# Trek 1400



## likemjinhisearlydays (Sep 30, 2008)

hey rider's - i'm new to this site and was hoping i could get some quick feedback... i have never owned a road bike as i have spent the most of my time living in the mountains riding off terain, but i recently moved to washington, dc and am planning the purchase of a new road rider. luckily, my neighbor has a old Trek 1400 sitting in his garage. i have taken it for a 3 long rides and i have enjoyed the rider. my questions are:

1. how much would be a fair price for me to offer my neighbor for this bike? as far as i can tell the bike has not been touched for years - it has some rust - but nothing that couldn't be cleaned up. it also appears to be stock with the exception of the saddle.

2. any recommendations for work that i should have done? i am going to take it for a tune up this weekend, get some new pedals - but would be open to other suggestions. 

thanks to all. free riding.


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## SkiRacer55 (Apr 29, 2005)

*I wouldn't buy it...*

...or if you do, I wouldn't cough up more than about $200. That's an old bike, and it probably doesn't even have STI on it. The wheels are probably out of true, the tires are undoubtedly rotted out, the chain probably needs replacing...you get the picture. I you spend $500 to $600, you can get a decent entry level roadie with all of today's technology, for example:

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=5820&subcategory_ID=3040


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## JMKB2 (Jul 8, 2008)

I have a 1987-88 trek 1400 this bike has been nothing but reliable since I bought it brand new. I let it sit for awhile 10yrs before I started riding again. I replaced the tires and new cables and bar tape and it is good as new. just rode it in the red river century without any hiccups. when I sell it in the next couple of months it will be for 200.00. in all honety its not worth much more than that being out of date. mine came with full 105 components which is more than I ever needed.


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## Mayday (Jan 22, 2004)

*Could be a good choice*

Depending on the age, condition and such, it could be a good bike for getting started without spending a lot of $$. I think Trek started offering the aluminum 1400 around 1989. The older ones will have a six- or seven-speed cog on the back and downtube shifters -- nothing wrong with that if you don't mind not having the latest equipment. If it's just been sitting in a garage you might need to replace the tubes and tires, but a good cleaning, lube, re-pack bearings, etc. and it probably will work fine. 

As for the value, it depends on the condition, but certainly not much more than $100, $200 at the very top if it's really good. For perspective, I had a Trek 1000 that I bought new in 1989 or 1990. I believe it had the same frame as the 1400 at the time, but with lower-level components. I rode the bike a lot, but maintained it and kept it in good condition. Sold it 1999 for $300. If I still had it today, even if it had sat in the garage for the past 10 years, I wouldn't expect to get more than $100 for it. 

So anyway, if it is in good condition and you can get it for a good price, it might be ideal for getting started. Later, if you get into road riding you can save for a more modern bike and convert the trek into a winter bike or single speed.


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## likemjinhisearlydays (Sep 30, 2008)

*thanks and recommendations....*

appreciate the input. i actually talked my friend into giving me the bike for free - not a bad deal. i live in the washington dc area and want to take my bike in for a tuneup/equipment upgrade. any recommendations on good shops in the area? i recently moved to the area and have only visited the revolution in georgetown and the bike shop (can't remember name) in the lyon village shopping center in arlington, va). i was quoted $79 for a tune-up, but i know i need to get two new tires as well. i will be using the bike for triathlon and road riding... 

any information on shops or good tires would be appreciated.


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## Tri Slow Poke (Jul 22, 2006)

I gop to the Revolution Cycles in Rockville and they have pretty good mechanics. I can't speak for the Georgetown store.


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