Got gifted a bike by an old lady. Heard someone say it’s kinda rare but have no clue about bikes. It’s a very old trek. The seat (which is pretty beat up) says Avocet on it. I’d post pics but I guess this subreddit doesn’t allow that. Anywhere I can find out if this is any good?
by controlkickboxing
11 Comments
No, it’s not rare. It’s a low to mid level bike from the 80s/90s. Worth doing some maintenance on and riding if it fits you…maybe. (it’s sized for someone who is roughly 5’2” to 5’6”).
It’s definitely not worth a lot of money if that’s what you were hoping.
If it fits, rolls, and you need a bike, it’s good.
Wondering how your wife could have been riding it with the chain in that condition?
Would be a decent bike if cleaned up and basic maintenance done. Replace the seat.
Remove the duct tape 🙂
If you get her a new bike but you don’t maintain it, it will pretty soon be in the same condition as this one.
I’m close to identifying the exact year and model, definitely early 80’s based on the logo design.
A few obvious details: the front wheel is not original. It’s a Shimano low quality wheel and they didn’t start making wheels until the late 90’s.
The downtube shifters are what might clearly identify it. Experts will recognize the style but it’s interesting there is a clamp, not braze-on bosses. It’s a cheaper way to make a frame.
What’s a bit more troubling is the odd rear brake mount bolt, that it is so long. That’s not how it came from the factory, and the primary reason you change the rear brake is besides that it breaks, that you switch wheels and the original brake no longer reaches the rim.
It’s not uncommon to replace a back wheel but its a bad sign that it isn’t compatible with the original setup. That and the back wheel has a low quality spoke guard might mean that the wheel was taken from another bike instead of buying a more expensive wheel.
Finally, the beat up seat means you’ll need to replace it.
model 614 from ‘82. may not be especially rare, but nowhere near low level. early treks were all midrange and up. the reynolds 531 frame alone puts this a couple notches higher than the lowest in their lineup.
the ishiwata fork, however, needs a thorough inspection inside the crown-area. there have been a few reports of cracks forming for that particular line of forks.
assuming a new fork isn’t needed, I certainly think the bike worth a restoration.
That’s a great bike. Not super rare, but Reynolds 531 main tubes and Ishiwata forks/stays are top notch stuff. Some nice old components are also common, but very nice. The value is low because it needs work. If you know how to bring it back to life, you can have a great bike, but most young mechanics have never worked on one and they typically recommend modern components because it’s what they know. These are simple to work on, but finding used good parts requires basic knowledge that people who are unfamiliar don’t have. They want to put a thousand dollars of new parts on them. These ride well with friction shifting. A good cleaning and replacing a few worn parts would make for a great riding bike.
If you use your phone to upload photos, they need to come dro the smallest format, then it’s as many as you want.
It isn’t some very high-end boutique bike, or anything like that, but it is pretty good, just an all-around solid bike with a good frame and good parts. In good condition it would probably sell for $2-300. But if you are taking it to a shop to have it serviced, they could charge that much in labor to have it repaired.
Long story short- it’s a good bicycle, but if you don’t want it someone else will. Sell it or donate it to a bike cooperative, but don’t throw it out.
That’s a Trek 614, made for two years (1981 and 1982) before it was replaced by the 620 and eventually the 520. My first higher-end bike was a red 614, which I bought instead of the 720 that I really wanted but couldn’t rationalize the price of. I used it for commuting, pleasure riding, and loaded touring in the Colorado Rockies, Maine, and Nova Scotia among other places. It was a great bike and I regret selling it, so much so that I bought another one which is sadly too big for me. Another poster mentioned that some of these had front fork issues, and mine did – one of the blades snapped off in my mechanic’s hands while he was turning it up for an upcoming tour. Trek’s lifetime warranty paid off and it was replaced no charge. I think this bike is worthy of restoration.
Thank you all so much for the help. My wife is set on a “cuter” bike so I think we’ll be getting rid of it. That said, after hearing you guys, we’ll be making sure it goes to someone who appreciates it. Thank you again everyone!
In a college town this would be pretty sought after. Nice find. Would be worth a proper restoration.