boy"O"boy's 1991 TREK 8700 PRO COMPOSITE

Hi all.

Just received this from RetroRider_IT as another great transaction from my mate in Italy.

Like my '89 Saracen Kili Flyer (build thread in my signature) - this is another build that's going to be a 'ride it and see where it takes me' type of thread. The paint is good with age related chainstay and cable wear. The purchase package includes seat post, bars and stem, and headset with cable guide.

Initial plans are to build it up with a Deore DX groupset and the Mavic M281CD on black Deore hubs wheelset that are currently on the Saracen.
The Saracen will run with another DX wheelset I have.

Antstark has kindly sorted a 'Doohickey' for me - this allows me to use a bottom pull front mech. I could use a later top pull front mech - but my 1st nod to keeping true to the original spec will be using this.

Where I go next will depend on how difficult it is to source stuff like the Matrix Mt. Titan rims. I have Bullseye hubs but these are currently destined for the Klein Attitude.
The Suntour should be slightly easier to source....although thoughts of Cook Bros/ Matrix cranks and Graftons are currently ideas kicking about along the lines of its big brother - the 8900 composite.

For now - I'd like to get the build up and running for this weekend's Father's Day family ride. (Originally it would have been Mountain Mayhem weekend which I was signed up for )

Hopefully this will be one of my rides for next year!

Here's some start off pics from RetroRider_IT and myself.

Cheers
boy"O"boy

Nice. I like any TREK with that font on the decals.

See my old gas pipe 830 below.

Anyways, I owned one of these for about a week, ex lunguns' but couldn't
get my head round how I would build it, so let it go. Crazy light despite the
Aluminium parts being chunky and solid.

Now I can see by yours, that almost any combo of DX, XT , thumbies. Would be
just fine.
I will check in on your build. Gonna be good.

I always always wanted one of these, practically lusted after one whilst drooling through MBUK. How times change.... great frame, very jealous.

Good job on tracking down the doohickey!

Sounds like it'll be a nice build.

Any idea what BB length you'll need? The one on my 8000 is crazy long at c.132mm and was hard to track down.

Hi Ben,

that's cool I'm very interested on your rebuild,

your plan sounds perfect in full compliance with original spec.

All the best

Very nice. There's a Trek from this era at my local train station in the mornings (pre Covid-19). Always takes me back...

Cheers Marc.

There's something about the Trek colour ways and that block logo from that era that is really appealing. BITD, I had the Trek logo T-shirt and it was without doubt one of my favourites. Several years later, I lent it to a mate on the condition it came back washed..... It did, but got jammed in the spinner at the uni halls laundrette and came back to me in pieces.
Was absolutely gutted.

Looking forward to getting out on it this weekend.
For a DX build so far, it feels light. A proper ride will confirm.

Just for you - Here's that logo close up.

I had the same yellow 830 as my first MTB......
Likewise on the logo - so simple yet so evocative of days gone by and flouro lycra

Cheers Jaggs
This and the 8900 were proper 'poster bikes' or the era, although I remember the white & blue 8000 aluminium more in MBUK - the cover gatefold ad was probably on quite a few teenagers walls!
There was one of the 8000 Aluminium on here in the FS section recently.
It was the gate sized 22" frame but the receipt and sales sticker was from Get Pedallin cycles in Colchester.... My bike shop of choice all those years ago.




Cheers Pete.

Thought I'd take some pics of this to confirm.
You sure you've got that right? The bottom bracket I have installed is a 127mm ( pic with digital calipers to confirm )
This, and the DX groupset came from that '92 Stumpjumper that you had a few parts from. There's good clearance on both sides of the chain stays. Again, pics to confirm. Wasn't aware that they made a bottom bracket in that axle width.... So was understandably anxious that I'd not done my research and what I'd planned to use wouldn't fit.

Just awaiting the 'doohickey' to finish the cabling up.



Marco, thanks again for the sale on this. (PM received )

All being good, 1st ride this weekend and like the Saracen, watch it develop. You know me, I'm a sucker for period correct.... But also adding my own 'take' which is subtle enough to look 'Factory' but is slightly different if you look close up.



Great seeing these treks still about. The train station always seems a good place to see an example of your 1st MTB - I recently saw a Bickerton Mean Green at ours.

Cheers all.

Here's pics of that bottom bracket/cranks and progress as of yesterday.

boy"O"boy

Mine is the old Japanese style 3TR cup and cone BB - as a direct replacement for what had been in there since '92/3. Modern equivalents are slightly shorter (think the non-drive side crank arm gets pushed out further?). Looks like you have good clearance. I'll go and have a look at mine and take a pic for comparison / for my own sanity... It all works anyway...
Sheldon Brown BB sizes table suggest 122.5mm for MT60 and whilst that's a full 10mm more than mine, you could go slightly shorter still.