GT Tequesta 1991 (edited from 1992)

Hairylegs66

Devout Dirtbag
Hi all, this is my GT Tequesta, bought in December 1991, now used as my daily commuter after a conversion to a double chainset and some component swaps to save weight.

Frame: GT Triple Triangle, Tange Infinity Cro-Mo, 20" frame.

Fork: GT Rigid

Headset: GT
Stem: GT
Handlebar: Ritchey Pro Aluminium
Grips: Odi Subliminal
Brakes:Front - Shimano Exage Cantilevers
Brakes Rear - Shimano Exage U- Brake
Brake Pads: Shimano
Brake Cables: Shimano
Brake Levers: Shimano LX?

Shifters: Shimano LX Rapidfire
Front Derailleur: Shimano LX
Rear Derailleur: Shimano LX
Derailleur Cables: Shimano
Cassette: Shimano HG30
Chain: Shimano HG70
Cranks: Shimano Deore DX 170mm
Crank Bolts: Shimano
Chainrings: Shimao Biopace 38/28
Chainring bolts: Stronglight
Bottom Bracket: Shimano
Pedals: Outland CNC Flat

Hub Skewers: Halo
Rims: Ritchey Vantage Sport
Hubs: Shimano Exage
Spokes: Stainless steel
Tyres: Kenda John Tomac Dual Compound 2.1
Tubes: Continental

Saddle: Charge Spoon
Seatpost: BBB Skyscraper inline twin bolt 26.4mm
Seatpost Binder:GT Q/R

Weight: 27.2lb


http://www.flickr.com/photos/hairylegs6 ... otostream/
 
Thanks I try to look after my bikes, an old school mentality perhaps as opposed to the disposable society we live in... It also cost me £420 then which was a lot of overtime at weekends for me! Thanks for clarifying the year, I was not sure if it was 91 or 92. Will add in some background history soon.
 
Thanks for the compliments; I admire the work you have put into yours Rob, a real labour of love.

I bought my GT (my first ever new bike) in December 1991 after looking at other options in various bike shops around East London – the triple triangle design and a decent equipment spec made it stand out over the competition for me. I had to wait for a blue one as the black version seemed to be more popular. I had wrecked my Eddy Mercx frame commuting to work in London ; the GT was bought for trawling around Epping Forest and navigating Hackney’s appalling bus lanes. For commuting comfort I added Onza bar ends and replaced the GT saddle with a Selle Italia Turbo Gel. The basic Exage chainset was too flexy for me and I replaced it with the DX forged one.
In 1993 I moved to Essex and the GT sat in my kitchen for the next 6 years whilst I gained weight. The furthest it travelled until 2009 was when I moved house in 1999. During 2009 two of my friends new to cycling suggested that we ride together at our local country park at the weekend. One bought a Avalanche 1.0, the other an Aggressor XC2, I had the Tequesta and hey presto, the GT gang was created.

Out of the shed came the bike; despite keeping it off the floor on polystyrene blocks to preserve wheels and tyres, I had failed to notice a handlebar end touching an outside wall. Rusty bar ends and deeply rust pitted handlebars were the result. I replaced the bars with a Ritchey Pro alloy bar of the same width and sweep as the original and fitted Odi Subliminal grips to replace the perished GT items. I also replaced the original Klingon whitewall tyres with dual compound Kenda Nevegals for faster rolling and better traction. A few months of winter riding at the end of 2009 brought on ominous clunks from the bottom bracket and slipping gears, highlighting the need for a look at the drivetrain. In went a new bottom bracket, HG30 cassette (with the original lockring, the new one was so loose fitting after tightening) and a new HG70 chain. This kept me going until the Spring of 2010 when the lure of hydraulic brakes and suspension forks got the better of me and I bought a Merlin Malt. The GT went back into the shed…..

Fast forward to July 2011, when my place of work relocated and commuting by train and bike became an option once again. Out came the GT again for commuting duty – it seemed heavy and slow in comparison to the Merlin so I decided some updating was in order.

First to go was the Turbo Gel saddle; replaced with a Charge Spoon cro- mo item. Replacing the scratched Kalloy seatpost seemed to be a big problem – no-one seemed to stock or make a half decent 26.4mm seatpost. Eventually I found BBB’s Skyscraper twin bolt alloy in-line post – again this is lighter and gives me a better riding position. Next to get the heave ho were the GT steel pedals, toeclips and straps.. These have been replaced with Outland’s CNC slimline flat pedals. These are quite light, have a wide platform and a low profile and have 5 pins that give adequate grip with non- cycling footwear. They also give useful kerb clearance and don'tcause too much damage if you whack yourself (or a myopic train commuter) in the shin with 'em!

The heavy steel Shimano quick release levers & skewers (90g each) have also been replaced with Halo’s allen key bolt skewers (30g) , the QR seatbolt will be next as and when.

I do still have all the original components apart from the handlebars and grips - they were too far gone, including the whitewall Klingon tyres which are still in pretty good nick, although a bit yellowed. I thought about selling the GT over the years but the memory of how hard I had to save up to buy my first new bike tells me to keep hold of it and I am glad I did as it serves me well and will continue to do so, rain or shine!!
 
Commuting has taken its toll on the bike - the headset now has a lot of play in it so the bike is now off the road before any damage is done. The bike is now awaiting a full overhaul and a restoration job back to its 1991 era spec as close as possible - (Charge?) amberwalls, Turbo Gel saddle, Onza bar ends etc.
Headset is first job but also planned are new pedals (bearings are dead in the originals), replacement gear inner cables, new brake blocks and a swap back to the triple ring DX chainset.

I'll post some rebuild pics here once work gets under way.
 
nice man :eek:

6668440891_2e92d9c56a_b.jpg
 
Update on the rebuild.
New Years Eve - Armed with a pint of tea and the correct sized spanner, I put the GT on the workstand with the intention of tackling the wobbly headset, only to find a loose locknut :oops: Result! My smile disappeared quite quickly as the front wheel bearings were making noises like a freewheel. Hmmm. Took them apart expecting to find square ball bearings but luck was again on my side. No grease but everything looked ok, so I cleaned and regreased everything, reassembled the hub and it runs smooth and silent. Cleaned and polished the wheel & front cantis and that's it for now.

Next job - remove the chainset, strip, clean, polish and reassemble as a triple chainset.
 
Re: GT Tequesta 1991

After a lot of Autosol, Muc-Off and elbow grease the Tequesta rebuild is finished. The frame and decals are in good condition and needed only some minor paint and a polish to get them looking good again. Anything chrome or aluminium was cleaned and polished; the sensation is slowly returning to my fingertips now.
As I've said before I have owned this bike from new and made a few changes to it over the years. My aim with this rebuild is to capture the spirit of the original stock bike but with a few updates for rideability purposes:- this meant new bar ends, saddle, grips, seatpost, pedals and tyres.

I'm really pleased with the look, it's what I would have wanted 20 years ago but funds didn't permit back then.

Thanks to Rob Adkin for the rebuild inspiration - hope you find your 18.5 Daktari Black frame soon!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hairylegs66/sets/72157632896627020/

Frame:- 1991 GT Tequesta, Baja blue, 20 inch, Tange Infinity Double butted tubing
Fork:- GT Unicrown
Headset:- GT
BB:- Shimano cartridge
Chainset:- Shimano DX Biopace 170mm cranks, 48/38/28
Pedals: MKS Comp Lux
Chain:- KMC Z
Cassette: Shimano HG30 with HG50 lockring
Gearlevers: Shimano LX Rapidfire 7speed
Cables & outers: Shimano SIS outers with Shimano stainless cables
Front Mech: Shimano LX
Rear Mech: Shimano LX
Brake levers: Shimano LX
Front brake: Shimano M452 low profile cantilever, Shimano pads
Rear brake: Shimano M452 U brake, Shimano pads
Wheels: Shimano Exage hubs, Shimano QR skewers, Ritchey Vantage Rims, stainless steel spokes
Tyres & tubes: Charge Splashback 26 x 1.8" amberwalls, Continental tubes
Handlebars: Ritchey Pro alloy
Bar Ends: Ritchey Comp alloy
Grips: ODI subliminal
Seatpost QR: GT
Seatpost: Brand X alloy inline 26.4mm
Saddle: Selle Italia Flite Ti 1990 reissue
 
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