Hey,
First post here, so hi everyone.
I bought a Trek 1200, back in 2005. It's a bit like Grandad's axe - he says it's the same axe, but the handle has been changed twice and the axe-head once..
My bike is very similar to yours. Like you I didn't know much about cycling when I got it (still learning), but I followed the advice of a friend who told me to get the best quality frame I could afford that was the best fit for me. The Trek frame is a tad on the heavy side, but right from the first ride I was amazed at how comfortable it was to ride, especially after all the reviews I read about harsh aluminum was. This is after coming off a mountain bike with slicks.
Turns out the geometry for this model is a bit relaxed. Suits me for the endurance riding I do - I'm no racer.
Now I agree with the other posters - its not about the bike. And I fully confess to upgrade fever. But here's some of the things I changed, and why:
-Bottom bracket. Wore the first one out in 1500 ks. See Groupset below.
-Saddle. The Bontrager one made my bum hurt. Currently riding a Ritchey WCS Marathon, but for a long time it was a San Marco Aero.
-Bars and stem. I found out my 54cm frame came with 38cm bars. I am only average height, but I'm a chunky little bugger and have quite wide shoulders. After around the bay in a day in 2006 (210k's) , I had a numb left hand for six weeks. Lots of therapy on the pinched nerve and a wider set of bars (Ritchey WCS again) and never looked back.
-Headset - the stock one on the 2005 model Trek was unsealed. I put a Cane Creek S6 on there because my headset had rusted and seized. Now goes around corners, not straight through them.
-Wheels. I live in the north of Melbourne. Lots of hills. I climb a lot. The Alex rims that came with my bike weighed 2.2kilos. Good wheels, tough as nails, and still going (I'll get to that). I put some Shimano 560's on and pretty much wore them out over about 10,000 k's. Have only just upgraded again after the rear Shimano wheel got tapped by a car, to American Classic 420s. Nice wheels, and a lot lighter for climbing.
-Groupset. I hated the Tiagra front derailleur right from the first day. It would ALWAYS rub on the chain,even in gears when barely cross-chained. And the bottom bracket failed once, then went again a few thousand k's later. So I sat off ebay, and over the course of 3 years, acquired all the bits for a mostly 105 level ten speed gruppo. Upgraded the rear mech to Ultegra along the way as well, and an Ultegra BB and Dura-Ace chain. Why? Only costs a little more on the 'bay, and saves money in the long run cause they last longer. And Dura-Ace cables as well.
-Brakes. Genuine 105 level brakes replaced the generic (I think Tektro) ones that came with the bike. It now stops if necessary on aforementioned hills - not something it was strong on before.
So the only thing left on my machine that is original after nearly 5 years is the frame, fork, carbon seatpost, outer cables and under BB cable guide.
Looking around one day, I realised I had enough bits to almost build a complete bike - all I needed was a frame. So back on to eBay for a woman's specific Avanti frame ($230.00!) a set of forks ($50.00) and off to Probikekit for a build kit of cables, etc, Now my wife has a lovely little bike that suits her just fine. She does nothing like the K's I do, so it will last her a good long time with the used, lower spec components I put on.
My bike originally cost $1500. I have spent probably that much on it since. A lot of people will say that's silly, and in some ways that's right - for the same money I could have purchased a really nice machine.
But I look at it as the cost of experience. I have taught myself quite a lot about bicycle repair along the way (thank you Sheldon Brown and Park tools), and I can't tell you what a good feeling it was to see my wife riding her "new" bike. And because I did this over many years, the cash flow required to fund it was quite manageable.
I don't necessarily recommend you do what I have. Enjoy your bike, ride it a lot, and when things wear out, think about fixing it yourself and maybe improving on the stock components a little.
I still love my bike, and it's MY bike - nothing else quite like it.
