my new (old) bike

[skhill]

I've been riding (and loving) a nifty Trek 7.3fx since last summer. It's great for getting around town, running errands, doing the grocery shopping, etc. But when I take it out into the countryside for a long ride, those flat handlebars kill my hands-- they start going numb after only 3 or 4 miles. So I've been thinking about getting another bike, a proper road bike with dropped handlebars.... and then I remembered that circa 1992 Cannondale R400 sitting in my dad's garage (it was a graduation gift long, long ago)....

I've dug it out, dusted it off, pumped up the tires (and they held!! despite not having been riden in about a decade) and, after making sure the brakes worked, took it for a cruise around the neighborhood. I'm going to take it into the shop to get it checked out by someone who knows what they're doing before I take it out on any sort of longer ride... But I've got my new (old) bike!

So, y'all, what issues are likely to crop up in a bike that's been sitting unused in an unheated garage for a decade? I'm sure tires/tubes should be replaced, and brakes too, but what else? And, if I decide after riding it for a while that this is going to be a long-term relationship, what sorts of upgrades might I want to make? I know I'm not crazy about the down-tube shifters, for one thing...

--Sharon

[fatbottomedgurl]

You may need to have the bottom bracket and the hubs lubed. You should ask them to lube the cables also.
And I wouldn't look at upgrading anything, except for the saddle. Just ride it, be proud that it's "retro".

[DebW]

Don't forget the headset.