I bought back MY OLD BIKE - and it's pretty BAD! 😬 1991 TREK 950 ATB rescue & rebuild - Part 1

[@mtbikesam68]

I am so glad you decided to bead blast it and paint it. That frame deserves to last another 30 years if not longer. Some kind of rust treatment internally would be good too, you know, while you're there. Also, in case you haven't had enough "you know what you oughta do" comments lately, sometimes I wish you would give a frame the good old hot soapy water wash. Get the grit and grime off of there before you start rubbing cloths and what not over it. When I see the guys in our shop wiping down a dry, dirty bike, I just imagine sandpaper running over the paint. I know, in a lot of cases it's " good enough for who it's for" and I love that ethos, it has relevant applications, but the nicer bikes deserve some TLC. Don't go chasin' waterfalls, though...

[@marciooki5820]

Nice to remember the you tube legend RJ is back!

[@justincapek1132]

PTSD inducing bottom bracket segment. Had the same issue, ended up drilling out the plastic cup, and using a 6 foot tree pole as my breaker bar.. Only took 3 hours of swearing and deep sighs... These full restoration videos are the best!

[@rondalton4923]

Patience and PB Blaster. Let that shit soak at least overnight. Can’t wait to see fork and frame naked 😮

[@not-a-raccoon]

17:20 i was about to say maybe you should get a breaker bar, but GOOD LORD that's the biggest wrench extender I've ever seen! 😳

[@wenttogloucester]

Yeah, I didn't know such a thing existed! I've been slipping a 3' piece of steel pipe over the wrench handle.

[@falsemcnuggethope]

I used a torque wrench for my BB that was stuck. I even measured how much torque it required, but can't recall how much it was. Might've been around 80-140 Nm. Mind it, it was an aluminium Trek and I needed a wrench to screw the new BB in. It wasn't cross-threading but probably the threads were damaged a bit anyway.

[@MisterAndyS]

Seriously, I've never seen that either. What is it? I want one.

[@mattgies]

@@MisterAndyS Park Tool FFS (Frame and Fork Straightener). But when I use it for the same purpose, I'm usually exclaiming "aw, For F---s Sake!"

[@RyanKleman-v5t]

I had a stuck BB long ago and I ended up putting the tool in the bench vice and rotated the frame around it. Worked perfectly!

[@not-a-raccoon]

Really looking forward to seeing ghe finished product! Its too bad the guy kind of trashed it, but it's salvageable.

[@ScottChichura-p4p]

Awesome video. I'm REALLY looking forward to watching part 2.

[@scubasteve4093]

"This is great content!" lol it really is! Excited to follow along. Also 20:20 was slick

[@lenzhaderlein2769]

Your channel and this video in particular is a trip down memory lane for me. Spent 5 years as a mechanic in a shop that sold Trek around the time this bike was new. Assembled many, many of these out of the box.

[@michaelrogers9809]

This cracks me up! I had a 1990 trek 970 that I bought brand new, and then had it stolen a year or two later I really liked that bike, even though it was heavy as hell. About five years ago, I bought a 930 frame of the same vintage, I think the frames were the same. I stripped the paint, and gun blued it, and Tig welded on disc brake mount on the rear, and built up a frankenbike. I put an old Marzocchi Bomber on it, and I thought it would be fun to ride on some of the easier trails around where I live. Unfortunately, raising the front end made it just too weird for any real riding, and I think I only rode it a handful of times, and now it hangs up in the shop. I had fun building it, but sadly, it was a stupid project. Oh well. Eager to see where you go with this. I just love these old bikes, and your dry, grouchy humor

[@sdn40]

FYI - You can refill the Powerwash with a DIY recipe of regular Dawn and isopropyl alcohol. Will probably save you 2 or 3 million a year

[@tomsmith3982]

Yes I do this often with simple Dawn and water but I also saw they now sell Power Wash refill in the store but like you I make my own.

[@andrewplays2084]

​@@tomsmith3982Stuff is expensive, especially the refill, maybe I'll try this myself to save some money

[@whitefluffydogs9278]

what’s the ratio of Dawn to IPA?

[@sdn40]

@@whitefluffydogs9278 google is your friend

[@Burger1097]

Been using 2 tbs of any dish soap an alcohol

[@Don_ECHOguy]

It's a TREK and so glad you hunted it down before it went over the precipice forever. Sure it's JUST a bike but there so damn mechanical and worth saving. Will be great to see it shine with new hardware again.

[@keithschrack]

In my experience, sentimentality in the bike world doesn't often work to your advantage. But, we all keep trying.

[@stevevisek7422]

Whew! I was worried for a while about your battle with the bottom bracket. Once again, persistence prevails and you emerged victorious. My faith in humanity is restored.

[@tommyb2129]

Doing right by your old friend! Respect.

[@JK-dn1fc]

Nice find and disassemble, looking forward components and build.

[@JohnPilling25]

I just love those old steel Trek bikes. Indestructible. Easy to completely modernise and if you are feeling the need, simple to blast back to virgin steel and do a proper paint job as simple or complex as you want to make it your own. I too am getting better with spray cans; even the 2 part epoxy clear coat and polishing is getting better and the effort to bring it up to a nice shine is worth the hours and hours of sanding. Best of all you can put as old or as modern components on as you wish.

[@brooktyler6054]

You made the right choice to blast and paint!

[@bobwilliamson5574]

I have never seen a kickstand like that one before . You are the weirdest bike mechanic i have ever seen and i mean that in the nicest possible way . 😂

[@kennethduckworth7111]

I have a 1992 Trek 950 you would love. It's my only mountain bike, and it's been well-maintained for 33 years. I just overhauled my 1987 Univega Gran Record over the weekend and she's a beauty.

[@jschuk865]

I have an Univega Alpina Uno from '91 or '92. I bought it used in '95 and have maintained very well. I think it's similar to a Trek 830/840 so probably not as nice as your 950, but I like it.

[@BobM-t8c]

That was a fun video - when you started examining it, I was saying to myself "I hope he refinishes it", I'm really happy you decided to do that. Now we all get to speculate on what color you picked. Personally, I hope you pick the blue color that you originally tried to paint it. In my opinion, you don't see enough bright blue bikes. If I were betting, I suspect you picked black. The anticipation for part two is intense! 🙂

[@scottzreality3061]

Good find. I’m looking for my old 1990 Trek 7000👍

[@aaronrobinson4519]

Getting her back must've been moving for you. Glad to see you reunited with your first Love Q-Man.👍🏾

[@gman6059]

I built up a 1992 Trek 950 a few years ago. Found a near mint one on ebay (frame/fork) and transferred the parts from my wife's old bike that she never rode. I absolutely love that bike. Rides like a dream. Steel is real!

[@thedanhall]

Cliffhanger of the year.

[@2ChukBuk]

Beautiful lug welding on that frame. The close ups reveal nice attention to detail by Trek. Since this is going to be your bike again, post media blasting, splurge and have it powder coated in a lovely gloss black. Just my two cents, worth about one cent.

[@colofsco1]

That was weirdly satisfying.

[@88sstraight]

So good to revive an older frame like this. Here’s hoping!

[@harryrodgers_]

I picked up a near mint 950 3 years a go. I love that bike, but I have since temporarily moved countries and picked up more bikes here. I was considering selling it on my next visit home, but I think this video has convinced me not to. It truly is such a well engineered frame and the grape colour is perfect🍇 Looking forward to seeing the rest of the build!

[@mushroomhill]

20:53 per your recommendation I picked up and do like Dawn Power Wash very much but i find it runs out kinda quick. I then realized you can put any soap in the bottle and water it down. It still comes out as a foamy spray with any watered down soap. I use Myers lavender dish soap which isn't exactly cheap but one bottle of that will refill the dawn bottle several times over easy.

[@ShinyUmbreon765]

Isopropyl alcohol works really well to reduce the viscosity to the point it sprays.

[@danjrash]

Really looking forward to this series, keep em coming Andy!

[@mattgies]

In spite of how goofy it is, I kinda like that front derailleur setup.

[@michaelsimms5718]

This looks like a job for CRC Evapo-Rust! Man, I love that stuff.

[@frankkongstad9615]

Tak!

[@bkefrmr]

thanks hey!

[@juliapoelstra3624]

I've got a 5-year-old steel bike that's in good condition and a new one that I'm getting ready for this spring. What would you recommend to use inside the frame to keep rust away or stop any that might be there? Would that kroil be decent? Any other good products out there? Thanks.

[@luisrobles9695]

Framesaver

[@juliapoelstra3624]

@luisrobles9695 I've been looking at that one but doesn't seem like anybody carries it anymore! Maybe because the ownership changed? You're right though, it does look good

[@lawboy6806]

I loved my 950 so much. I'm happy you rescued her!

[@juliapoelstra3624]

18:50 I love this relaxing music as you demolish the bottom bracket 😂

[@christopherguzzi1316]

So smart to get the frame media blasted. I spent about a week last summer taking the paint off of a 1988 GT Timberline frame using an angle grinder with rubber disc and various other tools and sandpaper. It's my favorite bike now, but it was quite a job.

[@jonathondille8408]

The sax in the bg was was a nice touch to the unboxing. "Oooh baby"

[@jean-francoisbourdon4789]

I hope you go 1x! I've been waiting for a 3x to 1x rebuild video for ages!

[@larspeter3474]

That's a cool Project. 👍

[@tdjramsey]

This video is really inspiring. Glad you were able to connect with your old bike. Side note. the music background is EXCEPTIONAL friend!! I asked a couple videos back for some soothing and melodic Grant Green and you came thru!! Love your channel and content is fantastic.

[@sank2841]

New situations, new tools, victories along the way, and you keep always your cool, your video are epic !! 😅

[@chrisreed7097]

New bike day. Very cool you found you long lost ride.

[@gmr2048]

Man! A Trek 950?! You had loot! My first was a similar era Trek 800 (in Forest Green). My favorite gateway-drug.

[@MrNando43]

This video hit home ❤ expertly the plastic BB never got mine out

[@CSIPSD]

Strip to bare frame, sandblast and a beautiful new paint job!

[@Wes-o9t]

Cant wait to see the frame!

[@joepauly6769]

Im so glad you got your beloved bike back Andy. Good Karma. Looking forward to watching your progress.

[@DerekHoffman-e3k]

Used to have a 93' Trek 930 with the same lugged frame... This makes me want to start looking for one on Marketplace. Also had the same issue with the BB and had to cut that plastic bit out when I rebuilt it back in the 2000's.

[@stuffnthings247]

We’re getting the band back together man 🤙🤙

[@reedmd40]

My frozen BB technique: penetrating oil of choice: kroil or pb, then tap tap tap repeatedly with a very small brass hammer my Grandfather made. Then removal socket in my cordless 1/2” impact. Goose it BOTH ways real quick and it goes.

[@timshelhamer7374]

What if my grandfather didn’t bequeath to me his brass hammer collection?

[@iMortalMisfit]

Nice I’ve been dying to see a full rebuild. Gotta love those old school lugged frames

[@jcs02008]

This might be my favorite video yet. Can’t wait to see part two

[@Fred93VVVX]

I can imagine your enthousiasm when you found your old bike. By coincidence i found mine old bike, well the same model, last night on the dutch craigslist. It is an 1978 Peugeot Super Sport in fairly original state. Even the original tyres are still mounted. I bought this bike at the age of 17, now i am 63 and i love to have it back. Within a few weeks this bike will be in excellent condition and i am looking forward to ride it again. Good luck with your Trek 950 and keep on filming, i surely appreciate them.

[@hetverhaalvandewasbeer]

Marktplaats vondsten are the best! 😁

[@shawnjohnson9638]

Awesome! Looking forward to seeing how it looks after striping, painting and building it back up.

[@escgoogle3865]

Love the earl-mid 90's trek 9xx series. 23.5 in frames 😍

[@ArjanGroe]

Great technique on the adjustable hammer 😂

[@sameaseverybodyelse]

That was heartbreaking. But nevertheless nice to watch. I'm looking forward to the more joyful episodes.🤠

[@cheapcameragoodglass3991]

Thanks!

[@LolliPop_Farm_VT]

Such a tease, I want to see the Ross Compact!

[@alexrains1893]

I did this recently also! I had a beautiful old (approx '92) Dawes CX frame that I sold 5 years ago but about a month ago I trawled all my old messages and found the guy I sold it to and begged him to sell it back to me which he kindly did for less than he bought it for!

[@ericsande5345]

The 950 I picked up on Craigslist 10 years ago didn't have a front derailleur (still doesn't) so I've never known what that tab at the BB was for. I run it as a 1x8.

[@jeffandersen6233]

I understand your attachment to that bike. There is a real cool factor to steel lugged frames of which I still have two. Unfortunately the downside is the rust from poor care . Can't wait for part two.

[@samblenkharn8099]

This is going to be a good one. Nice to see its going to get the full treatment vis a vis the paint.

[@richardwallace133]

You sparked My memory using the park fork straightener for leverage

[@irondistance4313]

love it Andy. I wish I had my 1st real road bike back. funny thing is it was actually a TT frame built up by a guy who died of cancer and harldy used it. US Postal got me into cycling in the 90's so I bought a real road bike. I was just out of highschool. I took that ting on my first real challenging rides. I sold it and flipped several other bikes bikefarmer style in around 2015. three or 4 years later I had made enough side cash to buy a synapse himod frame and a SRAM AXS groupset and built that bike up love it Ive ridden her alot and since bought a Triathalon bike and my Steel Bilenky for a dedicated Rando ride. I did a 200 Km brevet on the synase and needed that N+ thing. Ive working on the fit of my Bilenky since i I got her in late november. swapping a few parts and bendont the drops up, Ive just about got her ready for a 300km brevet in April. ordering thr outershell saddle bag and top tube bag this week and my lights and all shouldnbe ready for the outdoors soon. thanks for this you got me on the rando wagon and I think im hooked ❤

[@jimihendrix731]

I have the exact same bike in very good condition and all original besides the tires, chain, saddle, and brake pads.

[@jasondunlap9823]

Can’t wait for the next episode 😊💕🌈

[@markymarknj]

Andy, I totally get the sentimental value a bike can have. I have two like that in my fleet, two bikes that I'll never part with as long as I'm drawing breath on this Earth. When I returned to cycling last spring, I had my LBS refurbish them for me. Objectively, i.e. by the numbers, I don't know if it was worth it; one could get nicer bikes brand new these days. However, in terms of psychic value, it was worth every penny to make them like new (or as close as one can get to new for a 25 and a 38 year old bike). Plus, they have CroMo frames. That alone made it worth refurbishing my bikes. I wasn't just making noise in my comment responding to the $400 repair video; I put my money where my mouth is-literally! That was the video about the '90s Trek MTB with a CroMo frame, remember? I said that, if I'd had that old Trek, I'd drop $400 on it without a second thought. I dropped that in each of my two bikes; one's a vintage road bike, and the other one is a late 90s MTB turned ATB. Anyway, I remember epic rides I took on both of those bikes, and I get to relive those rides every time I throw a leg over them. I relive those rides when I see them downstairs too. I totally get what you're doing, and why. Good luck! I can't wait to see how your old friend comes out... 😀😀

[@tomgroenbeck7620]

I bought a Trek 970 around 1992 which eventually got stolen around 2010. I stored it outside for a few years in England, and the local bike shop also told me how difficult it was to replace the bottom bracket. And I remember the routing of the front derailleur as well. I replaced the brakes with v-brakes and bought Mavic ceramic coated rims, that way I was able to at least get to a stop somewhere when it rained.

[@newforestexplorer]

Love my 950, it’s my favourite bike. Looking forward to seeing this up and running again. Mines got an adjustable cup and cone bottom bracket.

[@boyerbyr]

When I worked at a bike shop the head mechanic that taught me wrenching had one of these. Wish I knew what I was looking at, I was all about mtb though. Bring back memories bro. My thoughts exactly to have that thing blasted and coated!! Good choice mate. Have a great day

[@colleenwright-kakkar6384]

Seeing this video makes me happy that I never got rid of my most favorite bike, all these years.

[@mannequinplayer]

i love these personal bike vids!

[@thomasduff3725]

Good to see ya going full blast on this one!

[@gotamd]

It’s videos like this that confirm to me that you’re insane. Nice work! Good luck with the bike.

[@ArjanGroe]

Good call to have the frame stripped. It needs it and it will come out a fine bike after.

[@zubayrbhyat8077]

This makes me sad. I have a 2008 Fuji Taho Comp that has seen 3 riders but still runs quite well. It's a treasure and I will likely never get rid of it.

[@kendemers8821]

I just discovered your channel. Great content! I'm retiring soon soon and I have some great project bikes that have been hanging in my garage for over 25 years. Thanks for the inspiration and know how.

[@GregWacker-p8h]

Favorite video thus far, can’t wait for part 2 . And most likely part 3 … better than Star Wars !!

[@JonNolden]

Great project bike video from your past Andy, it gonna be nice when all is done. I own several of these 9 hundred series, from the early 90’s,beautiful well put together frames. Whatever you decide on the final color, maybe add some splatter paint to set off the finish from that era. Looking forward to the next video! Luv it!

[@spencerrobinson2719]

That IS a cool frame…all the old Trek MTB’s I have had in my hands, I have never seen that fork before.

[@RICHARD.WRIGHT1]

WORKSHOP TIP FOR YOU! when you have an obstinate BB cup, fix the extractor tool to the axle via a bolt (so it does'nt escape) then place the extractor in the bench vice and use the frame as a lever to turn the obstinate cup It's a lot less hassle and you don't need to hammer the shit outta things...😉

[@bkefrmr]

That’s definitely the next thing I try if the BFW and BFH don’t do the trick

[@brianlightbody2612]

Those are awesome fork lugged ends.

[@motorrad2]

hey, I have one of those! White, with the smoke treatment, and orange lettering, bought it thinking it was an '89, ("my year"), and swapped back original Mountain LX components etc., found it was a '91 because of the changed front derailleur cabling system. Great bikes!

[@triatheletewolf7279]

That shipping ocst is CRAZY!!!! I just bought a frame from Taiwan and the charged me $100.

[@williamliles7635]

I bought My 950 brand new many, many years ago Just like yours only dark green. Looking forward to seeing how this turns out as my Trek is due for rebuilding.

[@permasleep2]

I have a 1988 970 and love it. Dialed it in with a Nitto cockpit and it rides so smooth. Trek had it right back then $680 msrp $300 frameset. Made in U.S.A.

[@timshelhamer7374]

Penetrating oil and breaker bar for the win. I’m a sucker for inspirational underdog victories

[@RidingEasttoWest]

I have one of these in forest green I bought new in '92-'93. Great bike. I put a RockShox Judy on it and rode it as a mountain bike for years. Maybe 15 years ago I connected an Extra-Cycle cargo extension to it and used it as a cargo bike for a bit. About 4 years ago I converted it back to near original state just with raised and swept back bars. Getting too old to be that stretched out and pitched forward. Fun fact - these frames weren't brazed but are actually glued together using some sort of epoxy. BTW, the Fort Collins Bicycle Co-Op often has these frames and others from the late '80s- late '90s for sale for $30-$50.

[@todsmith7817]

I have a 1993 Trek 930. Those lugged American made frames are cool.

[@jacobatherton8339]

This bike definitely saw some salty northern Minnesota roads before it got boxed up for ya

[@David-lr2tj]

Love the Noir music with your subtitles!!

[@cotecj77]

I uave a Trek 930 of the same era. Such good bikes. The weird front derailleur cable arrangement is because manufacturers thought that top tube cable routing would keep the cables operating smoother for longer, since they're farther from the muck and dirt. But in the early 90s, top pull front derailleurs hadn't been invented yet. In a couple of years top pull derailleurs came along, and all was good. You can use a clamp-on housing stop on the seat tube and use a top pull derailleur.

[@escgoogle3865]

Purple Green fade?

[@cotecj77]

​@@escgoogle3865blue with black splash. So 90s 😂

[@CameronPriceJ]

This IS great content!

[@rydontouday4601]

BikeFarmer: "This guy showed up... Really Crusty... Told me he really loved his bike.... It'll cost far more than it's worth... His decision.....". Also BikeFarmer: ☝. But I dig it dude, and I feel your heart - it wants what it wants! I'm really looking forwards to seeing how this turns out. Maybe an easier challenge to find a new original fork if that one is roached, assuming you can choose between any frame size this and up?

[@daniellarson3068]

Yeh! You know - Da UP weather can be hard on da bikes there. They sometimes salt the roads like something crazy and then all that snow. I've seen it kill Pine trees on the side of the roads. She's bad. Good luck.

[@linseyyoung1772]

I picked up a '92 (I think) lugged 930 a few years ago for £18. Blue with the fancy speckled paint. It was totally janked out but I couldn't say no. Too big for me so it belongs to a friend now. I still get to work on it though:-)

[@evanswinford7165]

You need to bolt the BB removal tool to the BB axel. You need BB removal tool with the hole through it first of all. Second you need a longer SAE thread bolt from your local Ace that fits in the axel hole. It has to be long enough to pass through the tool into the BB crank axel. I have done this. I'm sure you understand by now. Bolt the tool to BB axel but leave a little play in it, the BB will need a little bit of room to back out. Now you can try turning it out without the tool slipping in the socket part. Turns out you had the tool, good show.