Trek 830 Updated

I wasn't in love with the drop bar setup on my old Trek mountain bike, so spent a few lazy evenings converting it over to flat bars. I swapped the V brakes for cantis along the way, since I was out of flat bar V brake levers. So it went from this:

With a bit of weather change thrown in as well. The bars are an improvement in comfort:

But still not high enough for my aging back. Or maybe I'm just spoiled by the comfort and performance of my Jones and Clem.

I tried these Tektro CR-720 brakes several years ago on my Giant cross bike. I wasn't impressed by their performance then--I remember one cross race where I overshot the downhill corner and just kept going straight, not able to stop in time. But paired up with mountain bike levers the stop strongly and quietly. I kind of like them, in fact:

The Big Apple tires are plush and comfortable, but they don't feel particularly fast. Still, they are leagues better than the lousy tires that were on the bike when I bought it.

I don't think this Trek will be a keeper. I had an image it could be my winter beater, but I mostly mountain bike in the winter, at least when the trails have a good freeze. And for riding around town, I would rather be on my Clem whenever I can:

With the new Super Moto tires, it's even more plush than the Trek, but feels faster. A nice combination!