Trek 1100

I'm a little conflicted. I bought this Trek 1100 a few weeks ago for $25 on Craigslist, and I don't know what to do with it. Perhaps it's good that I sort of haphazardly picked this one up; perhaps I'll turn it into a "teachable moment."

My long-term goal over the next year or so is to purchase a new road bike. I already ride a vintage Peugeot, so I want something new, light, fast, and trouble-free. So I didn't even want this bike, which is an '89 according to the former owner.

It has a Suntour Edge 4050 "groupset," which bascially means a related group of components. Crank, brakes, derailleurs, shifters, etc. A guy in Charlton sold it to me. When I went to pick it up, his wife was the only one home, and said she "hadn't been feeling so well lately" so had stopped riding. I felt a little sad.

It just seemed like if you have a chance to buy a $25 Trek that's in great condition, you should just buy it first and ask questions (why did I buy it? being the first one!) later. Craigslist is flooded with overpriced bikes; this simply was too good to pass up.

It doesn't fit me. I may have actually considered keeping it, but part of the reason I want a new road bike is that I want one that fits me. I think I should be riding a bike that's 58 cm from the middle of the crank to the seat tube. This one's 54. My wife was a little irritated--she said I should have gotten rid of some of the junk bikes I have piled up in a short period of time before I went taking on another project. She was right, of course.

So my dilemma is this. It could use new tubes, tires, wires and cables. Maybe some new bar tape, and some brake pads. That's basically it. It's in really good shape. Do I invest in those parts (I can do it all myself) and see if I come out in the black? Or do I simply send it off into the universe for what I paid plus maybe some labor for wiping it off? Will the Gods of bike karma look kindly upon that, ensuring that I will be rewarded down the road?