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00' Trek 6000 build: How to get an Asian family to accept you.

4K views 12 replies 7 participants last post by  AKHappy 
#1 ·
So my girlfriend's Dad has noticed that we tend to do a lot of biking (usually 40-50 miles each weekend on everything from paved paths to fire roads, and some beginner/intermediate downhill trails as well) and as of late has become more and more interested in getting a bike.

He's mentioned on and off a few times of his piqued interest and as such, I decided I'd find a bike worth salvaging, and give it a new lease on life.

We ended up settling on a 2000 year model Trek 6000 that was in dire need of some TLC.

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Needless to say, it needed just about everything. The BB was knackered, brakes were shot, shifters were completely useless, and the levers were damn near fused to the bars. The grips aren't even worth mentioning.

After about 30 minutes I had the bike stripped of most of the cancerous components.

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And a few more minutes (and some fresh grease) later, I had a take-off Suntour XCT crankset and brand new Shimano UN26 BB installed.

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I had a spare set of 26" wheels whose hubs were in much better condition, and a set of Bell Roundabout hybrid tires. Nothing fancy, but it should be more than ample for the little amount of riding her Father intends to do on the bike.

I also took apart, cleaned, and regreased the headset and bearing, and also rebuilt/lubed the front fork.

Lastly, I dug out the Wellgo pedals I took off of my 29er as soon as I bought it and slapped those on the crank arms.

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That night we went ahead and ordered some new components for it. In the mean time, I media blasted and painted the seat post, and dug out a number of spare parts/take-offs I had laying around. Fast forward a few days and......

Cable Wire Technology Electronics Electrical connector


So then I proceeded to take the wheels off and scrub the scum off and out of every nook and cranny. I also removed and cleaned/lubed the derailleurs as they were pretty well corroded.

Afterwards I installed all of the componentry and even got the shifter cables run.

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And now we come to this afternoon. I ran the brake cables, got everything dialed in and set up the drivetrain. And of course, I took it on a test ride down the hill I live on, because why not? Now all that's left to do is surprise her middle aged Father with a bike of his very own.

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#4 ·
Nice work and a great project. I like giving old bikes new lives.

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Thanks. I gain a certain degree of joy over making old things new again. That and I like turning wrenches.

As the father of a daughter, I can tell you I would be delighted. For one thing, I would look at this as a sign of respect. Treating elders with respect is a cultural value that seems to have been forgotten by broad sectors of modern society. Not that he's elderly, although he has earned that respect nevertheless; anyone who has been compelled to live with a 17-year-old girl for a year deserves a medal, just sayin. Moreover, I would see this as the clearest indication yet that missy might eventually be off the payroll, possibly soon, and well done at that. That's cause for celebration.

ETA: Those old Treks are nice, they are sweet rides and make for good budget rebuilds for people who miss 26ers and those new to biking. I think the forks are worth upgrading. Getting hard to find rigid forks that'll fit but there are a bunch of Origin8 chromoly 26er forks on the internet right now for $70 that'll work. If that bike came with a 3" suspension or less, that fork at 430mm isn't too long and in any event has a little extra offset to make up for it. Sweet fork. You can also easily lay hands on period-correct Marzocchi Z2 forks, with the earlier ones the exact right length. I just sold one on ebay for $60 shipped, already rebuilt; the deals are out there. Take em apart, paint the lowers, cram some new seals in there, boom. A little overkill for a new rider but nice for the nostalgia buffs.
Haha glad to hear it from a Dad. In all seriousness, we've known each other over 11 years and have dated more than 4. Her family are some of the kindest and most welcoming people I've ever met, so the approval is already there. I just figured it was high time for me to do something nice for them, for a change.

Ironically, this is the exact same year and model Trek I had before that I picked up for $25 on Craigslist and rebuilt before my 29er. Ended up being a really satisfying build, and just before dropping $200 on a new 2012 Manitou fork, it got stolen. So in short, being able to work on what is more or less my old bike has been enjoyable.

Cheers.
 
#3 ·
As the father of a daughter, I can tell you I would be delighted. For one thing, I would look at this as a sign of respect. Treating elders with respect is a cultural value that seems to have been forgotten by broad sectors of modern society. Not that he's elderly, although he has earned that respect nevertheless; anyone who has been compelled to live with a 17-year-old girl for a year deserves a medal, just sayin. Moreover, I would see this as the clearest indication yet that missy might eventually be off the payroll, possibly soon, and well done at that. That's cause for celebration.

ETA: Those old Treks are nice, they are sweet rides and make for good budget rebuilds for people who miss 26ers and those new to biking. I think the forks are worth upgrading. Getting hard to find rigid forks that'll fit but there are a bunch of Origin8 chromoly 26er forks on the internet right now for $70 that'll work. If that bike came with a 3" suspension or less, that fork at 430mm isn't too long and in any event has a little extra offset to make up for it. Sweet fork. You can also easily lay hands on period-correct Marzocchi Z2 forks, with the earlier ones the exact right length. I just sold one on ebay for $60 shipped, already rebuilt; the deals are out there. Take em apart, paint the lowers, cram some new seals in there, boom. A little overkill for a new rider but nice for the nostalgia buffs.
 
#7 ·
Mission accomplished.

As promised, here's the follow up. In short, her Father was elated. He hadn't been on a bike in nearly 20 years, and Lucy herself had never ridden with, nor seen her Dad ride a bike. In the attached videos, you can see his confusion when I initially present the bike to him. Originally he was supposed to meet us at Sport's Basement under the presumption we would be looking at bikes, but some plan changes meant he had to ride with us that morning to get brunch. This meant I had to present the bike to him first thing in the AM, hence the initial explanation I give him.

Once it sets in that the bike is for him, a smile cracked on his face that didn't fade for the rest of the day. That along with us being able to ride with him for the first time in my gal's life made the day one we won't soon forget.

Oh and yes, I did in fact slip and drop the bike on the pavement right in front of him. What can I say, I'm a nice guy like that.

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#12 ·
Glad to oblige. It was definitely worth the time and effort put into the project haha

wow yeah really cool!
Cheers :thumbsup:

In 2000 I was seriously considering buying one of those bikes as they were priced very reasonably for a very good component set. As it turned out, my wife encouraged me to spend a couple of hundred dollars more (who would've thought) and get the 8000 series Trek. Your girlfriend's dad can enjoy that bike for quite some time! Good job!
I myself had one for some time and loved it, until it was stolen. Those old, made in the USA Trek frames are solid as hell. As I rode around on this one, I couldn't help but think how much I'd love to have it as a companion for my 29er hard tail.

Thanks for the compliments!
 
#11 ·
In 2000 I was seriously considering buying one of those bikes as they were priced very reasonably for a very good component set. As it turned out, my wife encouraged me to spend a couple of hundred dollars more (who would've thought) and get the 8000 series Trek. Your girlfriend's dad can enjoy that bike for quite some time! Good job!
 
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