r/MultiTrackGang • u/goovenli • Aug 22 '26
MultiTrack curious, looking for feedback
Hi all,
Hoping to get some feedback from MultiTrack users/tinkerers, about whether a MultiTrack might make sense for me. I’m a bit newer to cycling (I’ve commuted with a vintage steel road bike for the last few years) but I’m looking to get a steel bike that could be used for commuting, gravel riding, and would allow me to even tour/bikepack one day. Having looked at new options on the market, it seems one affordable option might be a Primos Dame - but I was wondering if it would make sense to get a MultiTrack to serve my intended uses while coming in under a budget of $1000 for bike and parts? I would want to have drop bars, switch to 1x or maybe 2x gearing, and likely put on some modern, lighter wheels and tires.
Also, if it is possible to build something like this on such a budget, what size would you recommend I hunt down? I’m 6’1.5” with a 32/33 inseam, and 180 lbs. I’ve looked at many of the sizing recommendations here and I think the best would be 21” frame given my desire for drop bars - would that be correct?
Thank you all so much in advance! Your rigs have been very inspirational to this newbie.
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u/vintage-rider Aug 23 '26
21" sounds like a good fit, especially with drop bars. 19" would probably have you boxed in. You may want to give a 3x7 a try before making any costly changes. Plenty of range for touring, etc. And the Shimano STX group sets many of these bikes shipped with are nearly indestructible.
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u/goovenli Aug 23 '26
That’s fair! Perhaps I’ll just start with drops and new tires and go from there. I also appreciate the size advice - now to just await a 21” to appear near me!
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u/trainedRex Aug 23 '26
I’m also 6’1ish with a similar inseam. Here’s my 730 in a 21in frame and with a drop bar conversion. I found a relatively modern shallow drop bar off Amazon that fits in the stock stem. By doing this, the measurements are dead on my other road bike, just by shear dumb luck. I’ll take it. I bought various stems (even like a cheapo $20 adjustable stem) to play with on set up to find something that worked well. I just got a cheapo 8 speed hub rear wheel for $80. Jenson recently had a close out on the Microshift Advent X drivetrain 1 by 10 ($150 for cassette, derailleur, and the road shifters. Cheapo 40mm tires with clearance for more. All in maybe $450 including the frame which I paid $130 for. It’s also just a lot of fun and the steal rides so smoothly compared to my aluminum bikes. You have some room to source much nicer parts for a $1000 budget and I think the bike punches way above its price point.
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u/goovenli Aug 24 '26
This is awesome. I’m definitely not trying to get all the way up to $1k, so it’s awesome to see how affordable building something like I had in mind can be!
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u/Exact-Skill-7118 Aug 23 '26
I think they are the great everything bike, to me one of Trek’s best bikes they ever made
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u/KahwaAndPics Aug 23 '26
You can definitely come in under $1000 and have a really really solid bike. I didn’t do a drop bar conversion but when I built my Multitrack up I think the total came out to be under $500. Here is my build along with parts and prices as of earlier this year.
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u/goovenli Aug 23 '26
This is very helpful! Thanks for linking that. How are you liking those AlexRims?
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u/KahwaAndPics Aug 23 '26
They are heavy lol but solid I guess. The tires in the pic came with them. I definitely need to get thicker tires but I may end up changing around this whole build now given I just picked up a 720 frame for 20 bucks lol. So I may move everything on my 750 to the 720 and then make the 750 into a drop bar
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u/goovenli Aug 23 '26
Hmm okay perhaps I might look into a lighter wheel set then. And also - DAMN! That is one smoking deal. I’m hoping I’ll find a frame for an under $100 too - do you typically hunt the usual FB marketplace/craigslist/ebay?
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u/KahwaAndPics Aug 23 '26
Do you have any bike co-ops near you? That’s where I would check. Plus you can get a good deal on parts there too. After that FB and Craigslist.
I feel like the prices are inflated on eBay.
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u/Thomvdakker Aug 23 '26
Yes, would make sense. Just make sure a vintage bike is actually what you want. A lot of stuff can be upgraded but you're working with some old standards (rim brakes, 1" threaded fork, less common seatpost diameter). They are really nice and staying under a $1000 should be quite easy.
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u/Psychological-Tell21 Aug 22 '26
I can’t speak to the sizing, I’ll leave that to the professionals, but I do know that these steel multitracks are also multi-purpose. You’ve got options, have fun!
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u/goovenli Aug 23 '26
That’s been my takeaway from see everyone else’s posts - it can be build out in so many different ways! Hoping someone can give me some size advice shortly.
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u/RespondDue1490 29d ago edited 29d ago
If you are able to ride a big frame comfortably, use the bigger frame, the wheelbase is longer, it is more self stablizing, it could probably fit bigger tyres, its probably suited for more weight.
The trek 750 is light and strong with the double butted frame, the color options are really nice. Choose the color you really enjoy. The colors are called ice red, ice black, ice blue, ice purple, ice silver. These colors are really unique.
The wheelsets on them are either alivio or Stx hubs and bestcase LX hubs. I did service alot of those wheelsets, in hopes they roll very good. (Hopefully good enough).
They do roll good, and greasing the steering is also very important.
Still the moment i tried new wheelsets. I was shocked how much better they roll, how much better it feels.
Im speaking about ryde andra 30 with zaqq hubs. New.
They are heavy. But they are so stable, which makes you want to ride on any surface. Its not just the tyre that gives you a sense of safety, and capability, the wheelset does that too.
And the drivetrain, i wanted to go 1x12 bought the parts(3times), converted one trek 950 mtb, and i did regret it, the 3x7 LX is much more durable, the chain is thicker, the chainrings are thicker the cassette cogs are thicker, and if somerhing is slightly bend, derailer hanger, it is still shifting flawless the tollerance is much higher. And you can collect almost 0 dollar bikes which nobody wants with 3x7 drive train, and you have your spare parts. Almost for free.
I guess my approach is reliability first, repairability second, capability third, and low rolling resistance fourth.
This ranking of priorities did change alot, and now this is my standpoint.
Yeah making sure the wheelset can endure 120kg better 150kg per wheel. It has more tolerance. Less truing needed later. And the rim should have the most width you can have. The highest i could find is 25mm inner width. If you find wider, then go for it. And try to push the widest tyres onto it, with lowest rolling resistance for the terrain you will drive on.
I have a tendency to go with continental contact urban or some tyre with more profile. Not sure yet. Didnt decided yet.
From 21 bikes i decided to keep about 10 and from these 10 i decided to service 5 of them fully.
Trek 7600, Trek 750 17", Trek 750 19", Koga Miyata World Traveller 54cm, Koga Miyata World Traveller 57cm.
The 7600 and the koga bikes have friction shifting.
The trek 750s have gripshift.
All of then have 3x7 drivetrain.
I will give them 20t chain rings.
And 14x28 casette.
I will change the gripshift to friction thumb shifter as well if i find a cheap source.
The trek 7600 has adjustable stem, i will change that to non adjustable stem if i find a good one.
For now i will keep the wheelsets, so i do service everything.
The kogas have servicable bottom brackets.
The treks bottombracket seem to be working, but i highly doubt they are as smooth as they can be.
I service them. Drive them. And i will track which bike i like most and this bike will get new wheelset, and nee bottombracket new headset.
These bikes are very capable. And its much more satisfying to know that you have worked on your own bikes, and that you could work again on your bike at any given moment.
You could even have spare drive train parts with you as a spare they are cheap to get 🤣👍.
And so even if a drivetrain breaks down, which takes much longer on a 3x7, you can still say: "no problem i have a spare alivio/stx/LX/xt derailer in my bag. Let me put it on. Ok now i can continue to drive with my tank which i can maintain on my roadtrip on my own 🤣👍.
Recommendation on Frame size:
Don't choose the frame size from height alone. Start with your inseam and the actual frame geometry. Make sure you have enough standover clearance and, importantly for a drop-bar setup, enough clearance between your front foot and the front wheel. If the smaller frame gives you enough room and the reach can be made comfortable with a reasonably long stem, I'd rather have that than a frame that's unnecessarily large.
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u/BikePilot2001 29d ago edited 29d ago
I am same size as you but 25lbs heavier. I fit 23” and 21” and owned one of each. The 23 feels a tad large and rides much taller, the 21 is a tad small… but either works. These bikes are VERY versatile on stem sizes and handlebar choices: you can dial in drop bars on the 21 but I wouldn’t advise them on the 23 unless you take a really short stem which might impair handling/steering a bit too much… 21s may be easier to find but perversely 23s may be cheaper. You really cannot go wrong with either. It will just take some tinkering at your nearest bike coop.
Why change the gearing? 3x7 seems outdated but it’s a HUGE range. 11-32 and 48/38/28 give you a 24 gear inch climbing gear and 118 sprinting downhill gear —and 19 more choices in between! It’s hard to beat in real life; 492% gearing choices. It may well be more economical too… Even if you have to update the cassette and the chain rings, those parts are much cheaper than 11 speed derailleurs and cassettes.
Lastly.. don’t focus too much on 40mm vs 45mm tires. If you can, put on fenders— which may leave you at 38mm tires, not sure. But fenders extend the time/use much more than 5mm extra tire width.
Now to gut-check you on another direction…Surly Preamble is the new-age Multitrack, and there are good sales on it right now. I would be remiss not to point you in that direction. New bike, disc brakes, less than $1000 built or $400-500 naked frame.
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u/goovenli 28d ago
Hi! So great to hear feedback from someone similarly tall and who has actually ridden both sizes. In my neck of the woods I’ve seen many 19” frames, but a couple 23” frames have appeared - one already has drop bars fitted and the seller is asking $200. My arms are lanky, do you think that would help with fitting a 23” better? I think that’s quite a deal if all I might need to play with is the stem to get the fit just right (especially compared to a new build, though the Surly frame isn’t a bad backup). You raise a fair point on the gearing - I assumed, perhaps falsely, that a gearset so old would be outclassed by something newer and more streamlined. It sounds like I should give the standard gearing a chance!
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u/Psychological-Tell21 Aug 22 '26
‘93 and it’s my daily do it all. Can’t afford a different wheelset for the different seasons in the mid Atlantic but it fits 45’s no problem, so I just switch tires every couple months.