Thias
Klein Fan
... 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.
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.