Trek 820; worth resurrecting?

Question

I have this Trek 820 mountain bike circa 1994 that has succumbed to rust. The cassette is really bad, as it the crankset, and even the handlebar has become covered with small spots of rust. Every exposed bit of metal is pretty crappy looking, but the frame itself is in great shape. I hardly ever rode it outside after 1995, using it mostly on a trainer indoors. It was only over the last year or two when I made the mistake of storing it outside that rust became such an issue.

So the question is, should I just throw the whole bike away, or make a project out of it and have all the vital parts replaced? My other bike is a road bike and I really can't take it on unpaved trails, such as the C&O canal towpath, which is only minutes from my home. Would it be a total waste of money to have this bike resurrected into something usable? And do any of you have a ballpark idea of what it would cost me to replace brakes, crankset, cassette, etc., using entry level Shimano parts?

Answer 1

You probably won't have to replace all that stuff. Fine steel wool and metal polish work wonders on corrosion. It even cleaned up the 1952 Schwinn that I got from my dad. It had been left outside for over 20 years. A bit of lube should free up the shifters and cables. Show it some love and you could have a rideable bike for very little money.

Answer 2

I think it won't be worth it. Probably somewhere around 100-150 in parts plus labor (some shops might not charge you on this, but I'm not sure about this).

You could get a new one for around 300 bucks or so, specially if you wait a bit when the 07 are on sale to make room for 08 models.

Answer 3

I just bought a Trek for $50