Trek SU200 "commuter" bike, 1.5" tires- go wider?

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Well, ol' can't-make-up-his-mind is at it again!
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After considering good advice offered me here & looking anew at all the hills near home, I've decided that while a cheap beater 3-sp will be fun(& I picked one up for $20, an old Wards Hawthorne), it'd be awful nice to have something with real gearing. So, today searching Cragslist I found & called about an unusually nice condition Trek SU200 "urban-commuter" bike(intro'd 2005?), I believe this has now morphed into the SU 2.0. It seems to me pretty much a mountain bike, but with solid front fork, slightly higher gearing(48-38-28t front, 11-30t rear), disk brakes(!), and 26x1.5" street tires. The rims are spec'd as Bontrager Rangers, no width given. Owner says bike has spent its life being ridden only a little, rest of time stored inside apartment or office after those rare commutes- to a downtown big city! These were priced ~$500 or more new, this one's in near-new condition with extras(headlight, taillight, rear rack with removable slide-off basket) for ~$150. I checked the specs, its 18" frame should be right for me. Seems a good deal for me to begin riding a bike again after 40 years, especially since at first I'll stick to the streets & side roads. But sometime later on I'd like to try a local network of old dirt roads. I know the solid front fork will be kinda rough off-road, but at least it won't stop working like some cheap front suspensions & if I really get into it could always replace the fork, or get another bike later.

Is there any reason why the 1.5" wide factory tires can't be replaced in the future with something wider & more appropriate for riding old dirt roads nearby? Assuming the rims, front fork & rear frame are wide enough wouldn't tires up to 2" or 2.125" mount & work OK? I could find nothing on the Trek site about this. Any & all help appreciated.
 
depends on the surfaces you are riding on. so much of how a bike feels is due to the tires- a mtn bike w/ skinny high press tires will be a lot faster than one w/ squishy fat knobbed tires. before all these urban commuter city whatever bikes started coming out, many shops converted mtn bikes that way. so, I would say that your 1.5 are good for roads, but if you want to do dirt, maybe a little wider would be better. don't bug out over it though; I used to regularly ride my road bike w/ 25mm tires on hard pack dirt roads, it's fine. and my last mtn bike had these inverted tread continentals that were just fine for just about anything off road. just go ride it as is and try different roads, see how it feels.
 
Thanks. Yesterday I drove all the way to Dallas to see the Trek SU200- long trip(gas $$!), just west of Sulfur Springs went through one of the worst rainstorms I ever drove through- & I've driven through some. Even *I* finally had to stop for a while- heck, even the *trucks* were stopping!

Figured it was a jinxed trip, but when I finally saw the bike, my luck had changed. I was delighted! It's as close to new as any used bike can be- looks like only the middle front sprocket was ever used, the other two fronts seem to have no wear whatever to the black finish. The rear sprockets look like pristine polished chrome. Chain still has the factory lube on it. The Bontrager Satellite Plus 26x1.50 tires- center of tread is near-slick by design, they still have the little mold ridge all around the circumference, couldn't have been ridden more than a few miles. Topeak Explorer disc brake mount rear rack plus Topeak MTX basket that slides onto rack & locks in place look new- basket is surprisingly large, & checking internet prices this combo wil run over $50 plus shipping, owner probably paid bike store price for it. Has cute little clamp-on headlight & taillight, he added a kickstand to the bike too. Got a Giro helmet with it- maybe a cheapie, but still saves a few more $. He even threw in the home model air pump with built-in gauge(RavX?) that he advertised separately at $25, said I'd earned it for the long drive.
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The rims are kind of narrow, according to a sticker on them they're 559mm dia x 18mm bead width. Should probably max out at about what the tires are now(26x1.5) or maybe stretch it to ~1.75- but I've aboutdecided that until I wear these tires out al I'm gonna do is get a more comfortable seat, & maybe a set of fenders. I'm really tickled with this. All those extras add up to $100 or a little more, on a bike that was ~$490 plus tax new. All that like new goodness for $150- can't beat it with a stick! And now the great bike hunt is over- exept for finding a decent cheap mtn bike to ride on the dirt roads behind the water tower!
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Sounds like you made a good deal!
The tires should be adequate unless you get in the loose stuff.
The fact it's an 8 speed is good in that it's a Free Hub vs Free Wheel.
http://sheldonbrown.com/k7.html#advantages

IF it were my bike, the only change I would make would be swapping to a different cassette that works better to my flatland type riding. Something like a 12-23 or 13-26. (I currently use a custom 7 speed with 13-14-15-16-18-21-26 cogs)

I think you'll be pleased with the bike! Enjoy!
PS- Don't try to ride too much the first couple days. You'll have some muscles letting you know that they hadn't been used for awhile-
 
Originally Posted By: Bill Kapaun

The fact it's an 8 speed is good in that it's a Free Hub vs Free Wheel.
http://sheldonbrown.com/k7.html#advantages

why even mention a non-issue? how many bikes besides some entry level models even HAVE a freewheel? it's like saying, 'hey, nice new car you got there, good it's got fuel injection and not a carburator'.
 
Originally Posted By: mpvue
Originally Posted By: Bill Kapaun

The fact it's an 8 speed is good in that it's a Free Hub vs Free Wheel.
http://sheldonbrown.com/k7.html#advantages

why even mention a non-issue? how many bikes besides some entry level models even HAVE a freewheel? it's like saying, 'hey, nice new car you got there, good it's got fuel injection and not a carburator'.


Apparently it isn't a "non-issue" to you! Why did YOU......
 
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