katsup

Your Trek 790 should have full Deore DX components which is a very nice group. A common problem is the shifters gumming up from 30yr old grease, this can be cleared up by spraying WD-40 or other lubricant in them. However, if everything is working, ride and enjoy.

If you do anything, service the hubs, bottom bracket and headset bearings,

DorkDisk

Yup, DX makes the lugged 790 the multitrack to get. Red make them faster, also

katsup

His is the slow blue one.

DFPyne

It looks to have Deore LX hubs, SG crankshaft and Exage 500CX rear derailleur.

If the red is faster it would be wasted on me anyway. The blue is an incredible color.

katsup

You are right. The Deore DX was on the 1990 Trek 790 (red one) and I thought it carried over to the 1992, but I am wrong.

fujifinest

So I read somewhere in my numerous readings that the only difference between the Trek 750 and the Trek 790 was the components. That the frame was the same. Is that correct? Are the component upgrades on the Trek 790 worth pursuing? I've got to say I really like that Intense Blue, available on both the 750 and 790. Thanks for your help. Nelson

DorkDisk

Yup. Same frame, different trim. IMO the 790 with Deore DX is worth it; it was 2nd tier back then with only a bit more steel bits than top of the line XT. Back then you got the complete gruppo, unlike today's mix and match.

750 has the same frame but Suntour parts make it less desirable IMO. 500CX is not worth pursuing IMO as its just mid range parts.

l3m4nt

Update with Some new tires.

hokiefyd 

Those Smart Sams usually roll pretty good on pavement. A nice choice for a true all-rounder type bike.

Korina

Whad DorkDisk said, but if you find a 750 at a good price, grab it. You can always upgrade components as they wear out.

Mogens

790s are difficult to find. I’ve been watching local Multitracks on various sites for 3 years and in that time, there have been 2 750s and 0 790s. I’ve been dithering about upgrading my 730, though it’s hard to say why since I love riding it. Would slightly nicer tubes improve my life?

fishboat

I keep an eye on 750s & 790s locally also. In a couple years I think I've seen one 790 listed..a blue one, looked very nice. I've seen probably a half dozen 750s. I picked up a 1991 750 in near showroom condition last year for $100. I did a drop bar conversion on it(pics are upthread here) ..not cheap due to the Suntour component group being incompatible with..about anything I want to use in the conversion. A 790 with Deore DX would have been MUCH, MUCH easier and cheaper.

DFPyne

I've been keeping my eye on a handful of sites for about a month now and have already come across four 790s. All of them the '92 in blue. Perhaps that's the benefit of being in the NYC area. I purchased the two that were my size (17") and within an hours drive. The other two bigger framed models seem to still be available but are in in the Boston area. If anyone is interested let me know and I'll PM you links. One of the bikes I purchased was more or less stock and I'm going to keep it as it is. The second was in pretty rough shape and highly modified, so I'll probably store the frame away and if I ever get the courage to do a drop bar conversion I'll use it for that. But at this point I'm not even sure where to begin on teaching myself how to do that.

wrightstuff

In Stock Alert: I spy two Blue 790's for sale right now in the Boston Area on Craigslist. (one is mislabeled as a "390")

DFPyne

Unless I'm missing something the one mislabeled as a "390" seems a little over priced. I feel like I stepped up for the two '17" blue 790's I purchased in the past couple weeks - but I didn't pay anywhere near $499.

hokiefyd 

I think one could potentially justify 500 bucks to the right buyer for a NOS one or something...but that 790 looks pretty used. That price does seem pretty high for the bike. It'll still ride better than most $500 bikes you can buy new today! The other one looks a lot cleaner...but is definitely sized for the tall gent/madame.

Mogens

Yeah, I’m a little jealous of the more robust marketplaces in big cities. I live in NE Wisconsin, so the ‘pool’ is smaller.

I got my 730 for free from a neighbor, but it needed a lot of work. The derailleur hanger was bent, the wheels needed to be rebuilt, components replaced, etc. So I stripped it down and took it on project by project, never having done anything like it before. What made it work was getting help when I needed it. We have a great bike co-op here and they have an open workshop every weekend. They have the tools and are happy to provide mentorship. More than likely you have something similar somewhere near you.

wrightstuff

For reference I purchased a 21 inch 1992 790 a few months ago for $250 in the Detroit market. One side of the frame has light pitting in a few places on the paint. My guess is it was in the front of a trailer unprotected and so one side was left exposed to road debris . Now, after knowing what it rides like - and how it is after a drop bar conversion, I would gladly pay a few hundred more. All that said, I do not think I would have made the initial purchase if it was listed at over $400..let alone $500. Pictures to come...

wrightstuff

This is the 1992 790 I've been rambling on about. It came almost 100% stock from what I can tell. These images were taken after a good shine up and removing some things off of the frame like fenders, a kickstand, and a rear rack.

I have a few hundred miles on the frame now and have made a large number of component changes including a drop bar conversion. Here are some stats/thoughts that might be useful/interesting to others:

Bike details:
1992 Trek Multitrack 790, 21 inch frame.

Sizing:
I would say the 21 inch frame it is on the large end of fitting well. If I had to guess the 19 inch frame might be on the small end of fitting well. I am 5'9" with about a 30.5" inseam.

Weight:
26lbs as pictured (stock)

Wheel spacing:
Front: 100mm Quick Release
Rear: 135mm Quick Release
Side note: I am using a 10 speed 130mm rear wheel right now on the frame and it seems to be running fine. I may try to have a custom wheelset built around the original spacing of 100/135.

Tire clearance:
With fenders: I would guess max width to be around 35mm with fenders. Go with 32mm to be safe.
Without fenders: I have a pair of semi slick 38mm tires on the bike now with clearance for more (but no clearance for fenders). I will likely attempt to fit a pair of more aggressive ~40mm tires at some point for more heavy duty trails/gravel. I doubt anything more than ~44mm will fit.

Seatpost Diameter:
26.6mm

Ride Quality:
Great

DFPyne

Beautiful bike! Show some pictures post drop bar conversion.

Jeff Neese

My '91 750.

Powerman

This is my 1993 700 MultiTrack. I wanted to make it more of a gravel setup, but still keep it fun and comfortable to ride around town.​​​​​​​

Powerman

Nice. Did you repaint it? The paint looks flawless in the photo.

Jeff Neese

That's the original paint. It needed only a few jpaint chips touched up but since it's black, it was very easy. I used the Duplicolor automotive touch-up kit and the repairs are invisible.

l3m4nt

Finally had the time to take my 720 out in the mud and had a real good time
Planning to keep this as a winter/do-all-bike, and very happy with the Schwalbe Smart Sam's (no issues on a 19mm-rim)