1992 GT Avalanche "Dry Ice" (101 Dalmations)

[Rich Aitch]

This is the 18" GT Avalanche frame which I have just brought from cleiende, as a frame, stem, fork, headset, bar and brake job lot. He also threw in a matching bottle cage and a bottle of beer which I will drink tommorrow night at the Yorks and NE national ride... if I get it finished in time.
My plan is to build it up to ride it at the ride, and then rebuild it as a winter bike, as the first time I saw a "real live Dry Ice Avalanche" was at a NE Retrobike ride in Settle just after a freak snow fall and the snow camoflage looked really apt. It'll have Nokian snow stud tyres eventually. For the moment though it is a case of throwing stuff at it and seeing what fits...

 

[Mr.Toad]

Very cool.

How's the progress going?

 

[Rich Aitch]

Not too bad thanks, I've managed to get hold of a Hope 28.6mm seat clamp and the seat pillar from my Stumpjumper fits straight away. The wheels are ready to go on and if used a MAVIC shim to make a Record OR top pull front shifter fit but I think it's going to be decorative because there is a gear cable guide missing (The lad I brought it from had used it as a single speed, so he may never have had that part), so I'm not happy about the cable line for the front gears.

 

[Rich Aitch]

Sort of finished now, it's "Good enough", the rest can be done later. I've had a quick shake down ride on it and the bodged front cable routing works way better than I thought it would, although the Shimano UN54 BB, STX cranks and Record OR shifter don't seem to be a good combination for getting onto the big ring. Mr Lee's telephone advice and Antfox's posting helped me sort out the wierd cable routing for the rear shifter, which goes through a brake boss.

First impressions are that it feels like a smaller bike than it looks but with nice road manners. The 3D fork offset can't be changed without buggering up the brake position and I can't work out how you change the angle on the flip-flop stem but I'm not sure I'd need to as the position feels fine like this. Looking forward to riding it this weekend.

 

[xxnick1975]

Nice, but you need to adjust your saddle

 

[mikee]

These are fantastic bikes to ride GMAC karmad me a trauma'd frame so I built it s/s with stuff I had
It's lovely

It's the bike I take when I just need to ride , the frame has a stuck post ,the crank threads are gone ,the b/b is a bit tired ,but it still is brilliant and direct to ride , love it
Mike

 

[cleiende]

Sort of finished now, it's "Good enough", the rest can be done later. I've had a quick shake down ride on it and the bodged front cable routing works way better than I thought it would, although the Shimano UN54 BB, STX cranks and Record OR shifter don't seem to be a good combination for getting onto the big ring. Mr Lee's telephone advice and Antfox's posting helped me sort out the wierd cable routing for the rear shifter, which goes through a brake boss.

First impressions are that it feels like a smaller bike than it looks but with nice road manners. The 3D fork offset can't be changed without buggering up the brake position and I can't work out how you change the angle on the flip-flop stem but I'm not sure I'd need to as the position feels fine like this. Looking forward to riding it this weekend.

Hi Rich,

this is the lad you you bought the frame from. I am cleaning up my "wrenching dungeon" or "mancave" these days. I am confident that I will find what you are looking for, a front derailleur cable routing and potentially a matching GT front cable hanger. If not in my boxes then at a local bikeshop that sold GT for a long time. But be assured that the cable routing with a piece of outer housing does work well.
And get rid of that STX crankset, the rings are a royal pain in the ...... , I used them on two bikes for my boys but not for long. When it comes to bad shifting STX sets the landmark. A good old DX gruppo would be most suitable for the frame.

edit: Changing the stems angle. Well, it is called flip-flop. The mechanism for securing the stem to the steerer exists twice, one on each and of that tube.
Step 1: remove stem
Step 2: loosen the central screw a bit more
Step 3: use a hammer mildly (!) to drive out the top cone and you will have a tube with two sliding elements that secure everything and of course the "kind of ahead stem" part. Flip the stem and love the pain while riding.
Hope that explains it, cannot provide pictures as you have the last flip-flop stem that I owned.

By the way: How was your ride yesterday?

Final remark: The frame was not used as singlespeed bike, I was glad when I had my first bike with a gears after the inevitable childrens' bikes. No desire to get back to these dark times. I had an 8-speed Alfine gearhub in that frame.

 

[MADJEZ]

Looking great, I have an all original one.
Paint needs a bit of TLC other than that it's sweet.

 

[Rich Aitch]

The riding weekend went really well- one longish ride both days.
The rear U brake is superb, although even with a 1.9" tyre there isn't much clearence but that wasn't a problem as it was bone dry both days, no mud. Bike felt taller than I'm used to although oddly it didn't feel as long as it looked. Generally very comfy. I get the impression that it's biased a bit towards fire roads and fast sweepers. On the woodland single track if felt a bit of a pig but looking at the beer and cake stop photo's from after the woods I can see that I'd got the 3D forks set up for the longest wheelbase. When I tried the other settings later I didn't notice any difference but maybe I should have tried the shortest setting in the woods. Altering the fork dropouts position means the cantilever blocks need tweaking too, so it isn't a one hit adjustment. Likewise the flip-flop stem couldn't be adjusted without tapping it out with a stick, so again it is a slightly more complicated mid-ride adjustment than the original advertising would have you believe.
All in all; it has potential. I've ordered some more bits for it so I'll report back once they've been fettled.

Thanks for Kaya for the photo's of the ride.

The GT gents

 

[Rich Aitch]

Tinkering today, I fitted a Sugino Impel 42, 32 20 chain ring to give it better climbing [And so I can put the Shimano STX back on my beloved Kawasaki]. Because the Impel cranks are 175mm not 170 I thought it might make the whole thing a bit too uncomfy for my short legs so I fitted Campagnolo Icarus pedals who's cages are quite a bit deeper than the "Whatever they were's" that have gone back on the Kawasaki, and took a few links out of the chain.

My Nokian Hakkapeliitta 106 studded tyres came today- who hoo!- and I need to fit them sometime as it says do 30 road miles before you try them on ice or snow, to get the studs bedded in. Once the tyres done then the bike's already for winter. Before that though I want to fit the new gears, I've got the stuff ready, apart from the front gear cable guide widget which I've been promised now by a couple of people. No point fitting it all until I have the full set of bits.

I took it up for a quick test ride on Flasby Fell after tea. A lovely evening- apart from the humidity- and the "longest" fork setting seems to work best on the gravel roads, also very smooth. I'm starting to notice how springy the frame is. Hopefully next time I ride it it'll have the rear shifter I'm holding out for and the contrary Suntour jobby can go back in hell's own spares box.