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Picking up a Trek 930 tomorrow - what changes should I make?

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Picking up a Trek 930 tomorrow - what changes should I make?

Old 05-10-16, 09:41 PM
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KKPB
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Picking up a Trek 930 tomorrow - what changes should I make?

Hello all, i've found a Trek 930 local to me and I plan on picking it up tomorrow. I am a 350 pound 6'0" rider and I haven't rode a bicycle in probably 3 years.
I am going to be riding mostly paved smooth roads, some light trail use in the future.
Should I look at upping the tire size? What are the best inner tubes for people of my weight? I'm worried about them popping.

Also is the 930 a good choice for me? I have read other threads that suggest it is perfect for what I need

Any help is appreciated.
Thank you

Last edited by KKPB; 05-10-16 at 09:43 PM. Reason: Spelling
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Old 05-10-16, 10:20 PM
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Does the bike have a rigid fork or sprung fork? Rigid is probably slightly preferable.

The tire size is probably fine. There are "road tires" that are smooth, and may take slightly higher pressure. But, if the tires are good, I'd ride them until they go bad.

Inner tubes don't provide significant "support". The tires are what protect them, and give them structure. So I just use whatever is cheapest. It never hurts to have a spare available if you're putting on a lot of miles. Evaluate your needs based on whether you get flats.

If the bike is in good condition with a rigid fork, it is probably an excellent choice.

Does it seem to fit? You are a fairly tall rider.
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Old 05-10-16, 11:07 PM
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Yes it has Rigid forks. I completely forgot to ask for the size of the frame. It looks to me like a 22" frame so it should be a good fit
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Old 05-11-16, 05:37 AM
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If it has mtn bike tires on it, I'd put on regular tires. I'd go up a size or two, assuming it will fit.

That will make pedalling easier, and should give you a nicer ride (depends on how much sidewall the tire has).

A tire is a tradeoff between opposing qualities. What you have to do is find a balance between this and that you like.
The tire I have been using is no longer made. Bummer. If I was getting a tire for that bike, it would prob be the Schwalbe Big Ben.
I haven't used it, but it is supposed to be good on trails, smooth on the road.

The price will prob surprise you, but once you start buying good tires, you never go back. At least, I never did.
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Old 05-11-16, 06:57 AM
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I have an old Trek 930. Frankly I don't use it much, but it is a very good bike, for what it is. The 930s were American made frames made out of True Temper Steel. The 930 has 26" wheels and takes 2" wide tires. Though I like the bike and the ride is as smooth as an old school Cadillac, I am a full 2 mph slower on my 930 with slicks compared to my speed on my Salsa Casseroll with 700c wheels and 32 mm tires. If I didn't have the Salsa, I might have tried to further modify the Trek to make it more efficient for me, but since I don't need to do it, I keep the Trek as a winter and light trail bike.

I had to put a stem riser on the bike to ride it, as I quickly realized when I raised the seat up high enough to ride the bike, the handlebars were too low for me to use the bike on the street. Not a big deal, but I also needed to switch out the brake and shifter cables as well.

If you plan to ride on the street, go with slick tires with little or no tread. If you plan to do some riding on dirt or gravel, go with a semi knobby tire.

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Old 05-11-16, 08:32 AM
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I am your size, so I understand the concerns.

A good set of semi-slick tires will be good. I would go with almost any size tire that the rim will accommodate. The tube is pretty irrelevant when it comes to weight bearing, so just a standard tube with the appropriate stem for the rims, and the proper size will be fine.

I have spent more time trading tires trying to find what I like most than anything to do with weight bearing. I prefer a 1.5" or so tire, with a little tread for when I am riding in gravel etc. I also look for a tread design (rib etc) that allows quick rolling on pavement.

I would second the vote for spending a little bit on tires. There are some good inexpensive tires, but there are some great mid-range tires. In general, high tpi casings provide a nice supple ride. I currently ride 700c wheels on my hybrid, so I don't have any guidance for 26" tires, but I am sure there are some good ones out there.


I had someone who rides a hybrid with stock tires ride my bike and they said that they felt like they were flying. The only significant difference were shifters, rear derailleur and tires. The shifters and RD provide no significant benefit, so guess what accounted for the difference that they were feeling?

So, tire choice can make a difference. But anything other than super light weight racing tires will hold your weight if that is your only concern, Just keep the pressure up to near the max. I usually do max pressure for the rear, and 10% less for the front.
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Old 05-11-16, 08:41 AM
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As far as pressure goes, I put in just enough for the tire to work properly.

The tire is supposed to give a little, not throw you around.
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Old 05-11-16, 09:17 AM
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Rigid fork 930 is an excellent choice. I agree, semi-slick tires in 1.5 -2.0 range should work just fine with any decent quality tube. Bontrager makes the H2 in 1.5 and 2.0 and either should work as long as you have adequate frame clearance. They are a decent hybrid tire that is durable but not stupidly heavy. They also make the H5 which is the same tire with a more aggressive tread. Start with the tire pressure at the maximum recommended. At your weight, I think that would be about right (I started at 300+ pounds). Frame size is important, pass if it is significantly too large or too small. You can use stems, bars and seat posts to make a slight size adjustment, but if the frame doesn't fit reasonably well to start with, you aren't going to like it no matter how much money you throw into modifications.

Don't get a big cushy saddle. Too many people fall into this trap. Cushy "comfort" saddles only work for short distance cruisers. Your saddle size is based on the width of your pelvic bones (your ischial tuberosities to be more accurate) not the overall width of your backside. Bar end grips are a nice addition to a flat bar. I personally like the Ergon grips but there are others out there. A tune up and safety check at your LBS is in order if you don't have some wrench experience of your own. They can also help you set up the basic fit adjustments.
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Old 05-11-16, 09:19 AM
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Originally Posted by late
As far as pressure goes, I put in just enough for the tire to work properly.

The tire is supposed to give a little, not throw you around.
Given that this is a Clyde's forum, I'll mention that it's pretty important to adequately inflate tires to avoid pinch flats. For most people > 200lbs, the recommendations will be for inflation significantly higher than the minimum PSI, and for many on this forum the recommendation will be the maximum PSI.

I'll leave the "just enough" recipes for Italian cookbooks.
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Old 05-11-16, 09:26 AM
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Originally Posted by dr_lha
Given that this is a Clyde's forum, I'll mention that it's pretty important to adequately inflate tires to avoid pinch flats. For most people > 200lbs, the recommendations will be for inflation significantly higher than the minimum PSI, and for many on this forum the recommendation will be the maximum PSI.

I'll leave the "just enough" recipes for Italian cookbooks.
I agree. I am in the habit of topping my tires off before every ride. In addition to avoiding pinch flats, I believe keeping tires inflated increases their longevity.
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Old 05-11-16, 09:27 AM
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The FIRST thing you should do is service all of the bearings and make sure the shifters/brakes work as they should. The next thing you should do it get tires that don't have knobs on them. The 3rd thing you should do is ride the heck out of it until you decide there is definitely a reason to alter it. The 930 is a great bike. I almost bought one not too long ago, but the price was too high for the amount of work it needed.
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Old 05-11-16, 11:41 AM
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The first thing I'd do is make sure it all works and adjust the fit... after that the second thing I'd do is make sure the saddle is comfortable for me. Tires would be after that.
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Old 05-11-16, 03:49 PM
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For most Clydes, there's no need of going to maximum pressure, and advantages to using more reasonable psi.

Bicycle Tires and Tubes

https://www.bikequarterly.com/images/TireDrop.pdf
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Old 05-11-16, 04:48 PM
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I've got a 930 that I bought new in the mid-90's. Great bike though I don't ride it much anymore. Like others earlier in the thread, I recommend getting some new road tires for it.
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