denada

so i have a bike i'm happy with but it's fun to shop craigslist. i found a trek multitrack 7900, only it's 20" instead of my current 21" mulitrack 700. i'm 5'10. 21" works great as i'd much rather go with the big of the end of the spectrum than feel the slightest bit cramped. still, i figured what's an inch.

then i googled and stumbled across this: https://store.bicycleczar.com/51cm-T...p/05130073.htm

5' 5 to 5' 8? they those heights wouldn't even clear the top bar, right (except maybe, 5' 8 barely)? or because it's a different model, do things change?

assuming 20" is likely fine for 5' 10, is the multitrack 7900 a significant upgrade from the 700? i carry my bike up and down my apartment stairs, so weight is of some importance to me.

what should i offer? the post is asking $600. it says posted 13 hours hours, but seller keeps reposting it and it's been up for months.

of course i'm not buying anything without riding. want to make sure it could be worthwhile before even going that far.

seen here:
https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/b...935613848.html

thanks!

Helderberg

Before anything I would get some time on the bike to see what that inch is going to feel like with your level of flexibility and fitness. I am supposed to ride a medium in the Quick line and bought a medium that is nice. My second bike was a large Quick that I changed the stem on and narrowed the handle bars that I can just, and I mean just, stand over but feels 100% better riding than the medium. The medium is now relegated to visiting friends or gravel as it has different gearing. Go and ride the bike and see how it feels and think about what you would need to do to make the bike fit you. If it isn't a frame issue, size, geometry, than you will have to pass. If it and can be fixed with a stem and such, than that changes everything. If you do not feel it is right than you move on having full knowledge of it's limitations. I rode a Giant Escape that was marked the same size as my first Quick. It was a very nice bike but way to restrictive a cockpit for my body. Let us know what you decide on and good luck.
Frank.

denada

^i appreciate the reply.

before taking his and my time to test ride, i want to make sure there's a possibility i'll buy it. it isn't art; isn't worth whatever it's worth to me. i need to be able to sell it for what i paid when the time comes.

got him down to $450, and i'm sure it's his lowest. still seems steep, even for chicago. am i being cheap or is $450 a whole $150 more than he should be charging?

thanks

katsup

You are paying full market value, you may be able to get $450 at resell, but it will take awhile. It wouldn't go for that in my market, maybe on eBay.

The 7900 is an upgrade, with better components, but it's not worth $450 in my opinion. Your main concern seems to be carrying it up the stairs, ask them to weigh the 7900 then weigh your 700 to see the difference. An easy way to weigh your bike is by using a bathroom scale, weigh yourself holding the bike, then yourself, and subtract..

ksryder

I had a too-small Multitrack for a while and no matter what I did it never fit right. Essentially had a mile of seatpost and way too long of a stem. Looked like a circus clown. It's too bad because they're great bikes, if they fit.

Also there is no way I'd pay $600 for vintage carbon. I wouldn't pay $60 for lugged carbon that old. They were just getting started back then and working out the kinks.

More to the point, you'd be lucky to get $200 out of that thing as a re-sale. There's plenty of bikes in Chicago.

denada

appreciate all the additional replies. i’m gonna pass. i’m not a huge fan of the idea of carbon fiber anyway.

if it’s still sitting in a month, i’ll remind him of my $350 offer. bikes sell for a premium in chicago. especially chicago, chicago; i don’t live in the ‘burbs or even edge of the city.

the weight difference isn’t huge, according to google. bathroom scale says my bike is about 35lbs, but that’s with the u-lock.

in the meantime i’m going to replace the original tires on my ‘92 700. after bringing it in to have a flat fixed — swerved to miss a dog while cutting through a park shortcut — the mechanic let me know my almost 30 year old tires were no good and would lead to plenty more flats. i really don’t want that to happen going 25mph, lane taken, with a car tailing me.

wanted to get this sorted before buying new tires.

thanks again

katsup

I gave a quick look at your Craigslist and found this 21in 720 for $130

https://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/b...916494655.html

It appears to be a 1993 and the catalog says full cro-moly frame and fork:

Not sure what year your 700 is, but it likely has a high tensile steel frame or fork so this would be an upgrade that won't break the bank. It is not as nice as the upper end multitracks, but I bet you can get your money back in a resell. You just have to drive a bit as it is outside Chicago.

Edit: Your 1992 Trek 700 only has cro-moly main tubes.

HerrKaLeun

Seat tube length became meaningless with slanted top tubes.

denada

thanks. actually have seen that 720 on craigslist. but it’s not at all in chicago. i don’t have a car, no trains go out that way, and, even if i did have a car, 5 hour round trip isn’t worth a hundred dollar bike.

still, i really appreciate you checking out listings for me. that’s kind.

got new tires on my 700. cheapos that i paid a pretty penny to have installed, but they feel a lot nicer than my old stock tires. already have 30+ miles today 'cause errands, but feel like going out on an evening ride to give them a real test run.

DorkDisk

7900 was top of the line in the few years they were produced. Aside from the carbon main tubes, it had an Easton (this was THE name in Al back then) rear, and the geometry was more like a contemporary mountain bike than the road oriented 7xx series.700 was the base model for Trek's hybrid

Weight is listed as 23.9 lbs stock, which is decent. 700 is listed as 27.4lbs for '96.

Reflecting its MTB influence, the 20" 7900 has a top tube length of 574mm, where the Multitrack at 21"=565mm

It would be a massive improvement IMO over the base 700 with a sportier ride and more offroad ability. 3.5lbs less is very noticeable. These bikes are not that common, and I'd readily buy one if one turned up locally but not at that price. 600 can get you something much nicer in the used market.

denada

word. though i never ride off-road. it's a commuter. i'm not yet brave enough to ride through traffic on chicago's torn up roads in the forward posture of a road bike.