ozzyski

Hey guys,
I recently picked up this bike , rather good condition. I do have a few questions about it, because i know about older bikes. I bought it for 35$, the frame in my opinion is gorgeous. Love the matte silver/blue. I haven't been this excited for a bike since my first bike purchase. Apologize in advance if these are dumb questions.

1. Does anyone know what year this is based off pictures?
2. Secondly, is it worth replacing the tourney RD to acera? Or is the old tourney solid?
3. Can these old hubs fit 9 or 10 speed cassettes? Considering maybe doing a modern 1x drive train.
4. And lastly, ive never had a bike with v brakes. Do the more modern rim brakes like from a tiagra/ ultegra over any stronger braking? Not sure if its worth the replacements.

dmark 

1. Possibly 1996?
Trek Bike Models by Year and Color
Very nice; good deal.
Tke Trek Bike Archive only goes back to 2010 now so there is a 10 year gap.
https://www.trekbikes.com/ie/en_IE/bike-tech-library/
2. If it works it is fine. The shifter is more than likely to need a CLA.
3. If 96 no.
4. Not worth upgrading.

My curmudgeonly 2¢.
Happy Thanksgiving.

veganbikes

Tourney is never really worth upgrading. The only times I do it is if someone mangled their rear derailleur and that is only because I don't stock tourney derailleurs and wouldn't, I can get someone a similarly priced derailleur from another manufacturer or for a little more from Shimano that is going to be a few notches better.

In terms of linear pull brakes they can be more powerful if set up right and especially if using good quality pads and good stiff shoes (KoolStop and SwissStop come to mind) and with good cables and housing (Jagwire Pro or Elite link) however I wouldn't invest much into that bike just ride the bike till it needs serious parts and then get a bike you want. Most bikes are going to have whatever brake type they have and mixing is tough, sometimes you can add disc brakes to some older bikes and such but rim brakes while all use a rim to brake won't always mount to the frame if you have a different brake except for cantis and linear pull brakes which use the same bosses but cantilever brakes requires cable hangers.

Vermilion

>> 1. Does anyone know what year this is based off pictures?
I'd guess c. 2000 since centerpull cantis were still common in '96. It looks quite similar to a Schwinn Frontier that I bought in 2000.

>> 2. Secondly, is it worth replacing the tourney RD to acera? Or is the old tourney solid?
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. If it's shifting well, it will probably last for years with an occasional CLA.

>> 3. Can these old hubs fit 9 or 10 speed cassettes? Considering maybe doing a modern 1x drive train.
You would probably need a new wheel to go past 7-speed. I wouldn't bother.

>> 4. And lastly, ive never had a bike with v brakes. Do the more modern rim brakes like from a tiagra/ ultegra over any stronger braking? Not sure if its worth the replacements.
Calipers should be just fine. You might want to clean and grease the mounting posts and install new cable, housing, and pads if needed. A drop of oil on the tension screws and a couple twists to make sure they're not frozen isn't a bad idea. They should offer ample stopping power and I see no reason to upgrade if they are healthy.

Hard to tell from the photo, but it looks like GripShift MRX. They typically need no service other than a cable change now and then. I have some of these that are 20+ years old and still work great.

This is a very solid bike and $35 is a great bargain. It's not really a suitable platform for radical drivetrain changes. It's from the lower end of the price spectrum (threaded stem, Tourney, etc.). Tune it up and enjoy it, or bring it up to snuff and make a profit. I'd just ride it--it should have a lot of life left in it.

TakingMyTime

I had somewhat of a similar experience several years ago.

1. Spend as little money as possible upgrading. It's really not worth it.
2. Replace tires with a thinner width. Since there's no shock on this model I assume you'll be riding on mostly smooth surfaces.
3. Clean the heck out of it and ride it.
4. Those spring assisted seat posts weigh a ton. If you have an alloy post laying around you can probably lose about a pound changing it out.
5. Since it has a triple front you can lose the big cassette and install something with less range. You'll lose some weight and and still be able to handle the hills.

As far as you question regarding the brakes... leave them alone, possibly new pads and that's it. There's not really much you can do to improve it's stopping power. Besides, the brakes you're talking about replacing them with won't work.

GeezyRider 

I built a lot of these while wrenching in my friend's shop in the early 2000's. Your bike is likely a 2007 or 2008 model. I also seem to recall that Trek sent us those bikes with SRAM drivetrains not Shimano Tourney. But I could be misremembering that.

Korina

Nice bike; I'm with others who say to give it a tuneup and ride the heck out of it.

Well, I'd replace that seat post first, unless you're riding on seriously chunky pavement or have spine issues. There's nothing wrong with a 3x drivetrain, shifting isn't that hard; and if it works I'd keep the derailleur. If you want, you can upgrade parts as they wear out. Some miles in the saddle will tell you what works and what doesn't. Please keep us updated on how it rides and what you decide to do with it!
ETA: Regarding V brakes; they're plenty strong enough; you might want to be a little careful until you get used to them. Kool Stop pads FTW!

DorkDisk

With rim brakes, the cleanliness of the brake track is very important. Keep it clean, wipe it down after every wet/dewey ride, and every so often sand the brake tracks down with 120 grit. A spray bottle of alcohol is very useful to have, not only for bikes; just mark it clearly to avoid accidents.

+1 on ditch the springy seatpost, and the saddle also.