1994 GT Karakoram

[KayOs]

As the weather is really bad at the moment, with drizzle and black ice, and I'm still waiting for parts for another project, I thought I'd post another build thread.
Maybe someone will be interested.

It's been a while since I spotted this GT on my way to the office. The sign says "To give away".
All right then, off to the shed...

 

[KayOs]

With some tires from the parts bin, I went for a little test drive.

GT is fun! But this thing really needs some love.

The plan was to use what's laying around and take the thing out on the trails.

Let's go!

 

[KayOs]

The bike has really suffered.

But a few beers, some polish, rust converter, cavity preservation and plenty of elbow grease later, the frame looks quite nice again.

After I had plundered the parts boxes, I was left with a very respectable bike.

 

[PanoIgano]

Hey! again, what a find...what don't I come across such give aways on my way to work? Do you live in retrobikeland?

It's funny what a strip off and clean up can do to a bike that looked passable just a few days before...

I really dig it! Good job...

Tagging in @PhillB who loves GT content too!

 

[KayOs]

Hey! again, what a find...what don't I come across such give aways on my way to work? Do you live in retrobikeland?

It's funny what a strip off and clean up can do to a bike that looked passable just a few days before...

I really dig it! Good job...

Tagging in @PhillB who loves GT content too!

I think you can call it retrobikeland somehow.
It used to be even better in the past.
The terrain is suited for riding MTBs.
There are US installations around here wich means some bikes came here that weren't sold in Germany.
Than there is a lot of money here wich means people who bought cool bikes in the 90s now buy new E-MTBs a lot and want to get rid of their old bikes.
It's a car city within a car nation wich means there is not really much interest in bikes even more old mountainbikes so there are only a few buyers wich keeps the prices low.
Ohh and you always have the people that want to try every new Sport and overeqiup themselfes only to learn they don't really like said Sport.
That means you also can find pretty nice specced bikes that haver barely been ridden.
And since you also can only have a certain amount of bulky waste collected free of charge each year here in the city, many people try to give away the stuff they no longer want in their apartment or cellar first.

 

[KayOs]

I wasn't quite happy with the gears and the Suntour parts and as someone online had been looking for them I sold them and swapped them for some Shimano LX/XT parts I got from another scrap bike which somehow worked better together.
I liked what I had put together, but unfortunately it was still far too clean....but that can be changed
Let's goooo!

 

[PhillB]

That is one sweet find!!

Karakaroms are super bikes

 

[zonoskar]

Looking real nice!

 

[PanoIgano]

I think you can call it retrobikeland somehow.
It used to be even better in the past.
The terrain is suited for riding MTBs.
There are US installations around here wich means some bikes came here that weren't sold in Germany.
Than there is a lot of money here wich means people who bought cool bikes in the 90s now buy new E-MTBs a lot and want to get rid of their old bikes.
It's a car city within a car nation wich means there is not really much interest in bikes even more old mountainbikes so there are only a few buyers wich keeps the prices low.
Ohh and you always have the people that want to try every new Sport and overeqiup themselfes only to learn they don't really like said Sport.
That means you also can find pretty nice specced bikes that haver barely been ridden.
And since you also can only have a certain amount of bulky waste collected free of charge each year here in the city, many people try to give away the stuff they no longer want in their apartment or cellar first.

Well yeah...I was right then...that's retrobikeland defined!

Came out real nice btw.

Enjoy riding it!