# Help! Restoring Trek 930



## supersingle (Jun 17, 2012)

I am hoping i posted this in the right forum and according to rules.

Hi guys,i have a Trek 930 lying around in my basement.I asked my landlord and he gave it to me for free.It is not in a bad shape but it is missing some parts.I have researched and found that it is a 1995 or 1996 model singletrack (No brochure for '96?).The rear wheel is missing and rest of it is there or thereabouts.I am looking to bring it back to life and use it as a commuter this summer.The components that i found on it are as follows.

Front wheel:Matrix singletrack pro 26' with tioga psycho 26x1.95
Fork:Trek design full Chro-Moly
Brakes:F/R Shimano M65/T w Alivio clamps
Frame:OX Comp II Double butted Chro-Moly
Handlebar: System 1
Grip Shift 7 Speed Shimano SRT400
Derailleur:F/R Shimano STX
Crank:Shimano FC-MC32
Hubset:Shimano Alivio parallax 

Now its been sitting there and collecting dust and me being a noob haven't been able to figure out the condition of the drivetrain components.I have a small budget of restoring this bike <$100 and i will be working on it myself.I just don't know where to start and how to check the parts for wear and what to do to keep it under the budget.Help me out here guys!


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## mtbzarg (Oct 6, 2011)

Sounds like a good find (especially that it was given to you for free) and a fun project. 

If it only missing the rear wheel, then that is where I would start. Check Craigslists for a used or new rear wheel. Keep in mind you are rolling with a 7 speed, so make sure the cassette is a 7 speed (7 gears on it). A tire and tube are an easy find.

After you get the new wheel mounted, then you can check the rest of the drive train (adjustments to shifting, etc...). If the chain is not worn, then probably a good cleaning and lube.

Hope this helps. Should get you pointed in the right direction. Well, at least it is a start...


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## supersingle (Jun 17, 2012)

Thanks for replying mtbzarg.

Yes i have been looking around Craigslist but nothing seems to turn up.Looks like people are keeping the Matrix singletrack pro rims in their garage.I see so many people have upgraded here on mtbr but the wheels are not coming up for sale.I'll have to keep looking.Might go to my LBS and try my luck.

What city tires would you recommend? cheap city tire tube combo for 26'

Please tell me how to tell the wear on parts like; derailleurs, crank set,chain so i may check if those are reusable.


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## mtnbiker72 (Jan 22, 2007)

I used to sell and service those treks, I am very familiar with the 930. You can run a 8/9 speed rear wheel and use a 4.5mm cassette spacer behind a 7 speed cassette. 

Matrix and System components were Trek house brands at the time. Basically what has now been replaced with Bontrager components.


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## supersingle (Jun 17, 2012)

Thanks, i will definitely use that in case my search for a singletrack pro rims turns up nothing.


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## mtbzarg (Oct 6, 2011)

mtnbiker72 said:


> I used to sell and service those treks, I am very familiar with the 930. You can run a 8/9 speed rear wheel and use a 4.5mm cassette spacer behind a 7 speed cassette.
> 
> Matrix and System components were Trek house brands at the time. Basically what has now been replaced with Bontrager components.


:thumbsup:

Yup, same thing I did with my sons bike. But if you only have a 7 speed shifter, then you need a 7 speed cassette.


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## mtbzarg (Oct 6, 2011)

supersingle said:


> Thanks for replying mtbzarg.
> 
> Yes i have been looking around Craigslist but nothing seems to turn up.Looks like people are keeping the Matrix singletrack pro rims in their garage.I see so many people have upgraded here on mtbr but the wheels are not coming up for sale.I'll have to keep looking.Might go to my LBS and try my luck.
> 
> ...


Here is an inexpensive street tire:

Michelin Country Rock Tire Black 26x1.75

As for tubes brand doesn't really matter. Just go with the most reasonable price you find. When I order from the website I referenced above you can get like 5 tubes for 15.00.

For servicing the parts you mentioned above I would do a visual inspection. Does the crankset/bottom bracket spin smoothly? Is the chain rusted and frozen? If they look good visually, then you would most likely need specialty tools to remove the crankset and check on the bearings. As for measuring chain wear you could use a tool like this:

Park CC-3.2C Chain Wear Indicator

As for the derailleurs you can check by hand to see if the move properly. For the rear derailleur make sure the cogs look good. Are the teeth worn or is there plenty of life left in them?

Here is a good reference point to start:

Park Tool Co. » ParkTool Blog » Rear Derailleur Overhaul

I would start here.

Check with your LBS about a rear wheel. They may have one lying around.


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## mtbzarg (Oct 6, 2011)

If you can maybe post up some pictures of parts in question.


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## supersingle (Jun 17, 2012)

Here are the pics that i took today.Can't seem to be able to upload them on mtbr so i used tinypic to host them.Dunno how long they will last.


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## Zero Signal (Aug 17, 2007)

Oh man, that brings back so many good memories. The STX silent hub was the coolest  I remember getting mine brand new in high school. I kept that sucker CLEAN. Donating that thing is one of my biggest life regrets.


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## heyyall (Nov 10, 2011)

Here is what you want to strive for: My 930










I do have one spare rim if you are interested. There are no spokes or hub--just the hoop. It has hung in my garage for nearly 15 years with the thought I might use to repair another taco'd rim.


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## DavyRay (Apr 13, 2012)

Don't sweat the details. Any 26" rear wheel with a 7 speed cluster and a QR axle should fit just fine. You could buy an entire junk bike just to get a good rear wheel with cassette. The rims do not need to match. I'd get rolling using any wheel I could find. Later on, you can try to find original parts for it.

It's too nice a bike to let it just sit there. Congratulations.


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## Pollution Warrior (Apr 3, 2010)

heyyall said:


> Here is what you want to strive for: My 930
> 
> 
> 
> ...


To the OP: I'd take heyyall up on this offer and find a rear Paralax hub or some other correct vintage hub on ebay. Get your LBS to tell you what spoke lengths you need and sell you a spoke wrench and the spokes and then build the wheel yourself. Lots of good how-to's on the net for that. You'll save a ton of $ and learn lot. Building a wheel is very rewarding if you stick with it till you get it right.

That bike looks pretty good overall. I doubt it would have much wrong with it that bearing grease, new cables and new cable housings wouldn't fix.


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## Jon Richard (Dec 20, 2011)

I just wanted to chime in and echo the sentiment that I very much regret letting my singletrack 950 go.

That 930 is definitely worth investing in and putting back into service. :thumbsup:


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## mtbzarg (Oct 6, 2011)

Pollution Warrior said:


> That bike looks pretty good overall. I doubt it would have much wrong with it that bearing grease, new cables and new cable housings wouldn't fix.


I agree. Everything looks pretty good. Just as Pollution Warrior stated - some bearing grease, new cables and housings and you should be good to go. This and getting a rear wheel.

Keep us updated on the progress. Would like to see the progress you make. It's a nice bike.


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## supersingle (Jun 17, 2012)

Thanks guys for all the encouragement.I will find a rear wheel to get it rolling just as you said @DavyRay

what nice 930 you have @heyyall, thats definitely what i am looking at.

It is a good bike @Pollution Warrior, just seems that the rear wheel got bent or stolen and the owner just abandoned it and moved on.

@Jon Thats why i am keen on getting it back to the streets as soon as possible.Its too good to be just sitting and eating dust.

@mtbzarg Sure, i will let all of you guys posted about my progress.It will be a learning experience for me since i have not worked with bikes before.:thumbsup:


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## cadiburns (Jun 27, 2012)

Very cool. I'm in the process of bringing my 930 back from the dead to be my city/commuter bike. It was hanging in my parents' garage for the last 12 years. Still a work in progress. New wheelset is next.


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## supersingle (Jun 17, 2012)

Wow what a absolute beautiful machine you have there.You said that your looking for a new wheelset , so can i ask if the wheels are on sale?


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## cadiburns (Jun 27, 2012)

supersingle said:


> Wow what a absolute beautiful machine you have there.You said that your looking for a new wheelset , so can i ask if the wheels are on sale?


Quite possibly. The new wheels are on their way so I can let you know what happens after they show up. BTW, I'm also in Chicago.


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## supersingle (Jun 17, 2012)

First Update: I got Ritchey Vantage Comp wheels from my LBS.These fit my 930 and have a 26x1.25 tire installed on them.Now i am facing a problem.

I am able to run through all the 7 gears properly but i am not able to use the 3rd chaining which has 42 teeth (considering that the 930 crankset has 22/32/42 t).I saw the bicycle specs for 1993 Ritchey Comp-23 on which the Vantage Comp wheels were standard and found it came with 26/36/46 t crankset and 7 speed 12-28 rear (compared to 11-28 on the 930).
What could the problem be? Is it a gear ratio niggle or maybe the shifter mechanism has an issue? Anyways here are a few pics:


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## heyyall (Nov 10, 2011)

Most likely the front derailleur needs adjusting. This is a simple task and it is most likely a result of cable stretch. A simple check, albeit with a high crash potential, is to the rear in about gear 4 or 5 and the front in 2. Pedal slowly and switch to gear 3 on the front. Then reach down and pull the front derailleur cable where it separates from the seat tube (this only really works because the 930 has a top pull derailleur) while pedaling slowly to see if you get the chain to hop up to the third gear. Most likely it will if it was ever set up correctly. Depending on how much slack there is in the cable, you will need to either just adjust the barrel adjustment or loosen the bolt holding the cable to take some slack out. This is a whole lot easier if you have a bike work stand or a buddy to hold up the seat / rear wheel instead of doing the one man adjust on the fly job I just described.


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## mtbzarg (Oct 6, 2011)

heyyall said:


> Most likely the front derailleur needs adjusting. This is a simple task and it is most likely a result of cable stretch. A simple check, albeit with a high crash potential, is to the rear in about gear 4 or 5 and the front in 2. Pedal slowly and switch to gear 3 on the front. Then reach down and pull the front derailleur cable where it separates from the seat tube (this only really works because the 930 has a top pull derailleur) while pedaling slowly to see if you get the chain to hop up to the third gear. Most likely it will if it was ever set up correctly. Depending on how much slack there is in the cable, you will need to either just adjust the barrel adjustment or loosen the bolt holding the cable to take some slack out. This is a whole lot easier if you have a bike work stand or a buddy to hold up the seat / rear wheel instead of doing the one man adjust on the fly job I just described.


Bike looks good. Thanks for keeping us updated. Follow heyyall's advice - exactly what I was going to suggest. :thumbsup:


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## heyyall (Nov 10, 2011)

And while I'm not endorsing stealing bikes here, if that u-lock dates back 10 years or so, you should be able to remove it from the bike using a bic pen. Otherwise, get a dremel and cut through it.


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## supersingle (Jun 17, 2012)

@heyyall- Thanks for your advice.Tomorrow i will try and get the front derailleur adjusted.I will read up on how to adjust them.

Right now the ride is not very comfortable, since i lean towards the front of the bike (Looks like the frame is little too big for me!).Can i twist the handlebar 180 degrees so that it is positioned a little towards me and i do not have to lean in so much? (there is a small bend in it from factory,so i think it can be done) OR should i go for a handlebar which is bent more towards the riders (so i sit upright holding it)?

EDIT- I already got the U-Lock cut off, a friend helped me with it.However i could not imagine that we could get a U-Lock picked using a pen.Thanks for posting it will help many a rider.


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## scramo (Sep 6, 2014)

Hey - that's my bike too - only your frame looks prettier! Note that the gripshifters (SRT400) are on mine too so BIKEPEDIA must be wrong this model uses "Shimano STX Rapidfire Plus w/Optical Gear Display" - they are SRAM SRT 400 grip shifts 
To identify that year trek 930 by its color "ice violet to ice green fade", see here:
Trek Bike Models by Year and Color
1994 catalog see page3:
http://vintage-trek.com/images/trek/94/Trek94.pdf


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## supersingle (Jun 17, 2012)

Oh, its been 2 years since i posted here. Anyways my shifters did not have optical gear display, but then my LBS changed them with some Shimano item with optical gear display. I also upgraded to 8 speeds cassette and some slick wheels to make it faster in city. Also added a carbon seatpost and planet bike saddle (not in pic)

I still have it and i am posting a picture of how it looked like last year. I rode it throughout my college time, about 1500 miles a year and its still the best bike i have ridden. Right now i am not riding it cause i graduated and i am looking for jobs but i plan to upgrade it with a carbon fork and handlebar and lighter components. I will definitely post it here once its done! Meanwhile i hope your 930 is serving you well, keep her pampered!


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## heyyall (Nov 10, 2011)

^ looking good! I'm trying to decide what to do with mine. It is mostly just collecting dust.


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## scramo (Sep 6, 2014)

*1994 (0r '95) trek 930*

@supersingle, thx for the update. mine is stock - same colors as yours - with those Sram grip shifts(which many hate, but are OK w/ me). I need a higher seatpost as Im 6' tall on 16.5 frame (long story - price was right). Since the original post is silver, I was debating whether to go with a black seatpost b/c mine will stick way up. Found a pimptastic gold one on amazon that goes well (jn my tacky tastes) with the purp/green:
[ATTACH=CONFIG]927457._xfImport[/ATTACH]
ride well!
~scram~


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## Zeebrock (Apr 28, 2015)

Just wanted to add that I have what I think is a 1997 Trek 930, I am the original owner and got the bike in 98 or 99. Its a dark blue with Grip shifters 400 SRT FSS. I'll post a pic when I get home later. Everything on it is original apart from the tires and I installed some cheap bar ends.


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## CLTFox (Jul 16, 2015)

The thread that won't die? I have a 94 930 (my first MTB and saved all summer in college), and decided to put a little money it. Turning into a bit of a money pit. Black with blue stickers. Around '00 I replaced both wheels (gifted a matrix rear rim with xt hub, and front was non-overlapping spoke set after pancaking it from a bad landing. That landing caused bent handlebars. It saw more years of MTB use than it should have. I just bought black/blue handle bars that don't fit the stem. I bought a new quill stem but it doesn't fit the headset. Trying to figure out if I keep the old stem and get different bars or find a different adaptation. Also got new grips, seat clamp, and pedals with blue anodized aluminum. New smooth Kenda tires (lost the knobbies). Thought I'd make a nice looking bike to cruise the neighborhood. I'll have to post a picture when complete.


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## heyyall (Nov 10, 2011)

Mine has been ridden more this year than it has been in a decade. It's evolves into my "farting around" commuter bike.

View attachment 1002517


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## Tangent1 (Aug 25, 2015)

Just fixed up my old 93 Trek 930. Mostly all original components. New bearings, grease and a new thumb shifter, and she rides like a dream!


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