Newbie w/ TREK 7000

michakaveli

Hey guys! I'm looking to get back into cycling from a 10 year or less hiatus. I used to ride my bike, A LOT as a kid and younger teen. Ever since I started driving, biking has been on the downhill.

Now the bike. It's a TREK 7000 from say 1996?, aluminum frame bike. The bike is completely stock w/ the "Quiet Drive" silent rear hub and Shimano Alivio front & rear derailers. Hopefully someone still remembers this bike :-) I'm rather tall, 6'3" @ approx. 220lbs. The frame is rather large but I'm sure I could ride a larger one, I think it's a 21". Last time I rode the bike was last summer for a quick ride around the block.
My shifters (Alivio) are in need of replacement, The right side "clicking" mechanism no longer clicks as it should to upshift. So I will be looking at replacing/upgrading the shifting units. I probably wouldn't mind a newr set of Alivio units as I was happy with the previous ones when they worked properly.
I want to add a front suspension fork to the bike. I intend to do some moderate trail riding and also street as I have a nice set of slicks on the bike now. Suggestions please. Keep in mind this would not be for serious competition. Comfort is a plus!
Is there any possibility of upgrading to a set of disc brakes, at least for the front?

Looking at the bikes available now I don't see a real need to replace my TREK as it's in very good condition and never been abused. Any help will be appreacited.

Thanks for reading!

j.r.hawkins

I'm afraid I don't understand your comment comparing what you've got to what's on offer now. What you can get for your money compared to 5 years ago let alone 10 is pretty amazing, IMO.

I think you will find that because of parts price margins being stupidly high, if you are looking at replacing forks, shifters (and probably therefore derailleurs and cassettes due to compatibility issues), and putting on a front disc it will be far more economic to replace the entire bike.

While the shifters may carry the same brand name, there would have been significant changes such as different number of cogs in the cassette, different actuation ratios and so on. Headset dimensions may well have changed too, so you may face trouble finding a suitable fork of sufficient quality.

My suggestion would be to flog the bike for what you can get on eBay or trade it in at the bike store. Invest the difference in a newer, more up-to-date ride. I suspect the changeover would be close to what you'd pay just for the upgrade parts at the brand price point (Alivio) you mentioned.

By the way, for someone of your weight I'd suggest Deore would be the minimum level if you want reliability.

michakaveli

Looks like that answers my question. Thanks!

JM01

I'd think twice about replacing this bike...you have one of the last U.S. made frames, and the new ones don't come close in quality...the new Trek Chinese frames have a different geometry as well, they feel "stiff" and "dead", if that makes sense

Also, I wouldn't spend a lot of money on it...if everything works except the shifters, I'd pick up a used set and leave it at that. I definitley wouldn't add a suspension fork as this will change the head angle, and the cost of disc brakes can't be justified...you probably don't have disc bosses on your fork and stay, so that option may not even be available.

You have a great frame (almost a collectors item)...save your money for a new bike, but appreciate the ride you have

http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Bike/product_18567.shtml

happy trails