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Old 01-17-22, 07:49 AM
  #26  
M.Lou.B
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Originally Posted by bboy314
One way to save substantial weight would be to replace your marathons with a lighter tire. But you’d probably be giving up some durability there too.
That is a very good point. I am quite torn between the benefits of the durable tires and the downside of their weight.
Can you recommend any light weight tires that are somewhat durable?
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Old 01-17-22, 07:57 AM
  #27  
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Originally Posted by rekmeyata
Only upgrade when something breaks, and that's only IF there will be a benefit to upgrading. A lot of upgrades a person could do could be a waste of money if you don't ride the bike more than 15 miles from home.

The single best upgrade for the money is buying lighter tires and tubes! And if your tires have knobbies on them and you never ride off road then get a set of smooth tires, get a set of tires that are not as wide, say your current tires are 42 then get a set of 38's for example. Cheap tires can weigh 1,600 grams each (just an example of 45 wide tire could weigh), whereas a good tire might only weigh 430 grams. Cheap tubes can weigh 250 grams whereas good tubes can weigh at least 100 grams less than that. I would start by figuring out what you can do with your tires and tubes as my first improvement.

Beyond that I would change out the rims, but personally I wouldn't do that either unless they broke or wore out.

So instead of upgrading to more expensive wheels and or components, or whatever, simply save that money and add to it for the next few years and buy a bike that you really want with the cash you saved from not doing stupid upgrades.

But only buy a new bike IF you "outgrow" your current bike. For example, you're constantly doing over 20 miles from home, and on weekends you're really going over that into the 40's and 50's miles from home. Once you start exceeding certain mileages then it becomes an issue with reliability, you don't want cheap Shiman Tourney stuff breaking on you when you're 40 or so miles from home. Also, when you do buy another bike there is no reason to get components better than either Shimano 105 or Deore (or SRAM equivalent) unless you decide to get into racing and even with 105 and Deore I know people who race on that stuff so that could be questionable, but something to consider if you decide to race. Always be reasonable when buying a bike, the biking industry wants you to spend a lot of money, and most of that money is for stuff that far exceeds most people's capabilities, so use common sense.

Thank you for your reply. The tire issue makes a lot of sense. I also appreciate and approve of your arguments in terms of sustainability. You do make some really good points there.
Please understand that I really like this bike and its hybrid character and want to maintain its philosophy while upgrading some of the 20 year old technology to something more timely. I know this isn't everyone's approach, and I understand your point in saving up and buying the bike one wants instead of spending money on upgrades some might not deem necessary.
This bike already is all I ever wanted, except it is a bit heavy which probably stems from the hefty tires my partner put on there with his best intentions. I do appreciate them being so durable, but I don't do much offroad riding. Perhaps it would be better to save them for the occasional bike backing trips, while switching to something smoother and slimmer for daily commuting.

Thank you again for taking your time to reply to this. I really appreciate it! Thanks for the good advice.
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Old 01-17-22, 07:55 PM
  #28  
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Originally Posted by M.Lou.B
That is a very good point. I am quite torn between the benefits of the durable tires and the downside of their weight.
Can you recommend any light weight tires that are somewhat durable?
I don't know what size your tires are, but there are tires that are durable enough for your needs. The Schwalbe Marathons can vary in weight and intended purposes, thus have different model names after the Marathon label. For example, the Marathon Plus HS440 is almost flat proof, but that almost flat proof liner will raise the weight to almost 1,000 grams each tire! Unless you're doing touring, you don't need that Plus HS440 type of tire, unless the roads you ride on are littered with goat heads, glass, and pieces of tire wires. If you want to stay with a good highly flat resistant tire you could go with the Marathon Supreme, that tire weighs around 440 grams, it will last a long time and be more than adequate for flat protection, and this tire is so good some people even tour on them. One step up from that tire with a bit more durability and flat protection is the Marathon Almotion tire, this is the tire I chose to tour on because it struck a balance between the heavy Plus HS440 and the Supreme which is more of a minimalist touring tire, but of course the Almotion weighs a bit more at around 650 grams, but I was willing to accept that since it would last longer and have good flat resistance.

Of course, Schwalbe aren't the only tires on the market, so it depends on what size tire your bike uses, you need to find something that will have low rolling resistance, good durability, and decent flat protection.
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Old 01-17-22, 08:45 PM
  #29  
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Originally Posted by M.Lou.B

Someone said that replacing the crankset with modern, much lighter parts is impossible because technologies have changed. I have seen blog posts of people who have done it somehow, though, so now I am looking for information on this, as well as some advice on how to modernize my gem while maintaining his wonderful hybrid qualities. I would love to eventually swap the drive-train for something lighter, potentially similar to te 3x8 setup the bike came with (Shimano Nexave).

Please help us out if you can - I'm grateful for any advice!

Sincerely, M.Lou
Crankset and BB is one spot I would go depending on the riding you're doing. Typically it came with a heavy triple, I'd replace that with a lightweight double or even 1x. The crank is easily replaceable as the bottom bracket is an english threaded. A decent 2 piece crank will work well and you can find some lighter ones on sale. If it says BB30, PF30, or some other press fit it might not be adaptable to your bike. But shimano, sram, bb386 designed for a threaded BB will fit your bike. Downside is a nicer double may require a different shifter and front der. From what I remember the it was a 48/38/28 mtb crankset, putting on a 48/32 crankset will let the shifting system work while having a nice range of gearing. The wheels are also fairly heavy so a decent wheelset can help some as well, usually it came with a rim labeled 750, its a fairly heavy rim as are the hubs, a nicer wheelset can be found for not a lot. After that its just replacing parts with lighter ones for diminishing returns. Its an easy to upgrade bike and a decent rider as is.
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Old 01-17-22, 10:41 PM
  #30  
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Originally Posted by Russ Roth
Crankset and BB is one spot I would go depending on the riding you're doing. Typically it came with a heavy triple, I'd replace that with a lightweight double or even 1x. The crank is easily replaceable as the bottom bracket is an english threaded. A decent 2 piece crank will work well and you can find some lighter ones on sale. If it says BB30, PF30, or some other press fit it might not be adaptable to your bike. But shimano, sram, bb386 designed for a threaded BB will fit your bike. Downside is a nicer double may require a different shifter and front der. From what I remember the it was a 48/38/28 mtb crankset, putting on a 48/32 crankset will let the shifting system work while having a nice range of gearing. The wheels are also fairly heavy so a decent wheelset can help some as well, usually it came with a rim labeled 750, its a fairly heavy rim as are the hubs, a nicer wheelset can be found for not a lot. After that its just replacing parts with lighter ones for diminishing returns. Its an easy to upgrade bike and a decent rider as is.
Hello Russ,
thank you so, so much for your reply. I really appreciate the metric ton of good advice. Switching to a lighter 2xsomething crank set is definitely something I will consider in the future once I'm ready to invest in a new set of shifters. You make a good point that a 2 piece is lighter than a 3 piece.
My next plan is to upgrade to some lighter tires, as well as hopefully tubes and a lighter wheelset, though I'm not quite sure yet which one to get. Any recommendations on what to look for would be fantastic. I'm looking at one with 700g front and 1200g rear wheel, is that any good?
Thank you big time for the information on that my BB crankset is English treaded. I learnt that it was most likely a square bottom bracket, so a threaded type, but we weren't sure if English or Italian. Thank you so much! You really know your way around these vintage gems.

I appreciate you not calling me crazy for wanting to tinker with my bike. Thanks for all the help and great advice.
Best regards!
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Old 01-17-22, 10:48 PM
  #31  
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Originally Posted by rekmeyata
I don't know what size your tires are, but there are tires that are durable enough for your needs. The Schwalbe Marathons can vary in weight and intended purposes, thus have different model names after the Marathon label. For example, the Marathon Plus HS440 is almost flat proof, but that almost flat proof liner will raise the weight to almost 1,000 grams each tire! Unless you're doing touring, you don't need that Plus HS440 type of tire, unless the roads you ride on are littered with goat heads, glass, and pieces of tire wires. If you want to stay with a good highly flat resistant tire you could go with the Marathon Supreme, that tire weighs around 440 grams, it will last a long time and be more than adequate for flat protection, and this tire is so good some people even tour on them. One step up from that tire with a bit more durability and flat protection is the Marathon Almotion tire, this is the tire I chose to tour on because it struck a balance between the heavy Plus HS440 and the Supreme which is more of a minimalist touring tire, but of course the Almotion weighs a bit more at around 650 grams, but I was willing to accept that since it would last longer and have good flat resistance.

Of course, Schwalbe aren't the only tires on the market, so it depends on what size tire your bike uses, you need to find something that will have low rolling resistance, good durability, and decent flat protection.
Hello rekmeyata,

thank you very much for your reply. There are so many different tires out there that it's quite confusing what to look for, so your advice really helps. I will definitely check out the Marathon Almotion and the Marathon Supreme. Last night I was looking at the Marathon Racer which is 35cm wide and weighs 465g per tyre, which would drop some 700g off my bike. My wheels are 700 or 28" btw, nothing unusual.
I've been considering upgrading the rims as well though I'm not quite sure how to pick a new set. Have you got any suggestions that would be reliable enough for the occasional touring but not too heavy?

Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it!
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Old 01-17-22, 11:30 PM
  #32  
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Originally Posted by M.Lou.B
Hello Russ,
thank you so, so much for your reply. I really appreciate the metric ton of good advice. Switching to a lighter 2xsomething crank set is definitely something I will consider in the future once I'm ready to invest in a new set of shifters. You make a good point that a 2 piece is lighter than a 3 piece.
My next plan is to upgrade to some lighter tires, as well as hopefully tubes and a lighter wheelset, though I'm not quite sure yet which one to get. Any recommendations on what to look for would be fantastic. I'm looking at one with 700g front and 1200g rear wheel, is that any good?
Thank you big time for the information on that my BB crankset is English treaded. I learnt that it was most likely a square bottom bracket, so a threaded type, but we weren't sure if English or Italian. Thank you so much! You really know your way around these vintage gems.

I appreciate you not calling me crazy for wanting to tinker with my bike. Thanks for all the help and great advice.
Best regards!
Actually the switch in cranks will probably be more than you realize since they came with a heavy BB and typically cheaper steel chainrings, the 7500 and 7600 got the nicer stuff.
1900g for a wheelset will be a nice improvement, if they're the more aero 750 series rims those things are probably close to 1200g just the rims.
The BB is absolutely english threaded, Trek is an American brand and never made a bike that I have heard of with Italian threads.
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Old 01-17-22, 11:39 PM
  #33  
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Replacing inexpensive ShimaNO components with more expensive ShimaNO components does NOT constitute an UPGRADE

You will still find yourself painted in a corner ....with ShimaNO holding both the brush AND the bucket of paint

Positron ....Front freewheel system ....AX ....Dyna drive ....Pitch 10 ....Uniglide ....on and on, ad nauseam ....wanna be left 'holding the bag' ? = then by all means, go ShimaNO !
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Old 01-18-22, 12:05 PM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by Russ Roth
Actually the switch in cranks will probably be more than you realize since they came with a heavy BB and typically cheaper steel chainrings, the 7500 and 7600 got the nicer stuff.
1900g for a wheelset will be a nice improvement, if they're the more aero 750 series rims those things are probably close to 1200g just the rims.
The BB is absolutely english threaded, Trek is an American brand and never made a bike that I have heard of with Italian threads.
Hello Russ,
thank you so much for all your help with this.
As for the crank, I will definitely keep your words ("more than you realize") with me as I consider my options. So far I have been enjoying the 3x8 drivetrain for its versatility, as I commute to work up some steep hills, but also enjoy the mid range and big chainwheels for going fast on a more even surface. The hybrid character of my Napoleon really pleases me. I understand the significant advantage in terms of weight that 2 chainrings offer over 3, on top of ditching the heavy BB. Finding the right one will be tough.

I checked my wheels for you today. Their stickers say "VUELTA RODE (made in Europe) - ALLOY 6063 - ETRTO 622x19 DIN DOUBL WALL".
As recommended, I'm looking into replacing them. Here are a couple options. Would you please let me know if you think they are suitable?
Shimano Custom Made 28" Deore T610 V-Brake / Mavic A 119 Wheel Set (960g and 1200g)
Shimano Custom Made 28" Deore T610 / Rigida ZAC 2000 V-Brake (950g and 1150g)
I tried linking them but I'm not allowed to post URLs just yet. My apologies for the inconvenience.

Also as recommended, I plan on replacing my heavy Schwalbe Marathon with a 35mm Marathon Racer subtype, which would drop some 690g. Napoleon also received an new seatpost today, losing some 326g. With the new tires, that's more than 1 kg gone already.

Please let me know what you think. I am very open for further suggestions.
Thank you so, so much again for your help!
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Old 01-18-22, 03:30 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by M.Lou.B
Hello rekmeyata,

thank you very much for your reply. There are so many different tires out there that it's quite confusing what to look for, so your advice really helps. I will definitely check out the Marathon Almotion and the Marathon Supreme. Last night I was looking at the Marathon Racer which is 35cm wide and weighs 465g per tyre, which would drop some 700g off my bike. My wheels are 700 or 28" btw, nothing unusual.
I've been considering upgrading the rims as well though I'm not quite sure how to pick a new set. Have you got any suggestions that would be reliable enough for the occasional touring but not too heavy?

Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it!
I believe those rims can fit all the way up to a 35c tire, I doubt it will fit anything wider; if you never ran tires that wide before on that bike you'll have to check to make sure you have the clearance at the fork and brakes to handle that wide of a tire.

Now all that is left for you do to is decide what tire to use.

If you want a faster road type of tire you could also look at the Continental Gatorskin, and the bit tougher version the Gator Hardshell, the largest width they have is a 32 though, but it's a popular commuter tire though not made for gravel. There is also the Panaracer Gravelking SS, this tire has a smooth center section for faster rolling on roads, with aggressive side lugs for gravel, plus it has a very good flat protection belt and a long wearing tread. There are other tires too but that gives you an idea of what else is out there from a couple of top manufactures.
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Old 01-18-22, 03:45 PM
  #36  
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If the crankset and or the BB is not broken don't replace it, just keep it serviced and ride the bike.

Like I said before, it's better to save money for a better bike sometime down the road when you're ready, and save a lot of money too to get a really nice one instead of wasting money on upgrading a lower-end bike. I would aim for around $1,500, more the merrier, but you shouldn't need more than $2,000 unless inflation starts to kill us all. My touring bike only cost me $1,300 but that was 2 years ago, but that's all I wanted to spend on a touring bike, and I got everything I wanted on a touring bike for that price without having to make any changes to it to suit me, so I'm happy with it. But a new bike you will notice a world of difference over what you have now! That's why I said not to upgrade and save instead. You put $150 for a crank and a BB, then another $600 or so for wheels, then this then that, well you can see you'll dump an easy $1,000 into a bike and not have anything close to what you would get with a new bike.
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Old 01-18-22, 04:56 PM
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Originally Posted by TPL
Replacing inexpensive ShimaNO components with more expensive ShimaNO components does NOT constitute an UPGRADE

You will still find yourself painted in a corner ....with ShimaNO holding both the brush AND the bucket of paint

Positron ....Front freewheel system ....AX ....Dyna drive ....Pitch 10 ....Uniglide ....on and on, ad nauseam ....wanna be left 'holding the bag' ? = then by all means, go ShimaNO !
this is amazingly un helpful, especially to a new person. what positive ideas do you have
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Old 01-18-22, 05:05 PM
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I am with the others that say, put some faster/lighter tires on this and ride the heck out of it. Learn how to do maintenance and think about what you want in the future.

Even buying ebay/etc it will cost a lot to upgrade and there will not be much gain either performance wise or weight wise.

Save the $$ and do n+1...get another bike in the future...maybe a road bike or gravel bike or??? depending on what you want to do, The trek 7300 is a good hybrid, use if for the good that it is.
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Old 01-18-22, 07:43 PM
  #39  
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You can upgrade just about anything but you have to consider what your base is and if it is worth upgrades. Generally it is best to buy a bike with the parts you want from the get go as upgrades can get expensive. I would say if the bike has a not really adjustable coil fork and a cheap aluminum frame with Tourney or Altus I probably wouldn't put anything into that bike but maybe if it was Deore or Alivio and a decent enough frame maybe I might consider it. However it should be noted I prefer to build from the frame up, that way I can control what goes on it and while it costs a little more I get what I want without spending extra down the road to upgrade something I am less than excited with.
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Old 01-18-22, 08:00 PM
  #40  
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You also have to be careful if you buy a bike with a suspension fork, which personally I think those forks are useless unless you plan on doing downhill racing, that you don't spend $800 or less for a bike and get a tank for a fork that does not respond fast, is extremely heavy, and won't last long, then to replace it the darn new one will cost nearly as much as a new bike, not to mention taking watts away from powering the rear wheels efficiently which will then simply tire you out faster.
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Old 01-20-22, 08:51 AM
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Originally Posted by rekmeyata
I believe those rims can fit all the way up to a 35c tire, I doubt it will fit anything wider; if you never ran tires that wide before on that bike you'll have to check to make sure you have the clearance at the fork and brakes to handle that wide of a tire.

Now all that is left for you do to is decide what tire to use.

If you want a faster road type of tire you could also look at the Continental Gatorskin, and the bit tougher version the Gator Hardshell, the largest width they have is a 32 though, but it's a popular commuter tire though not made for gravel. There is also the Panaracer Gravelking SS, this tire has a smooth center section for faster rolling on roads, with aggressive side lugs for gravel, plus it has a very good flat protection belt and a long wearing tread. There are other tires too but that gives you an idea of what else is out there from a couple of top manufactures.

Thank you rekmeyata for your reply and the great tire suggestions.
The Continental Gator Hardshell really intrigues me, it's super light weight, and the Panaracer Gravelking seems like a great option for asphalt with the occasional dirt road, while also having good flat protection. I've been looking for a tire like that.

My current ones are massive Schwalbe Marathons with 40mm width. Yes, they still turn, but it's a tight squeeze. The original ones were 32 or 35, not sure, but the rubber was so brittle that they simply had to go.

Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it!
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Old 01-20-22, 09:02 AM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by veganbikes
You can upgrade just about anything but you have to consider what your base is and if it is worth upgrades. Generally it is best to buy a bike with the parts you want from the get go as upgrades can get expensive. I would say if the bike has a not really adjustable coil fork and a cheap aluminum frame with Tourney or Altus I probably wouldn't put anything into that bike but maybe if it was Deore or Alivio and a decent enough frame maybe I might consider it. However it should be noted I prefer to build from the frame up, that way I can control what goes on it and while it costs a little more I get what I want without spending extra down the road to upgrade something I am less than excited with.
Yes, I absolutely see your point! Rekmeyata also pointed out that in a lot of cases it makes sense to just save up for a bike you really want instead of upgrading an inferior base.
Starting from the frame up, you have complete control in terms of what goes in. Someone here also mentioned that of course as a singular consumer you don't get the same discounts as a company buying in bulk, so as you say, you end up spending a little more, but you get exactly what you want.

I on one hand lack the experience and knowledge to build a bike from scratch.
On the other hand, I WAS looking for a frame and repurpose some old parts from my heavy city bike to build something that works until I saved up the money to buy a real fancy bike.
Then I stumbled across the TREK Multitrack series and simply fell in love with the frame geometry and hybrid character - it was exactly what I was looking for, the frames are really good quality and the older models were even manufactured in the US. Mine's not quite that old, but still good quality maybe except for some of the built-on parts.

The bike's nature is exactly what I was looking for, it suits my needs perfectly, it's just that technology has progressed over the past 20 years and I feel like some of the old, heavier built-on parts hold the bike back in way, if that makes sense. It has potential to go faster and be better than it is at its current state.
Can it compete with a 10kg all carbon frame gravel bike? No, and I don't need it to do that. I might end up putting more money into it than buying a ready-made bike (though Multitracks are no longer made, so I could get something similar but not this type of hybrid bike), but I will be learning a lot throughout the process about the individual components and how to fix and upgrade things by myself, knowledge that will be useful for the future, and I am also turning this bike into something I really want. Maybe not in a quite as elegant way as you, Veganbikes, and that's ok. I think what you do is awesome, I hope to get to your level eventually, and I'm just a beginner at this stage, but this route was well-selected even if it doesn't look like it from the outside.

Thank you for all your valuable feedback and for inspiring me reflect.
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Old 01-20-22, 09:04 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by squirtdad
I am with the others that say, put some faster/lighter tires on this and ride the heck out of it. Learn how to do maintenance and think about what you want in the future.

Even buying ebay/etc it will cost a lot to upgrade and there will not be much gain either performance wise or weight wise.

Save the $$ and do n+1...get another bike in the future...maybe a road bike or gravel bike or??? depending on what you want to do, The trek 7300 is a good hybrid, use if for the good that it is.
Thank you! I'll be sure to ride the heck out of it!
(And learn a lot throughout the process!)
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Old 01-20-22, 10:19 PM
  #44  
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Originally Posted by M.Lou.B
Yes, I absolutely see your point! Rekmeyata also pointed out that in a lot of cases it makes sense to just save up for a bike you really want instead of upgrading an inferior base.
Starting from the frame up, you have complete control in terms of what goes in. Someone here also mentioned that of course as a singular consumer you don't get the same discounts as a company buying in bulk, so as you say, you end up spending a little more, but you get exactly what you want.

I on one hand lack the experience and knowledge to build a bike from scratch.
On the other hand, I WAS looking for a frame and repurpose some old parts from my heavy city bike to build something that works until I saved up the money to buy a real fancy bike.
Then I stumbled across the TREK Multitrack series and simply fell in love with the frame geometry and hybrid character - it was exactly what I was looking for, the frames are really good quality and the older models were even manufactured in the US. Mine's not quite that old, but still good quality maybe except for some of the built-on parts.

The bike's nature is exactly what I was looking for, it suits my needs perfectly, it's just that technology has progressed over the past 20 years and I feel like some of the old, heavier built-on parts hold the bike back in way, if that makes sense. It has potential to go faster and be better than it is at its current state.
Can it compete with a 10kg all carbon frame gravel bike? No, and I don't need it to do that. I might end up putting more money into it than buying a ready-made bike (though Multitracks are no longer made, so I could get something similar but not this type of hybrid bike), but I will be learning a lot throughout the process about the individual components and how to fix and upgrade things by myself, knowledge that will be useful for the future, and I am also turning this bike into something I really want. Maybe not in a quite as elegant way as you, Veganbikes, and that's ok. I think what you do is awesome, I hope to get to your level eventually, and I'm just a beginner at this stage, but this route was well-selected even if it doesn't look like it from the outside.

Thank you for all your valuable feedback and for inspiring me reflect.
No worries. If you ever want help working out a bike build let me know I literally have probably 20-40 builds I have done on paper just for fun and sometimes for actual builds I have finished so I can track it and know what I need and how it will come together in the end.

If you are looking for a great frame at not a lot of cost New Albion Privateer is my go to. Mine is built up with parts from the bin so it is a 1x9 XT rear derailleur with an XTR shifter (lucky me) and some Deore V-Brakes and Surly Moloko Bars and it is just an absolute pleasure to ride. Nice comfortable steel frame and mine happens to have a carbon fork from Specialized and it fits decently wide tires and can fit racks on the back and three bottle cages and just is perfect for a parts build if you have a lot of older stuff. I bought a few new things for it as needed but a lot of stuff came from parts I had or people gave me over time.
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Old 01-28-22, 10:14 PM
  #45  
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Roadbike Wheel-set for Vintage 135mm Read Hub?

The current wheel-set on my vintage Trek Multitrack 7300 Hybrid bike is very heavy: The rear wheel (without mantle, without tube) weighs 1.9kg, minus the cassette (Shimano Nexave of 300g that's still 1.6kg.

- The sticker on my current wheel-set says Vuelta Rode - Alloy 6063 - ETRTO 622x19 DIN Double Wall, they do have quick release, though I haven't been able to find any information on this. The bike is 22 years, and the wheel-set is most likely just as old.
- Current tyres are heavy Schwalbe Marathon 700x38, 2x810g so that's another 1.620kg. I'm seeking to replace them with 32-35mm tyres, meaning I'll need a C17 wheel-set.

Now here's the issue I've run into: The Hub Size.

- My rear hub measures 135mm. By modern standards that's MTB width, but MTB tyres generally don't come in 28" and don't have rim brakes. Most road-bike tyres on the other hand come with 130mm rear hubs.
- I've also noticed there are different types of hubs: 9x100, 5x100 (front) for example. What is the number before the x? How do I find out what I have and what I need?

I've also briefly considered converting to disc brakes, but my frame doesn't have fix points for that, so I'd need adapters, which would add more weight, and neither my CroMoly fork nor my Alpha Custom Aluminum frame were designed to take those kinds of forces, plus it'd add a ton of weight, hence defeating the purpose - so it looks like I'm stuck with rim brakes (currently V-brakes - would cantis make sense?)

Here is what I know so far:

- 28"
- C17
- rim brakes
- road-bike style (95% asphalt)
- 135mm rear hub
- 100mm front probably? needs to be confirmed
- quick release would be nice
- Shimano Nexave 8 Speed cassette + rim guard/spacer (making it essentially a "9 speed")
- somewhat light weight (not trekking wheels)
- durable enough to handle daily commuting with 63kg plus luggage (work stuff, bike-packing)

I think the Campagnolo Zonda C17 for example would be an awesome upgrade, they do come with Shimano free-hubs, but standard is 130mm. Would it be sensible to use spacers? Aluminum frames don't flex or bend like steel ones, and I don't want to put unnecessary stress on the frame. Would it make sense to get a custom hub installed? Is that even possible with those kinds of wheels? How do I choose the correct hub for my bike?
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Old 01-30-22, 05:50 AM
  #46  
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9x100 will be the standard front hub for that type of bike, that’s 9mm diameter axle and 100mm fork spacing.

Many hybrid or 29” wheels will have the 135mm rear spacing and 700c rims you need, most will not be especially light or heavy. In my opinion you’d do well to keep your wheels and use lighter tires.

I definitely wouldn’t bother with disc brake converters.
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Old 01-30-22, 06:45 AM
  #47  
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Originally Posted by bboy314
9x100 will be the standard front hub for that type of bike, that’s 9mm diameter axle and 100mm fork spacing.

Many hybrid or 29” wheels will have the 135mm rear spacing and 700c rims you need, most will not be especially light or heavy. In my opinion you’d do well to keep your wheels and use lighter tires.

I definitely wouldn’t bother with disc brake converters.
Hello bboy314,

thank you very much for your reply. I will definitely look into the 29" wheel options in the future, as well as getting some lighter tires.
Also thank you for your advice as to not bother with disc brake converters. I really appreciate your feedback.

Very big thanks for explaining the 9x100 being the axle diameter x fork spacing!

Best regards!
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Old 01-30-22, 08:08 AM
  #48  
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To add a face to the name, here's a snapshot of my Trek Multitrack 7300:

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Old 01-30-22, 01:01 PM
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Originally Posted by linberl
Buy the best frame you can afford. What you will replace are the components (derailleurs, cranks, cogset, chainrings, brakes and levers, shifter, etc.). Keep in mind that, should you sell later, you will not get back what you put in financially, but otoh you will have been riding a bike you "created" and enjoyed. I did that with one of my bikes...replaced components piecemeal as I had the $ and found the right deals. Any bike that takes standard components can be upgraded, you'll just have to find the appropriate size compatible parts. Since you said you aren't a mechanic, I would look for a community based bike workshop near you. They will help you decide what to upgrade and teach you to do the work yourself - if you upgrade by paying a LBS for labor the cost will not be remotely affordable. In that case, you're better off saving and buying the bike you want from the start.
You make a very good point here.
Right now I am enjoying the upgrading process, creating something unique and fun to ride, just like you described.
I understand it's not gonna turn into a super bike and I won't get my money back if I ever were to sell it. Purchasing a better quality bike some time in the future would make sense once the desire is there for say a fast road bike or something.

A community-bike shop! Boy, I wish we had something like that were I live. I'd love to tinker with and learn from other people!

Can you pack up one of those shops and ship it over here, please? =)
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