# Trek antelope 820



## dpicare26 (Dec 27, 2012)

Thoughts on resurrecting a mid 90's (95?) Trek Antelope 820?
Any owners out there have an opinion on these frames?
From the catalog I gathered they are Chromoly w hi-ten stays


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## hegstad1 (Sep 16, 2010)

These are not really worth putting much time or money into. If it can be cleaned and tuned up it can be a fine around the town bike but not really for trails. I have one my father gave me and I use it to ride to the club without worrying about it being chained outside.


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## danec99 (Jul 22, 2010)

For what purpose?

I got my wife road riding on one, it is a very solid (i.e. heavy) riding platform. Older than your model, it had Exage junk on it. 

As mentioned it makes a great school bike, commuter, bar hopper and would even be a decent fire trail bike (throw the fattest tire you can fit.) 

But they have the lowest end Shimano stuff on them and are heavy - I wouldn't go upgrade crazy on it unless you just love it. Bottom line: they are solid bikes and they work.


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## sgltrak (Feb 19, 2005)

I bought one for $5 and resurrected it with about $15 in parts. Gave it to my sister-in-law to ride to the store since her last one was stolen. If it had cost more than $25, I wouldn't have messed with it.


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## jaxes88 (Oct 17, 2012)

Alot of people will say that they are pretty lackluster but I have one and I love it, while they may not be the lightest or have the nicest components they are still well made bikes that last forever. I use mine for a commuter or sometimes put knobbies on it and ride trails and it does just fine. I think part of why it gets this bad rap is because alot of guys on this forum are so used to their top of the line stuff they don't like the cheap stuff. I see it like comparing an old lumina to a corvette, while it's nothing people get excited about it'll still get the job done very effectively. 
I say go for, and post pics.


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

jaxes88 said:


> while they may not be the lightest or have the nicest components


Yup, I totally agree.


jaxes88 said:


> I use mine for a commuter or sometimes put knobbies on it and ride trails and it does just fine.


I agree. If "just fine" is what you're looking for on the trails, then go for it. But if you want to enjoy mountain biking on vintage bikes. Meh. There's a ton of better bikes out there that can do the job better for just a little bit of money. However, if you're looking for a campus bike that you don't have to worry about, go for it.



jaxes88 said:


> they don't like the cheap stuff.


That is true. Hard to get excited about cheap stuff when you can just spend a few hundred and get stuff a ton better. And the guys that have commented in this thread already are not snobs. In fact, they are the voices of reason for the bulk of the readers. sgltrak, whom I have a ton of respect for, has a ton of experience in a wide group of bikes and his advice to new people are often, if not always, dead on.

Anyhow, I wouldn't spend more than housing, cables and tires on it. Enjoy and if you like it, you should try just a step up and get a 900 series Antelope and you'll see what a difference it'll be.

Good luck!


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## apat13 (Jun 19, 2006)

Anything less than a full m900 kit with a NOS Judy SL is an insult to the bike's heritage! If that's not your game, I turned one of those into a mean single-speed campus beater / bar-hopper and it never let me down. Instead of locking it up I would just throw it in a tree....as high as I could get it stuck in the branches, then tug it back down when it was time to go home. In all it's years of service, it never let me down. I think some poor schmuck--I mean lucky dude--is still using it to beat around town with similarly good results. I should add that it was stored outside for my entire ownership and never talked back. One time the chain broke and I crashed really hard, but it was my fault for throwing it into a pine tree and getting it covered in sap. That bike freaking HATED sap and it taught me a lesson.


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## unicrown junkie (Nov 12, 2009)

Definitely damn good town bikes, those Trek 820s. We just gave one away in Mexico last month after resurrecting it, taking it there along with a 1998 Kona Caldera that we also parted with.

My wife was leery about riding it at first, she's been spoiled with her '95 RM Fusion and 91 Fishhead HKK. So, initially she looked at it and cringed.


But after a week of beach riding around Isla Mujeres, QR, she started to love the old beast. At least we know we gave it to a good home now down there, and it truly is one of the better bikes on the island along with the Kona, even though that had a blown out Judy fork.


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## rolondo (Jul 19, 2005)

My ex-wife still has one - lasted considerably longer than our marriage. Just saying.


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

rolondo said:


> My ex-wife still has one - lasted considerably longer than our marriage. Just saying.


hahaha! Loved your post.


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## Fred Smedley (Feb 28, 2006)

rolondo said:


> My ex-wife still has one - lasted considerably longer than our marriage. Just saying.


Perhaps if you bought her a better bike.............just saying...


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## BShow (Jun 15, 2006)

dpicare26 said:


> thanks everyone.
> 
> I've basically been in the market for an old Cro-moly frame that I could use as an in-town, do it all deal. The antelope 820 I was looking as had a $25 asking price, missing front wheel. i think I'll pass on this one.
> 
> ...


Also noteworthy is that the fork is not the original. If that bike took a hit hard enough to trash a front wheel and a fork, then I'd be leery about the integrity of the frame. It could be fine, but why risk it for a $25 beater bike?

Actually, its missing some parts too... I dont see any rear shifter or brakes.


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## jaxes88 (Oct 17, 2012)

And the right side controls being off of the handlebars makes me wonder if they've been broken


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## Mtn-Rider (May 21, 2010)

The 820 is a pretty low-end bike, I have one and even though I like it for easy rides, I don't think it can handle much more.

The nicest thing is the chromoly frame that has a great feel to it. But it also has its weaknesses, just look at how the seat stays connect to the seat tube. It looks like they'd snap right off on a big enough hit on the rear wheel.

It has the front brake cable going vertically through the stem which makes it impossible to turn the bike upside-down for fixing flats on the trail without supporting the handlebar ends.

It's great for riding around town with few worries. I just wouldn't put money into it.

The 900-series bikes are much better than the 800's, get one of those if you want a similar bike in that price range with a much better frame. Some years were even made in the USA.


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## apat13 (Jun 19, 2006)

There is nothing wrong with how the seat stays attach to the seat tube.....and if you have to turn the bike upside down to change a flat you have bigger problems. GL trying to scoop an early nineties US made 900 series for $25....ain't gonna happen. A trek 820 is what it is, an entry level, heavy, solid, awesome townie/coffee/pub crawl bike. You can even take it on the trail to remind yourself how far bikes have come.


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## N8! (Jan 28, 2006)

A friend of mine has loaned me one of his bikes to use until mine make in country. Taking it on a 24km beer garden ride tomorrow.


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## girlonbike (Apr 24, 2008)

Good for you. What is a beer garden run and how do I get in on them? I like the pavers which say you're in Europe. It's great to have friends that loan you bikes. Your friend must have a big butt.


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## N8! (Jan 28, 2006)

It's a cruiser, built for comfort. Yeah, these are cobblestones laid down on what used to be an old WWII German Army Panzer base since the tracks didnt tear them up like they would pavement.

Here's the route for tomorrow - much beer along the _weg_.


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## kpomtb (Feb 2, 2006)

N8! said:


> It's a cruiser, built for comfort. Yeah, these are cobblestones laid down on what used to be an old WWII German Army Panzer base since the tracks didnt tear them up like they would pavement.
> 
> Here's the route for tomorrow - much beer along the _weg_.


Hell yeah!


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