1996 GT LTS Thermoplast - Will I ever...

[Thias]

... finish this one?

I bought that frame waaay back. Should have been around 2004 or 5. I don't remember exactly. I was still a student, earned my first money as an administrator at the university. Those were my first steps into been a "responsible" adult. I hadn't been riding any bikes at that time for 4 or so years. But when I stumbled upon that frame on ebay, I just could't resist. This was THE dream frame of mine - period.

When I was in my last year of high school and at the peak of my "mountainbiking obsession" - one of the peaks, looking at it now - I saw that kind of frame at the local bike shop I used to hang out a lot in those days. And I remember clearly my reaction when I first saw it. I was in love!

And the price tag made my heart break.

I had just spent 4000 DM (about 3200 Euro in todays money) for my Hercules titanal build. I thought, that was a lot of money. But that LTS did cost the same. Bare frame!

Well. Back to 2004/5, I got the frame for 400 Euro. I was happy, when it arrived. Did a quick'n'cheap build with some really cheap components. (We're talking badly used Hollowtec LX cranks, RS Judy TT, Gripshift...) I did very few rides, got annoyed by the shot RS "deluxe" dampener and the creaking cranks and- well - stopped biking entirely for a few years.



Fast forward to my current "peak" - this frame has been haunting me for years. Everytime I see it, my heart clenches. As I feel this should have been the first bike to build. This should be the crown jewel of my - for lack of a better term - "collection". But I just could't make up my mind on how to build it. In my mind no part was good enough, no theme would make the frame stand out enough. I was thinking and planing the perfect bike, time and time again. Only to get scared of the possibilities and putting it back on the wall.

But this weekend I came to a conclusion. I thought to myself: "You can't do it. You can not build the perfect bike. You'll just have to accept that. Relax. Build the next ratty bike like you always do and just enjoy!"

So that's what I'm going to do. The 'I don't care" GT LTS Thermoplast build coming up.

 

[Thias]

So. Let's get to it.
First order of now relaxed business: Hack rear suspension.
I really don't like the Rock Shox deluxe shocks. But to find a better shock that is as short as those - 145mm iirc - nearly impossible.
But I do have a 165mm SID rear shock. Maybe I can make that work?


Seems complicated...
Maybe I should complete the rest of the bike, so I can actually test that kind of hack job. For clearance and so on..


SID in the rear might also go well with SID up front...


This is also a first for me. I have yet to try and ride a SID fork. But before that: Disassembly. Of course.


It's a good thing, I took that fork apart. I was able to spot a broken spring washer in one of the legs.



What I think is interesting with that fork: It's basically a Judy Hydracoil, but with air instead of steel springs. The whole dampening assembly seems to be made out of the same parts as a Judy Hydracoil SL. I really didn't know that.

What I also learned today is, that you can "travel" these forks to 65mm or 80mm. As I understand, this one should be set to 80mm of travel. Because there is no spacer thingy attached to the dampener spring. But how do I know if the other side rod is turned correctly?

 

[Thias]

I read the instructions again, now I know. That neutral shaft has a thin ring engraved on one end. It can be seen in the next pic. For 80mm travel, it should point downwards. So it was not configured correctly by the last guy who had this fork.

The fork is now back together, but I'll have to figure out how to fill it with air. I do have that adapter thingy, but it doesn't fit any of my pumps. It's wierd.

 

[Thias]

Parts menu on the table. While I wait for a few new parts to arrive, I'm looking forward to cleaning this mess.



Not sure about the cranks. They've seen a lot in their life. Should I try and paint them? Or maybe go for a different set entirely? I think, I'll use these for a bit and decide later.

 

[mk one]

Short shock here -

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/22539780...m6AahQ=|tkp:Bk9SR-SQ8fvGYQ&LH_ItemCondition=4

 

[Thias]

Over the weekend, I mounted the XTR crank to the frame and came to the realization that I really really don't like the looks.

So change of plans. RaceFace it will be.

 

[Thias]

New parts day. A pair of RaceKings 2.2 with inner tubes, a new cassette.
The wheelset for the first try will be this. ChrisKing ratchet for the rear and Hügi up front. The rims are a bit of a mismatch for now. That'll have to change at some point.




Just realized I don't have any spare Flites any more.
Damn. Time to panic.

I'm also tip toeing around the fact, that i still have to strap in those internal cables. Does anybody know if those frames had liners inside the frame? Because I don't really understand the cable management concept here. I can put a liner through the front holes. But not at the back. Do I have to clip the liners just short of the rear cable stops underneath the seattube?
Or maybe no liner?

 

[Thias]

Today I went and finised version 0.8 of the bike. Thats for doing the first few rides. I'll change a few parts later.

Putting in the internally routed cables sure is a massive pain. The cable management seems like an afterthought. Especially the two cables above the top pivot. You have to route them in a slight S-shaped tight curve into a 2mm hole, that you can't see or even feel. It's disgusting.

Here are a few pics, but I'm not sure they are able to convey the pain properly...






Then I had to do some maintainance to the old set of XTR M950 brakes.

That's also nothing I like to do. Especially the part where you have to detatch those pressfit parts. I'm alway getting the feeling that they will whallow out if you do that more than 3 times...
But then again, the pads are a breeze to set up with these.

And the worst thing about all that. I had to constantly fight my urge to just use a drill. Slap a Magura on and that would be the end to all that nonsense...

 

[legrandefromage]

My LTS rear end

 

[legrandefromage]

and my STS