1994 GT Timberline FS

[kaytronika]

[/delurk]

Hello, I'm new here and I have a story to tell...

In April 1994 as a 14 year old lad I made a trip on my Falcon Arctic Fox BSO... The destination was Charnock Richards Cycles. Specifically the old store that is now home to a Christmas tree lights specialist.

The only reason for the journey was to kill time, little did I know it would be the beginning of my 16 year journey.

I walked around the store and set eyes upon one Evergreen GT Timberline FS with, for reasons which remain unclear, a black Tange fork. As a result of this anomaly, a mere £300 was required to leave with the bike.

I returned home excited and harassed my parents with possible suggestions for securing the bike. Eventually it was decided that, with my current bike as part ex, I could have the bike for my birthday. We returned a day later and the bike was mine.

Over the next 3 years I rode that bike everywhere, I upgraded it with what I could afford, I joined a cycle club based at Leisure Lakes, I visited Wales and the Lake District.

Fast forward to 2004 and my interest in bikes had been replaced with interest in booze. But a charity bike ride was suggested and I decided to invest in my current bike, a GT Avalanche 1.0. Sadly my poor GT Timberline had to go to make room for the new steed and it was promptly offloaded to a friend.

After the charity ride, my interest returned to their old beery ways until a 30 year old me decided to start getting some exercise. The Avalanche was brought to my home from my parents and fun was had. (I actually should post the 2004 bike in the 1998--> thread, it's pretty much 100% original and looks new)

My internet searching lead me to this fantastic site and I gazed longingly at some of the dream bikes of my youth whilst kicking myself for ever giving away my beloved Timberline.

A chance conversation with my old friend who has also recently taken an interest in bikes lead to me asking about my GT, to which he informed me that it was sat unused in his lean to.

To cut a very long story slightly shorter, my baby is now in my shed!



Now to the pics, it's not pretty but here goes...

 

[kaytronika]

The original fork would have been a Rock Shox Quadra 10, I assume the bike shop took that off and sold it on to someone else at some point. As I mentioned, it had a Tange fork on it when I got it. That's gone now too, sadly. The Mach 5 was a Christmas present and wasn't a great fork. It currently has the soft elastomers on and I get about 1 inch of travel, pretty much all I ever got. I'll overhaul the forks before I use it but I know they needed new bushings when I gave them away. Not sure I'll find those easily and not sure I'll be able to get the old ones out anyway.

The bike had a full Alivio groupset, but GT cut corners on the front hub and the headset which are both unbranded. When I had the fork fitted I was informed the original headset was on it's way out and I had the LX one fitted.

I remember the bike came with a silver bullhorn type handlebar, it was narrow and kept hooking round branches.

The future for this beast? Well it involves a big tub of muckoff and a big tub of degreaser in the short term.

As a minimum it'll need a new seat post and saddle, a new stem, a bottom bracket, some cantilevers... The V brakes are on basic Alivio levers... Massively spongy! I'll probably source all these parts second hand.

The rims are quite pitted from years of cantilever use, Is there any sort of measure as to being too pitted and thus unsafe to use? Money is limited but explodey rims could hurt.

The LX headset (aftermarket addition) is also pretty notchy, I'll give it an overhaul and see what can be done.

Planning to use it for towpath and trail riding when the Mrs joins me during the summer months, it's had a hard life and retirement will be leisurely.

Hope you enjoyed my trip down memory lane, I don't recall seeing many of these FS suffixed Timberlines in the past.

 

[D_XZ]

Nice!

Many people here try to build bikes that are reproductions of thier old steeds - it's even better to get your actual original bike back!

 

[otherself]

Nice to see these old girls still being treasured. I recently bought a used 1995 GT Tequesta frame & forks and although I've only put in about 50 miles thus far, the ride is very solidly nimble and a joy to ride.

http://www.bikepedia.com/QuickBike/Bike ... &Type=bike

 

[kaytronika]

I've been after the name of that handlebar for a while! GT Ergo. Thanks.

There's a nice looking Tequesta going through on Ebay at the mo. That was my backup plan if I couldn't get the Timberline FS back.

Looking at replacement wheelsets on Ebay.
Although I'm probably worrying about nothing, not like I'm going to be hammering this old girl any more.

 

[kaytronika]

It's not looking quite so bike like any more.

Using a Lidl cycle tool kit, some big spanners, a mallet and a quantity of swearing I now have a bare frame and a big bucket of bits.

The BB has survived 15 years of punishment and only a mild grind to it. Probably best to replace it.

The headset is a sorry case... When I pulled the fork off, the bearings exploded out of the cartridge and scattered across the garden.

Are LX bearings easy to source? Would have been around 1995/96 that it was fitted. I might be best getting a whole new headset.

 

[mikee]

looking promising

get on with it then

 

[S8-Tom]

Are LX bearings easy to source? Would have been around 1995/96 that it was fitted. I might be best getting a whole new headset.

Looking forward to seeing how this one comes along. The bearings are pretty standard items. Take one of the balls to a bearing supplier and they'll match it up. Alternatively, Halfords do headset bearings. Take one of your balls along :shock: and match it up.

 

[cce]

the LX headset has the shimano cartridge bearings i think.

 

[mikee]

i was gonna post that CRC do then but just checking the site
they dont list them ??

so ...