GT Xizang Serial number thread

Re:

Hi guys, I need some help! I got a titanium GT bike that I think it's a lightning but the serial is really weird... Anyway take a look at the pics and if you recognize it let me know :)




 
Re:

top tube end cap with characters other than GT if I recall is the giveaway, you are the proud owner of a Lightning, congrats and enjoy
 
TTN 181, internal cable routing for rear U-Brake, no visible welds at intake hole, chunky, straight cut dropouts, downtube cable guides in a block of two, decals from (mid-season) 1990 (as seen in 91 US Cataloge). Seatpost diametre is 29.8, no sleeve/shim. According to my research this is a first generation frame. The same frame and decals (however, in white colour) were used by Team GT in May 1990.

1919469-nuyx15l955m9-image-large.jpg


Team bike from May 1990.
1920093-urwpf04hgumu-tomrogersatbigbearmay1990-large.jpg


More Xizang TTN frames, all with identical features, I know of:
- TTN 012, owned by GM... on this forum; already on this list. Kevin claims it is model year 1991 as it was delivered in April 1991; I am of a different opinion.
- TTN 063, only main tube decal (91 style, unclear if original), owned by Ammergau on mtb-news.de, no sleeve/shim
- TTN 103, owned by MTBDave, however with very incomplete decals, no sleeve/shim
- TTN 218, popped up on ebay/craigslist this summer
- TTN 221, owned by Kabelad, no decals, no sleeve/shim
- TTN 272, no decals, owned by Araknoid on mtb-news.de, with sleeve/shim for 27.0
Seatpost
- TTN ???, owned by Kint on mtb-news

TTN 095 showen by Retro_Roy has identical features (apart from holder for fender on dropout) and is not a GT-frame (!). Allegedly it was made by Maurice LaVoie. This remains to be confirmed. A mate of Retro_Roy used to own TTN 090, also allegedly made by Maurice LaVoie and also no GT.

Therefore, I presume, TTNs GT were made by Mr. LaVoie, but I don't have full proof. Bill Duehring mentions in his interview with Kevin, that the first generation Xizangs were made by Mr. LaVoie, but Bill Duehring seems to refer to the 1991 model year Steel-Ti-Hybrid:

RB: Who built the first Xizangs? Help us dispel the internet rumours…were the Xizang and Edge Ti ever produced at the Tech Shop for the general public and dealer sales?

BD: (...) Then the Xizang frame, it had a Ti front triangle with Cro-Mo rear, this frame was made in Canada by a small builder called La Vaue and was located outside of Whistler. 2nd generation frames were made by Sandvik, 3rd gen were made by the GT Tech shop in Colorado.

http://www.retrobike.co.uk/20-questions ... -duehring/

According to several Team GT riders, prior to the World Cup in September 1990, the second generation frames were introduced. These were produced by Sandvik, I was told by Team GT rider, Tom Rogers. These had G-serial numbers (e.g. G18032, P4 in this thread), round cut dropouts, visible welds at intake hole, single cable guides on downtube and usually came with a sleeve/shim for the seatpost:

Details of G-series Xizang of model year 1991:
Xizang_4.jpg


Xizang_5.jpg


Xizangs of model year 1992 had the same dropouts but external cable routing on top tube. As this thread confirms, they should all have G-serial numbers (earliest I have seen: G18100, P9 on this thread.).
 
Just picked up 91/92 Xizang. 18" G model, U-brake with external routing. Frame number G18064 if of interest.
 
Re:

Alrighty then, after a long time of flaffing about of having some online storage and then not, figured I have a fibre connection and a PC that i can use as a server, i've dusted off my, well honestly crap html skills and started the beginings of the GT Xizang owners registery (all years, old to recent).
If anyone is interested send me an email : mik.siggins@gmail.com, include:

Serial Number:
Year (you think it is):
Size:
Your name (just first name if you want):
Country your in (optional, but would be nice):
Some info about the bike(optional):
Build(optional):
A picture(1 would be best, but a few more if you want)


I'll also want to do one for Zaskar reissues (since I have one and there is 499 left, so not the seemingly unlimited number like old zasakrs)
Figure if it is actually usefull and people are interested, could expand to Tech shop owners (so Xizang, Zaskars and Pyclones and then maybe onto RTS/LTS etc) in the future, but I'll start small and see how it goes. Get some data in there, then start making it look presentable to see if it worth buying some webspace or whatnot.
 
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