mechanicmatt

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Cool build. What is the front and rear rack?

Celeste Mike

Thanks! Front rack is a Soma Porteur (aluminum version) with a Wald 137 basket on top, and the rear rack is an old Blackburn Mtn Rack. The Soma rack is cool because it can fit my Ortlieb front panniers onto the sides of it.

antmaster5000

In need of help. Any recommendations on drop bars that are 25.4mm clamp and 42mm wide (hood to hood)? Really wanted to go with one of the nitto rando bars but they are all too narrow at the hoods. Even the 45cm bars would be ~39cm at the hoods (if my deductions hold up).

eom 

Get this. https://www.benscycle.com/nitto-rm01...p?skuId=640098

Yes it's 26.0 clamp but 48 at the ends & 43 hoods.

stucon 

kirke

Curious to know - do you think there is room enough for full fenders on your Trek 950 with the 2.1" Gravelkings if one were to use canti brakes instead of V's?

[QUOTE=AlmostGreenGuy;22086156]It's been a while since I've posted, so here's the current status of most of my vintage mountain bikes. There are plenty of others, but they haven't quite been refurbished yet. I've also got a couple of Stumpjumpers on the way for future projects. Always lots of projects going.

1990 Trek 950

Ira B

Please excuse the crappy pics.

Marin, Bear Valley. Picked up at the local Good Cheer thrift for $85. My impression is that it didn't have 100 miles on it but the bilious color had to go.
stripped it down, painted satin black, repacked and lubed everything. Best thing about it is that it fits my odd physical geometry perfectly! Should make a great commuter!

Smokinapankake

^^^ That generation of Exage (1993 I think) was particularly nice. Well done!

Unca_Sam

I object to the destruction of a rare color!

Ira B

Thanks!
It really shifts and rides like a dream.
Normally I'd hate to paint something so little used but this finish on this was a basket case. It had been parked somewhere indoors near a window and the paint had odd, uneven fading. Also, for some reason Marin used a kind of weird sticker type decals that disintegrated. The frame had a Tange CroMo sticker indicating all tubing double butted including stays. Never seen that before and really hated not being able to save it.

Ira B

IMHO, there is probably a good reason it was so rare.

Interesting that the bike had been parked near a window for a very long time and had odd fading. If you look on the right top of the fork you can see a dark stripe of unfaded paint. That is where the front brake cable was casting a shadow making what is basically a very long exposure photograph. Observations of this effect is actually what lead to the invention of photography.

DorkDisk

I've had this bike in one form or another since 93 and never weighed it until a few weeks ago.



21lbs 7oz with 959 pedals

Lbxpdx

beating the PNW heat wave at the beach with my 1991 Trek 990.

merziac

More of this to go here.

merziac

And this.

bargo68 

Finally finished this rebuild yesterday. All original save for the crankset and chain wheels. Originally had a 180mm Sugino Super Maxy. Like the TA Cyclotourist, not the BMX one. Sold that on 'thbay and basically recouped the cost of the whole bike. Stuck a NOS Sugino AT with 170 arms and all is right in the world!

kjaioqhbkqb

Tires and tire size please.

bargo68 

Only if you tell me how to pronounce your handle!

Original tires! I've only toodled around on this bike and I plan on putting something nicer on; maybe Maxxis
DTH's or somesuch...
What's on there now are LHR 26 x 2.125. Made in Taiwan.

c0rbin9

Any thoughts on early vs. late rigid MTB geometry? The shift to more aggressive angles came about in 1987 or so, when you started seeing bikes built for racing with really long top tubes. At first glance it seems like the earlier more relaxed geometry would be better for the kind of general purpose riding most do on vintage mountain bikes these days. On the flip side, the later bikes are often significantly lighter with heat treated and thin-walled steel frames... arguably some of the nicest steel frames ever produced. I have seen people complain about the stretched out riding position of the early 90s bikes... couldn't this be rectified with the right stem/handlebar setup? I'm wondering how something like an '85 Cimarron compares to a '93 Trek Singletrack 970.

Lbxpdx

my 1983 trek 850 feels like an old Cadillac and my 1991 trek 990 feels like a 1st gen Miata.

Ira B

That is lovely!

Chach0

this is niiiiiiiiice!!!

fishboat

I'm not so sure the shift was to 'aggressive' head tube angles so much as the '80s bike had (somewhat) excessively slack HT angles. When I see a mid-80s mtn bike pic from the side and look at the head tube/fork..it reminds me of the Keep Truckin posters of long ago


The shift to steeper HT angles..not sure what to call it..more modern..more responsive..less excessively slack...in any event the 73 degree seat tube/71 degree head tube combo was adopted in 87ish(?) and is still used today. My '93 970 has the 73/71 combo, as does the 90's Trek Multitrack hybrids, as well as the Trek 520 touring bike(at the time). The Surly LHT used this combo for many years. LOTS of bikes used and still use this geometry. I've heard it referred to a "classic NORBA geometry". As for top tubes..just an fyi..the 90ish to 1993 or '94 Trek mtn bikes(900 series) had about a 10-15mm shorter top tube than '94 or '95+ years. I ran across this as I was researching potential bikes for a drop bar conversion. I ended up with a '93 970..wonderful bike with drop bars(and recently a VO Cigne 90mm stem) and is now my dedicated touring bike...and occasional bomber for a day ride. Given the short-low HT's on these bikes and a desire to get the handlebars up about equal with the saddle, taller stems tend to shorten the (bar)reach. The net (bar)reach on my 970 (with a VO Cigne 90mm stem, though a 70mm version is available) isn't a whole lot different than my road bikes. I tour on my 970 with 4 pannier & bag on top of the rear rack setup...and touring tires. About 35 pounds of gear total. Very comfortable bike, day after day..

bargo68 

Many thanks!

DQRider 

Love this bike!

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