Shinkers

Hey,

So I've ridden road bikes off and on for the last few years and come to the realization that I am not going to be a regular road rider. Nonetheless I do like the occasional 50-80 mile ride in the summer.

Up to this point I've actually sold off every road bike I've had as I felt like I wasn't doing the bike justice just keeping it in the garage. It bothered me to have a brand new full 105 bike that someone else could be riding the hell out of just sitting there.

I am, however, now looking to get a cheap bike that I can pull out on the odd weekend. This means either used or a Bikes Direct special.

I've come across a nice looking 91 Trek 1400 for sale locally that is spec'd with a 105 drivetrain and Dura Ace hubs. Seems like a solid bike, but I remember reading somewhere about some of these frames having issues coming apart (?). Not sure if that's really a concern or if I'm remembering wrong.

Anyways, thanks!

oddjob2

Trek aluminum frames are fine. Go for it and enjoy the ride.

coolkat

I think the only issue with those is the downtube shifter braze ons coming off. Might be what you're thinking of.

Shinkers

Whew. Good to know. What would you pay for this bike in good condition? Seller is asking 350.

billnuke1 

Got one! I ride the crap out of it! This bike is thrown in the back of my truck along with an extra set of riding clothes. I never know when a ride is going to break out! Fast, sure footed, a great climber! The bb does not move! Every bit of the pedal stroke goes right to the rear wheel!

PugRider

Had a 1400 last year as my winter beater, this year's beater is an 1100. Both obtained for free! Great bikes. They feel very light underneath. That shifter boss thing is real; when it happens (I've only ever had the front shifter boss come off) properly prep the surface and get some J-B weld. Take some extra care shifting (I would imagine an STI upgrade would take a lot of stress off the bosses) and you're good to go. That old 105 is good stuff.

engineerbob

I've been riding a 1200 since I bought it new in 1989. It has never given me any trouble. AFAIK, the 1400 was a 1200 with an aluminum fork.

Bob

zukahn1 

These were really nice aluminium frames I have never heard of them having issues, very nice all around bikes with a nice wheelset and 105 stuff in good shape I would figure $300-350 is reasonable. The only Trek frames that have been noted for issues were some of the first genertion carbon fiber and aluminium composites and then it was usually after they where beat to hell from years of hard riding. Myself I have never had any issues with US built Trek stuff having owned several.

bent-not-broken

I'd say $250 would be a fair price as a rider.

jwse30

I also ride a Trek 1400. I picked mine up last summer for $200. It moves my fat self around a bit faster than my old Schwinn does. I am glad I bought it and am looking forward to putting more miles on it this summer.

Enjoy it.


J White

Shinkers

Thanks for all the replies and apologies for getting this in the wrong forum.

Sounds like the frame should be fine.

So here's another question maybe someone can answer, would a 91 have a cassette? Shouldn't any of the crazy uni glide stuff right?

I only ask because there's a very good chance I'd go to a wider range cassette because the bike looks to have like a 52/42 or something on the front which is pretty tall for me especially running a 21 or so in the rear on climbs.

Thanks.

exxongraftek

IIRC Shimano was offering (non-Uniglide) cassettes in their top line groups by 1987-88 so you should be fine unless someone downgraded your rear wheel.

As far as the frame issues - I worked for a shop in Denver that was getting a lot of bad Trek frames returned in 1986-87 so again, you should be fine.

Enjoy your bike!

Shinkers

Sweet. Guess I just need to check it out now and hopefully buy it. Thanks guys for the help.

I may be asking some more questions here about gearing once I have the bike in hand.

Shinkers

Okay so here's the scoop now (now I could use some more advice)..

I checked the bike out today and really did love it. The DT shifter boss issue had been resolved by the owner so that was not a problem, and the fit of the bike was perfect (I typically ride a 56 or 58 and this was a 58). The bike appears to be well taken care of and the hubs felt good as well as the headset and bottom bracket. Brakes felt pretty good (rear is a bit stiff) and shifting on the rear was perfect.

Shifting on the front wasn't great, as the derailleur had issues going down into the smaller ring, but with some exercising of the shifter and flexing the derailleur a bit, it started to move enough to shift. I'm thinking oiling the pivots of the derailleur will likely take care of this but I'm not sure.

So now I need to decide how deep I want to get into it. Like I said in the original post, I don't ride road a ton so I don't want to go too crazy. The bike is perfectly rideable as is, but I'm sure it could use grease all around, and definitely needs new bar tape. The cables are questionable, the rear brake housing has some cracking and as I said, the lever feels a bit stiff. I also think there's a chance the front derailer could benefit from a new cable.

I had also considered switching out the cassette for something more hill friendly but there is still a ton of life left on my current cassette and it's got a 24t on it which might be manageable (there's one big hill ride I like to do occasionally [think 40 miles at 3-4%])

In the scheme of things cables, tape, and grease are pretty cheap and probably worth the time...

Really digging the bike though!

oddjob2

ksl.com Classifieds Photo Viewer

Maintenance needs look minimal on the white bike. Cables are cheap and so is tape.

There is a far less expensive red 1400 56cm, but it doesn't have the high $$ wheelset.

Shinkers

Yeah that's the one.

DMC707

I dont know what the debate is --- get a nice 13-28 rear cassette , (an 8 speed fits as well, but you may have to shift in friction mode)

A set of decent new tires, - re-string the cables and housing with fresh stuff, wrap the bars and ride it for 10 more years

Geez--- dont be a cheapskate with your recreational time, which i am sure is worth something to you , - Do you want to spend it riding a clunker? - its a 25 year old bike and i'm sure could benefit from a full overhaul to include headset/bottom bracket grease, - hub grease and re-pack the cassette body --- plus the items i mentioned

I picked up a nice looking project that everything spun smooth and the cranks felt ok when together --- during the teardown, i discovered the BB was too tight and had a ton of friction .

Shinkers

Okay. So there shouldn't be a problem with my derailleur being compatible with a 28t (105)? And new chain will probably be okay on the rings?

Not as familiar with 7sp stuff, Shimano hg chains and cassettes considered good?

RoadGuy

IHMO $350 is out of line in most markets, unless it's like brand new.

Should be closer to $250-$300 for a near perfect used bike with good/new tires.

I have a 56cm 1997 1400 (2 X 7 RSX STI) that I'd be happy to sell you for $300, but I'm in SoCal, and I don't see you driving here to pick it up.

You can get 12-28 or 14-28 Shimano 7-speed cassette on the stock rear wheel. Going to an 8-speed cassette would mean running the 7-speed rear shifter in friction mode, or buying new 8-speed shifters AND either replacing the freehub body on the rear wheel with a 8,9,10 sized part, or replacing the wheel with a 8,9,10 speed compatible wheel. I bought a set of used Shimano BL-400 8-speed downtube shifters (index only) for my 1990 Trek 1100 when I converted it to 8-speeds for about $20 from a eBay Seller.

Your existing rear derailleur should work fine with a 28T cassette. The existing chain might be long enough (if it isn't worn-out), but a new KMC X8.93 chain is only about $11-$12 shipped from a US eBay Seller.

Shinkers

Yeah probably not but thanks for the offer.

Shinkers

Alright, reading around it seems like an hg50 cassette should be okay and I'll be using a kmc x8.93 chain to go with it.

Sound decent?

It also looks like with a 44/53 crank and 13/28 cassette I should still be okay with a short cage derailleur.

I'm also getting some jag wire cables and housing, cinnelli tape, and gatorskin tires.

Chainrings are original. What are the chances they'll play with the new chain? Big ring looks brand new, smaller one does look to have some wear but not shark finned at all.

Thanks for all the advice everybody.

engineerbob

When I bought my 1200, the crank was set up for 52/42. The cassette was 13/24. I immediately changed the small chain ring to a 39. I also replaced the 24 cog with a 28. Yes, that last shift went from a three-tooth jump to a seven, and it shifts well. I'm still running the original 105 RD.

Bob

exmechanic89

Nice bikes, I was unfamiliar with that model. Will have to keep it in mind for the future if I run into one. Unless I missed something in your posts it sounds like you could offer $275 for the bike, OP. Maybe the seller will go for it, or come around to $300? You could tell the guy, 'hey I'm not trying rip you off' - which you're not, 'it's just that you're asking quite a bit over what these usually sell for'. Just be nice/friendly.

I agree about the older 105, btw. I have it on my late 80's Peugeot road bike and it shifts absolutely flawlessly. When I got the bike around 6 mos ago, I had originally planned to swap out it's components with some era correct Campy and Dura Ace stuff since you can buy the older components fairly cheaply. But the 105 works so well I just cant see changing it.

Shinkers

Now there's an idea. I'd still need a new chain but I wouldn't be scrapping a dura ace cassette with a lot of life left.

Anyone know off the top of their head what bcd on these 105 cranks would be? I'm assuming 130.

Sorry for all the questions.

oddjob2

You're over thinking this.

Go there, ride it, flash your wad and buy it. Enjoy!