Originally Posted by
Tombaatar
Posted this on General Discussion and advised to move question here...
Question. I have an 88 Trek 400 that I rarely ride because it is not very comfortable. The position of the brake hoods seems too far forward. The handle bars feel too narrow. Brakes are terrible.
So my question is this. I know the bike is rather low end to begin with (i have been corrected) so is it worth sinking money into to make it more comfortable. Perhaps move the shifters to the brake levers and off the down tube, replace handle bars, put on new rim brakes as the current brakes seem weak. Or do I sell it on Craigslist and buy something new for the same amount of money?
Your Trek 400 is a handsome bike, well-worth putting some time and money into.
As others have said, some of the issues you mention can be corrected by replacing the consumables (brake pads, cable/housing, etc). Swapping out bars and brake levers is an afternoon's work if you've never done it before.
But does the frame fit you?