Job Done
I finished installing all the new parts last week but haven’t had a chance to try them out yet, due to the weather and trail conditions at Sugar Bottom. The new fork is very plush, with adjustable travel as well as rebound and compression damping. In my limited testing it appears to soak up curb-sized objects with very little effort. I think it’ll prove to be a really nice upgrade considering all the roots on the SB trails.
The disc brakes look great, although I had a minor drama with the caliper mounting when I discovered the frame didn’t have disc tabs at the rear. It turns out I needed to buy a proprietary Trek disc-o-mount adapter. I was able to find a used one at Scheels, although it’s bright red and draws attention to itself on the black frame. The brakes initially required a bit of tuning to quiet an embarrassing squealing issue, but now everything’s working great.
Check out the progression of the Trek: stock; new tires, pedals, saddle, and stem; new wheels, brakes, fork, and handlebar. All that remains untouched is the drivetrain, brake/shift levers, and the seatpost. I also switched the original Trek wheels to the Rockhopper (which is set up as my road bike) because they’re newer and have black spokes, for that stealth look.
