trek Y-33 - New(ish) member

Frame: 1998 Trek Y-33
Fork: Marzocchi Z1 Drop Off - the green ones with the CNC arch
Rear shock: Stratos Helix with Rock Shox spring
Headset: polished King
Stem: black Truvativ XR
Handlebar: Ritchey Comp
Grips: green Ouri
Barends: polished Profile Briefs with profile grips
Rear Brake: Avid 20 with green Brodie magnesium booster
Front Brake: Magura Clara with 160mm disk
Brake Pads: stock… still
Brake Cables: errr yeah the rear has one – front is a Magura hose that was hideously expensive… don’t ask
Cantilever cable hangers: n/a
Brake Levers: Rear: Avid SD1.9 Front: Shimano Deore Hydrolic ‘cause the Magura one was made of crap plastic and the threads stripped fitting a new hose and the Shimano one was there for a reasonable price and amazingly it works with the Magura caliper
Front Shifter: m739
Rear Shifter: m748
Front Derailleur: awaiting the fitment of an m770 as the old LX that’s there at the moment has developed a nasty rattle though it still works fine
Rear Derailleur: m951 rapid rise with funky built-in rollamajig thingy – I’m not convinced about rapid rise, but I’m giving it a go
Derailleur Cables: yup it’s got some
Cassette: HG70 8 speed
Chain: HG70
Cranks: red RooX XC Racing compact 5 arm
Crank Bolts: Shimano
Chainrings: Token Shuriken
Chainring bolts: silver
Bottom Bracket: UN91 73-113 square taper
Pedals: m520
Hub Skewers: Front: Magura Rear: XT
Rims: annodised red Velocity Deep-V
Hubs: Front: Magura Pro Rear m737
Nipples: nothing special
Spokes: straight gauge
Tyres: IRC Mythos XC
Tubes: they’re black with lots of patches - truth is need some new ones with longer valve stems as I’m now running the deep rims, maybe next time I get a puncture
Saddle: black leather with grey kevlar corners and crotch cut out hole - branding has worn off, but it is comfy - I think it was originally off one of my road bikes
Seatpost: Ritchey Comp
Seatpost Binder: it’s black and made of metal

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The Trek Y-bikes were certainly pretty distinctive. How do you find the ride? Is that an aftermarket shock?

I like it.

The only other full suspension bike I've owned was a Kona U'Hu from the same era and the Trek is a a bit longer in the frame (so I'm using a shorter stem) and probably a bit plusher, but then that probably has more to do with the rear shock than anything else - yes it is an aftermarket one - a Stratos Helix Expert I picked up off Ebay - it has a coil spring, as well as an air spring and oil dampening - I think some of the treks from this era were originally specified with Stratos shocks (though not the Y-33). When I bought the frame second hand the shock it came with was beyond repair.

More modern bikes with all the pedal platform dampening and virtual pivot point stuff are probably way better, but as I've not ridden any of them I wouldn't know.

Many people bag URT bikes and the Y-framed Treks in particular, but I like it, it is simple with only one pivot and after the Kona that is great as it always felt a but flexy at the back and needed to be tightened up and adjusted practically before every ride, then one of the seatstays cracked at a pivot which was successfully replaced under warranty I swapped the frame for this.

I've got buggered knees so I don't get out of the saddle unless I have to so I don't notice the supposed decrease in suspension performance when standing on the pedals.

I've probably thrown the geometry out by putting a 130mm travel fork on the front, but I don't use it for racing, just getting about on the trails and I find the slightly relaxed feel suits me, plus the travel front to rear is about the same.

Another URT fan! Hurrah!

The mountain biking world will see the light, one day.

And URTs will reign once more.

Nice bike, really like the build.

I remember seeing a picture in a UK bike mag of a maroon metallic Y from one of the trade shows in, er, maybe 95? and basically thinking it looked the most amazing thing ever. Then, when they released them, they seemed to look a lot different?

anyway, sweet build, and a bit of a rarity too no?

I remember the first Y-bike I saw too. It had a nude carbon 'Y' and a polished Aluminium rear with XT bits, a Judy XC and a fox Alps 5 rear shock. I was smiltten. A Trek Rep brought it around to the bike shop I was working in to show off (great job to get you through university working in a bike shop... busy over the summer when you've got time off and then when you're studying when it is colder they don't need you around so much).

My bike is a second generation one with a lighter rear triangle and a re-shaped carbon front to strengthen the shock mount where many of the first ones failed... not quite as nice on the eye as the first ones.

I've not seen another of these in the flesh for a long while, though they are around. There is a really informative website and Yahoo group for those interested in these bikes here: www.users.bigpond.com/cool386/trek/trek.htm that is run by a bloke here in Australia. If you want to know more about these bikes it is worth a look. He owns 5 of these bikes I think!

Trek Y-Frames are the business.
When I first got into MTB's in the mid ninties I dreamed of those carbon monocoque Y-Frames, couldn't afford one then still cant but recently got a late 90's Saracen URT frame, built it up as a single speed and I'm impressed. Get out the saddle and the rear nearly locks out, great for hill climbing. Who needs fancy suspension Lockouts and Specialized's BRAIN !

Welcome to the Mad house !

Cheers

Those puppies were the nuts. Best looking Full Suss EVER produced, fast and functional too, but if I remeber frames were prone to cracking at the frame/shock mount? The Alloy versions were pretty good too!

I've heard that about the frames too. More so for the first generation that had two metal plates moulded into the carbon fibre as mounts for the shock. The second generation ones (1998 and on) have a redesigned carbon bit that supposedly fixes this... my fingers are crossed!

I'm the third owner of this frame and apparently it started life in 1996, then the rear triangle cracked so it was replaced by a new one (of the new design), then the carbon frame cracked and was replaced by an updated design too, so it's now a complete second generation frame.

Trek found that the bonding let go rather than the carbon cracking. The bonding was designed to be weaker than the carbon to prevent such things, and as such the shock mount was bonded and then riveted in to preserve strength and longevity.

I had my 96 shock mount rebonded by Trek FOC and they were very happy that someone was still lovingly taking care of one of their favourite bikes!