Dura-Ace (7sp), nice Cinelli bars/stem and other goodies like a nice seatpost. Unfortunately the frame delaminated at the downtube/bottom bracket junction. Word on the street was that they fixed that problem in the later frames, and this is one of those later (95-98) frames, so you will probably be ok.

And I don't think their is anything "wonky" about that fork. I suspect it is actually a threaded carbon fork which they did start putting on those later 3-tube carbon bikes. "Airail" was a name for Trek's in-house carbon forks from about that period. It is clearly painted to match the non-carbon parts of the frame, so I don't see any reason to think it isn't original.

Oh, BTW, in those days a "carbon" fork just had the legs themselves made of carbon, the crown, steerer, dropouts, etc. were all metal. All-carbon forks didn't come along until a lot later.

A Trek Y-Foil is a true monocoque. The subsequent OCLV frames, are debatable.

Looks like a 1998 to me, as well. I think those Air Rail forks are carbon legs and aluminum steerer, however.

Hmmm. Paint's all wrong for a 1998 2300.

The 1998 2120 had Veloce, and silver paint. Maybe it's one of those with fresh decals, but they couldn't find any 2120 stickers...

I'm thinking more like a 96, based on this link Trek Bike Models by Year and Color, which describes it as:
"Colors are: tubing color, stays lugs fork, decals
96, natural carbon, Saturn silver, yellow decals"

Stickers are all wrong for a 1996, also. But anything could happen. They might've restickered a '96 2300 with some later year stickers and Chorus parts from a 1998 2120...

Catalog shows a much brighter silver, however.

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