1991 Trek 8900 - Florescent resto happiness (almost NOS)

Three answers to three questions regarding:

How it rides = not hopped on it yet, but will do. Position wise its more relaxed/comfy and upright compared to many of my other retro builds.

Trek top = yes I actually have one, from exactly that year and will grab a photo of it. I used to wear it on my Peugeot MTB bizarrely.

Grafton brakes = Yes the bike had them, the seller had kept them for a build, I'm trying to persuade him to sell them to me. The dia compe ones are of the lower Trek 8700 the seller had I think. If I can get them then i'll update the build accordingly.
I had the 8700: basically the same frame with an 1/8 headset instead of 1/4. Full DX build. Matrix rims. Everything quality. Beautifull dark red paint and a Tange ultralight fork. Sold it and bought a KHS pro; the instant feedback of steel after an interlude w/ a composite frame gave me the well known epiphany "steel is real".
 
Beautiful build! Little detail to take it over-the-top, would be replacing the plastic cable ferrules with metal ones to complete the retro look :)
 
One of my favorite bike !
I love those early neon trek !
very good job and an amazing shape !
What about Grafton brake ?
 
Looks great! Love the yellow straps, nice touch.
I just finished it's high end steel brother from 1991, an orange 990. Link is in my signature if you're curious.

I also saw an identically painted 1991 2300 Composite road bike pop up locally for $100, but I passed on it. The bond at the BB lugs was not good. Some flipper has it for sale now for $395.

Now that I've seen them, I think I want to get a set of these Bullseye hubs laced to dark ano Matrix rims. Looks perfect for this gen Trek.
 
Looks great! Love the yellow straps, nice touch.
I just finished it's high end steel brother from 1991, an orange 990. Link is in my signature if you're curious.

I also saw an identically painted 1991 2300 Composite road bike pop up locally for $100, but I passed on it. The bond at the BB lugs was not good. Some flipper has it for sale now for $395.

Now that I've seen them, I think I want to get a set of these Bullseye hubs laced to dark ano Matrix rims. Looks perfect for this gen Trek.
Thanks for the comments, all the Trek from circa 1990-1992 were pretty cool. Great colour schemes and nice lug work whether Alu or Steel. The bulls eye hubs are sweet and I probably will replace them with DT spokes/nipples to freshen them up. As I just love wheel building to be honest.
 
The DC 986's were nice if set up properly, slightly trickier than Shimano of course. But, I'm surprised that given the wonderful condition of this machine it didn't have the factory specked Graftons. You can also tell that it's barely (if at all!) been ridden as it doesn't have the chainsuck gouges these frames seemed to be notorious for. Fantastic find and build though!
 
The DC 986's were nice if set up properly, slightly trickier than Shimano of course. But, I'm surprised that given the wonderful condition of this machine it didn't have the factory specked Graftons. You can also tell that it's barely (if at all!) been ridden as it doesn't have the chainsuck gouges these frames seemed to be notorious for. Fantastic find and build though!
Totally agree... setting up the DC 986s is a slow game / fiddly to get just right. I always remember in our bike shop swearing at them as they ate time when you wanted to get onto other jobs. Regarding the Graftons, I spoke with the seller last week as I felt the DC 986s were in alot poorer condition to the rest of the bike = not original to the bike. And sure enough he had decided to remove the graftons and keep for his own build. Which is fair. Id do the same. I did ask to buy them but he want s them. So I will look to find/source the correct graftons and remove the DC 986s at some point.

PS, love your Billy Wizz image = cool
 
Well at least he swapped them out for the same brakes as the 8700 had. I really wanted the 8900 in '91 but the price hike from the 8700 which i got was too great. Billy whizz was a speed merchant!
 
Just came across this build from BOTM - bloody lovely and worthy winner

nice to see one wearing all the original kit (time warp) - mine came as an abused frame only and I though it build up well - now I'm not so sure having see this example
 
Back
Top