KarelSoel

I have a 1995 multitrack I’m rebuilding. I know it’s a cheap bike but it has sentimental and emotional value and I’d like to make it a nice (cheap) touring bike that’s pretty and I have a lot of free time. I’d like to convert to 1x10 or 1x11 and it needs new derailleurs and literally everything is super heavy like the crankset so why not replace it. Im fairly mechanical and stripped it to the frame to have it painted. Here are my questions Should I replace the front fork while I have it off or should I just paint it and reuse it? What’s the best place to buy parts? Im assuming Amazon as I live in an area with few bike shops.

As far as fitment for things like the cassette, crankset and derailleurs, how do I make sure things fit?

nlerner

I don’t know what your budget is, but I recently built up a 90s mtb with a 1 x 11 drivetrain from an eBay seller in China, about $200 shipped:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/183264913517

That includes cassette, cranks, bottom bracket, shifter, derailleur, cables, and chain. On my test ride, at least, shifts were all very smooth:




Why does your fork need replacing?

52telecaster

I wouldn't replace the fork unless it has a defect. Great platform for a touring bike or a city bike.

ShannonM

The 1995 Trek catalog is available here. It looks like by 1995, Trek had diversified their MultiTrak 700C hybrid lineup. A few years earlier, when the 700C hybrid bike suddenly became a thing, they'd just repurposed their 720/520 touring frames with flat bars and new decals. Depending on the model of your specific bike, that may have still been true.

But even if you've got one of the lower models, you've still got a great touring frame, just with slightly heavier tubing. (Unless you scored one of the carbon ones, which would be awesome.) There's not much, other than road racing or full-out mountain biking, that you can't build that frame to do, and do well.

Early 90s hybrids are one of the best-kept secrets in the bike world, IMHO... they tended to have great framesets, with cheap components to hit the price points. (Mostly low, since these were bikes for first-time buyers.) Plus, many of them weren't ridden much.

Bottom line, you've probably got a frame that's worth a good rebuild.

We need pix.

--Shannon

bark_eater 

According to my "research", that's one of those things you read on the internet. That story about the frames being the same got me looking at the Mountaintracks, but if you sort through the old catalogs with the geometry listings, the numbers show that the 520 and lugged Mountaintrack frames have similar geometry except for a raised mountain bike bottom bracket height. They dropped the bottom bracket down a bit with the tig frames as they realized that most folks where riding the bikes on pavement.