cooperryder

Thanks for sharing pics of your 7000.

It looks to be the same model and color as mine, (pic attached) perhaps even the same size.
Mine is the 22" frame
and a 1990 model which still had the 1" threaded headset. As I understand the next year they switched to 1/18' headsets

I am not a fan of the speckled black paint on mine hence the plan to powder coat or run bare aluminum.
I first started entertaining the idea of bare aluminum on this one after seeing pics of this 1993 7000 bare aluminum look which shows to have been subsequently painted.

http://ridevintagemtb.blogspot.com/2...trek-7000.html

Over the years I have not had many aluminum frames, mostly preferring steel frames ,
and am somewhat surprised how much I like this 7000. Perhaps a huge factor is it has no problem accepting those 26x2.35 street tires which give a wonderful cush ride. They are discontinued folding Michelin Pilot Sports.

Also something about the beefy tubeset just appeals to me and has a different look to my other bikes.

Another factor is my favorite rigid mtb to date is a Trek 1990 850 which shares similar geometry but those tires are a tight fit on it
and I am now running the Compass Rat Trap Pass in it which I like a lot as well.

Also after stripping down the 7000 and weighing the bare frame and fork it turns out to be my lightest rigid mt bike frame.