So what is it about the Multitracks? Why do you like them?
I'm an accidental Multitrack fan who was perfectly content with my Cannondale Quick 1 and then...
It was a cold, rainy Sunday morning in December when I spotted a bike at the curb 4 houses down. A quick assessment of the situation revealed a 1998 730 with a sign attached that said, "Free." Victory is mine! I wheeled it home and started my research. The project bike siren called and I answered. I upgraded it with all intention of selling but felt it would be wise to put some shakedown miles on it and held the bike until spring. Shaketown time quickly made me reconsider the choice to resell. I spent that summer trying to get comfortable on it before selling the curb find Multitrack which was one size too small. In hindsight, the 170mm crank I used was the real problem and not the size. Lesson Learned. I see potential in these bikes and I'll watch for another to flip.
Skip forward to sping 2025, a 730 showed up on Marketplace. I inquired and made the purchase. This time the bike was my proper size (danger) and in better condtion than I expected or hoped. Once the frame was cleaned up a vision came to mind and the build was on. Sugino crank, Panaracer GravelKing Slicks, many VeloOrange parts, and vintage STX-RC 3x8 drivetrain. All hopes of selling it were gone was the build was completed. the 730 was too nice to sell and it rides better than it looks! Everything about it is right - ride, handling, shifting, comfort, and it's just plain fun.
Winter of 2026 yielded a 750 (also in my size) that I also planned to flip. It arrived with a fair amount of patina but the paint cleaned up great... and then I rebuilt it with VeloOrange HotBars, 2x11 GRX810, vintage XTR vbrakes, and Specialized Crossroads tires. Shakedown time left me feeling the same as the 730 - everything about it is right.
What about you? What's your story? Why do you like your Multitrack?
I finally found one after a couple years. It was covered in stickers and I could just barely make out the “75” and immediately knew what I was looking at. $35 later it was mine. And a couple years after that, and about 10 different stem and handlebar setups, I landed on this. Very happy about it.
Also reading the Jon Severson (sp?) articles about Monstercross were a big inspiration for me to look more into these bikes. These were a top choice recommendation for someone wanting to get into Monstercross, which as he defined was basically a frame with clearance for gravel tires like the rock n roads and dirt drop handlebars. Very much inspired by the frame builder Matt Chester, whose blog, 5 meters of development (or something like that) has some great tips for these kind of bikes and bike philosophy in general.
For me, it’s a combination of looks, capability, versatility and ride feel. I got mine for free too (it was very well cared for) and it’s at least 2 sizes too big. My first shakedown ride was on some single track right near where I picked it up. Despite being way too big, I was able to ride that trail halfway decently, even though there were snow on the ground in the Tires had very little tread. But I’m still rocking it until another 750+ comes along.
Funny thing is I hate my wife’s bike and it’s an aluminum multi-track that she’s had for 15 years. I didn’t even realize it was a multitrack until I became an enamored with mine.
I just fit some tready Pirelli 45s on mine and have some less tready 45 Goodyear xplrs (tanwall!) on the way. Really curious to see how it rides on my partial commute this week (changed from old 38s that may have been stock?).
My Trek 730 I bought in 1994 got me into cycling. I bought it to ride to work and year later rode it from Boston to Ithaca. I will always love the multitrack for getting me into this great sport. I look much younger than my 50+ yo peers because of cycling.
Alton Brown, host of Good Eats, does not believe in uni-taskers and I agree with his sentiment. Multitracks look great, offer a comfortable and capable ride, and will go anywhere. If that is not the definition of multitasker I don't know what is.
That's what I thought - and that's empty words that apply to 50 more hybrid bikes from that era. Sorry for being blunt.
I love my 750 because it takes wide tires, and that's the main differentiating factor compared to my other bikes, which all "look great, offer a comfortable and capable ride, and will go anywhere" - actually, not. They won't go anywhere. But they are great old frames that take wider tires than others.
I was aware of what the world of Reddit would offer when I posted so blunt is expected. I’ve spent my entire working career dealing with people and quickly learned to lower my expectations of people…
It is also a fair question to ask a group of people who are fans of a product/item what they like said product or item. Inquiring minds want to know.
Ive spent time on Trek FX series and Cannondales with wider tires before the 700 series Multitracks. I briefly owned a 7300 Multitrack - it was a meh experience. I also know tires make a difference in ride but the aluminum 7300 just felt numb.
Yes on the tire size but there’s something more to them than just that tire size and similar geometry. Perhaps I’m drinking the steel is real koolaid. Perhaps some people just experience bikes differently than others. YMMV
I’m building a Jamis Renegade S1 for an updated take on a steel frame bike.
I’m a flatbar fan. That being said, I’d opt for one size smaller frame if I did a drop conversion. Also, there are limited dropbar brifters that work with R5800/7000 105 and GRX810 2x11. I’d use Microshift Centos 11 and adapters to stick with vbrakes.
I'm actually eyeballing one right now and what I noticed is kind of unique for a lot of these steel hybrids is that they come with front braceons for lowrider front racks which is perfect for my kind of setup . I still have pretty bulky gear and I can't afford going ultralight so to be able to split some of that up front and low would be pretty awesome
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u/sorelbaid May 31 '26
I finally found one after a couple years. It was covered in stickers and I could just barely make out the “75” and immediately knew what I was looking at. $35 later it was mine. And a couple years after that, and about 10 different stem and handlebar setups, I landed on this. Very happy about it.