1987 Trek 8000 XT

1986 Trek 8000XT mountain bike in camoflage

Oh, it was good to be a mountain biker in the ’80’s.

For instance, in 1987 you got to choose between camouflage and neon pink paint colors for your bike.  This was important, as you wanted the bike to look good with your matching Oakley sunglasses (that were big enough to cover your entire head).  In those days chainrings were oval, forks were curved and made out of steel, brake levers were huge, aluminum was considered “high-tech”, and nobody gave you a hard time if you used the word “rad” in a sentence.

This bike was a particularly rad bike from Trek. It featured Hi-tech aluminum frame tubing that was glued into aluminum lugs. It was equipped with Shimano’s first dedicated mountain bike component group, Deore XT (M730). The Avocet computer on the handlebar didn’t come stock, but it was an accessory that everyone wanted in the late ’80’s. The Brooks saddle, however, was not very popular at that time and must have been an addition that came aboard a decade later or so…

ODI Mushroom grips, Avocet 20 bike computer

A Hite-Rite allowed you to adjust your saddle on the go

Shimano’s Indexed shifting

Deore XT U-brake

Trek had a good time in the ’80’s.  They turned out radical machines like this 8000XT mountain bike, and riders lined up around the block (in their acid-washed denim) to be the first to get one.