GT RTS All Terra Mountain Bike with Girvin Vector Forks

Hello, I am the owner of a GT RTS All Terra Mountain Bike with Girvin Vector Forks. I took the bike in to be serviced and was told the the suspension had seen better days. I am thinking about replacing the suspension so that it works optimally again.

I know nothing about suspension so I'd appreciate if if you could tell me the best way to go about improving the suspension cheaply (or at minimal cost). I've read something about converting to a spring instead of the elastomer (which has now gone rock hard).

I am considering replacing the elastomer with a CORFM from http://rapiddescentscotland.co.uk/index ... sition=7:7.

I don't know how to go about dealing with the rear shock spring so that it works optimally, but hopefully someone else will.

What do you think?

Side view:


Front view:


Angled view:


Front suspension:


Rear suspension:


Also, how would I go about sorting out etched scratches on the frame and other common ailments that come with a bike of such age to make it look like new?

I would consider painting the bike to make it look something like this:

So long as I could remove the scratches and mild dents first somehow.

Decals can be purchased from eBay: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0279993538

To be honest I have no idea how to paint a bike, other than really realising that I would have to dismantle the bike in order to paint individual parts.

I am looking to replace the grips with something softer but for minimal price, as am I looking to replace the saddle for something more comfortable but also cheaply.

For the front you can use motocross bottom out elastomers. They work fine...

novekili":zc32wrt5 said:

For the front you can use motocross bottom out elastomers. They work fine...

Click to expand...

Thank you for your suggestion, think I'll stick with the CORFM spring replacement though.

Any other suggestions?

Whats up with the suspension?

As for refinishing the frame, if you want a colour, strip it and get it powder coated. If you want to keep the bare alloy, not much you can do with the dents I'm afraid but preferably strip the frame down and polish it, quite easy to do and plenty threads explaining how to. The girvin fork legs could be done this way also.

Well, when I got the bike I took it to be serviced and was told that the suspension had seen better days. It has hardly any travel and although it is supposed to be firm, it is over the top now.

Ideally I'd like to keep the ball burnished look of the bike but I really want to get these scratches and dents sorted out. Any suggestions?

I'm waiting for Pickle to turn up with a response...

You can buy new spares including a rear shock for your RTS from this place,

www.betd.co.uk

Stripping it down, polishing the frame, replacing the stickers (with the proper RTS sticker on the top tube) and replacing the worn out parts would be the way to go i think

Thanks for the link, I'll check it out.

I wonder if anyone else has any thoughts?

Hi, and welcome.

Right, front suspension. Personally, I'd change the Vector's to Rock Shox. Mag21's or Quadra's depending on your budget. Quadra's start at roughly £25 and Mags £60ish. The Vectors could be sold to fund the change, but I do think Rock Shox would suit the ride better and they were OE spec.

To tune the back suspension, literally turn the silver section up and down the thread to compress or release the spring.

If there is a little play in the back end, which is common on RTS/LTS bikes, it may mean the bushes are worn.

As for polishing her up, get some Autosol first then Brasso. A bit of elbow grease is needed, but its worth it.

im loving the front lamp on the vectors - Marzocchi's from late nineties are always a good choice - Z2 or Z3 will suite that perfectly

Hello Pickle,

just how much of a difference do you think that Quadra's would make?

So I need to tighten and loosen the shock spring repeatedly? How many times?

I will use Autosol and Brasso, but first need to sort out:

This scratch and dent



This etched out/scratched area



Additionally, I have uploaded a video to demonstrate what happens when I puch on the rear shock (after tightening and loosening as you suggested).

View My Video