Vintage Trek 7000 MTB Made in the USA! Rescued from hanging on a hook for 30 years! Sticky shifters!

There has been incredible innovations in mountain bikes since this one came out, but that doesn't mean it's on a great bicycle. Durable, light and agressive, these old MTBs make excellent bikes for middle graders looking to bomb around town with their friends. Around here, these higher end bikes are hanging in garages all over the place. I love having a chance to revive these old bikes and find them a new home!
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/ @bkefrmr
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[@harrisonswyter4601]

Im POSITIVE someone has made this suggestion before but you should turn this channel into a legit show on PBS. This is the most relatable and best produced bike channels on KZbin. It could be so much more. You make real bikes for real people and your presentation is on point.

[@bkefrmr]

I'll be on a popular local public radio show in a couple weeks. Baby steps.

[@scottraines4254]

Do people watch PBS anymore? I only watch their KZbin content and via the kids app. 😅

[@rug212]

Probably more $$ on KZbin.

[@appelflapdrol]

Bad idea. Will become too commercial and you'll have to comply to all sorts of requirements risking to lose the genuine bikeshop vibe

[@donhuber9131]

Car Talk, with bicycles and piano music instead of motor vehicles and Bluegrass. Wait, play some Bluegrass too. And Bike Farmer doesn't need a twin brother to be entertaining!

[@scottrok13]

“Click that notification bell so you, and your bike, can stay tuned!” NICE LOG OFF!❤🎉

[@ArsonHammockHanger]

Time for Merch... I would buy a "Gibs Bike Shop" shirt.🥰

[@garyhoffman1]

That’s a 7000 from 1995. I have the 6500 from 1995. It’s the exact same frame/stx components but with a cromoly fork. I still use mine. I’ve upgraded it significantly with the last silver XT 9-speed groupset Shimano made, but still have all the original 7-speed components. It is super light, super fast, and best of all, not made of plastic.

[@dplainview1317]

Paint fade was definitely mid-90s Trek.

[@garyhoffman1]

@@dplainview1317 Yeah. Mine has the ice silver/ice Indigo fade with ice Indigo decals.

[@mtnbikerJoe]

I had one from 1996 that was dry ice blue with chromo fork. Loved that bike. Wish I still had it

[@xmateinc]

That bike would make a solid commuter!

[@Whydontyougousetherestroom]

DUDE, as far as royality free mysic goes, this royality free music didnt make me feel like im on the waiting line for unemployment. it actually kind of makes me feel like im about to be reborn from thw great cosmic egg as a little midget munchgin. and the bike, and the shifter, totally spiritual

[@rctedford]

About 5 years ago I got a bike for free and it had sticky rapid fire shifters. I flushed with WD-40 which had done the trick on sticky road bike shifters before but didn't on these. So as you can guess I took the shifter apart to fix and ended up buying a replacement on Ebay. I really enjoy watching and listening to you work. I used to just automatically replace cables on all the bikes until I watched you, now first I try Tri Flow. Cut the amount of new cables down by half at least. Keep the videos coming.

[@numinouspalimpsest]

Thanks!

[@bkefrmr]

Thanks so much hey!

[@mcgrimus1455]

I hadn't stumbled upon the degreaser flushing trick yet a couple years ago, so ended up taking apart and cleaning those shifters. Managed to wrestle it back together, but the trickiest part was getting the gear indicator lined up correctly.

[@andymoss]

I’ve been having the same problem with the front shifter on my old Trek 8000. This helped enormously! Thanks BF.

[@irondistance4313]

Love it run old Trek

[@stephendouglas8209]

Fantastic bicycle mechanic. Thorough and informative. Very interesting videos for sure. I used to be a bike mechanic in a bike shop and now just home mechanic and love watching this channel! 🙂

[@wngimageanddesign9546]

And it has the classic fade paint. I have the lower end chrome-moly steel version with the same paint scheme. Very well made old Treks! It deserves to be updated, and preserved.

[@joshuamoody2941]

Recently opened up some quadra shocks and learned why rebuilding them ain't worth it unless you really like what you have. The elastomers were so destroyed I ended up having to bust off the top cap and then flood the shock with acetone to degrade the elastomers in order to get it out. Once I did that I learned a pair of top caps are about 30 dollars and new elastomers run 50-100 dollars. You can try sourcing a polyurethane rod but it's still not cheap. So to rebuild it would cost me more than a new suntour fork. Buy used you say? Everyone thinks their old retro rock shocks are made out of gold and then it's still a gamble on the condition of the elastomers. Add springs instead of the elastomers you say? Now the forks will feel like a cheap Walmart fork with pogo stick feeling rebound.

[@staticdisaster]

I got rid of the suspension forks on my two hybrid bikes because they either lock up and turn into dead weight or turn into a pogo stick

[@the_nondrive_side]

looks exactly like an aluminum version of my 930. whoa mines a 95 IIRC.. which makes yours 95, ice green/ice blue fade with silver decals I shifted all the STX RC MRX comp stuff over to a RM cardiac from 96 and put a 98 XT-LX setup some wide low bars on a Manitou Sx. disc modded to 27.5.. but 7 speed so my triggers are temps.. the 3x9 LX levers waiting hold that bike. people want that exact fade.. I been getting offers like stupid

[@123moof]

Agreed, canti brakes with threadless narrows it down to about ~94-96.

[@the_nondrive_side]

@@123moof there's an easier way.. trek by color.

[@jimp.7286]

Boy, that bike sure cleaned up nice. The primitive shimano shifter on my 89 schwinn mtb has a little switch to go from friction to indexed. I leave it in the friction mode where it always just works. I mess up gear changes once in a while riding in the local hills,...but my batting average is generally pretty good and the tiny shifters are built like tanks. They sure made things good back then. Had the bike for decades and I can't remember it ever leaving me stranded. It's a keeper. My other bikes have been more trouble. More features typically = more things to go wrong or maintain. Love tech but sometimes simple brings a sense of security, lol. Cheers! 👍

[@terry_hutt]

Crazy that the bike looks almost new when you're done with it. Someone will be thrilled with it.

[@keithschrack]

When I perform that 'shifter surgery,' I prefer to use a bamboo skewer as my probe. It's a little more forgiving and less likely to cause some damage while rummaging around. I really like the trigger shifters, so when clients have them replaced for this sticky fault, I collect the cast-offs and clean them for myself!

[@6479rob]

Glad you have glasses on not that i have ever been hurt by chemicals, but i have had eye surgery it sucks. Please be cautious of compressed chemicals.

[@johndunbar2393]

You Safety Sally's really need to worry about yourselves, instead of micro managing grown men.

[@anthonycordova4648]

I enjoy watching, because many of the bikes i work on are like the ones you deal with!!! Too many people dont want to spend the high price to take to bike stor/shop here.

[@OperatorMittens]

That 's the same as my first MTB! I bought it used with a Judy and a pair of Spin carbon wheels. Glad to see one still getting used today.

[@johnyork6955]

I have really enjoyed this channel and have learned a few things along the way. Please keep doing your thing!

[@bkefrmr]

Thanks hey!

[@wolfgangweber9924]

That is some special bike. I like that you didn't convert it into something it wasn't meant to be.

[@deanh7190]

I never tinkled in my shorts when startled but do watch your videos until the end😃👍

[@f1hotrod527]

Behold……the shine!!!!

[@harald_geyer]

Thanks for great content, letting me learn more and more about bike mechanics. This particular Trek should be appropriate for a nice restomod, perhaps with a 1x9 Microshift setup and V-Brakes. I did so with a 1999 Scott Navajo - so much fun to build and to ride. Greatings and best wishes from Dresden, Germany!

[@nycdrummingstar]

Nice job. I think those shimanos STX group sets still look just as good today as they did 30 years ago

[@DK-yr8id]

I picked up a 7900 last summer for $50, and gave it the basic Microshift drop bar gravel conversion. I love the bike, and saved the sticky flat bar shifters for another 3x7 that I was building up for a commuter. These old Treks are great bikes to rebuild…and much cheaper and easier to find than their Specialized equivalents.

[@cadman9615]

Still have my 1995 schwin. Also have a 2005 Trek 8000. Tho’s long stems & narrow bars crack me up. Even in 05 the stems were still long. My trek 8000 had a 100mm stem 😳. Thats like a mile by todays geo

[@marcusathome]

I like this old STX groupset - parts are pretty and functional. Nice bike and it's good to see you kept it original.

[@steelisreal4313]

Currently staring at STX RC cantilever brakes and thinking not polished aluminum but rather nickel plated...not sure

[@moosehand8721]

I wish there was an everyday old fashioned bike shop that repaired and sold used bikes where I live. We used to have the famous G. Oscar bike shop in tulsa and thats exactly what they did.... fix what needed fixed, didnt try to sell you $4000 bikes or gimmick parts, they just made it work...But the bartertown municipal tyrants beaurocrated him right out of business and that was that. A piece of history and a true love for the hobby gone forever.

[@johnhufnagel]

personally I think this trend to super singles hurts the casual rider. they all seem to favor the lower slow speed gears, at the sacrifice of speed. "vintage" triple 7s and triple 8s to me almost always give you the best of all worlds, and they really aren't that much more complicated to ride.

[@gideonvaneeden2681]

Right meow... Hehe Super troopers.

[@ericsande5345]

I have some old school Shimano 105 single pivots that smack against the rims - not as grabby as dual pivot but I love 'em. Got a nice pair for less than $10 on eBay.

[@jeffk2481]

Trek loves that ombre purple and green.. Had a Trek Marlin styled that way

[@user-fg1ns1pz1v]

I have a similar Trek 8500 with XT I think it is a ‘94, I just replaced the old Manitou with Rock shox. She’s a beaut and is a great hard tail ride still with the 3x8 speed.

[@bryanmacias8162]

Could you add the affiliate link to the pliers you use to clean bolt heads on the wire wheel. Really enjoy your videos. Thx

[@steelisreal4313]

Be careful using certain degreasers as some will mess up view indicator for gear selection. So definitely NO brake cleaner or pb blaster lol.

[@xmateinc]

Yea i learned the hard way using brake cleaner on a cheaper older gear shifter, and it melted the plastic! I like using speed clean. It’s my go to now.

[@billyjo1148]

Very original bike good save on the shifters needed a new dork disc though

[@MNpicker]

So nice to see them live on for another 20-30 years!! I have heard this paint scheme referred to as a Vikings/Packers Trek😁

[@p4ult1]

Love the old STX groupset. I agree about the cantilever brakes too ❤

[@samblenkharn8099]

Sweeeeeeet ride. So glad you kept it all original. That's gunna be a great bike for someone.

[@gusnuk68]

It's a dang clean shiny old bike

[@AmusedDaffodils-mz5rw]

I love working on bikes

[@b.r.3232]

That crankset looks brand new!! Hahaha!! Nice!

[@jamessankey01]

This is such a great video, I urge you to put timestamps in your video description, so people can come back over again for reference. I came back to see if you rinsed off the powerwash. Better video details also helps the algorithm hello people find your video. Thanks!

[@user-pm1uy2uv5b]

Great channel but we need to sort something out: high viscosity = slow flowing (old grease), low viscosity = fast flowing (fresh lube/oil)

[@jackiegammon2065]

That Trek 7000 is a 1995 I believe, and you're right it's a great bike!!

[@rug212]

Did you just slip in a Super Troopers reference? 🤣

[@SprayIgniteBoom]

I am rebuilding a Trek 1997 850 Sport w/Shimano 3 speed left shifter, Suntour stem friction 10spd, canti-lever brakes, Campangolo med cage rear Centaur deraileur, XTR front 3spd and can’t wait until it’s finished!!!

[@maxpetification]

great bike, should definitely be earlier than 2000s, probably early to mid 90s

[@herbsandspokes]

Really digging your video's! Definitely 1995. Just completed a full restoration on mine and swapped the stock bars to Ron's Ortho bar with Ergon GP1 BioKork Grips and Brooks C15 Carved Splash, blue cable housing and blue Funn Mamba S MTB Clipless Pedals. The color way really gets folks frothing at the mouth.

[@TimmHuffman]

Agree. We have its 930 cousin in the stable. Same paint job.

[@user-jr2fk9zh4j]

I had the same model bike, but with a matching chromoly fork instead of the RockShox. Now you've made me miss that bike. It was a good one!

[@drakegabrielvereto8423]

Better music and better edit, Bicycle Uncle Iroh :)

[@TwoWheelWarrior]

I sold a few of those back in the day.

[@jmsaltzman]

Nice work! Big chainring might need some dentistry: a few chipped teeth visible starting around 6:10, ouch!

[@bkefrmr]

Definitely not missing

[@jmsaltzman]

@@bkefrmr Glad to hear! This one has me itching for N+1, your channel is a boost for the used market and Park tools for sure :)

[@1jwh1]

Done many of these over the years,I use brake cleaner followed by a generous blast from the air compressor to move it around seems to work well for me 👍 Atb John 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@b.r.3232]

I built one of those!! Sweet!!

[@davidcrowson4745]

Nice job sir 💯

[@floreschris5574]

What a video, tremendous stuff.

[@Tarmaccyclocross]

Thanks

[@bkefrmr]

Thanks hey!

[@fid420]

I’m just here for furniture polish.

[@robertmcfadyen9156]

Apollo had a Kosciusko mtb in a similar colour scheme in 1996 in Australia .

[@scottrok13]

My new Trek has newton meters(?) torque specs for tightening the seat: and posts, etc. Do you recommend a small handheld torque wrench that could be placed in a small bike bag? My 18 inch torque wrench at home it’s too long and doesn’t go low torque, AND I couldn’t tell if one comes with the park tools bicycle kit you recommended via your links 😢

[@steelisreal4313]

I'd like to point out that the STX RC cantilever brakes have an insert that can be purchased for $10-15 however u gotta search for a few minutes. I had a trek 950 with marzocchi bomber forks that I'm kicking my self for selling although I quadrupled my $50 purchase price

[@ICYMIKE]

Dawn Power wash seems like my next bike cleaning purchase. Great pro tip! Does Behold work on matte paint? what do you recommend for matte finishes?

[@peterago1082]

leave bar ends, its like new keep it original worth more

[@thuggoe]

that's a great bike

[@FuchsHorst]

Bike Therapy 😊

[@peterdeb580]

Tacos amigo 🙂

[@bkefrmr]

muchas gracias pedro!

[@f1hotrod527]

Are the shifters that complex that you could not take apart and put back together.

[@Lamanka85]

Do you have any older hub transmission bikes at States? Haven't seen any videoa about those in this channel?

[@zakdomrath4761]

Do you know if Dawn Power Wash and furniture polish will ruin the Matte finish on a bike?

[@No_ReGretzky99]

What rags do you use??

[@pascalbruyere7108]

When you spray the chain and derailleur, don’t you wet and oil the rim as well (it does it to me) and the basically grease your brakes? To resolve this problem I usually finish by a soap wash of the rims, and wash the tires at the same time.

[@bkefrmr]

Never a problem for me!

[@oreocarlton3343]

Makes you think that a 30 year old bike still has components comparable to mid tier current components

[@johnzee691]

😎👍

[@MuvoTX]

Wow... original reflectors, yellowed dork disk isnt chipped or cracked, hardly a scratch on the factory paint too!! Why does shimano use that awful lube in the shifter pods? Good heads up on the pod screw. Fortunately the covers on mine have a separate dedicated screw, and the insides are easy to access.

[@mattgies]

The shifter lube is great for 20 years or so, then you give it a squirt to refresh it. I don't think that's so bad.

[@SlimOneable]

Organic grease, vs. synthetic, is mostly oil with crude oil wax blended. The wax is a byproduct of crude oil. So reintroducing oil to the wax sorta' returns the grease to a close to original condition. And it isn't so much that Shimano used awful lube, but more that the parts weren't necessarily designed to last 20 or 30 years in use. So even NOS parts might need to have the grease 'freshened up.' I imagine the same would be true for synthetic grease, so maybe TriFlow would be the good choice to loosen that.

[@MuvoTX]

Aah...yes good points gents, thanks

[@xmateinc]

I have to hide the speed clean from our summer mechanics, they’re usually new and Im training them, they will go thru a can of that a week if I’m not paying attention.

[@steelisreal4313]

I say if it equals quicker turnaround and less stressed employees than so be it. How much is a can cost for a bike shop? $5?$10?

[@dannytorres4388]

Looks like my

[@mikesullivan1822]

im surprised you didnt give it a new dork disk that one looks nasty.

[@JOSEKLRANGEL]

as long as worth doing !!! So you don’t do it anyway ?

[@martindirkzimmer]

For your struggle ;)

[@bkefrmr]

Thanks hey!

[@armchairwanderer1287]

🚲🚲👍

[@6479rob]

This bike would be mine if it was the right size can’t see it not selling fast.

[@Veniguiribici]

Look, I don’t need a fancy Trek bike

[@claudiofiero8523]

Good job, but the big chainring is shot! Some of these poor teeth are nonexistant anymore

[@mattgies]

Nope, those chainrings have the original, factory shape with approximately zero percent wear. The shorter teeth are adjacent to shift pin and ramps, to facilitate shifting. Much harder for a chain to climb onto a full-height gear tooth.

[@gregoryprodanas7295]

uggghh the horror. valve stem not lined up with the tire label. the 'cyclists' are gonna lose their collective minds even more than a quick release on the drive side. 😂

[@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene]

You speak lots of truth about bikes, but then you get to these old bike frames and you lose me. I'm a former pro racer, riding seriously for 56 years, now, don't own a car, full time cyclist. I would never buy a used frame unless I knew the owner for as long as the bike is old. I have found with the high mileage I ride that a frame only lasts (steel and aluminum) about 25,000 miles. I have cracked 4 frames now from riding them too many years. The frame breaks always happen on the road far from home. Fortunately it has never been a fork, but twice has been the big down tube by the bottom bracket shell. The bike can stay together, held together by the top tube, but it is scary. So now I retire frames after I notice an increase in bottom bracket flex, seems this is a sign that less than a few thousand miles are left. The cost of a new frame is so inexpensive today, there is NO reason to build up an entire bike on an old frame. This old frame from who knows who may go 25,000 miles or one mile.

[@jimcheese5534]

Thanks!

[@davyhaynes6716]

Thanks!

[@bkefrmr]

Thanks hey!!

[@gregoryprodanas7295]

Thanks!

[@bkefrmr]

Hell yeah! Thanks hey!!

[@mattromano8691]

Thanks!

[@pascalbruyere7108]

Thanks!

[@bkefrmr]

Thanks hey!