dselected

A dear friend has been given a vintage Trek bike and we're trying to identify its provenance and whether it would be a good bike to restore for him (family rides in the CA Bay Area). (To be clear I'm NOT looking for valuation or sale potential)

[EDIT, it appears I can't post photos yet as a new user, which makes this harder. Maybe someone can suggest a way around that?]

With great help from Skip's vintage-trek site I think we've identified this bike as a Japanese-made 1984 Trek 400 (serial # 402304XXX, stamped on lower seat tube). There are still some mysteries though and I would appreciate any community input on:

1. The bike does not seem to be modified or previously restored, but I'm a novice so hard to be sure. It was single owner.
2. The tires seems thicker than a road bike, and yet not as thick as the MTB tires I'm used to. Is this what MTB tires were like in 1984?
3. The shifter location does not seem to correspond to any of the 1980s road bikes from Trek.
4. The handlebars are like a comfort/hybrid bike and yet I can't find reference to that kind of bike anywhere in the old Trek catalogs. Might this be a one-off or non authorized?

I'm interested in restoring this bike, but don't want to proceed if it's not worth it. I'm new to restoration and would treat this as a learning project. There seems to be a really classy bike under the rust and dirt!

Thanks!

madpogue 

Pics - https://www.bikeforums.net/g/album/18786894

A single straight-on (not from a standing position) shot of the bike, right-side-up, from the drive side, would be helpful.

Handlebar and shifters are not original. Very common "geezer pleaser" mod. Not enough photo detail, but the brake levers are probably upright-compatible replacements as well. Easy swap back. Stem appears to be original.

Tubing is likely Tange Magnalloy, double-butted. As others have said here, BITD, Trek's "entry level" was anything but.

I have an '84 420, and a question for you -- which side of the seat tube is the serial number on? That is, which side of the bike is it visible from?

dselected

Thanks @madpogue. I will work on getting the clearer photo from my friend.

The serial is on the side of the front crank/gear/chain.

madpogue 

Thanks for the intel, mine is the same way. They didn't exactly make it easy to read, did they?

Oh - tires - original tires were 27 x 1 1/8". Yours look like 27 x 1 1/4", in keeping with the "geezer pleaser" mods. Should be marked on the sidewall somewhere.

polymorphself 

As was stated, the drop bars and down tube shifters were swapped out for upright bars and stem shifters. The tires aren't typically the type you'd find on this bike. Otherwise yes definitely worth the refurbish. Trek didn't do low end bikes back then. Their entry level models were equivalent to other companies mid range. 70's and 80's treks have a cult following and for good reason.

dselected

Thanks @polymorphself

So to understand correctly: This bike would originally have drop bars and the shifters I can find in the vintage-trek 1984 catalog?

thinktubes 

I've owned a number of Trek 400s from that era and they are great riders. Stable and comfortable. Well worth the effort.