Quik's 1992 GT Zaskar LE (Nearly Finished)

[merckx]

looks awesome! i like it! now get roosting up koru missing link and aratiatia then down north face jfk and swigg or lazy fern , before the snow drops

 

[mtbdave]

That looks stunning,as gt steve says those early decals are great the best by far.
I do have a better photo of that decal,when I thought I needed one for my rts I sent gil 3/4 photos of it and the correct sizes as he never had it on file,
It's 100% accurate even though I never used it in the end it's the only genuine decal left on my frame!

You have done a belting job on the polishing there too how long did you spend on it?

Really well done with it it looks like it's been locked away in storage since new!

 

[QuikNZ]

You have done a belting job on the polishing there too how long did you spend on it?

A few hours over three sessions. First was a clean with soapy water and then two sessions with autosol. I used two cloths, one to apply the polish and the other to buff it up. I tried a really fine wet and dry on parts of the frame but chose not to continue as I didn't want to ruin the finish.

Photos taken now so I can ride it and get it muddy.

 

[Marcus W]

Looks real nice will try the autosol on mine

 

[Blackstar]

Looks mad!

Takes me back...

Hoping to do a resto much like that.. was it hard?

 

[QuikNZ]

Looks mad!

Takes me back...

Hoping to do a resto much like that.. was it hard?

Hey thanks. It wasn't too hard, there was a lot of cleaning involved and then a lot of polishing but I definitely recommend autosol - it works miracles. I didn't do anything amazing to the bike like some other forum members.

The thing about Zaskars is its pretty easy to make them look good with little effort so whatever suits your time and budget should give you something you are happy with.

But the main thing about Zaskars is that they are a legendary ride so as for the restoration I didn't want to fork out a tonne of money like I know is possible on these rebuilds so I went for as simple and as close to original as possible so I could ride it.

I basically replaced the two bits on the bike that needed to be replaced (rear mech and shifter) and then just got it to a working state with cables and servicing. I want to ride the bike (for now) so I didn't do anything to the bike that I would regret getting dirty, except perhaps Gil M's decals which look amazing and I don't want to scratch up. I know that if I want to do a full mint up I can do that in future.

I actually rode it on the trails in the weekend. Things I noticed

- It is FAST. I was rolling a Maxxis Ardent front tyre and a ADvantage on the rear (I have a Crossmark for summer) which helped with the speed but it definitely goes.

- It throws you around a bit but is a fun ride. The narrow handlebars make it a bit jumpy and really responsive.

- You are quite far forward in a racing position which is pretty different to the upright style of modern day mountain bikes.

- Its old so you need to trust your riding, not the brakes and components.

- It climbs like a beast!

Unfortunately I was having some gear slipping issues while in the smallest ring which I need to get sorted. Think it might be the chain stretching and then getting put back on round the wrong way. I don't want to replace the cassette and chain.

 

[saulus]

Hey,

I was just browsing threads, looking for tips on polishing Alu frames - I have a Klein Pulse Comp which is going to get a good going over - and I also have a soft spot for Zaskars. Think this looks great. I look at it and it takes me back there.. BITD!