Rebuilding Retro!

Before I was born, my dad lived in Vermont, where mountain biking was far more common than in Florida, and there, he bought a mountain bike back in 1998. He purchased the all-new Trek VRX 200, but almost 30 years later, he still has it! My dad rode the bike on the rough trails of Vermont for years, putting it through plenty of hard rides and rough terrain. Even after all those years of use, the bike stayed with him instead of being thrown away. My dad gave his old VRX to me when I proposed a plan to him. I showed him some vintage and rugged downhill and enduro bikes that are given extreme value. I told him that if he lets me strip all the parts and salvage some, I could turn it into one of these crazy downhill mountain bikes. Instead of letting the VRX sit around as an old mountain bike, I wanted to rebuild it and give it a completely new purpose.

The overall plan and design for the bike rebuild is to first strip the bike down to the frame. Next, I want to order parts from places where I can get the most bang for my buck, like Facebook Marketplace, Etsy, and maybe even Goodwill. I want to find good-quality parts without spending a huge amount of money, while also giving the bike a unique look. Because of my ADHD, I’ve always loved to fidget and work with my hands, especially when it comes to bikes. My parents were happy when I came up with this project because it gives me something productive to focus my energy on. Rebuilding the bike will also help me learn more about how every part works and improve my bike repair skills.