Hello from Wisconsin!
09-16-21, 01:07 PM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 8
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Hello from Wisconsin!
Hello,
Last spring, after ~20 years of intermittent casual bike riding, I got interested in increasing my bike knowledge and entered a craigslist / facebook marketplace rabbit hole. I started with the purchase of a 1994 Trek Mountain Track 850 in a funky textured violet-to-black fade. Watched a lot of youtube, checked this forum, and learned how to take a bike apart, clean it, and put it together again. I struggled getting this bike (19" frame) to fit me comfortably, at least as intended (as a drop bar conversion). Couldn't use a tall Nitto stem like I wanted due to the oversized headtube, and wasn't aware of shim options (which seem pretty uncommon, but if you know of many, please let me know) at the time, so I traded it for a 1986 Trek 830 antelope.
That was a fun one in a pretty hunter/forest green sparkle, and a more appropriate frame size at 20." Somewhere shortly thereafter, I bought a barely used 1996 Multitrack 750 (21"), which has become my daily commuter. Have it set up with a short reach Nitto Technomic stem, a Wald 137 on a DIY support system I hacked together, and a rear pannier rack. I'd love to find an earlier vintage 750 (lugged, similar geometry to the 520) in a ~ 22" frame size, as the current bike is just slightly too short for me (33" inseam), but the tall stem with a short reach helps.
My "end of summer" project was a Panasonic Pro ATB from craigslist. That one still needs some work to get the frame a bit prettier, but I love it. Currently out of commission as I await parts for my first front wheel build (it's to be my bad weather commuter with dynamo lighting, 2.1" tires, and fat fenders), but the vintage suntour XC components are fantastic. I set it up with Soma moustache bars so I could use mountain levers.
Within the past two weeks I've scooped up a 1989 HardRock that I may convert to single speed or for use with an IGH, as well as an incredibly rusty Schwinn Cimarron that's undergoing quite the restoration. I look forward to posting some pictures once I get some more posts here!
Last spring, after ~20 years of intermittent casual bike riding, I got interested in increasing my bike knowledge and entered a craigslist / facebook marketplace rabbit hole. I started with the purchase of a 1994 Trek Mountain Track 850 in a funky textured violet-to-black fade. Watched a lot of youtube, checked this forum, and learned how to take a bike apart, clean it, and put it together again. I struggled getting this bike (19" frame) to fit me comfortably, at least as intended (as a drop bar conversion). Couldn't use a tall Nitto stem like I wanted due to the oversized headtube, and wasn't aware of shim options (which seem pretty uncommon, but if you know of many, please let me know) at the time, so I traded it for a 1986 Trek 830 antelope.
That was a fun one in a pretty hunter/forest green sparkle, and a more appropriate frame size at 20." Somewhere shortly thereafter, I bought a barely used 1996 Multitrack 750 (21"), which has become my daily commuter. Have it set up with a short reach Nitto Technomic stem, a Wald 137 on a DIY support system I hacked together, and a rear pannier rack. I'd love to find an earlier vintage 750 (lugged, similar geometry to the 520) in a ~ 22" frame size, as the current bike is just slightly too short for me (33" inseam), but the tall stem with a short reach helps.
My "end of summer" project was a Panasonic Pro ATB from craigslist. That one still needs some work to get the frame a bit prettier, but I love it. Currently out of commission as I await parts for my first front wheel build (it's to be my bad weather commuter with dynamo lighting, 2.1" tires, and fat fenders), but the vintage suntour XC components are fantastic. I set it up with Soma moustache bars so I could use mountain levers.
Within the past two weeks I've scooped up a 1989 HardRock that I may convert to single speed or for use with an IGH, as well as an incredibly rusty Schwinn Cimarron that's undergoing quite the restoration. I look forward to posting some pictures once I get some more posts here!
09-16-21, 01:14 PM
#2
Space Ghost
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: NYC
Posts: 1,762
Bikes: Bridgestone, Fuji, Iro, Jamis, Gary Fisher, GT, Scott, Specialized and more
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 292 Post(s)
Liked 412 Times
in
318 Posts
Howdy and welcome!
Looking forward to those pics.
Looking forward to those pics.
09-16-21, 09:31 PM
#4
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2021
Posts: 8
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times
in
2 Posts
Thank you! I'm excited to share them. These forums have been very useful and inspiring, so I'm looking forward to contributing.
