mtb-timeline

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<div column 50% #intro>
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===== Trek Overview =====


Trek was established in 1976 by Dick Burke and Bevil Hogg in Waterloo, Wisconsin, making handmade steel bicycle frames.
(([[https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/98/Trek-Bicycle-Corporation.html]]))
When the rest of the larger manufacturers were off-shoring to Taiwan and Japan, Trek committed to building high end bikes in the USA, which it continued to mostly do through the 1980s. ((Today, they're made mostly in Asia, but retain quite a bit of manufacturing in the US: (([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trek_Bicycle_Corporation|wikipedia]]))
Since then, Trek has acquired [[bontrager:start|Bontrager]], [[fisher:start|Gary Fisher]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klein_Bicycle_Corporation|Klein]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LeMond_Racing_Cycles|LeMond]], [[https://electra.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/|Electra]] and grew its revenues from $6 million in 1983, the year it launched its first mountain bike, to $1B by 2015, selling over a million bikes a year.  ((Early revenue numbers differ. "During the early 1980s, sales virtually doubled each year."  See: [[https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/98/Trek-Bicycle-Corporation.html|refenceforbusiness]]))
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Bevil left Trek in 1985 and founded [[https://www.kestrelbicycles.com/|Kestrel]], in Santa Cruz, and produced the first all carbon frame in 1986.  ((Along with the first carbon fork, and many other firsts: [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kestrel_USA|wikipedia]]))


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<div column 45%>
{{founders.jpg?400|Trek founders}}
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Trek founders [[https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/inside_trek/heritage_global/|trekbikes]]

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<div column 50% #s1983>
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===== 1983 Trek 850 =====


A handsome selection of black components and lugs with red accents.  Designed by Tim Isaac ((see prototype pic at: [[https://www.dirtscrolls.com/14960040-specialty-files-1982-ts-isaac|dirtscrolls]] and discussion at: [[http://mombatbicycles.com/MOMBAT/Bikes/1982_Isaac.html|mombat]])).  Note the quick release under the saddle to quickly move the seat forwards and backwards (for switching between uphill and downhill??)
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Cost: $580 (([[http://vintage-trek.com/TrekPriceLists.htm]]))

Catalog scans at: [[http://vintage-trek.com/TrekBrochure1983Part2.htm|vintage trek]] and [[http://vintage-trek.com/TrekBrochures.htm|vintage trek]].


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<div column 45%>
{{1983.jpg?300|1983 Trek 850}}
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1983 Trek 850
[[https://www.dahlquistcycleworks.com/1983-trek-850.html|dahlquistcycleworks]]

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<div column 50% #s1984>
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===== 1984 Trek 830 =====


Trek added a slightly down market option with the 830, which used up the left over 1983 850 components, while the new 850 introduced the new Shimano XT group set.

Trek also briefly made an 890 ATB for the "urban canyon" with 26x1.5 tires, steeper geometry and higher gearing.  ((Only in the 1984 catalog: [[http://vintage-trek.com/Trek-Fisher-Klein-Lemond/1984trek.pdf|vintage trek]]))

1984 price list ((All prices from: [[http://vintage-trek.com/TrekPriceLists.htm]]))
  * 830 : $469
  * 850 : $669
  * 890 : $499


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<div column 45%>
{{1984.jpg?300|1984 Trek 830}}
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1984 Trek 830
[[https://www.mtbr.com/threads/any-treky-fans-out-there-photo-heavy.946411/|mtbr]]

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<div column 50% #s1985>
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===== 1985 Trek 870 =====


Almost identical in specs to the 850 (exact same frame & components) except with the addition of narrower tires, perhaps to make up for the extra weight of added bottle cages and toe straps.  A rare bicycle.

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<div column 45%>
{{1985.png?300|1985 Trek 870}}
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1985 Trek 870
[[http://vintage-trek.com/images/trek/85All-Terrain.pdf|vintage-trek]]

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<div column 50% #s1986>
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===== 1986 Antelope 850 =====
SunTour XC gruppo, Reynolds 531 tubing.  Solid axles.  //Specialized// cranks...
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<div column 45%>
{{1986.jpg?300|1986 850 }}
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1986 850
[[http://mombatbicycles.com/MOMBAT/Bikes/1986_Trek_850.html|mombat]]
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<div column 50% #s1987>
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===== 1987 8000XT Aluminum =====
Shimano Deore XT gruppo, aluminum frame, 27.1 pounds.
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<div column 45%>
{{1987.jpg?300|1987 8000XT }}
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1987 8000XT
[[https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1186425-1987-trek-8000-xt-mtb.html|bikeforums]]
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<div column 50% #s1988>
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===== 1988 8500 =====
Shimano Deore XT gruppo, aluminum frame.  Hite-Rite [[tech:post|saddle dropper]] as a standard accessory.  Catalog pic.
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<div column 45%>
{{1988.jpg?300|1988 8500 }}
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1988 8500
[[https://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2/v/Manufacturer+Archive/Trek/Catalogues/1988_20trek.pdf.html|retrobike]]
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<div column 50% #s1989>
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===== 1989 850 Antelope =====
Shimano Mountain LX group, skinny 1.5" tires.
A low end Trek, below the 950, 970, 990, 7000, 8000, 8500, yet a cut above the 830.
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<div column 45%>
{{1989.jpg?300|1989 850}}
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1989 850 Antelope
[[https://offerup.com/item/detail/366614064|offerup]]
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<div column 50% #s1990>
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===== 1990 8900 Pro =====
SunTour XC Pro group, carbon composite frame, aluminum lugs.
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Trek finally introduces a carbon composite MTB, which first debuted on their 1986 2500 road bike, to great success.
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<div column 45%>
{{1990.jpg?300|1990 8900 Pro }}
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1990 8900 Pro
[[https://www.facebook.com/TrekBicycle/photos/a.10151932902043296/10151932902528296/|photo by Trek, facebook]]
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<div column 50% #s1991>
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===== 1991 6000 =====
Low end of Trek's aluminum range.  SunTour XC LTD group (1991-?).  Neon yellow.  The pic does not have original components.  None do...
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<blockquote>
I’ll tell ya, my least favorite bike in the history of Trek is the 1991 6000. It was neon-yellow bike with black splash paint. It was perhaps the worst bike that we ever produced. It didn’t shift well, the brakes sucked. I kept the bike for about 20 years as a memory to never do anything like that again.
<cite>
John Burke, Trek CEO [[https://www.pinkbike.com/news/Trek-CEO-John-Burke-interview-2013.html|pinkbike]]
</cite>
</blockquote>


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<div column 45%>
{{1991.jpg?300|1991 6000 }}
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1991 6000
[[https://www.tkvco.com/?product_id=53210027_77|tkvco]]
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==== Production Notes ====
<WRAP #prod1 />
[1]. Many.  Trek sold 45,000 bikes in 1984 (([[https://www.referenceforbusiness.com/history2/98/Trek-Bicycle-Corporation.html]]))
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