Trek Fuel 90 2004 - Update: 24/05, Nearly complete!

mfereborn

Hey lads and lasses, i havent been around in god know how long so it's good to be back!

basically i lost any will to cycle once i got into motorbikes - fortunately i'm starting a new university course where cycling is a big feature (outdoor education) and so because i cant afford a half decent bike i'm going to build one!

So the plan is to build a bike up gradually on whatever little i can find to spend on parts, and waiting for bargains and cheap bits to crop up, it needs to be ready for september and im looking for a general use 100mm travel XC build, hopefully it'll come in at <25lb initially and i'll whittle that down over time as i replace and improve parts.

Heres the first part of the puzzle:



I bought it on eBay for what i feel is a justified price of £220.
Its the old model Trek Fuel frame from what i believe to be either '03 or '04, this same model was used until '05 i believe though.

The frame came with a Float R shock, XT Hollowtech Crankset, Deore XT front mech, fsa seatpost, headset and XT hollowtech chainset. For £220 i reckon that was a reasonable price, although a little more than i wished to pay initially!

I'll upload a picture of the somewhat controversial forks when they arrive!

Cheers!

mfereborn

Oh and i'm unsure if it counts for much but it came with the rear disc convertor too!

ilovedirt

Not a bad score for £220! Looking forward to seeing this being built up, i prefer seeing budget builds to 5 grand super builds with brand new parts!

mfereborn

See thats the thing, i was going to build a top-spec hard tail alst year but realistically id have had no disposable income after it, so i've decided to do this by scrounging parts from ebay and similar.

I dont want standard or basic parts, i'd still like decent bits and pieces, but im not concerned with having 2nd hand scuffed aprts anyway, because bikes are for riding.

Furthermore its all trial and error and will be interesting to see what i can get for my money - when the forks arrive im sure i'll get a lot of "Scrap them now theyre cr@p!" comments, but i see an upside to them!

Yeah i'd like the best i could find, but i cant afford that now, and i couldnt maximise its potential, so wheres the point in that?

inthemicz

I've just gone through the same process.

It's great building it up from scratch seeing what bargains you can find.

I will have pictures of mine up soon. Look forward to seeing what you do on yours.

mfereborn

Thanks, i'm struggling really as i'm kinda.... poor seeing as im paying £1400 a year for car insurance, whilst being a student, and having just paid off 2 weeks all inclusive to lanzarote!

But the bargains are turning up - im scouring the classifieds day by day to see if theres anything i consider cheap and im watching ebay for poorly advertised or poor quality (scuffed and scratched) items that noone else wants.

I did manage to win some cheap SPD's on ebay last night however in my ignorance, and not knowing what i needed for them i didnt note they had no cleats and so i've requested a refund (with massive apologies on my behalf i might add!)

it's a bit of a learning curve, fortunately thats aided by a comprehensive knowlege of how motorcycles work, and some past experience of downhill bikes.

The main problem is finances i'm about £100 down, with an overdraft of £750 - The car may have to go next! :shock:

Edit: On the note of the pedals The amazing man on ebay has supplied a pair of used cleats FOC so that i can go ahead with the original trasaction - even more money saved, even if they will need renewing in the more near future than a new set of cleats

mfereborn

Right, a little update - i've bought a few bits and pieces in the past week and a half, and the first of them should arrive tomorrow hopefully - we should see some visual progress at least in the next fortnight or so!

I'm not wanting to name any brands or models of what i've bought (i'll let future pictures do that) however so far i've ticked off the list:

The frame
The shock
Chainset
Pedals,
Headset (x2!)
headset spacers
stem
bar
grips
saddle
seatpost
seatpost clamp
and 2 pairs of very different forks.

Hopefully all being well i may have a wheelset, and potentially a set of brakes but im waiting for the guy to contact me on that front.

Pics to follow as parts arrive!

ilovedirt

Oh come on, i wanna know what fork you've bought now! Manitou or something??

mfereborn

Oh don't get you're hopes up, i can't afford fancy things like that

Hopefully today i'll reveal it!

cgarossi

Suntour Bedspring LX?

mfereborn

Mr.CGArossi - You're getting warmer...

Here they are:

Can you tell what it is yet?


How about now?


Now?






Oh go on then...


Yep, that's right, F1RST Air made by RST - They are renowned for their poor quality low end forks however they apparantly make some quite decent (and cheap!) good spec forks, they are relatively new to building what i would consider quality forks however this product appears to be really good. All components are nicely finished, made of good material, everything works well (if not better than some top end manufacturers gear!) and theyre quite light. Only down side is they come with a post mount, and i didnt get the non-V brake mount version.

I genuinely think for what i paid you can't go wrong after i've had a little play with them...

Her they are mocked up on the trek - i'm awaiting a few more components yet so consider these a low-cost tease!







I'll dig out a spec for the forks and post them up - please no comments on how i should have bought something else for the money, because i think for the money i'd have been hard pushed to find anything comparable. They will likely be replaced in the future when money allows, however this build is to get me back on two wheels and so i think they're a very good starting point!

mfereborn

Fork Spec:
F1RST AIR

STEERER 28.6mm 7050 Aluminum

CROWN PITCH 130mm

CROWN Aluminum Satin Black

STANCHION 30mm 7050 Aluminum ,Hard Anodize

CASTING Magnesium

ADJUSTMENT Air, Rebound, Compression, Lock-out

FEATURES Air spring Hyddraulic Rebound-adjust Lock-out Air spring

SYSTEM Oil ( R ) , Air ( L )

TRAVEL(mm) 100

BRAKE TYPE Disc & V-brake

WEIGHT(kgs)(w/200mm steerer) 1.70

cgarossi

Never heard of them. They look ok though. Are they an OEM rebranding of a different fork perhaps?

That Trek frame needs some love though, maybe a respray?

mfereborn

Im not sure if it is or isnt a rebranded fork, as certain things would suggest maybe they are made in the same factory as some others, i havent really bothered to look to be honest but i may compare schematics tonight!

The frame is in good condition to be honest, however my lighting and photography does it few favours - its been resrayed black once in the past, when funds allow i plan to have it powdercoated, however that likely wont be until this paint is past its best.

On the note of the headset, howare you mean to install them?!

Well that isnt really the problem to be honest... my problem is the headset is pre-installed in the frame properly, however i think the crown race musnt be the correct part as when i install it onto the forks the forks and headset dont mate cleanly...

its really frustrating and the only thing i can think is that perhaps i have a spare bearing?

Basically the top end of the headset assembles fine, however the bottom half is confusing me beyond belief, there is a bearing inside the headset lower-cup already, however i have another shorter bearing that i believe sits against the lower cups bearing. my problem is if i do this then there is a gap between forks and headset of about 4mm, if i remove the bearing i believe to eb surplus then the front end feels loose and has play in it - would this be normal or should i wait until i have the front end assembled to concern myself?

the only other thing i can think is that the headrace bearing/shim is infact the wrong type, although it was supplied with the headset.

mfereborn

Yesterday we hit a problem in that the bearings the seller supplied with the headset were not correct, well one of them was - but i also think the supplied corwn race was wrong, so i've ordered two new bearings and the crown race for £21... Expense i cant really afford but hey - i've got a large overdraft!

mfereborn

Interesting fact: Having bought all second hand parts in useable to excellent condition i have spent £615 including the frame at £220. If i had bought the parts new i would have spent £926 EXCLUDING frame. thats a saving of at least £500 i'd say! Furthermore i've got no worries about scratching it. I tried to find a bike with a similar spec to my own but i cant so i have no idea of its true value but i'd estimate somewhere around £1000-£1500 to be appropriate, big gap - i know, but ive no idea!

Little update today, i've bought pretty much everything that i need to mock-build the bike now. All i need is brakes (complete set), skewers, a 9speed cassette (which the seller of the frame should be supplying!), 3/9 speed shifters with cables.

I dare say theres another £100 to spend yet, assuming i can find some cheapies online.

I've kind of gone a little overboard though, i now have 3 wheels, whereas i only need 2, and i've also got 3 very different forks...

Whereas i only need 1. Infact i've spent about £200 on forks alone!

In theory one or two things should arrive tomorrow - so for anyone following this project you'll have to wait, but heres a list of things i've purchased for the build. I did also get carried away and have 3 pairs of forks now... Woops!


Frame: Trek Fuel 90 17.5"
Forks: Rockshox Recon Race Solo Air 2009
Shock: Fox Float R
Bars: Easton EA70 Flats
Stem: Easton EA70 100mm, 6 degree rise
Headset: FSA Orbit XLII
Grips: Kona Mooseknuckle
Bar Ends:

Front Brake Lever assy:
Front Caliper:
Front disc:
Rear Brake Lever assy:
Rear Caliper:
Rear Disc:
Hoses:


Shifters: Sram X7
Cables: Sram(?)
Front Mech: Deore XT
Rear Mech: Deore XT (?)

Seat: WTB Laser V
Seat Post: FSA SL280
Seat Post Clamp: Pro-lite

Cranks: Deore XT Hollowtech II
Chainring(s): Deore XT Hollowtech II
Chain: Shimano Dura-Ace 9 speed 7701
Cassette: Shimano XT
Pedals: Shimano M520 SPD
Bottom Bracket: Deore XT Hollowtech II

Wheelset: Mavic Crossride 2009
Tubes:
Tyres: Panaracer Fire XC 2.1

Weight:

mfereborn

Just purchased a used set of Avid Juicy 3's in good condition complete with discs and mounts - £70, not too bad

Pictures will follow as parts arrive!

njee20

Without being too negative you'll struggle to get it under 25lbs, they were nice bikes though, deserved to be more popular IMO.

Keep an eye on the bushes, if the main pivot gets too worn it can trash the frame.

mfereborn

Cheers mate, i believe the bushes are pretty durable and theres no play currently but i'm going to have the swinger off in a couple of weeks (once im home from uni) and just grease everything.

And i expect 25lb may be pushing it, it was a guesstimate! I'll likely just build it up so i'm happy with it and leave it be, its just an xc bike to get me back into the sport and for a total spend of £700ish its not a bad spec!

I cant wait to start building it though!

Laurence25

I have been following this post and so far i am very very impressed, u have even convinced me to buy a trek ex frame that i have been putting off 4 ages...............All though i best Finish the current build first

mfereborn

Cheers man, im not too sure whats impressive about it - seeing all these big posh super-builds all over the forum makes me think people won't care for a teenager building a 'standard' bike!

Good to hear people like what i'm writing so far though, i'll hopefully make things much more interesting in the near future with some pretty pictures

Im quite proud of myself for getting the spec i have for the money ive spent, it was quite a feat!

El Capitano

mfereborn wrote:

im watching ebay for poorly advertised or poor quality (scuffed and scratched) items that noone else wants.

This is what you can do to scuffed parts with some Nitromors, Autosol and elbow grease:

Before:



After:





Not 100% perfect but cost me nothing.

Edit: Oh, and serious bargain with that frame. Should make a nice build.

mfereborn

When you say "serious bargain" how so? I never grew up around quality pieces of kit so im oblivious as to how goo they were (or were not!)

Why are they good? I only bought it because it was cheap and local when i first bid on it :oops:

Hopefully the forks ive got will compliment it well - and a fox float rp23 will go down nicely when i can afford one - even a float with pro-pedal for that matter, but ive been told these frames didnt actually need such features as propedal as they coped well?

Laurence25

Well i am so impressed as i am a teenager my self nd i no how u feel about all the budgeting side of things And i am also currently building up a bike to , mine is a 2010 orange crush from frame only i am going to post it up on here as soon as the forks arrive. but anyways good luck with the rest of the build and if there is anything i can help with then please do give me a shout

El Capitano

mfereborn wrote:

When you say "serious bargain" how so? I never grew up around quality pieces of kit so im oblivious as to how goo they were (or were not!)

Why are they good? I only bought it because it was cheap and local when i first bid on it :oops:

Hopefully the forks ive got will compliment it well - and a fox float rp23 will go down nicely when i can afford one - even a float with pro-pedal for that matter, but ive been told these frames didnt actually need such features as propedal as they coped well?

Re the bargain - that's due to the kit that came with it (for that price). I paid £160 for my NRS's frame and that came with nothing fitted and a borked shock.

If the rear end on that frame works in a similar way to that on my NRS (similar design) then there's very little (or no) pedal bob. If I stand up out of the saddle, the back end locks up and acts like a hardtail. I'd wait until it's built and you've had time to ride it before deciding on if you need to get at seriously expensive rear shock, with all the bells and whistles. That said, I did replace my borked shock with a DT Swiss 190 SSL one...

mfereborn

Yeah that was my train of thought, wait until the shock either dies or my ability surpasses the level the float R can offer me.

Speaking of the NRS i was bidding on one on ebay before i bought the fuel, however there was nothing about it online so i left it and held out on the trek instead.

On the note of the build, still parts not arriving - im unsure whether they just took a while to be sent out (private seller from here - i only bought them monday tbf!) or keele university has a time delay in processing parcels to their students.

However my headset bearings arrived today, and they are lovely compared to the worn ones currently on the bike, however they didnt solve my headset problems and it turns out the headrace is indeed the wrong one, luckily that is in the post (somewhere!).

Apologies for the pictures taking so long to come along, however theres little to show at the moment!

mfereborn

Well, a little tease arrived today - i saw the white slip on the student union wall showing i had parcels... unfortunately it was just these! Oh and i apologise for the picture quality - Some idiot left his camera charger in Durham, which so happens to be 200miles from where im living during term, so i've resorted to the good old Sony Ericsson.

Shimano SPD's i won for £8


Headset bearings (New (bottom) Vs. Old (top))


I'm secretly hoping that a big parcel arrives tomorrow but with it being Saturday i wont hold my breath!

More to come!

mfereborn

Well!
Today was a happy day as the first of my 10 or so parcels arrive - This one was courtesy of Grubby, having gotten a good deal on this lot:

My Deore M531 rear mech arrives in superb condition :



A second pair of forks arrives in the form of a great condition pair of Rock Shox Dart 2's, unfortunately these are now surplus to demand after a recent purchase:



My tasty Easton EA70's lie awaiting their new home on the bike:



As well as their stem-type cousin:



And finally a nice little WTB saddle in black with red stitch, i think it'll work nicely with the bikes 'dark' colour scheme:



And here are a few of parts that have come with the bike, or arrived in the mean time:


















The bike as she stands now:



A few tarty pics:







More to follow Monday i hope!

The only downside is i havent actually got any tools with me here at uni, so unless i can source some, things like putting bars on will have to wait a couple of weeks!

cgarossi

Coming along nicely

mfereborn

Thanks man

Must remember to resize picture sbefore uploading them in future though!

grubby

Thom,
If it is an xt I want another tenner!!!!!