The Zip Tie Bike - Trek 990
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Although today I picked up my bike trailer so I can finally start putting my commuter mileage on it. I'm guessing that new shifters are in the works but that is only happening if they don't get better after tear down. I already know I need new cabling and brake pads. I'll probably change this bike 3-4 times before I find the formula I like. Which will be as expensive as the new Trek but I just subscribe to the reuse / upcycle when possible formula. There is no reason a steel lugged bike can't be used for 50+ years with modern upgrades.
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Yeah if there are grip shifters out there that (a) shift without requiring the grip strength of a gorilla and (b) don't accidentally shift when you hit a bump, I might like them, but all the ones I've seen violate both (a) and (b).
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With all the hills around here the most annoying noise you will ever hear is “click”
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To make them rotate easier, you want to lube the derailleur pivot points, and replace or lube the cable/housing, so at least there's no extra friction in the system. But it seems to me fundamentally that improving (a) must make (b) worse, and vice versa.
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I shouldn't turn this into a Grip Shift discussion but I love 'em. Inexpensive and they just plain work, in my experience on two of my MTB commuters.
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I'll probably change this bike 3-4 times before I find the formula I like. Which will be as expensive as the new Trek but I just subscribe to the reuse / upcycle when possible formula. There is no reason a steel lugged bike can't be used for 50+ years with modern upgrades.
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Failure to commute
I think we can go to the store, the grandparents house, and the park as a family unit. I think anything beyond that is out. So that leaves me with 4 short drives in the car during the week.
Pictures to follow of the trailer and some additions I'm testing out.
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@MrArrow, yikes! Does the bike still have the mountain bike gearing? I've never had a problem just shifting down to the lowest gear and grinding it out; you might have steeper and/or longer hills than I do. Keep pedaling and you'll build up those legs!
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@MrArrow, yikes! Does the bike still have the mountain bike gearing? I've never had a problem just shifting down to the lowest gear and grinding it out; you might have steeper and/or longer hills than I do. Keep pedaling and you'll build up those legs!
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In my defense I started riding because I endurance ran until I had two broken legs and kept going. I'll have to get a video of the two hills that tower over my rides. I GPS tracked one and the GPS says 100 feet of ascent. Not sure how accurate that is because I'm in a valley. Seemed correct to me though.
Low gear gets it done but almost at a standstill giving it my all. I'm slowly building to commuting to and from my training runs. How do other riders deal with traffic? Both directions to my running trails, while short rides, have dangerous portions. Both also have steep hills that slow it down right as you go around a blind corner. Personally I used to use my tacoma to shield other cyclists and provide escort on these stretches. I just don't have a reliable escort and I'm not sure I've got the balls to do it. Too many people don't give a damn or are on the cell phone. Hell its bad when I train in the 25mph neighborhood which I can keep speed with. People still feel the need to speed up and pass too close.
Low gear gets it done but almost at a standstill giving it my all. I'm slowly building to commuting to and from my training runs. How do other riders deal with traffic? Both directions to my running trails, while short rides, have dangerous portions. Both also have steep hills that slow it down right as you go around a blind corner. Personally I used to use my tacoma to shield other cyclists and provide escort on these stretches. I just don't have a reliable escort and I'm not sure I've got the balls to do it. Too many people don't give a damn or are on the cell phone. Hell its bad when I train in the 25mph neighborhood which I can keep speed with. People still feel the need to speed up and pass too close.
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@MrArrow, I'm not too proud to get off and walk. Traffic; I got used to it. I don't like it, but I'm used to it.
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We got a short and flat 1.5 miles in as a family today. A few observations about the bike:
-The 990 has done well in each role I put it in.
-The setup you see bike, helmets, trailer, lock ect totals about $250 for everything.
-grip shifters suck and so do the grips
-riding position is bottomed out due to mounting and dismounting the bike with the trailer.
-my right knee hurts from that riding position
-bar height needs raised and I need a slight stretch forward to be able to raise my position and get an effective riding position that won’t kill my knee.
-I like the Serfas tires and wish I had a newer pair to test as the ones I have are worn and old but still perform quite well for a gravel/commuter bike
I would expect to see either a)paint touch up or b)repaint in the near future. With this you will also see the handlebars be changed out. I’m on the fence about whether to drop bar this build. I like the “daily driver” or “sleeper” look to the original paint and flat bars. I could probably get some real improvement by drop bars. I also considered longer bar ends moved to a center position or forearm rest bars on the flat bar.
-The 990 has done well in each role I put it in.
-The setup you see bike, helmets, trailer, lock ect totals about $250 for everything.
-grip shifters suck and so do the grips
-riding position is bottomed out due to mounting and dismounting the bike with the trailer.
-my right knee hurts from that riding position
-bar height needs raised and I need a slight stretch forward to be able to raise my position and get an effective riding position that won’t kill my knee.
-I like the Serfas tires and wish I had a newer pair to test as the ones I have are worn and old but still perform quite well for a gravel/commuter bike
I would expect to see either a)paint touch up or b)repaint in the near future. With this you will also see the handlebars be changed out. I’m on the fence about whether to drop bar this build. I like the “daily driver” or “sleeper” look to the original paint and flat bars. I could probably get some real improvement by drop bars. I also considered longer bar ends moved to a center position or forearm rest bars on the flat bar.
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Have you been measured for a bike fit? It'll let you know where your cockpit should be located to advise stem length and rise.
Drop bars mean new shifters and levers, but you don't need sti levers. I use bar end shifters and aero brake levers are made in many flavors, but primarily short pull (basically any brake system extant, except v brakes). It's actually harder to buy new short pull mtb levers since that segment moved to v brakes and disc.
Drop bars mean new shifters and levers, but you don't need sti levers. I use bar end shifters and aero brake levers are made in many flavors, but primarily short pull (basically any brake system extant, except v brakes). It's actually harder to buy new short pull mtb levers since that segment moved to v brakes and disc.
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Have you been measured for a bike fit? It'll let you know where your cockpit should be located to advise stem length and rise.
Drop bars mean new shifters and levers, but you don't need sti levers. I use bar end shifters and aero brake levers are made in many flavors, but primarily short pull (basically any brake system extant, except v brakes). It's actually harder to buy new short pull mtb levers since that segment moved to v brakes and disc.
Drop bars mean new shifters and levers, but you don't need sti levers. I use bar end shifters and aero brake levers are made in many flavors, but primarily short pull (basically any brake system extant, except v brakes). It's actually harder to buy new short pull mtb levers since that segment moved to v brakes and disc.
Today I got my first real ride in which consisted of a 3 mile commute on a paved bikeway down to my daughters soccer game and then back. Then a 5 mile ride over mixed terrain, bikeway, and roadways over to the park entrance. I did a 5K trail run and then took a slightly different 5 mile route home. Overall it was a lot of gravel and hills. Hill work is such a big part of the terrain that I only ever use two gears right now.
I hate the pedals. I mean loathe them. They will be changed out for sure. Also, I either want wider MTB bars or flared out drop bars. I have not put enough time in to know which route I'm going to go yet. I've contemplated getting a second bike so I can take this one apart. I found a pretty good looking singletrack thats in nice shape that may fit the bill. The front cantilever brakes started rubbing today and the non-existent rear pads reared their head after riding 15+ miles in a day. It's calling my name to put it up on the stand and tear it down.
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We got a short and flat 1.5 miles in as a family today. A few observations about the bike:
-The 990 has done well in each role I put it in.
-The setup you see bike, helmets, trailer, lock ect totals about $250 for everything.
-grip shifters suck and so do the grips
-riding position is bottomed out due to mounting and dismounting the bike with the trailer.
-my right knee hurts from that riding position
-The 990 has done well in each role I put it in.
-The setup you see bike, helmets, trailer, lock ect totals about $250 for everything.
-grip shifters suck and so do the grips
-riding position is bottomed out due to mounting and dismounting the bike with the trailer.
-my right knee hurts from that riding position
Some of the problem is the 7speed shifters/gear cluster combined with a 9sp rear derailleur. The cable housing entry into the rear derailleur is also kinked a bit, which isn't helping.
As for accidental shifts, unfortunately a lot of grip shifts come with stubby grips. I like to run them with full length grips so that less of my hand is on the shifty part.
Last edited by LesterOfPuppets; 08-24-19 at 11:11 PM.
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I hate the pedals. I mean loathe them. They will be changed out for sure. Also, I either want wider MTB bars or flared out drop bars. I have not put enough time in to know which route I'm going to go yet. I've contemplated getting a second bike so I can take this one apart. I found a pretty good looking singletrack thats in nice shape that may fit the bill. The front cantilever brakes started rubbing today and the non-existent rear pads reared their head after riding 15+ miles in a day. It's calling my name to put it up on the stand and tear it down.
I like Odyssey Twisted or Cult Dak for use with sneakers. Make sure you get the 9/16"
If you wear Vans, your foot REALLY stays on the pedal. The Reebok trail runners I have stick to them pretty well, too.
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#44
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I do need to pull this bike apart. I didn't intend on doing 100+ miles before fixing it. Its brakes, cabling, and just general maintenance has been on the to do list since I bought it. I purchased knowing it needed done. I just can't seem to stay off of it long enough to rack it and start the work. Today was the first really nasty day we've had in a while and the kids both had appointments so I couldn't get to it.
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That's going to be a great bike for your needs.
You can get lower gearing if you want it. There are smaller inner rings for your crank, and if the cassette is 12-28 you can get 12-32. Towing knocks you down about two shifts. But you also might just get used to the load.
There are seven major bearings on this bike (crank, headset, hubs, pedals, freehub) and they can all be rebuilt. The tools are not very expensive especially if you go ask in the classic & vintage classifieds. Instructions on the Park Tool website or other places.
Your seat looks uncomfortably low to me. Get that adjusted and the towing will be easier.
I can't put my 2.5yo twins in the trailer together any more, they fight
You can get lower gearing if you want it. There are smaller inner rings for your crank, and if the cassette is 12-28 you can get 12-32. Towing knocks you down about two shifts. But you also might just get used to the load.
There are seven major bearings on this bike (crank, headset, hubs, pedals, freehub) and they can all be rebuilt. The tools are not very expensive especially if you go ask in the classic & vintage classifieds. Instructions on the Park Tool website or other places.
Your seat looks uncomfortably low to me. Get that adjusted and the towing will be easier.
I can't put my 2.5yo twins in the trailer together any more, they fight
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#46
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That's going to be a great bike for your needs.
You can get lower gearing if you want it. There are smaller inner rings for your crank, and if the cassette is 12-28 you can get 12-32. Towing knocks you down about two shifts. But you also might just get used to the load.
There are seven major bearings on this bike (crank, headset, hubs, pedals, freehub) and they can all be rebuilt. The tools are not very expensive especially if you go ask in the classic & vintage classifieds. Instructions on the Park Tool website or other places.
Your seat looks uncomfortably low to me. Get that adjusted and the towing will be easier.
I can't put my 2.5yo twins in the trailer together any more, they fight
You can get lower gearing if you want it. There are smaller inner rings for your crank, and if the cassette is 12-28 you can get 12-32. Towing knocks you down about two shifts. But you also might just get used to the load.
There are seven major bearings on this bike (crank, headset, hubs, pedals, freehub) and they can all be rebuilt. The tools are not very expensive especially if you go ask in the classic & vintage classifieds. Instructions on the Park Tool website or other places.
Your seat looks uncomfortably low to me. Get that adjusted and the towing will be easier.
I can't put my 2.5yo twins in the trailer together any more, they fight
I lowered the seat to be more upright while seated but it has been put back up since. Changing out the gearing is on the list because of the hills. I have some very steep hills on my bike route. It’s a lot like a single track trail with road sections.
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Yeah, that makes sense at first. But as-is, it's not that kind of bike. It's a go-fast bike. To sit up you need the handlebars higher, a lot higher, not the seat lower.
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#48
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If you can't stay off it long enough to work on it, sounds like you have the right bike.
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I think you and your kids are going to love that bike once you get it set up. Replacing things with better parts as they wear out allow you to upgrade in phases, and you'll probably get to a point where you know you made the right decision pretty soon.
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A 1989 would have been cooler for the C&V nerds, it had all the best late-stage Suntour parts. And it was no longer the top bike, Trek started bonded aluminum in 87 and bonded CF in 1990 (says MOMBAT). But this is the one you'd choose to keep running and riding forever.
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