Trek 728

[k randomfactor]

Greetings all. I've had an itch to get into touring, and my entry level hard-tail MTB is just not gonna cut the mustard for anything other than getting me in the saddle for fun rides and general fitness. I've never done anything more than fun recreational riding in the past. I've been looking at touring bikes, and looking around for bikes, and have an opportunity to get an 82 Trek 728, in great shape and (mostly) all original, for cheap. I'm gonna ride it as is for now, with (hopefully) some short haul weekend rides in the relatively near future, but will want to upgrade it for some longer duration trips when the weather warms up, to include a cross country trip some time in the next year or so. Planning on sticking strictly with panniers for kit. So, keeping in mind that I've never done anything more exciting than recreational riding, and am stoopid when it comes to bike stuff, any thoughts, comments, or suggestions on the bike itself, or recommended upgrades would be greatly appreciated. Thanks folks. Connected via SkyNet

 

[alfeng]

Well, the 80s were arguably the 'golden age' of Trek frames ...

So, if the frame fits YOU & the-price-is-right ... well, silly not to buy it ...

BUT, you need to know that some of the components may not be as convenient as some contemporary components ...

AND, even if you buy the Trek that you are looking at, depending on your Hardtail, you may want to consider working on the Hardtail before-or-in-addition-to any possible changes which you may want to make to the Trek ...

• although it is hard to muck up a bike when working on it, according to Murphy's Law, it is possible ...
• so, work on the "old" bike & refer back to another bike as a reference if you forget how something is supposed to look on the former.

I presume that the particular Trek has DROP handlebars ...

FYI. YOU can put DROP handlebars on almost any bike (with recumbents being the possible exception) ...

And, certainly, the frame doesn't know the difference ...

So, once again, here are two MTB (26er) frames which have been (or, are in the process of being) set up with Drop handlebars ...



Those are 700c wheels. I substituted the suspension fork for a "regular" Carbon Fiber fork ... the resultant head tube angle is now somewhere between 72º-and-73º (the norm for a Road bike) ..

I needed to use a longer spindled BB which would normally be used with a Triple crankset to ensure that the 52t chainring would clear the chainstay ...

BUT, some MTB frames like the following can use a regular Road crank ...



Because the "lowers" on the particular suspension fork are Carbon Fiber, it is almost as light as a Rigid steel fork (okay, it's undoubtedly at least a pound heavier, but I already had the fork, so ...)

• Whatever you put on your old Hardtail can eventually migrate to the newer bike.
• Campagnolo shifters (as pictured on both bikes) will mate to most modern Shimano rear derailleurs & index properly with minimal-or-zero effort (depending on the combinations being used) -- the bike in the first picture has a 9-speed Shimano ULTEGRA 6500 rear derailleur and in the second picture the it is a 9-speed Shimano SAINT rear derailleur which I modified to use with a standard rear derailleur hanger (NOT one of my brighter ideas).
• and, there are very few cable operated front derailleurs which a Campagnolo shifter cannot be mated to

BTW. If you are a wise shopper, then you can install a set of Drop handlebars + Campagnolo shifters + ramped Freewheel-or-Cassette + Shimano Acera (one of Shimano's less expensive product lines ... but, I recommend that if you can pony up for a Shimano XT rear derailleur, then do so) rear derailleur for under $200 if you DIY.

• I think that a 'lightly used' Shimano XT 750 rear derailleur (c2001) will set you back about $30 on eBay

 

[k randomfactor]

Much appreciated friend. A few things tho... My HT isn't really worth upgrading IMO. It's a lower mid-range ('04 Haro v4) that works ok for what it is, so I really don't want to sink much money into it. Honestly, I've done more road riding on it than dirt. That being said, I do have some friends that ride/race, so they have take-off parts that I can get for cheap. Problem being, none of them know much about these older/vintage bikes. I'll check and see if I can come up with those parts you mentioned. Going to check the bike this evening, so we'll see what we can see. Thanks again! Chris Connected via SkyNet

 

[vspa]

here's a ready to go touring from trek, so you can see what the 728 should be looking like http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/touring/520/520#

 

[k randomfactor]

Saw the bike tonight, and am gonna pick it up in a coupla weeks. A buddy has it now, so it's not going any where. It already has a 3 gear crank and the Deore derailleur. I'll probably need a new wheelset, since it has pretty cheap steel on it now. Looks like wheelset, maybe a new rear hub, racks, and new shifters are on the menu. The bike has obviously been ridden, with some scratches and whatnot, but no dents, dings, or goobers. This has the potential to be a fun project. Thanks again folks. Connected via SkyNet