1997 GT Bravado

[drystonepaul]

First proper ride out on my GT Bravado since I got hold of some Marzochhi Z2's which needed a bit of work.
I'm nearly there with the spec on this bike now...

I originally bought this bike as a frame and rigid fork brand new back in 1997. The deal included the Kore stem, headset and an unbranded seatpin.

The matching rigid forks were moth-balled and I built the bike up using parts from an existing bike plus a few newer bits, and then went through many incarnations as it grew older.
In 2004 I rode a 1000 mile route from John O'Groats to Land's End on this bike, and did the C2C in Mid-Winter a few months later.
My Bravado continued as my main off-roader up until 2005 when I eventually yeilded and purchased a new bike because I wanted front and rear disc brakes.

After going into semi retirement, my Bravado was re-united with it's original forks and spent about a year with slick tyres doing road duties. Then it spent a couple of years as a single-speed, and was generally treated as a winter hack bike.

It was when I discovered Retrobike that I re-evaluated how nice this bike was and still is. I've spent a few months gathering the missing parts to the original M737/739 XT groupset and restoring the Marzochhi Z2's to get to this stage.

I'm just waiting on some M221 rims, and a Conti front tyre, so that I can rebuild the wheels around the proper XT hubs.
For now I've got some modern wheels on, and I'm really happy with how it rides.
Next step will probably be making some replacement Kore decals for the stem and Control Tech decals for the seatpost. And then perhaps another 12 years of riding...

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NWA Retrobike Ride - Farleton Fell and Kirby Lonsdale - 21/11/09

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NWA Retrobike Ride Recce - Gisburn Forest - 19/02/10

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NWA Retrobike Ride - Clwydian Ranges Ride - 05/06/10

 

[cagiva gezzer]

I had one of those. Chainsuck killed the frame though.

LX / XT groupset, decent frame and fork and KORE parts cost me £550 at the end of the season.

Most of the kit is still going on my current frame.

Great little bikes and very responsive, shame it's hard to find decent steel frames now. Original hubs were LX.

 

[Dead Rats]

hey dude, what's with the cable ties on the XT v-brakes - I've never owned a set but have some coming this week from eBay - ?

 

[drystonepaul]

Stops the silver parallogram gubbins from rattling. I've heard you can get shim kits to 'tune up' your brakes once the pivots have started to wear, but they are like rocking horse sh*t, to the extent that I don't think they ever existed.
Someone told me about the cable-tie trick BITD and they've been like that for the past 12 years, so who am I to argue.

The original and best V-brake. Enjoy 'em.

 

[SeeingisBelievingGTMuseum]

I had one of those. Chainsuck killed the frame though.

Correction...bike owner killed the frame. There are things one can do to preserve a chainstay from getting sawed off by ones own chain.

 

[S8-Tom]

Stops the silver parallogram gubbins from rattling. I've heard you can get shim kits to 'tune up' your brakes once the pivots have started to wear, but they are like rocking horse sh*t, to the extent that I don't think they ever existed.
Someone told me about the cable-tie trick BITD and they've been like that for the past 12 years, so who am I to argue.

The original and best V-brake. Enjoy 'em.

I fitted the tune-up kit to my XT V's BITD. Consisted of shims a bit like disc caliper spacers. The brakes are still going on a mates commuter.
I've actually used disc caliper spacers on a friends Cane Creek brake-set which also featured the parallelogram mechanism. Bike was a '96ish Specialized Rockhopper with orange Manitou Spyders, XT and Ritchey, black frame.

 

[coomber]

Dredging this up from the past but have you still got this? Looks really smart with the bombers.

I have the 1997 English GT Catalogue so will be putting that in the archive soon as we currently only have it in German.

 

[totti]

That pic of the bike standing up at Gisburn Forest, with the hills in the background is awesome!
Looks an amazing place to ride...!

 

[drystonepaul]

Yep still got my Bravado. I've had it since new and I'm far too nostalgic to ever let it go. Plus it rides nicely too.

And Gisburn is always well worth a visit by the way.

 

[Drencrom]

Yep still got my Bravado. I've had it since new and I'm far too nostalgic to ever let it go. Plus it rides nicely too.

And Gisburn is always well worth a visit by the way.

Reading the write-up and seeing the pics made me come to that conclusion about your Bravado; some bikes are keepers aren't they. I've got a Bonty like that - it's not top-end but it's comfy, smooth and perfect for all-day-in-the-saddle rides.

Gisburn is on the list for this year - will be up that way in November, so it'd be rude not to get a ride in somewhere I hear mentioned a lot.