My 1997 GT Zaskar - Update on page 2!

[Nem]

First post here so thought I'd share some pictures.

After about 10 years or not having ridden the bike I've decided it's time to dust it off and make some use of it. I had this bought from new in 1997 and had a good couple of years riding before getting involved with uni and driving cars etc etc. The main problem I had was with how much it cost so I never ended up pushing it in case of damaging something, but that and the 10 years not being used explains the condition it's in today.

Anyway, I've been out with my partner today and sorted a new bike out for her and given mine a quick clean and a spot of grease and am quite looking forward to getting back into it all

The bike is pretty much standard as it was bought apart from the pedals and handlebar. The pedals I believe are the DMR V12 and the handle bar was changed before I took delivery from the Azonic straight bar to the World Force riser one, not sure why I accepted a blue one over the standard black, I seem to recall they only had the blue left in stock at the time and I didn't want to wait, must have made sense at the time. The only other alteration was the rear hub which is a XT unit, I managed to go through 3 of the GT cnc ones under wrrenty before the shop got tyred and put something more durable on it, lol!

The seat is looking a bit tired and I think will be replaced with something more comftable, and the tyres are starting to perish so will need new ones very soon. I see the VelociRaptors are still made so I'm those seem a good idea to keep things 'of the time'

So, here it is...

Nick

 

[mattbrown]

thats actually a '98 one, or the decals are for def.

 

[drystonepaul]

thats actually a '98 one, or the decals are for def.

I'd have to disagree there. I think that they're '97 decals, the '97 Zaskar was available in 'Frost Red'. Plus the dropouts and seatstay bridge design changed in 1998.

Nice looking bike though, lots of original parts still left on it.

 

[mattbrown]

the catalogue for the year shows the graphics differently - http://www.mtb-kataloge.de/Bikekataloge/PDF/GT/1997.pdf

 

[kase1983]

I started my job in the bike shop in 1998 and we had one off these in stock, unsure thou if it was a last yrs bike as it was in the sale?

 

[Nem]

Interesting indeed.

The decals do look like the '98 ones, but all of the components on it are off the '97 including the colour. The '98 was listed as either ball burnished or acid blue, and not ball burnished or frost red anodised like mine is.

I'm 95% certain it was bought in 97, I was told it was the last in the country available for sale in that size and colour. Was bought in July / August time that year.

http://www.mtb-kataloge.de/Bikekataloge/PDF/GT/1998.pdf

http://www.mtb-kataloge.de/Bikekataloge/PDF/GT/1997.pdf

Thanks for the PDF links I've got the original catalog still around somewhere I'm sure. The '97 one looks very familiar, it was studdied a great deal before my bike was bought.

Nick

 

[IDB1]

Looks like it's in the '97 GT Catalogue in the archives. .

And it's a cracking looking beast of a bike to boot, it could come and play at my house any day/week/month/year

 

[drystonepaul]

There's a better picture of the 1998 decals on pages 20-22 in this version of the '98 GT catalogue:
http://www.retrobike.co.uk/gallery2/mai ... emId=10537

I'm basing my 1997 opinion on 3 things:
a) The 1997 catalogue in the archive.
b) A comparison with a decal style on my 1997 GT Bravado
c) A comparison with the decals and design of my July 1997 Black Zaskar frame. (which I've just stripped polished and had new decals made for)

I'm pretty sure that it is a 1997 Zaskar then, otherwise my whole knowledge of old bikes might as well implode in upon me.

I suppose we could ask GM....

 

[Mattythemod]

You gotta love annodized Zaskars ...

 

[the great roberto]

Its a 1997 as it has the same decals as my red ano 97. Good to see another red ano zaskar. Anyway the seriel number will confirm.