In spring 1998 my father took me to the bike shop to pick a new bike, as I’d outgrown my 1994 GT Outpost Trail. He knew what I was after though and ordered up a brand new Zaskar custom built with some nice blue anodised bits. This bike got hammered every weekend and steadily upgraded and updated until March 2005 when it was stolen from outside the local Kwiksave whilst at uni. Insurance coughed up and a Santa Cruz Chameleon was on its way, but as it was going to take ages to arrive, I got a 1995/6 ish Avalanche frame for £30 on eBay and built it up with spare bits into a singlespeed. The headtube on this frame cracked in 2008 and I was GT-less once more.
Last year I started hankering for the fat-downtubed Zaskar of my teens again and began picking up bits for a prospective build. There was no rush so I pretty much sourced everything I wanted with no compromise, and didn’t pay over the odds for anything. A nice surprise was a NOS pair of rigid GT forks in my LBS, which had been removed from a bike at point of purchase back in 1998. Originally I wanted some 2001 Judys like my old one, but the rigids were cheaper and will do for now. The steerer on them is a bit short for my stem, but a piece of off-cut steerer gives the top bolt something to clamp down on.
The frame I wanted was quite specific. My old one was a 1998 with the fat downtube, integrated seatclamp, v-brake only routing and ball burnished, and it was one of these I wanted but in a size smaller than my old one – 16 inch instead of 18 inch as my riding style has moved on a bit and I much prefer a shorter frame these days. Drystonepaul came up with the goods at a time when I had (just enough!) money: a nice 16 inch 1999 Zaskar in Hot Mango. A year later than my old one but identical as far I can remember apart from the colour and decal style. As a 1999 it would blend with the M750 drivetrain I prefer to use, and the colour grew on me so I decided to keep it as it is.
Everything else is the same as my other bikes – aforementioned M750 stop and go and Titec finishing kit – with some Hope/Mavic wheels to roll on. It’s turned out as a nice mix of what my old Zaskar had on it (wheelset, groupset) with things that I prefer these days (smaller frame, Titec stuff, double and bash). Admittedly it’s quite modern compared with some of the bikes on here, but to me it’s a lovely blast from the past.
Thanks to P20 for the cranks, paulvandermoolen for the headset, majoreyeswater for the rear mech and brakes, dbmtb for the rear hub (last piece of the jigsaw!) and dystonepaul for the frame.
Frame: 16” 1999 GT Zaskar, Hot Mango.
Fork: GT rigid, Bologna cut?
Headset: Cane Creek.
Stem: Titec Blockhead, 10˚, 90mm.
Handlebar: Titec Hellbent XC.
Grips: Lizard Skins Charger lock on.
Brakes: XT M750 v brakes.
Brake Cables: Shimano.
Brake Levers: XT M739.
Shifters: XT M740 8 speed.
Front Derailleur: XT M750.
Rear Derailleur: XT M750.
Derailleur Cables: Shimano.
Cassette: XTR M950.
Chain: Sram PC890.
Cranks: XT M752 Octalink.
Chainrings: Shimano 26t inner, Shimano 32 middle, Shimano bash ring.
Bottom Bracket: ES71.
Pedals: DMR V8.
Hub Skewers: STX RC.
Rims: Mavic XM317.
Hubs: Hope Mono XC 32h.
Tyres: Halo Choir Master 2.35.
Saddle: Titec Berserkr.
Seatpost: Titec 7075.
Pictures are here, can't get them to show?
http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x32/ ... ble011.jpg
Last year I started hankering for the fat-downtubed Zaskar of my teens again and began picking up bits for a prospective build. There was no rush so I pretty much sourced everything I wanted with no compromise, and didn’t pay over the odds for anything. A nice surprise was a NOS pair of rigid GT forks in my LBS, which had been removed from a bike at point of purchase back in 1998. Originally I wanted some 2001 Judys like my old one, but the rigids were cheaper and will do for now. The steerer on them is a bit short for my stem, but a piece of off-cut steerer gives the top bolt something to clamp down on.
The frame I wanted was quite specific. My old one was a 1998 with the fat downtube, integrated seatclamp, v-brake only routing and ball burnished, and it was one of these I wanted but in a size smaller than my old one – 16 inch instead of 18 inch as my riding style has moved on a bit and I much prefer a shorter frame these days. Drystonepaul came up with the goods at a time when I had (just enough!) money: a nice 16 inch 1999 Zaskar in Hot Mango. A year later than my old one but identical as far I can remember apart from the colour and decal style. As a 1999 it would blend with the M750 drivetrain I prefer to use, and the colour grew on me so I decided to keep it as it is.
Everything else is the same as my other bikes – aforementioned M750 stop and go and Titec finishing kit – with some Hope/Mavic wheels to roll on. It’s turned out as a nice mix of what my old Zaskar had on it (wheelset, groupset) with things that I prefer these days (smaller frame, Titec stuff, double and bash). Admittedly it’s quite modern compared with some of the bikes on here, but to me it’s a lovely blast from the past.
Thanks to P20 for the cranks, paulvandermoolen for the headset, majoreyeswater for the rear mech and brakes, dbmtb for the rear hub (last piece of the jigsaw!) and dystonepaul for the frame.
Frame: 16” 1999 GT Zaskar, Hot Mango.
Fork: GT rigid, Bologna cut?
Headset: Cane Creek.
Stem: Titec Blockhead, 10˚, 90mm.
Handlebar: Titec Hellbent XC.
Grips: Lizard Skins Charger lock on.
Brakes: XT M750 v brakes.
Brake Cables: Shimano.
Brake Levers: XT M739.
Shifters: XT M740 8 speed.
Front Derailleur: XT M750.
Rear Derailleur: XT M750.
Derailleur Cables: Shimano.
Cassette: XTR M950.
Chain: Sram PC890.
Cranks: XT M752 Octalink.
Chainrings: Shimano 26t inner, Shimano 32 middle, Shimano bash ring.
Bottom Bracket: ES71.
Pedals: DMR V8.
Hub Skewers: STX RC.
Rims: Mavic XM317.
Hubs: Hope Mono XC 32h.
Tyres: Halo Choir Master 2.35.
Saddle: Titec Berserkr.
Seatpost: Titec 7075.
Pictures are here, can't get them to show?
http://s187.photobucket.com/albums/x32/ ... ble011.jpg
