Recently, I came across a Trek 820 on Marketplace for the right price. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it in time to buy it. But, when I did make it to the guy’s house, he had a 1994 Specialized Rockhopper GX that he had just finished fixing up.
He found it in a barn, I think, and had done very little work to bring it back to life. The rims needed to be brushed, the derailleurs & brakes needed adjustments, and it sounded like he added new cables, maybe new housing. He put a fresh pair of tires on (and put new tubes in ’em) and it was ready to rip. He also included a sick little 6-pack rack on the front. Super clean with a green color, I was thrilled.
I had been looking for an old MTB to turn into a commuter and this fit the bill just right. It’s a 3×7, so all the range I need for my 10 mile commute with barely any elevation. Here’s what I’ve done so far and what I plan to do:
What I’ve Done
- Added a rear rack
- Added a pannier
- Replaced stock pedals with flats & straps from my previous commuter
- Replaced bottom bracket (the original spindle was too narrow and the left crank was rubbing on the frame. Got one with a longer spindle)
- Replaced saddle with a take off from an old bike
- The OG saddle is cool but hurt my butt!
- Added a bell (of course)
What I’ll Do (soon)
- Replace flats with different flats & straps (camo!)
- Replace cockpit
- Replace quill stem with threadless adapter
- Add new stem & handlebars
- Replace grip shifters & brake levers with combo shift & brake levers
- Replace grips
- Add headset-mounted front cantilever brake cable guide
- Replace cables & housing
- Replace chain
What I’ll Do (later)
- Replace wheelset
- Might build a new set using the OG hubs
- Replace crankset
Photos


