My bikes and why I love them: 1988 Trek 400
It’s Kris’s fault that I have this bike.
I was perfectly happy with my, what, six other bikes. And I already was well over my allotment of road bikes. I mean, I had a light and lively Cannondale for fast riding. A versatile, but somewhat staid, Bianchi Volpe for riding around town and taking on trips and stuff. And even a really cool vintage Fuji, which I am finding perfect for riding on gravel and dirt.
I was set. Probably for life, too. There was still one yearning, and I often talked to Kris about it, ignoring her stifled yawns and stuggles to stay awake. I kind of wanted a bike that was built in Wisconsin.
I grew up idolizing Treks, but they always too expensive for me. So I got a Schwinn World Sport. It was a very good bike, but no Trek.
After graduating college, I got my first real “fast” bike, an aluminum Trek 1000, which was a very good bike, and made in Wisconsin. But it had a triple gear crank, and honestly, I always hated that. I ended up giving it away after buying a next level racing bike, a Specialized Allez, which got upgraded to a carbon fiber Specialized Tarmac, which was at the zenith of my racing bike procurement.
I sold the Tarmac, which was made overseas and a very, very nice bike. But I got that Cannondale and fell in love and said, meh, my carbon-fiber bike frame days are over. Give me some metal with soul and the Cannondale was it. I think that was made somewhere on the East Coast. Connecticut? New Jersey? I guess I could look it up, but I can’t be bothered.
I loved the Cannondale so much that I thought, this was it. I’m done with getting more bikes because I’m marrying this one for life.
But here’s where it comes back to my wife. I told her I still might consider getting a Wisconsin-made bike. I considered the high-end, bespoke Waterfords, and their slightly downmarket brothers, the Gunnars. But circumstances and price was never right.
When Waterford/Gunnar shut down, I thought, “That’s it.”
Sure I could go on E-bay or whatever and get an overpriced old used Trek, but I didn’t think that would ever happen.
Then.
My wife Kris watches for deals on social media, and she saw this Trek 400 and suggested I take a look at it. It was $200, so cheap that I thought there must be a catch. The ad specified its size in inches, not centimeters, so I really had no idea if it would work for me. But it looked awesome I just HAD to go take a look at it.
I gave a quick look at the bike, and rode it for 20 yards. Sold.
I wasn’t quite sure it would work, but I thought, even if it doesn’t work great, I can figure something out to make it good for me. But when I took it for the first ride with tires pumped up, I was astonished.
When I changed the seat and swapped out the tires for some a little wider (from 26 to 28 mm, I think), I was completely smitten.
I’ve found with more than a handful of subsequent rides that this chromoly steel Trek is nearly as good as the Cannondale as a speedy, snappy and spry ride. It’s not quite as light, though, and takes more oomph to go up hills.
But the Trek also has bosses for easy on-, easy-off rack installation, and the thicker tires give it some ruggedness for light gravel riding. Oh my god, I think to myself every time I ride up my favorite hill on the northside of town, I can’t believe this bike only cost me $200.
Bike-to-dollar, it’s the best bike I ever owned, and my I plan to ride it and ride it until either I or it can’t roll down the street anymore.
