Miradaman

Saw it on Walmart.com for $388. I know nothing about these and had always assumed they were some sort of Walmart exclusive "BSO" but discovered they're a real brand. Anybody know anything about these? Thanks in advance.

jolly_codger

BikeRadar liked it: https://www.bikeradar.com/reviews/bi...-rc120-review/

Iride01 

Lack of inventory not withstanding, you can pony up $200 more and get a name brand bike from a LBS that is a manufacturer authorized reseller and then you'll have somewhere to take your bike when you have issues.

But if you are a DIY type and up for dealing with things that may or may not be correctly installed and adjusted from the get-go, then go for it.

Seattle Forrest

Decathlon isn't very well known in the US, but has a physical presence here. They're reputed for making good (quality) products at a fair price.

Miradaman

Yeah, I can do a bit on my own. And for $388 even if I pay the local bike shop to assemble and tune it still would be a deal. I'm torn between getting something like this and upgrading the drivetrain on my 80s Trek road bike...

cyclezen

Have some comments from friends in Germany, who bought Decathlon bikes - not sure if this model was one of them. They mostly use the bikes for 'fitness' rides, not long, about an hour so; and have nothing but good things to say. They're not what I call 'dedicated cyclists', but do ride regular 2x a week. Over there bike riding is just like going for a walk, you just do it... enjoy, then maybe have a bier after... LOL!
Looking at it, there's just no way to even buy half of the components on this bike, at the bike selling price, if one wanted to put on another frame.
Prolly an older model year. Microshift stuff works well, I have personal experience with their 10 spd, and it's reliable, bulletproof and easy to use - as good as the mid grade Shimano stuff.
It may require some 'tuning' to get things to their optimum, but the components will prolly justify that.
At $388, I would consider it a great deal - IF YOU FIT a LG or XL...best to check online geometry charts to see if the size/fit will work.
IF one wants to ride a bike and isn;t set off by lack of big names - it'll prolly get down the road nicely, and as reliably as any bike...
Ride On
Yuri

Iride01 

I upgraded a 1991 Schwinn Paramount frameset to all Shimano 105 5800 11 speed right after that group came out. Since I had to buy bars, stem, wheels, saddle and other things for it, I didn't save myself any money that wouldn't have put me in at least a new 10 speed Tiagra equipped bike for that day.

Upgrading that old bike did let me get some experience with DIYing the new components which was good since I was pretty much still in the days of 6 speed freewheels, single pivot rim brakes and downtube friction shifters.

What upgrading that bike didn't do for me was get me a lighter bike. So I wound up with a 22.5 pound bike which some say isn't bad. But it's not great, especially if you ride long and in rolling to hilly terrain. The new 10 speed Tiagra bike I could have gotten then will probably have been 19.5 lbs. or so. Sure, If I'd gotten better wheels and Ultegra or DuraAce components, I might have been down to that weight with my build, but then I'd have spent money that would have gotten me a even better bike for the day and probably be sub 18.5 lbs.

If your frameset weighs 6.5 lbs, you won't cheaply build your own sub 21 lbs bike. IMO!

Miradaman

Yeah, I realize a full upgrade would be costly. I'm thinking of simply starting with a new cassette and chain and seeing how much of a difference that makes — both are original and pretty worn. I like the bike and its not that heavy, around 24 lbs. Plus Im not overly concerned with weight. If anything, I like a bike with some heft. I borrowed a friend's 17 lb. carbon road bike once and it was so twitchy light and insubstantial-feeling it spooked me. But if improving performance on my Trek ends up being a multi-hundred dollar proposition, then I'd be inclined to sell it and go with something like the Decathalon. (I also hate spending money so I overthink and over-debate any kind of recreational expenditure)

Iride01 

What some call twitchy I call sporty. And I like sporty.

Not all really lightweight bikes will feel twitchy or sporty. Also, if you ride long or do happen to have some hills of 5% grade there in Chicago, a 17 lb bike will make those short hills disappear. And you'll have more energy left at the end of your ride for that sprint to whatever your personal finish line is.

If you truly only ride on level terrain or only ride for 75 minutes or so, then weight is not so much of an issue

Seattle Forrest

Two things that are good to know:

* If you're going to replace a worn chain and cassette, you'll probably benefit from replacing the chain rings at the same time.

* That twitchy feeling doesn't come from the bike not weighing enough to be held down to the ground. It's from the bike's geometry, which means how it distributes your weight over the wheels, etc. You can get a super light bike that feels more ponderous.

Miradaman

Yeah, all my road biking to date has taken place in Midwestern states, so no mountains here. And I've never been interested in sprints. For the most part, I'll do a couple 20-mile rides a week for exercise, and every now and then a 50-75 mile ride with a group. As such all I need is a comfortable endurance bike that I can maintain a decent steady pace with over a distance.

mstateglfr 

If your '89 420 fits well, I would much rather have a 105 modern drivetrain 420 than a basic aluminum Tiagra bike.
And I could 100% update an old 420 for less than money than a new Tiagra road bike. The wheels would be nicer than what came on the Tiagra too.

So a higher level drivetrain and nicer wheels for less.
An innicycle headset would eliminate the common cockpit conversion issue of updating older road frames too.

As for weight, a Tiagra drivetrain Trek Domane weighs 23# in a medium size. It also costs $1800. Again, 23# for this bike. I would not worry about the weight of a Trek 420 frame.
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/b...-disc/p/33085/

eduskator

What's your definition of acceptable?

PS: It isn't mine.

cyclezen

I Didn;t really pay attention to your current bike list, but now have to ask 'What are you trying to get to'? You already have bikes, The Triban is prolly a good bike for someone who wants to get started with road cycling and doesn't currently have a bike. Or, they have a bunch of old gas pipe and not gonna get that stuff into decent operational/functional condition.
A new cassette and chain will have minimal, maybe no perceptible difference in operation, except those added to other new consumables, will have the bike riding 'younger'.
But the basics still need to be in top shape. - Good wheels and GOOD tires, good BB and crankset/rings, headset. Frame in decent shape.
Weight? the Triban and the Trek 420 are prolly a wash.
No way getting around it - maintaining a bike well will give the best performance for the machine's level.
IS New SHifter/Brifter drivetrain an important consideration? Then the Triban will have that. Adding that to the Trek 420 will be more involved - but easily done.
No way around it, keeping a bike in best running condition involves maintenance, work AND money. Not an exorbitant amount, just some.
Your current bike list looks like a list of average, 'everyday' Tribans of their day... are you looking to keep that collection building?
Not judging - it's just not clear if this is a 'collector' at work or just a bunch of bikes which are not quite in great running condition and not getting your attention, and not worth the work...
Bueller?

Ride On
Jurij

Miradaman

Yeah, the 420 is a great bike as far as Im concerned. Plus I like riding vintage. I'm more inclined to upgrade it up than buy a new bike. As I stated earlier, I'm not at all concerned with weight and for my needs 24 lbs is quite light. My reason for upgrading is because the chain is stretched and the cassette is quite worn. I like the bike enough to put some money in to improve rideability.

Miradaman

What am I trying to get to? The chain and cassette on my 420 are original and quite worn out. I like the bike enough to replace both if it improves performance. As of now shifts tend to be rough and no amount of tuning can fix, chain slips occasionally and so on. I was under the impression that both chain and cassette are "wear items" that need eventual replacement after prolonged use. Bike has been well maintained since I bought it. But since I've never owned a "new" road bike, I was curious if a new budget road bike is money better spent than upgrading a vintage mid-grade model.

mstateglfr 

Look into an innicycle headset then. It is just a solid piece of tech, but it also eliminates the drawbacks of cockpit options when modernizing 80s road bikes.
And a 105 drivetrain plus decent wheels should get you below 24#

cyclezen

Ok, so a new cassette & chain - given the bike vintage - the cassette freehub (on an original wheel?) is likely 'uniglide', which is different from the modern Hyperglide config of freehubs/cassettes.
Check Sheldon Brown website - freewheels/cassettes for that info. All depends on the current rear wheel freehub.
Given the age, and given the durability of the level of chainrings from that era - the chainring is prolly badly worn also. I don't recommend buying 'used' chainrings or cranks for that.
I'd either get a new Crankset for whatever the BB is (prolly Square taper, but needs confirming) and maybe consider an update to a full crankset/BB in a more modern External 124BB setup.
New cranksets can be had for good pricing.
Check your wheels/bearings
And highly recommend NEW cables all the way around if you haven't changed the cables in a year or 2....
Fresh tires appropriate for your riding, will make a big difference - not always the most expensive, often good can be found for affordable pricing.
Use the C & V forum for more particulars you might have questions on.
Ride On
Yuri

EDIT: Of course this all requires special tools to DIY. BUT the tools are not expensive and the processes are not complicated, just require a small amount of mechanical skill and patience. The info is easily accessible and broadly available. I always recommend DIY - not only as learning process but also makes the owner more aware of future condition and the 'feel' of proper operation. Patience and taking time, working slow enough to not screw it up.

veganbikes

For what it is, it is decent but not all that great. Certainly the nicest tourney bike out there but again that doesn't say much. I would probably upgrade the old Trek, Innicycle headset would be an excellent choice or Factory5 makes the lovely Titan stem which is a 1" quill stem for 31.8 bars and looks nice. A nice 105 gruppo would be a treat.

Redbullet

I use an older version of this, with aluminum fork, on a smart trainer and a few times as a replacement of main bike for a few real rides. A durable bike, all good for the price, except for Microshift shifters, that do not have a long life. You will find soon the left shifter skipping directly from biggest to smallest ring and the right shifter skipping 2 cogs instead of 1 toward the smallest cog. I think Shimano similar shifters are much more reliable.