1997 GT Edge Aero

[Guinessisgoodforyou]

I like the brushed finish.

 

[Blackbike]

I like the brushed finish.

Thanks Bob,
I used the wax for the final finish, it maintained the brushed finish and now has a nice sheen. The new used 7800 derailleur shipped and should be delivered by Friday so only six more days of downtime.

Have a grand week: Mike

 

[Blackbike]

Every once in a while I actually score and it arrived 3 days early.
I'm still waiting on a few bits and pieces but we are going to tear this thing apart and fit it with the long cage...

https://flic.kr/p/2qY45Dw

: Mike

 

[Blackbike]

While waiting for derailleur parts, brake parts showed up. I finished going through the 7800 calipers with a clean, lube, polish, Swiss Stop BXP pads, and installed some black titanium hardware. Just because you can't have to much black titanium hardware.

https://flic.kr/p/2qYdaQE

https://flic.kr/p/2qYdwtT

Best Wishes: Mike

 

[Blackbike]

I have a confession to make... I am a twisted puppy combining weight weenieism with a severe Japanese NJS/Keirin fetish.

The entire cockpit, bars, stem, seatpost, pedals, and the most recent acquisition the saddle are all NJS stamped Keirin parts. Why, I just really like this stuff.

A example of the rare and unusual is the MKS Custom Nuevo Wide pedals with titanium axles and a fresh overhaul with new cartridge bearings... 238 Grams...

https://flic.kr/p/2qY8Wdq

And a Japanese market NJS stamped Selle Italia Titanium flite...

https://flic.kr/p/2qYf9iP

It's a disease I tell ya... Mike

 

[SeeingisBelievingGTMuseum]

Some of my thoughts on the GT project.

https://flic.kr/p/2qVyrkL

https://flic.kr/p/2qVyrkF

Build quality is very nice and all the welds are hand tig welded, the joint prep and all the welds are very consistent leading me to believe the aero frames were built one at a time.
Reynolds tubing was also involved. Tiemeyer Cycles, Inc. in Colorado builder of the aluminum 1996 Olympic bikes for GT also fabricated the Aero Edge using the same hydroformed aluminum tubing used for the Olympic bikes. This makes sense as GT had to pay Reynolds for the tooling for the Olympic bikes, the cost recovery by manufacturing the production bikes from the same tooling and materials would spread out the costs.
So the bike and its history is interesting enough it was deemed worthey for a build.
I took some time to get the rear triangle aligned so the wheel/tire was actually on the centerline of seat tube, this frame has a bit of a "history" behind it so it took some time to bring it back to spec. Now it's pretty much dead on, it's a STIFF frame. Paint is 7 out of 10, so full speed ahead.
As usual I do my own thing so this build should be... Interesting.

Another mockup photo:

https://flic.kr/p/2qTWSst

: Mike

Tiemeyer Cycles did not build GT's. ...Tiemeyer Cycles was before the GT Tech Shop...prior to 93. David Tiemeyer was an employee at the GT Tech Shop in Longmont, CO. He was one of many welders at the GT Tech Shop at that time. I'm also not sure how you are guessing on the tubing brand. Possible the downtube is what you called out but those frames were likely a blend.

 

[SeeingisBelievingGTMuseum]

I've never seen a 650c one. I was about to ask if you'd mixed it up with something else but it looks like the Vengeance model with the aero downtube were 650c. There's a catalogue scan here: https://www.pedalroom.com/bike/1997-gt-edge-aero-21036

They must have been brutal to ride!

Aero Edge frames were offered in the Catalog in 96 and 97. Aero Fury complete bike model as well. The Vengeance was the 650c triathlon model.

 

[Blackbike]

Tiemeyer Cycles did not build GT's. ...Tiemeyer Cycles was before the GT Tech Shop...prior to 93. David Tiemeyer was an employee at the GT Tech Shop in Longmont, CO. He was one of many welders at the GT Tech Shop at that time. I'm also not sure how you are guessing on the tubing brand. Possible the downtube is what you called out but those frames were likely a blend.

Not guessing, why do you think it's not Reynolds tubing, the only non hydroformed tubing is the head tube and possibly the top tube.
Reynolds was one of the sponsors for GT's 1996 Olympic "Superbikes" along with Mavic, and Shimano.

The Reynolds decal tells a story of collaboration on design, materials, and manufacturing as Reynolds manufactures hydroformed tubing
Quote from Reynolds website...
"The 6061 alloy is very suitable for use in hydro-formed shapes due to its high ductility, and can also be used in conjunction with butted profiles subject to design parameters.
6061 is available as hydroformed and/or butted tubing for OEM customers only."

Now let's look at the business case.
(1). Reynolds would not put their name on the bike if they did not make the tubing and the tubing is hydroformed.

(2). Tooling for hydroforming is expensive and all that tooling and the processes are proprietary and held closely by the manufacture.

(3). I would say the concept of the GT aero bikes started in 1994 because of the time required to finalize the design and to manufacture the the tooling to hydroform the tubing had to be complete no later than June 1995 to manufacture tubing in time to build Atlanta prototypes in early 1996.

(4). The production bikes had to be built from Reynolds hydroformed tubing because of the lead time from the Atlanta Olympics to the start of manufacture of those bikes in late 1996 to early 1997 and all that tooling had to be paid for by spreading the cost out through the production bikes. I would also say the production bikes were cooked into the stew in the very beginning as it makes good business sense.

(5). David Tiemeyer was a graduate of the University of Michigan with a degree in engineering. You make him sound like a production welder, his involvement was much more than peripheral.

My GT has a build date of 06 97 and S/N in the very low 500's

I'm looking forward to your response.
Best Wishes: Mike