n_r_child

I have an old Trek 930 mountain bike (1995 model, IIRC). The drivetrain is pretty much beat, so I am looking to resurrect the bike. I figure this forum is home to refurbishing experts (as opposed to the mountain biking forum, reading which generally gives me a headache). I have a few questions before I inadvertently chase expensive or ineffective solutions. Incidentally, this is the first time I am embarking on any real mechanical adventures, so please forgive the noobish questions.

-There are a few new-old stock bikes available currently on Ebay. Would buying one of these (wrong size frame), stripping it and installing all the "new" components on my old bike be a reasonable means of refurbishing the bike? If I go this route, are there wear areas on the frame that might cause fit issues with new components? And is this route more expensive than necessary?

-As the original spec components weren't particularly high end, is it worth upgrading components?
-How would I even go about confirming a new set is compatible?

-shifting directions, I have also been considering turning it into my bad weather commuter; this would be a good time to update the gearing to be more road friendly. Again, how would I go about confirming what will be a suitable replacement set?

-Finally (or perhaps this should be the preliminary step), what can I do to resurrect the components that are already mounted?

Kommisar89

Well, n_r_child you haven't given us much to go on. I'm going to take a guess that you have a MTB that is rather well worn and you would like to make it useful again. That would be rather different from restoring an old classic bike to original spec. I didn't ride MTB's back in 95 but I'm going to assume it is a hard suspension bike front and rear, proabably with a 1" size hard fork in the front. What do you want to do with it? What is it that is beat in the drive train? Seriously, what I would most likely do, is identify what is worn out and replace individual components to restore the bike to full functionality. Typical things that wear out might be the chain, cassette, chain rings, bottom bracket, headset, hub bearings, the derailleurs pullies or even the deraileurs themselves. Rims can get bent, spokes break, or the sidewalls can suffer from brake wear. And the shifters might wear out. But I haven't really seen all of that go an a bike at once. So what do you need to replace? AFAIK, the MTB market has not gotten to the point that vintage road bikes are at where it's critically important to remain period correct.

Give us a description of what is wrong with the bike and we can probably make some recommendation on how to proceed.

byrdwyngs

The 930 was the least expensive of the 900 series MTB's at the time. They all shared the same double butted Cr-Mo frame, with the higher end models (950, 970, 990) having better components. So it probably is worth upgrading components if the bike fits well and you basically like the way it rides.

I'm pretty sure Trek was using 1-1/8 forks by then but was still using threaded headsets on all but the top of the line bikes. You'd probably need to spread the frame to fit newer 8 or 9 speed rear hubs. And if you wanted to add a suspension fork you'd probably want to stick with something from that vintage since most newer forks are taller and will mess up the steering geometry. Other than that most current parts should fit without much trouble.

Beyond that you're going to have to give us more detailed information about the current condition of the bike.

USAZorro

I have a 1996 830, and I'm pretty sure it has a 1" stem - but it doesn't sound like that's the issue. It sounds like the OP is concerned about drivetrain - which could mean shifters, crankset, bottom bracket, chainrings, derailleurs and freehub.

My best experience with getting spare parts like there is to post what you're looking for on either the for trade, or the iso/wtb thread here. Whatever you can't get from here, you might be able to find a reasonable deal for on eBay.

Good luck with it n_r_child! Feel free to ask more questions here.

n_r_child

Wow. I really hadn't expected the level of detail y'all are asking for. I appreciate the responses, so let's break it down a bit more. I'm doing this both for your clarity and as a self reference.

Goals:
My goals are multiple; my main goal, though, is to minimize the annoyance factor of riding the bike (whether I will enjoy the annoyance-free factor on the road or the mountain is yet tbd- probably depends on which is easier/cheaper). My options- fix it up to keep as my only mountain bike; do the bare minimum to keep it ridable and then buy a newer/fancier one; or the more extreme idea of re-purposing the bike into a predominantly winter commuter.

I realize your advice will be handicapped by my own hesitation, but part of my post is fact finding to figure out if any of my ideas are just plain impractical, nutty or perfectly viable.

To address some points made in others threads: It would be nice to keep the bike "period correct," but only if the cost, aggravation and to a lesser degree, lack of performance, are not insane. For me, on this bike, it probably does not make much sense, though, since I long ago replaced the original fork with a Marzocchi suspension fork (1 1/8 threadless), and the brakes with V-style brakes (Avid ArchRivals or ArchSupremes, don't recall which).


Symptoms:
The last few years, whenever I have ridden the bike, I have noticed what I believe to be significant chain skip. Shifts are not particularly "crisp", and I am positive the shifters and derailleurs need adjustment due to cable stretch. I'm a masher, so it doesn't surprise me that the chain is stretched (I think I'm on my second chain in the 12 years I've owned the bike, which brings me to my next point).

It should be noted that I haven't bothered to maintain/replace parts over the last few years, in part due to the mistaken belief that 1) newer 8 and 9 speed systems would not be reverse compatible (at least easily so) and 2) that I would not be able to find a suitable replacement 21 speed drivetrain. It also seemed like a low priority, given that I have never ridden an immense amount in any given season, and honestly, over the last 6-7 years, I've moved away from mountain biking a bit. I'm now in an area in which I can ride again, so...

So, here is my first stab at a laundry list:
Some reference specs (I believe mine is a 1995 model)
https://www.anthonyalsberg.com/bike_spec/92_93/930.html
https://www.airfreetires.com/Specs/St...=930&Year=1995


Some other questions:
how do I evaluate whether the BB is shot or in good shape?
And the headset (Diacompe Aheadset)?
What about handlebars / stem? Should I be worried about fatigue?