Bike jambalaya

I've found two mtb that are available some what locally.
both similarly priced.
What are y'all opinion on these two. As I would probably ss convert it and use it to use as a local ripper. Something I won't mind leaving outside work or the bar. *Locked

A lugged 950 in blue or a tig welded 930 in a darker metallic blue.

The 930 I'm positive is a single track and the 950 I'm not sure from the pictures

jdawginsc 

Lugged always for the win.

52telecaster

The one that's the right size.

Atlas Shrugged

It takes much more skill to TIG weld a frame, and it's much more difficult to cover up mistakes. TIG welded all the way.

bboy314

I wouldn’t sweat the difference between lugged and tig (though aesthetically I prefer lugged). Instead I’d decide based on how each bike fits me, and their overall condition.

Korina

@Bike jambalaya, do you have links for the bikes? We can't advise you on which bike is our favorite if we can't see them. Also, whichever you choose, please don't cut or grind anything off the frame. TY

OTS 

If they are both the right size it's a toss up.
Next consider components.
XT over LX or DX

seanmccoye

Tig 930 with the purple green fade!! ~1994

52telecaster

I had one, great bike.

seanmccoye

Me too. 23.5in just fit well. That OEM shock though... Upgrade asap.

Kontact 

Framebuilders know that TIG welding steel is cheaper, faster and easier than brazing.

In this case, the 950 was silver soldered on Trek's special jigs designed to evenly heat the joints.



TIG welding caught on in the first place because the rapidly evolving nature of MTBs made producing lugs of the right angles and diameters impractical. So you really have to hand it to Trek for even developing them. Neither of these frames are light by any modern standard, so any sort of concern about "performance" is misplaced. The 950's construction and look exudes class and is unique. I would get the 950.

Plus, it is a step up in components from the cheaper 930.

AdventureManCO 

Does either one come with an original rigid fork? If so, go with the one that does!

I had a 'too big' 1992 Trek 990 (lugged, the first tig frames were '94) , and I've got a couple of later Singletracks out in the garage, including a '98 930 and a '96 990. The 930 has the wishbone type stay arrangement. This frame is a bit heavier than it's mid-90s upper end cousins (the 970 and 990, essentially the same frame). Between the two, I would consider the fork, the condition, the paint preference, and the price. I don't think you could go wrong either way, even though the love affair on this particular sub-forum is going to be w/ the lugs. Its a tossup between two great, American-built mtbs, so you can't go wrong.

Honestly, if they are cheap enough, just get both, ride 'em both around long enough and one will speak to you, then sell the other one, maybe for a tad less, for the cost of the added handpick consultation, then there will be no doubt in your mind you made the right choice.


EDIT: dug up an old thread that had one of my posts in it regarding the Trek 930, and here is what I wrote:

'here is what a 1998 Trek 930 OX II triple butted 18" frame weighs: 5.24lbs/2370gms'

I think OX-II is actually just double butted, but alas. I weighed my bare Trek 990 frame (1996, OX-III) in 16" and it was 2077g, about 300g lighter than the Trek 930 frame, although sizes were slightly different. I don't know what the lugged Trek would come in at, but after reading a bit near the end of the Trek Multitrack thread in the hybrid forum, it sounds like the weights between both the lugged and the tigged frames are pretty comparable.

Also, here is a GREAT thread all about the Trek 9xx series of mtbs - https://www.mtbr.com/threads/mid-to-...81873/#replies

Atlas Shrugged

Unfortunately you have little understanding of metalworking. Someone with average mechanical aptitude can learn how to braze a lugged joint in a weekend. Ask anyone who has soldered a copper pipe same principle and skill set. TIG on the other hand is much harder and requires expensive equipment. Miters must be much more precise with TIG. Any mistakes are evident and can’t be patched with TIG. The heat effected zone and butt length much shorter on TIG welds. Welds are stronger than brazing.

There is nothing magical about silver solder, just ask any plumber. It’s just easier to work with and produces a stronger joint than brass. A marketing advantage over those old world frames still using brass but indistinguishable performance wise.

Kontact 

I'm a black smith, bladesmith and I braze reefer lines for HVAC, as well as doing a lot of other metal work. Plumber's silver solder is a low temp process performed with a propane torch and flux, not acetylene and the 1200 degree temps of silver brazing bike tubing.

Are you sure you have a great understanding of metal work?

Anyhoo, I know several framebuilders. and the ones that do lugs and TIG know very well which is more difficult. Brazing lugs isn't just sweating together some joints, and it isn't an opportunity to do shoddy work. There is nothing wrong with TIG - it is strong and usually lightest of the three ways of putting together steel. But it is quick and requires very little prep or clean up. People that can handle an acetylene torch well can quickly master TIG.

t2p

agree agree agree ***

unless the potential buyer has a line on a replacement / rigid fork

( *** obviously bike must also be in good shape )

MattoftheRocks

If I were okay with tig, I’d just get a Surly and be done with it.

I won’t buy any frame that doesn’t fit well.

TiHabanero

TIG prep compared to lug prep is akin comparing apples to wheat. Lug prep takes way more time. As for the precision of miters it is quite simple to accomplish provided one has a quality machine that will cut an accurate miter. On the used market a Bridgeport is not very pricey. The complex miter is at the BB junction, but is still way less time to do than prepping a lugged BB shell.
I do not TIG weld, but do MIG which is a sloppy way to join things, but effective and kinda, but not really, similar to TIG, however it takes about the same amount of prep time. My preference is lugs which is what built my frames with, however I really like super lightweight TIG frames! If the 930 was significantly lighter, it would be my choice, however it really isn't thus the lugged 950 is preferred.

Classtime 

50>30 so….

I miss my black lugged 750 and am looking forward to another.

AdventureManCO 

By '98 the 930 was the only offering still in the spirit of the old singletracks (steel, made in USA). They had the 920, but I think it was imported. Trek went through 3 major versions of this frame - the late 80s thru 1993 was the lugged version we all know and love (all OX-II True Temper I believe), then 1994-1997 was the first tig frame version, and had two versions (the OX-II in the 930/950, and the OX-III in the 970/990), and then finally a slightly different frame revision w/ a wishbone seatstay configuration in 1998.

Here is the one from 1999, in blue, although I don't know if this is the same year that the OP is considering -




I have the '97 in green that I'm probably going to let go, since it is about 300g heavier than my '96 990 frame.

The '97 -




Here is my 990. The 970 and 990 shared the same frame, just different component spec. They are easy to identify, thanks to the extra gusset under the top tube at the headtube. The best is to find a 990/970 w/ a steel fork, which mine didn't have.


And all cleaned up ready for a build:



Paint was thin, but probably now weighs less than the 2077g it did w/ the paint.

These are all great bikes in their own right! I still don't have a lugged Singletrack or Multitrack, but my tigged 750 Multitrack makes that want seem pretty distant

t2p

90s Trek MTBs - Steel frames, rigid forks, 26" wheels :

https://bikerebuilds.com/blog/90s-tr...orks-26-wheels

.

strathconaman

Blasphemy! This is why they make different sized stems.

Bike jambalaya

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