SDHawk

Since you're liking the Nishiki, here are other pics from the seller. He's actually asking $200, but it's been listed for over a month and he indicated a willingness to bargain. Last thing I need is another bike tho.

Like many online, his ad doesn't say much, just the model, size and that it runs great.

SJX426 

A bic pen works on older U locks from Kryptonite. Remove the cap on the other end of the tip and insert in the lock hole and rotate. If it is new, no dice.

panzerwagon 

Oooh, the late 80s Deore group is one of my favorites! I sincerely doubt the components on that 730 will top this ;-)

Source: several of my bikes came stock with deore, which from what I recall was second only to XT back then. ‘89 miyata 1000lt, ‘89 rockhopper comp, ‘90 miyata alumicross, ‘90 novara randonee...

francophile 

fully agree on this. The Deore bits justify almost half the ask price. But without knowing what either the 7000 or 730 are running, we can't say for sure if/how much better we're talking.

panzerwagon 

True true. I think at this point OP has no choice but to buy both :-D

(feel the N+1 flow through you...)

Smokinapankake

I'd be ALL OVER that Nishiki!

SDHawk

Damn, you guys are relentless on the Nishiki. JK, you probably have a point.

I picked up the 730. It needs some TLC for sure. It shifted into all gears and the brakes worked but not great. I'm having my guy look at it to see if the key components are ok. Tires are shot, but hopefully just a tune up/lube with a couple of cables will have it riding well. It only cost $60, so if it needs a lot I'll have to consider whether it's worth it.

Lock is a "Bici"...couldn't find anything about that brand online.

SDHawk

The 1996 730 has lower components than the Nishiki for sure. However, the bike seems well regarded from what I've read. Also Treks are easier to sell if needed.

Here's a link to the 730 specs. The bike I got seems to be all original except tires and maybe pedals.

https://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/...spx?item=50895

Smokinapankake

I just picked up a Trek 720, 1996. Been wanting one for a long time. They are really underrated and for your purposes yours should be fantastic. Pics when ya can!

francophile 

I don't think you'll be disappointed with the Trek, but I'll say the Nishiki had the better drivetrain by an inch, not a mile. It was so close on what you're getting, I personally think it's a toss-up. Others may disagree, I just feel like a Trek of the era chosen foundationally is better, with a slightly lesser drivetrain, and the Nishiki foundationally inferior with the better drivetrain. You can fix the former, not necessarily the latter. Again - only my opinion, and I'm practically bringing up politics at a family gathering where alcohol is plentiful and everyone's armed.

Pics when you have them.

SDHawk

Haha, yes it seems like a touchy subject. I'll have pics soon. Like I said it's a little rough but I am hopeful that it can be put in good working order without too much effort. Am I going to do a full restoration like I often see on this site? No, dear reader, I am not.

tricky 

That's my favorite approach! I very much appreciate a pretty fully restored or mint vintage bicycle, but I also like to ride my bikes. Greasing and oiling the appropriate parts and slapping on whatever components look decent and getting the thing rolling so that you can actually RIDE the thing and not just look at it is my typical approach. Congrats on the new bike and post some pics of your progress!

SDHawk

Hey, thanks a lot. I also love looking at the amazing restorations that are posted here, but that's out of my league. I will post some pics soon - don't get your hopes up it will still be kind of a beater ha.

So I will need new tires for the 730... suggestions? Looking more toward road use rather than trails.

due ruote 

If the Nishiki could be had for $150 or so, I would be sorely tempted to buy it and transplant the drivetrain onto the Trek. You could sell the frame, stem, wheels etc and recoup a fair bit. And you’d end up with a nice all-rounder with a bulletproof drive train.
Otoh, there is nothing wrong with just riding it as is. Some of us are just tinkerers in search of marginal improvements.
As for tires, depends on your price sensitivity. I would not go cheaper than Paselas, or narrower than 32mm. Something like a 38mm Soma Supple Vitesse would give you a great ride, but each tire is about what the bike cost you.

SDHawk

Thanks for the suggestions. I think 35mm might be right for me on this bike. The Soma might be a bit more than I am looking to spend, but will look into it. Would like to keep it around $30-35 per tire.

SDHawk

Here are some "before" pics of the 730. Yes, the lock is still on the bike lol.

My bike guy is looking it over now.

due ruote 

Totally reasonable. In that case I would go with 35mm Paselas.

SDHawk

Update: So my bike guy checked it out and it needs a new rear axle, chainring, brake pads, and tires. Even buying a used axle and chainring, I think the total outlay may be an additional $150 on top of the $60 I paid for the bike.

I'm trying to decide if I should just sell as-is (with full transparency) or fix it up and keep it. Frame, wheels, derailleurs, shifters, and bb are ok. Paint is beat up in spots, but not rusted or chipped. Thoughts?

Wharf Rat

Those trek multi tracks are great extremely versatile bikes. I don’t know your financial situation, but $210 total outlay for a for a bike of that quality and versatility isn’t bad. Especially in Covid times. Clean it up, give it some love and enjoy it. See if your bike guy will teach you what he’s doing as he’s working on it. Bring a six pack, I bet you learn a lot and have a blast.

Smokinapankake

Pads and tires are pretty much a given on any older bike so that shouldn’t be counted against it. I’d be skeptical about a rear axle needing replaced. Is it broken? What exactly about it means it needs to be replaced?

The 730 is a full cromoly frame so it’s nothing to sneeze at. The chainring on that crank is not replaceable; rather you’ll just change the crankset entirely. It may be one of those under recall; in that case your local bike dealer should be able to handle that. Do some sniffing around for more information.

Looks like a good opportunity to learn bike mechanics and save a few bucks. Lots of help on YouTube, not too many specialized tools required, and these old bikes are really easy to wrench on. Maybe you have a local bicycle co-op where you can take repair and tune up classes... Bikes are inherently simple and the investment you make will pay itself back many times over the span of your cycling “career”.

Give that bike a good cleaning (I like to use lemon furniture polish) and you’ll be surprised at how nice it really is under the dirt.

SDHawk

Yeah, you're right and it's been tough finding one exactly my size.

The axle is broken, he showed me the pic. It was still riding but dangerous. Re the chainring, he's talking about some teeth that are "nubby". See picture. Is that possible how they're supposed to be?



I looked up the recall, thanks. There are 3 models (FC-CT90, FC-M290 and FC-MC12). When I look on my cranks I don't see anything like that. Just "K" and then "Shimano Japan via US". Also "170" which I believe is the crank length. Am I missing something? Thanks for the cleaning tip too.

thook

170mm is the crank arm length from the center of the crank spider to center of the pedal hole.

those "nubs" are intentional/ by design for picking up the chain with indexed shifting. that crank hardly looks worn to me. i'd say %80 life left in it, at least

personally, i'm a little skeptical if in one breath he says the axle is broken and on the other the "nubs" are problematic. in any case, it never hurts to get other assessments. can you share pics of the "broken" axle? it may very well be broken, but it's pretty uncommon

i bet your crankset is fine in terms of a recall. i have two of them. no problems with either. and, i bet you could get that running well for less than $150 (avoiding full retail). axles aren't expensive, if it's broken. tires would be the priciest item

SDHawk

Thanks for the assessment and encouragement. Yah, if the crank is ok then the cost is much more palatable. Here's a pic of the axle he sent.... says "broken axle and bent quick release". He's done several bikes for me and usually tunes them well without finding problems.

Clang

Interesting to note that those Shimano Alivio cranks may be under recall. My dad has a '95 Trek 730 and they've since been replaced. If I recall correctly, the free replacements nowadays look quite different.

Voluntary recall - FC-CT90, FC-M290, FC-MC12 Cranks

CPSC, Shimano Announce Recall of Bicycle Components

https://bike.shimano.com/en-US/infor...12-cranks.html

Consumers should check their bicycles' crank assemblies. If they are involved in this recall, consumers should stop using their bicycles immediately and call Shimano at 800-353-4719 to arrange for the free replacement and installation of a new crank assembly at a nearby authorized repair shop. Consumers can also arrange for the free replacement with their bicycle dealers.

Aww

The crankset looks exactly like FC-MC12, the code would be from the back/inner side of the crank arm. Anyway, from the photo they look hardly used. In case you decide to change it, it is nice to check the BB axle length to get some crankset that wouldn't require changing the bottom bracket (if it still has life left).
I've seen the axle issue on several bikes with different hubs. It can just happen, then the QR just holds it together. Actually, it is something I hate fixing (as most hub related stuff), but the axle&QR itself is not expensive where I live (Europe), the repair is not difficult but I find it annoying.
There was good point that you would probably be changing both tires and brake pads on most bicycles you buy. Actually tires are the thing where I wouldn't mind going quite fancy.