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Any love for '90s MTBs here? (lemmy.world)
submitted 3 months ago by to c/bicycles@lemmy.ca
17 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

This is my daily driver, a 1992 Trek 820 in electric blue with black spatter. I got it for free from my brother about a year ago, and have since put ~4K miles on it. I have another 820, and I love these bikes. They make great city bikes. They're dirt cheap, geared well for the hills in my area, and they just work. It's nice to have something in your life that you don't ever have to even think about. I've made some upgrades for my use, including the racks, basket (I have a second I attach to the front rack for Costco runs), fenders, street tires, and high rise handlebars.

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[–] 4 points 3 months ago (1 child)

I have an aluminum GT Zasker 97. It still holds up well but I ride a new one now since tech has evolved so much.

90s MTBs are awesome though.

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    • [–] 3 points 3 months ago* (6 children)

    Love it! The basket is necessary for the daily imo.

    Wanna find one of these out in the wild for an upgrade. I'd love to try out that setup!

    I'm on a 90s Schwinn and put so many miles on it around town. Fucker is heavy tho! Suspension, adjustable handlebar angle, it all adds up.

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 3 months ago (5 children)

    They're dirt cheap in my area (SoCal). My other 820 I paid $45 for. It was like new, hardly ridden and still had the nubs on the tires. They cranked these bikes out by the millions and they were built to last, so there are tons of them around.

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago (4 children)

    Hey! Inspired by this post and your comment, I managed to get an absolute steal on a Specialized Hardrock, paid $15 at a garage sale up in Oregon!

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 3 months ago (3 children)

    That's a deal! In my area the specialized bikes tend to go for a bit more. Does it have a cool '90s color scheme? Post a pic!

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago (2 children)

    Yeah, they hover around $100 here as well so it's definitely a steal! I even told the lady it was; she's just happy it's going to a happy home.

    No retro colorway but the decals exude charm! I plan to repaint it, get comfortable handlebars, and new tires with the rest of my budget.

    I tossed my luggage rack and milk crate on from my old Schwinn already :)

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  • [–] [S] 2 points 3 months ago (1 child)

    The paint looks decent and I like the color. I'd keep it as-is for originality. If you want to make it pristine, you can get some automotive touch-up paint touch-up any scratches or nicks. As they say, it's only original once. Beyond the handlebars, two improvements that I've found nice are trigger shifters (someone upgraded mine before I got it) and pedals with a wider base. If the pedals are comfortable for you, I'd keep them though, as they look sturdy. I think you're definitely going get some miles and smiles out of it!

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  • [–] 2 points 3 months ago

    Thanks! I think I'll take your advice and keep the paint for now but touch it up. Although, I have been dreaming of a bike in the Crust Nor'easter orange color for a few months.

    Trigger shifters are a big want! I'll probably get them with the handlebars. Haven't thought about comfy pedals but you're making them sound great!

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    • [–] 2 points 3 months ago

    Lovely :) My ‘93 Marin Bear Valley and ‘98 Kona Pahoehoe say hi. Had them from new, but my knees are knackered now so strictly road use.

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    [–] 2 points 3 months ago (2 children)

    Hey I grew up riding a Trek 830! Don't know the year though, I'm guessing it was late 90s or early 2000s. Then it got stolen sadly.

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  • [–] [S] 3 points 3 months ago (1 child)

    You can identify the year by looking at the model and color here:https://vintagetrekarchive.com/model_numbers1.htm

    My other 820 is from 1995, and it is a very pretty ice cyan blue. It's supposed to be a fade to black int he rear, but it appears that they must have ran out of black that day, as there is only a slight hint of darkening in the rear of the bike.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 months ago

    Alright, it was an 96 830 mtn track in dry silver! With the red front suspension. Somehow I never took any pictures of it unfortunately despite riding it from age ten to twenty something, never realized that until filing the police report 😭

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    • [–] 2 points 3 months ago

    My daily (until I got a cargo e-bike to carry kids) is a circa-1991 Specialized Hard Rock that's remarkably similar to your bike in terms of paint color and accessories. Mine has a trekking bar (a.k.a. "butterfly bar") instead of a high rise straight handlebar, though.

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    [–] 1 point 3 months ago (2 children)

    I have a specialized stump jumper from somewhere 96-98 so yeah!

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